Best Cheap Eats in Fitzroy and Collingwood (2026 Guide)

Fitzroy and Collingwood are where Melbourne's food culture lives and breathes. Brunswick Street, Gertrude Street, Smith Street — these are strips shaped by decades of creative energy, migrant cooking, and an unwillingness to settle for average. The good news for your wallet is that the best eating here has never required a big spend. Locals have always eaten well and cheaply in the inner north, and that culture is very much alive in 2026.

I've spent more hours eating my way through Fitzroy and Collingwood than I could possibly count — with Sam, with groups, and on solo missions chasing down the best of a very competitive field. This is my personal guide to the best cheap eats in Fitzroy and Collingwood in 2026.

Updated June 2026. See also: Best Cheap Eats Melbourne | Best Cafes & Restaurants Melbourne Inner North | Cheap Eats Melbourne CBD | Best Cheap Eats Brunswick and Brunswick East | Best Cheap Eats Richmond

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Fitzroy

Brunswick Street, Gertrude Street, Smith Street — Melbourne's creative dining heartland

1. Nico's Sandwich Deli — The Cubano, Kerr St Fitzroy

Nico's Sandwich Deli began as a pop-up behind a roller door in Fitzroy during Melbourne's lockdown era, started by the team behind Peaches, Dexter and Cheek — with Seven Seeds coffee pedigree in the mix as well. What started as a side project became one of Melbourne's most visited sandwich destinations, and the Kerr Street location remains the original heartland for a devoted following that returns again and again. We've visited many times and we keep going back, always for the same reason.

The Cubano is the reason — and it may be one of the best sandwiches I've eaten in Melbourne. Smoked pork belly from Dexter, Grandma leg ham, Emmental cheese, dill pickles, cos lettuce, apple cider reduction and American mustard on toasted sourdough. Every element is considered, every flavour has a reason to be there. The pork belly is smoked in-house. The result is a Cubano that doesn't just reference the classic — it genuinely interprets and elevates it. We've been back many times and it has never wavered once.

The rest of the menu earns equal respect. The panko chicken schnitzel sanga is a Fitzroy icon in its own right. The Nico's Original — vine-ripe tomato, buffalo mozzarella, herbs and Japanese umami-rich shio koji sauce — is unlike any other sandwich in Melbourne. The malted caramel milkshake is mandatory. Get there early. It closes at 3pm and for good reason — the good stuff goes fast.

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2. Ladro — Wood-Fired Pizza Institution, Gertrude St

Ladro sits at the top end of the cheap eats bracket — it's not a $12 banh mi, but for what you get — over 20 years of wood-fired pizza craft on Gertrude Street — it represents exceptional value. This is a Fitzroy institution that has shaped Melbourne's Italian dining scene, and it earns its place on this list because a great pizza here costs what a mediocre one costs elsewhere.

The Badabing pizza is non-negotiable — it's one of Melbourne's great pizza moments. The Porcellino is rich and indulgent, and the 100 Layer Lasagne is a signature dish I'd travel across the city for. Ladro recently added a private dining room if you're thinking groups. But on a weeknight, a pizza and a glass of something Italian at Ladro is one of the best-value dinners in Fitzroy, full stop.

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3. Rice Paper Scissors — Contemporary SE Asian Share Plates, Brunswick St

Rice Paper Scissors is modelled on the hawker dining bars of Southeast Asia — the informal, communal, share-everything culture of markets and street food stalls translated into a vibrant, beautifully designed Brunswick Street restaurant. We enjoyed contemporary, stunning flavours across every dish on our visit, and it's one of those restaurants that gets better the more people you bring, because sharing more means tasting more of a menu that genuinely rewards exploration.

The menu takes its primary influence from Thailand but dips confidently into Vietnam, Cambodia and surrounding countries. Thai fried chicken with sriracha mayo is a must. The sticky pork belly with caramel tamarind sauce is one of those dishes that stops conversation mid-sentence. Crispy barramundi salad with green apple and cashew nut is fresh, textural and complex. The banquet — five dishes for $45pp — is the smart way to go for groups and extraordinary value for the flavour range it delivers.

The cocktail list is equally well-conceived. The Vietnamese Espresso Martini with condensed milk is a genius riff on the Melbourne classic. The Tom Yum Yum — rum, vodka, coconut water, red chilli, lemongrass and ginger — perfectly embodies the whole spirit of the menu. Book ahead.

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4. Blue Chillies — Malaysian Institution, Brunswick St

Nearly 20 years on Brunswick Street is no accident. Blue Chillies has outlasted trends, new openings, and the relentless churn of the Fitzroy dining scene because it delivers simple, honest Malaysian cuisine with consistency and warmth. The atmosphere is cosy, the staff friendly, and the food is the kind you return to again and again without ever feeling like you've exhausted the menu.

The Black Pepper Soft-Shell Crab is a standout — moreish doesn't quite cover it. Malaysian classics like laksa, roti canai and nasi lemak are done with real care and at prices that make the inner north's rents look like someone else's problem. This is neighbourhood dining at its most dependable.

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5. Jinda Thai — Authentic Thai, Abbotsford

Jinda Thai doesn't dumb it down for Western tastes, and that's exactly why it has such a devoted fan base. Located in Abbotsford just off the Fitzroy–Collingwood corridor, this modern warehouse Thai restaurant fills up fast — by 6pm on a Friday it's packed, and a second sitting follows. The food is fresh, authentic, and delivered with real upbeat energy.

The Moo Ping Sticky Rice — marinated pork skewers with homemade nam jim — is a highlight I look forward to every visit. The sticky rice here is done properly, which isn't always the case. The Barramundi Fillet with crispy skin and green apple salad dressing is outstanding — fresh, light, perfectly textured. And the Green Curry Chicken builds heat that creeps up on you in the best possible way. Named after the grandmother who inspired the cooking, Jinda Thai brings genuine family warmth to every dish.

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6. Bonny — Neighbourhood Bar & Food, Fitzroy

Bonny is one of those local bars that quietly outperforms everything around it. Stylish Fitzroy fit-out, a stunning tap beer selection that keeps surprising you, a thoughtful wine list — and food that would be at home in a proper restaurant. The kitchen here is doing things that most dedicated restaurants should take note of.

The steak night is one of Melbourne's great value dining events — a produce-driven steak special at local bar prices. Every visit I discover a new beer and find a new food dish to obsess over. Bonny is the kind of bar that makes living in Fitzroy feel like a privilege.

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7. Belle's Hot Chicken — Nashville Fried Chicken, Fitzroy

Belle's Hot Chicken is Melbourne's great Nashville-style fried chicken destination. Created by Aaron Turner and Morgan McGlone, who brought genuine Nashville credentials to Melbourne, this is not just fried chicken — it's spicy fried chicken done with conviction and craft. I've been back about a dozen times and I'm still not over it.

The heat levels are real. The chicken is properly cooked. The atmosphere is dude-food done right — casual, fun, and always packed with people who know what they're here for. At the price point, Belle's delivers one of the most satisfying cheap eats experiences anywhere in Melbourne's inner north.

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Collingwood

Johnston Street, Smith Street and surrounds — gritty, creative, and always evolving

8. JollyGood Diner — Steak Night & American Diner, Johnston St

JollyGood is the creation of Raphael Exton-Pery — a former fine dining chef who first captured Melbourne's attention with Jollygood Sandwiches pop-ups during lockdown before opening this elevated American diner on Johnston Street. The fine dining pedigree is evident in every detail: this is not a generic diner, it's a considered venue using the American diner format as a canvas for genuinely excellent food and a great drinks list.

We went for steak night and it was amazing. At $30 for steak frites with bottomless fries and condiments on a Thursday, it's one of Melbourne's most compelling value propositions. The 250g Goulburn Valley grass-fed porterhouse is cooked properly — the fries are excellent, and the house-made curry ketchup is the condiment of the year. The French Dip Sandwich is another essential — thinly sliced roast beef in a soft roll with jus for dipping, deeply satisfying. The Smash Patty Cheeseburger is first-rate. The Key Lime Pie is the dessert to end all desserts.

Happy hour runs Wednesday to Sunday 3–6pm: $10 pints, $5 pots, $10 house wines, $15 Spritzes and $3 oysters. The spiked Peach Palmer cocktail — house-made peach iced tea, bourbon and lemon — is the one to order. Weekend brunch adds pancakes, maple bacon and Bloody Marys from 10am.

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9. Hi Fi — The Reuben Toastie & Amazing Sandwiches, Smith St

Hi Fi is the kind of place Smith Street was made for — and we've visited many times, always drawn back by the same thing. The Reuben toastie is one of the best toasties in Melbourne: corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing pressed together in a way that references the New York deli classic and completely delivers on the promise. The bread is right, the filling ratio is right, the seasoning is right. It is one of the most satisfying toasties in Melbourne and we order it every single time.

Beyond the Reuben, Hi Fi's broader sandwich and cafe food menu is consistently excellent. Great coffee, generous portions, and a front table with a perfect view of the Smith Street parade. It's a cafe that understands its neighbourhood and serves it brilliantly day after day.

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10. Smith Street Alimentari — Fabulous Breakfast & Italian Deli

Smith Street Alimentari brings the spirit of a proper Italian providore-cafe to the heart of Collingwood — and we enjoyed a fabulous breakfast here that set the benchmark for what a morning meal on this strip can be. The coffee is excellent, the ingredients are quality Italian deli produce, and the atmosphere has that warm, counter-culture-meets-Italian-providore quality that makes a good alimentari feel like a genuine destination rather than just another cafe stop.

Beyond breakfast the huge glistening salads, excellent ham sandwiches, imported cheeses and roast meats make Smith Street Alimentari equally rewarding for lunch — and a brilliant providore for taking quality produce home. It's one of those places that improves your whole week simply by being in the neighbourhood.

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11. Falco Bakery — Elite Pastries & Sandwiches, Collingwood

Falco Bakery is one of Melbourne's finest bakeries — that's not hyperbole, that's what the queues tell you every morning. The pastry work here is exceptional: sourdough that Melbourne's best cafes serve, croissants that reward with proper lamination and butter depth, and a roster of seasonal pastries that make the detour to Collingwood very easy to justify.

But don't sleep on the Chicken Sandwich. It's a must-order — a properly constructed, satisfying lunchtime hero that punches well above the price. Falco is the kind of bakery that sets a suburb's tone, and Collingwood is lucky to have it.

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12. Pincho Disco — Latin American Energy, Collingwood

Pincho Disco is consistently underrated, and I don't understand why. This vibrant Latin American restaurant and bar in Collingwood brings bold, punchy flavours, colourful cocktails and serious dining energy to Smith Street — and does it at prices that make you want to come back every week. It's one of the most fun dining experiences in the inner north.

The ceviche is top class — clean, acidic, properly made. The steaks are outstanding value. The cocktails are creative and well-executed. And the energy in the room on a Friday night is exactly what you want from a neighbourhood restaurant. Order share plates across the menu and take a culinary journey through South America without leaving Collingwood.

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13. Hawker Hall — Asian Hawker Feast, Windsor

Hawker Hall in Windsor sits just south of the Fitzroy-Collingwood corridor and belongs in this guide — it's the spiritual hawker centre Melbourne deserves. From the team behind Chin Chin and Kong BBQ, this food and beer hall in a converted heritage stable captures the spirit of Singapore and Malaysia's hawker culture with almost 70 dishes spanning the breadth of Southeast Asian cooking.

The Penang Duck Curry with peanuts and eggplant is creamy, tangy and one of my favourite dishes in Melbourne at this price point. The Char Kway Teow, Hainanese BBQ Chicken Rice and Nasi Goreng are all essential. The "Hawker Feast" feed-me option delivers a banquet of favourites including dessert — exceptional value for a group. The building itself, with its visible trusses and heritage stable bones, is a reminder that atmosphere doesn't have to cost you extra either.

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14. Luke's Banh Mi — Vietnamese Rolls, Inner North Locations

Luke's Banh Mi has multiple locations across Melbourne including the inner north, and belongs on every cheap eats list in the city. Luke Vu — third generation baker and genuine banh mi obsessive — makes rolls with house-prepared bread and generous, quality fillings that set a standard most Vietnamese sandwich shops aspire to. The Crackling Pork is the one to start with. The Crispy Duck is the one to go back for.

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Quick Comparison: Best Cheap Eats Fitzroy & Collingwood

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FAQ: Cheap Eats Fitzroy & Collingwood

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