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North Seafood & Grill 

8 Breavington Way, Northcote

I’m spending this footy finals series eating my way through footballer-owned venues around Melbourne, and that’s exactly what brought me to North Seafood and Grill. 

Tucked inside Northcote Plaza, this local fish and chip shop is run by none other than Carlton legend Ang Christou. Step inside and you’ll know immediately: walls are lined with Carlton and Collingwood memorabilia, jerseys and posters stretching back decades, a little shrine to suburban footy rivalries. At the front counter, an ice cream fridge beams in retro glory, catching the eyes of both kids and nostalgic adults.

But beyond the sporting nostalgia, it’s the food that anchors this spot. The menu is classic fish and chippery fare done generously, and in decent variety. I went straight for the Blue Buoy (Mixed Seafood) All Grilled – a plate that came stacked with Blue Grenadier fillet, two plump prawns and calamari served alongside salad and chips (or rice, if you’re so inclined). It was the kind of no-nonsense seafood mix that feels perfect for a Friday night, with the Grenadier grilled simply, the prawns fresh and sweet, and the calamari tender rather than rubbery.

The fish burger was another surprise standout, served with crisp coleslaw and tartare sauce, normally on a soft bun, but I took the gluten-free option, and it came between two slices of toast. It had that familiar old-school fish shop taste, the kind that makes you nostalgic for summers by the bay. Smaller bites like the dim sum and fried vegetable spring rolls were, as you’d expect, golden, crunchy snacks, slightly guilty pleasures, but the kind of things you inevitably order alongside a main and end up tearing into first.

What makes North Seafood and Grill interesting isn’t innovation or fine dining technique, but rather the blending of two great Melbourne traditions: the suburban fish and chip shop, and the passion for local footy culture. Ang Christou has basically transformed a corner of Northcote Plaza into a little Carlton stronghold where you can eat a seafood pack beneath the gaze of old match photos. It’s quirky, sentimental, and authentically suburban.

If you go, don’t expect reinvented seafood or a cheffy take on fish and chips – this is hearty, unfussy food designed to be eaten with extra salt and maybe a can of lemonade from the fridge. But in the broader spirit of my finals series, it’s exactly the kind of venue I hoped to find: accessible, wrapped in footy nostalgia, and run by someone who once ran onto the MCG in navy blue. There was Collingwood dominating on the TV and even a diner with his own computer out at the family dinner to make sure he didn’t miss a moment of the action – perfect, the ideal kind of footy owned venue. More coming up!

Image: Supplied