Northcote Fish & Chips — Restaurant in Melbourne

Probably owe this place a review after at least 20 feedings from here... Stuart clearly takes pride in this place and it has grown so much since the early days. Can only speak for the vegan options but here's what I can say:

'Chicken' burgers are stellar. Parma Marsala has everything you want in a burger. 'Beef' burgers are unique, and I enjoyed them. But I don't go back for them. They don't have the appeal of a Beyond/Impossible. Chix Kebab is really satisfying, and really hits the spot if that's what you're after.

Original Phish is great for the first timer - it's probably the closest you'll get to a vegan fish.

New Phish - early days were rough, but after tweaks to the recipe I really love it! I re-order this a lot. It's in the postcode of fish, without any really fishy qualities. But it's hearty and feels nutritious.

VG Calimari is indistinguishable from the real stuff, and a staple to any order, whether fried or with the salad.

'Oyster' mushrooms are also one of the newer creations which I order a lot. But I wouldn't recommend them to everyone. They're just button mushrooms stuffed with seaweed. If you like seaweed, you may like them.

Bars from Mars (Holly and Ollie?) are super delicious. I wish you could just order a little one of them though for a little treat.

Literally the only thing I don't fancy on the menu are the dim sims - the pastry is too dense for me and can be undercooked on the inside. The filling doesn't really sing to you either.

And the usual suspects: Chips - vary in quality a lot, but have definitely improved over the years and I can't remember the last time I had a bad chip order.

Potato/Pumpkin Fritters - a real lucky dip. Sometimes you'll get a petit little guy, other times you'll get a gargantuan oily beast. There's fun in not knowing what you'll get.

Sauces - pick of the sauces is the tartare, with the gravy a close second.

Bottom line: really hard to go wrong with any order on the menu. A traditional chipper that keeps improving and trying new things. There might be the occasional swing and miss, but they're becoming less frequent...

My partner and I were walking down High Street, checking every food joints menu to see what we wanted to eat today, so the possibilities were endless. We stood in front of Northcote Fish & Chips, starry eyed, my boyfriend turned to me and said “you want fish and chips?” I said “that’s what you had for lunch” he said “I don’t care.” So that’s how we ended up here. As we walked in, everybody looked at us. We got shy. We looked at the menu, it looked good. The menu hooked us, so to say. But then as I looked around, at the paint chipping, the tables and chairs that seemed like an after thought - I told him, “maybe I’ll get a potato cake for now (since we love sharing potato cakes) and see if we want dinner here later?” So I mustered up my courage and walked up to order. It took a while to come; that intrigued me. What is this potato cake going to be like? I wondered.. and we set our eyes on the cocktails they offered, “I’d come back to try those” I thought to myself. I took a picture of the menu. Hooked, again. My partner said “I’ll tell Lauren” and took a picture of their vegan menu. I pointed to it, “that’s a good price! And it says unlimited!” He says “do you wanna come sometime this week?” I turned away. I wasn’t sure yet, I wasn’t sold but curious for sure. Then the potato cake came… uncooked. It was like just eating a potato. A straight potato. Was definitely unimpressed and now a little cut. The fish had unhooked.. or whatever. Anyway. This is my feedback. Cover up the kitchen, let us be intrigued Some DIY renovations will go a long way Didn’t try the food, so can’t say but personally I like a potato cake less frigid, just like I say to my boyfriend. You are too frigid. Push the vegan menu! 💝 seems interesting

Thank u....

I came to this restaurant to collect my order, which had already been prepared a long time ago. Even though it was ready, I was made to wait with other customers who hadn’t even ordered yet. When I politely asked about my order, the man at the reception suddenly became aggressive.

He looked down on me, started swearing, and even made threatening comments for no reason. His attitude was extremely rude and made me feel uncomfortable and scared. I wasn’t being rude — I was just asking for the food I had already paid for.

This is completely unacceptable. No customer should be treated like this. I will not be returning, and I hope the management takes action to train their staff in basic respect and professionalism.

UPDATE in response to owner’s reply: I want to clarify that I was told to wait in the queue, and I followed instructions exactly. I did not skip the line.

However, I was picking up an Uber Eats order that was already paid for — meaning my customer was waiting. At most restaurants, delivery drivers are served through a separate pickup counter or are given priority, because we’re not placing a new order — we’re there to collect and go.

When I politely asked about the order, your staff responded with rudeness and aggression, repeatedly asking me to confirm the order even though I had already done so and was showing proof on my phone. He refused to even look.

Another customer also made rude comments toward me, and instead of calming the situation, your staff joined in and treated me with clear disrespect.

I’m not trying to cause drama. I just hope this serves as a reminder to treat delivery drivers — and all people — with basic respect. We're just...