Napier Quarter is trying to be... itself
- The Scoffers
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
In a city where cafés seem to come and go on a weekly basis, it takes something quietly confident to stand out. Napier Quarter does that but in a very nonchalant kind of way. Possibly Fitzroy’s best kept not so secret venue is equal parts café, wine bar and maybe even lifestyle aspiration.
This intimate corner spot doesn’t boast. It hums. There's a modest 20 seats inside, a few more out and that’s your lot. Don’t bother arriving with a posse because this place isn’t built for brunch mobs or laptop loiterers, nor is it the haven of the pouty lipped influencer. It’s for those who appreciate the fine art of sitting still with a soft-boiled egg, anchovy-laced toast and something chilled in a stemmed glass.
By day, it’s the kind of café where even the butter feels intentional. The menu is brief, bordering on poetic and includes simple dishes such as toast with whipped ricotta, jamon on a chewy baguette and a seasonal salad that feels like someone’s foraged it from a Tuscan hill. Every dish tastes like the product of a small, well read kitchen with strong opinions.
By night the café stretches into its second skin, a low key wine bar, dimly lit and effortlessly European but in a very Fitzroy kind of way. Daniel Lewis and Simon Benjamin have curated a wine list that is quite small, but that’s the point. Every bottle earns its place. Mostly minimal intervention, mostly local with a few smart Euro imports, and always curated with a sommelier’s palate and a poet’s restraint. This is refreshing. You won’t find QR code menus or 17 types of syrah. What you will find is a glass of something amber, funky and perfect beside a plate of cheese that might just change your mind about dairy.
And the vibe is just as it should be with double clothed tables and quality flatware and eating implements, very much as if a Parisian bistro had a lovechild with a Melbourne design studio. There is no loud music shouting over your conversation, rather just the occasional clink of very good glassware and the murmur of someone in thick dark rimmed spectacles, describing their wine as expressive and somehow making it work.
Napier Quarter isn’t trying to be everything, in fact its not trying to be anything except excellent and it is winning. With its limited seating, tight menu and pitch perfect wine list, it’s the kind of place you almost don’t want to tell people about. Too late, we did!
Oh and check out the guesthouse for somewhere to rest the head in effortless style.
Napier Quarter is at 359 Napier Street, Fitzroy
Open Mon- Fri 8am until late
Sat 9am until late. Sun Noon until 6pm.
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