Norma Fitzroy — Restaurant in Melbourne

norma is the homey, french-mediterranean wine bar you did not know you needed in your life until now.

decorated in sage green petals, candles, roses and bistro-style tables, you’ll feel right at home here.

even more inviting is there menu. the wine list is not too ling and intimidating, and the dinner menu seems short and sweet but there’s a little something for everyone!

you can immediately tell this is not a regular wine bar snack menu, but rather it is one with small to large plates, with influence of traditional cooking methods and dishes drawn from the french and italian heritage of the chefs.

their 2023 trutta, 'skinsy' was more of a deep rose colour than an orange, and i loved it. slightly acidic. starting with panisse, I personally enjoyed this. the textured inside and savoury flavour from the parmasen was so moreish! while their tuna crudo was smaller than expected, it was fresh with no fishy taste at all, and stracc and pistachio is a combo impossible to fail.

torn between mains, we opted against the risk of the duck and chose the lamb instead. it was slowed cooked beyond belief, absolutely nothing holding it together anymore it completely fell apart at the slight push of a fork. so good! while the caponata was a little oily for me, i appreciated the chunks of eggplant and olive. the passata in the gnocchi was heavenly and perfectly sweetened, and the gnocchi were the fluffy, dense clouds they should be! broccoli ticked my veg box. with the heavy and rich mains they offer, a fresh leafy salad would be a good addition to the menu!

as much as I wish I could say the profiterole blew me away, it sadly didn’t flavours were banging and the concept is unreal, but our profiterole was served cold! the contrast between a crispy, hot choux and cold ice cream would be a dream! I’ve heard it’s usually served warm, so I will certainly be back to give this another go, and their...

I’ve seen a lot of buzz recently about Norma’s Pasta Night, and having never been before, I figured the perfect way to try it out was to gather a group of five friends and see what all the fuss was about. When we arrived and walked through the door, we were a little surprised to see the place virtually empty—but then we were taken upstairs to find a full dining room packed with people all there for the pasta night.

The staff were super friendly and explained the special to us, and we were excited to get started. For $45 per person, you get half a litre of wine, burrata, Pasta alla Norma (a rich eggplant and meatball sauce), and tiramisu—all shared between two people. We also added on some bread to really make the most of the burrata. Honestly, it was such good value. There was so much food and wine that most of us couldn’t even finish. We were dining with a vegetarian and they happily catered for her with a meat-free version of the Pasta alla Norma, which we really appreciated. I also noticed there were a mix of big groups and couples that night, all enjoying the same special.

What I appreciated most—besides the food—was how beautifully designed the space is. Upstairs, the green-toned interiors paired with whitewashed timber panelling create a soft, fresh and elegant atmosphere. It feels like a low-key French bistro with Mediterranean touches—charming and tasteful, but without any pretentiousness. You walk in knowing you’ll enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank.

The pasta night has definitely piqued my interest in the rest of their menu, and I’ll absolutely be back to...

We had a party of 3 that attended in March 2025. Overall the food was not great at all... The best thing and we shared most of what we ordered was their Grilled Octopus Entre.

The rest either lacked flavour, had traditional names, and then they reinterpreted it.. which I am fine to a point... but these were loosely based on the items.

We had the Steak Tartare - which they use a white based french cream as we had to ask. This took away from a traditional steak tartare and even though they represented it, it was still something that I found unpleasant. It was also not served with anything... to eat with it... which I found weird too.

The Tuna Crudo, was not for me... couldn't get any pistachio and the texture all too similar and overall tase was bland.

Our friend who especially came for the raviolo actually left it. It looked like a plate of baked custard.

French fries were cold

We also ordered the special meat of the night $180 Tomahawk steak. It needed some salt and pepper... felt under seasoned and it was also meant to be smoked... but couldn't tell.

They also had what they called a Basque cheesecake, again whilst a lovely baked cheesecake this was not a Basque cheesecake and apparently, the reason, given for it's light browning rather than traditionally dark, nearly black top and sides.. was that they are a restaurant, they couldn't burn it... I just assumed the waiter didn't know that is is just cooked at a high heat to create the cramalisation...

It's a bit of a...