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Zsa’s

202 High Street Northcote, VIC 3070
Phone
03 9482 1318
Website
zsas.com.au
Instagram
@zsas_bar_bistro_deli

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 27 Jun 2024

By
Larissa Dubecki

This stylish newcomer plays it casual but has some real food and drink smarts. Whether you’re after a Spritz and a snack or the full symphony, you’re in good hands.

Why you goSome places arrive on the scene feeling like they’ve been there for decades. Take Zsa’s. It launched mid-pandemic at the top of Northcote’s Ruckers Hill, but the illusion created by the gold lettering on the window and the food displays just inside the entrance gives the impression it’s been doing its thing since the 1950s. Add the crowd of people nursing coffees or Spritzes on the kerbside tables and it’s a vision of Paris or Rome and the best way to travel right now. As you’ve probably guessed, Zsa’s has plenty of strings to its bow. A bar, deli and bistro, it kept people going through lockdowns with its exceptional takeaway pork and crackling rolls, and now we’re going out again its gorgeous vintage interiors, including a huge horseshoe-shaped bar (yes, just like in Europe), are calling us.
Why you stayThe name pays homage to the late Zsa Zsa Gabor, the sometime actress and all-time celebrity whose big-haired Euro glamour is the guiding spirit of her Northcote namesake. Zsa’s nails the brief with moody accents of forest green and charcoal, an op-shop’s worth of oil paintings giving a salon-like feel and an all-round vintage vibe. What looks small from the front stretches out like Doctor Who’s Tardis with a large double-tiered dining room. It’s a choose-your-own adventure kind of place, full of young guns flexing their tatts at the bar and families doing early dinner further back. There’s a similar devil-may-care attitude in the all-day spuntino snack menu. Where else in Melbourne can you get stuck into a plate of freshly shucked oysters and a Martini at 10am?
What drink to orderThe wine list keeps a close eye on the food menu to deliver maximum approachability while still rocking some surprises. With around 20 by the glass you can dabble happily without commitment – a food-friendly fino sherry among them is a good example of the menu-wine connection – and anyone slightly scared of the minimal-intervention movement will be pleased to see that category filed under “funky, natty and fun”. Italy and France are the power players here, with a strong showing of lesser-known grape varieties – the well-versed staff are happy to help here. Beer? It’s a democratic field, with Deeds Draught from Glen Iris on tap and Melbourne Bitter longnecks rubbing shoulders with Constant State’s local saison from nearby Reservoir, and Heaps Normal’s Quiet XPA in a decent little sub-section for the alcohol-free. All the classic cocktails are covered. They’re not too proud to pour an Espresso Martini, and the seven-strong Spritz menu is made for aperitivo from 3pm to 5pm (and if it includes a Fitzroy Spritz – double Jack Daniels and Coke on ice – then more power to Zsa’s).
What to pair it withThe menu is equal parts Old World, comforting and delicious. French onion dip scooped up with shards of chicken crackling and mini gougère pastries exploding in cheesy bacon goodness set the scene. Want to go bigger? A fiery ’nduja salami sauce enveloping ruffle-edged ribbons of house-made campanelle pasta with buffalo ricotta or steak frites with Café de Paris butter will get you there.
Why we love itIf every other place in Northcote vanished and only Zsa’s was left, we’d be okay, which is another way of saying that it covers every base pretty darn well. Add staff who don’t sweat the fine-dining skills but instead do everything with grace – from slicing capocollo pork to explaining the attributes of the picpoul grape from France’s Languedoc region – and you’ve got a pretty fantastic local.
Regular’s tip(Where to sit, best time to go without a booking: on a Saturday about 2pm, grab a spot at the bar to see them making that night’s dumplings; if you’re still here late, keep an eye out for the free chicken soup offered at closing time.)
Don’t leave withoutYou might be leaving Zsa’s after a long dinner, but there’s a cute little take-home menu that includes a batched Negroni and a Monsieur Truffe chocolate bar to see you through to bedtime. And you can pre-order briny fresh oysters for your own at-home oyster frenzy.
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In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
image credits: Hannah Tobin
Authour image
Larissa DubeckiLarissa Dubecki has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in reviewing restaurants and bars.
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Drinks DirectoryDate nightVego Food OptionsMelbourne – NorthCasual catch-upBarTop notch wine listA+ spirits listRestaurantMelbourne
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