Suze
6 Newry Street
Fitzroy North

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Have you ever been to a restaurant that is actively trying to stay underrated? In this case, it probably ends up being one of the most interesting places in town.

That is the vibe at Suze in Fitzroy North. It is named after the owners’ favorite post-shift drink, Suze, which happens to be a key ingredient in a white Negroni. They have only been open for about a year and a half, but walking in, it already feels like an old neighborhood staple. Part of that comes from the building itself. It used to be the old Morning Star Hotel, so it has that classic local pub history built right into the bones.

The team behind it is Julia, who is originally from Italy, and Steve, who was born in Sudan but has a rich Lebanese and Eritrean heritage. Together, they are focused on running a serious kitchen that feels completely effortless, warm, and unforced. They actually think of the word “fancy” as a bit of an insult because they do not want to alienate the locals. But between you and me, the labour happening behind the scenes is exactly that.

The menu changes almost daily because they work directly with four or five organic farms across Victoria. They say they all but let the farmers write the menu based on what is fresh that morning. To best understand them you only need to look to their Sunday $60 set lunch born out of absolute creative chaos. They do not even look at the ingredients until Saturday night after service. They spend fifteen minutes sketching out a menu based on whatever is left in the cool room, then they show up Sunday morning and prep it all. No recipes are ever written down, and they never repeat a dish. Very Masterchef of them.

The food is where Suze really starts to reveal itself. You might have to look up a few words on the menu, but do not let that deter you. I had to look up the Culatta prosciutto, which is a premium Italian cured meat cut from the most tender part of the leg. It is incredibly marbled and sweet. Steve told me he is finding himself making his dishes simpler and simpler to let that kind of sourcing speak for itself, and I realised now, especially after tasting that prosciutto, exactly what he meant.

Then there is the chicken liver parfait. Which is an easy choice to order, but it is actually a massive three day process. They soak the liver in milk for a full day to get rid of any metallic edge, and then the chefs spend hours hand de-veining every single piece to make it perfectly silky and rich. They do not brag about this, but you will notice it when it lands on the table. Honestly, it kind of ruined any future, regular pâté for me because nothing else is going to taste as good in comparison.

The focaccia is exactly what you want: generous, beautifully browned, and with plenty of bounce. I also tried the Crapaudine beetroot, which is an ancient French heirloom variety that goes back a thousand years. Served with feta and pepitas, it hits a great balance of earthy, salty, and crunchy.

Here is another nod to the thoughtfulness in simple dishes, their house made ricotta. They make it fresh every single day starting at noon. If you get there for a 5pm booking, it is served to your table still warm. Whatever they do not sell that night gets thrown out, it never even touches a fridge. The night I went they paired it with figs and pepperberries, which gives it a lush Australian sort of richness.

My favorite dish of the night was the bottoni pasta. They look like oversized, stuffed, ruffled bottle caps. The funny part is that Steve is the one completely obsessed with pasta geometry, not Julia, who is actually Italian. He found a specialised bottoni cutter at a shop and he immediately was inspired. On the night I went I had it filled with classic Cacio e Pepe, which takes a unique shape and anchors it in a deeply familiar, comforting flavor.

The Southern New South Wales mackerel was a great plate, but the bottoni is what sticks in your mind. Do not skip the pommes purée either. It is a fancy mashed potato that is so smooth, rich, and comforting without feeling heavy. Just do not even think about the amount of butter that goes into it. And you can add fresh truffle on top for just $4 extra, which is a total no brainer.

When I asked them why keeping the food accessible matters so much, they gave me a really grounded answer. Fine dining has its place and is important for training the next generation but it is just not where they want to eat on their nights off. They wanted to build a place that felt authentically like them.

Suze is perfect if you appreciate the little details, like a room with a bit of mood, and want to support a kitchen that is doing incredible things without shouting about it. In a city that often rewards the loudest voices first, there is something genuinely appealing about a spot that values quiet excellence over volume.

They let it slip that they are opening a second, very casual, pasta focused spot in Northcote soon, inspired by the energy of those Sunday lunches. For now, get down to Newry Street to experience a restaurant that would genuinely rather stay slightly underestimated while simply being excellent.

Images: Supplied