North Fitzroy Star

My girlfriends and I were looking for a cozy place to eat and catch up as it had been 18 months since we had all been together (one coming in from Adelaide and another from Canberra). When you first walk in to this place it’s evident straight away it’s an eccentric atmosphere. The big oversize chairs are all covered in various materials and fabrics, the big heavy curtains keep out the cold and the open fireplace tops off the atmosphere.
It’s basically a big house with each of the rooms being utilised for dining. So a trip to the toilet can be a tad bit daunting if you’re not good with directions and not able to work out the return trip through the maze of hallways back to your table. Or even from your table to the open bar. But it means the noise level is not too bad with people being spread out.
The menu is basic pub meals, but on the higher end of quality. So they have meat pie, but it’s made with high quality ingredients and flavours. Normally I don’t order just «steak» when I’m out, but I wasn’t feeling like duck or meat pie. Well, was I ever happy with my order. The meat melted in my mouth, was cooked to perfection and mash and veggies were a great accompaniment. As was the mushroom sauce. Very nice. My portion was great, but my other girlfriend ordered the duck and her helping was a tad on the small side… although that’s good if you want to have dessert and not feel overstuffed.
The dessert was amazing… we had some sort of chocolate mousse cake or something… it was delicious. The service was very pleasant as well. The only complaint about this place is the nightmare you have trying to park your car.

The North Fitzroy Star is tucked away in the quiet back streets, much like your nanna’s embroidered hanky is tucked away down her blouse…
The Star could have been transported here directly from a village in the UK, with an open fire place, froofy curtains, lots of upholstered furnishings and lamps. This isn’t a place that everyone will embrace, but the old lady vibe is a major draw for those of us who love a comfy, quaint pub. The armchairs here just beg you to pull out your knitting or darn some socks — I just wish there was a big shaggy hunting dog to sit by my feet!
The menu at the Star is fairly standard but done rather well, with friendly, relaxed service. It attracts a strictly local crowd with a fairly broad mix of ages, however the Star leans more strongly toward the 35+ crowd than other pubs in the area. Yup, that means it’s a good choice if you want to bring your olds out and hit the turps with them!