Cafe Chairs of Fitzroy North
by Breakfast Shirts x Jonty
Breakfast Shirts has teamed up with local Melbourne photographer Jonty, with one goal: to highlight the cafe chairs of Fitzroy North (3068). All of them doing an honest day’s work under someone’s flat white. This is Cafe Chairs of Fitzroy North.
Photography by Jonty · Words by Breakfast Shirts
Fitzroy North, 3068
Pillar Of Pepper
Circular perforations through the seat and back, presumably for airflow, though we suspect their real purpose is separating people who notice good design from people who just want to sit down. Distinctly un-Fitzroy-North in the heart of Fitzroy North — which, on reflection, makes it the most Fitzroy North thing one could possibly do. These chairs answer to no one. They’re not trying to compete with the burgundy metal chairs across the road. They don’t need to. Pillar of Pepper is arguably one of the most underrated cafes in 3068 — I’ve had nothing but solid breakfasts and coffees there.
189 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Mitte
Beautifully simple, sturdy white outdoor seating with an entirely optional cushion. These chairs are the perfect combination of Stylish meets Practical, and they might just be the people’s choice of 3068. Always lovely people working at Mitte, and I cherish coming in for a brekkie here. I’m a big fan of a good corner suburban cafe, and this one hits the spot.
76 Michael St, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Clifton Hill, 3068
Uncle Drew’s
Nimble. Practical. Reliable. Out of all the chairs in 3068, I personally think you would be able to throw this one the furthest — based on its size and weight. Uncle Drew’s has great coffee and a great menu, making it a solid option in the area. It’s on the corner and receives the sun in the morning, making it feel like it’s a cafe in heaven. Also: the chicken wrap here at 8am was, unexpectedly, one of the better decisions we made all year.
23 Groom St, Clifton Hill VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Cafe Piccante
A classic bentwood, the type nailed to the floor of half the cafes in this state, and none the worse for it. The dark varnish reads less “stackable seating” and more “this establishment has secrets” — which, given how much we enjoy the food here, might not be far off. Cafe Piccante is a family-run business, too, with a warm and inviting atmosphere, and I’ve had many a big breakfast here.
216 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Aphro and Wolfe
Every classroom in the country produced chairs exactly like this at some point in the 1990s, and none of them ended up somewhere this good. Aphro and Wolfe has quietly rehabilitated the primary-school stacker into legitimate cafe furniture — either a masterstroke of styling, or proof that good bones outlast good taste. Either way, it holds a coffee beautifully, or should we say holds a toastie. This place is known for its toasties, but for what it’s worth, I can’t personally comment, having sworn off toasties entirely due to the overwhelming supply of toasties across the nation.
566 Brunswick St, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Clifton Hill, 3068
Dirty Apron
Not the most comfortable seat in the postcode, and it knows it. There’s a rawness to this stool — all exposed wire, nothing to hide behind — suggesting it made peace long ago with never being anyone’s favourite. It’s worth noting, these stools are widely appreciated by our tall community. I am yet to dine at Dirty Apron, but it’s on my list.
47 Ramsden St, Clifton Hill VIC 3068
Clifton Hill, 3068
Floor Monkey
The whole point of a folding chair is that it appears as you need it, and the seating apparatus at Floor Monkey gets the brief. The people of 3068 appreciate Floor Monkey for being one of the earliest cafes open in the region, possibly the country (5am on weekdays). Right under the gym, this one saves a lot of people before a workout — I rate the coffee, the modest energy, and I like the stools too.
628 Smith St, Clifton Hill VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Greensleeves
Greensleeves offers two very different seats depending on your mood. The corner chair is the best seat in the house, by consensus, and it shows — the kind of sink you only get from decades of being sat in by people who have nowhere to be anytime soon. We’re fairly confident this piece of art came out of someone’s Nonna’s lounge room sometime in the 1980s and simply never went home. The shrubbery framing it is doing a lot of heavy lifting, and we mean that as a compliment. Out front, the rattan-look footpath chair is the kind half of Melbourne’s cafe strips have converged on independently — either a genuinely unimprovable design, or proof nobody’s bothered to look for a better one in a decade. We’re not taking a side. It’s comfortable enough, it’s everywhere, and let’s be honest, no one’s going to steal them, which is a smart business decision in 3068. This is another staple breakfast place for me thanks to the generous big breakfast, the happy staff and the suburban feel. Good luck getting your cheeks on the corner seat though — it’s hot property.
100 Scotchmer St, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Growers Espresso
This is one of the most understated chairs in Fitzroy North, and personally one of my favourites. Upright, no-nonsense, with a rust-toned back that’s clearly seen a few winters — the appeal here is a quiet, positive one: you will never once worry about falling off it, and that’s worth more credit than it gets. The coffee here is really great too, which, in combination with the friendly staff, makes it one of my favourites in 3068. I don’t come here enough as I should.
332-334 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Loafer
A folding chair, technically, but treat it with a bit more respect than that: with its pastel-teal finish, I’ve never seen them collapsed flat and I don’t want to. Loafer is one of the greatest bakeries in the country. We should count ourselves lucky to get a proper chair and not a milk crate at a bakery of this standard. The pastries are exceptional. Easily the best baked goods in 3068, probably the state. Not to mention the elite breakfast sandwiches. There is good reason why these chairs are always full.
146 Scotchmer St, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Market Lane
Dark, low, and unmistakably pleased with itself, this chair looks like it costs more than it should and was bought without a second thought. Which tracks: Market Lane seems to also publish its own newspaper, so potentially overpaying for furniture feels almost restrained by comparison. For what it’s worth, the coffee is genuinely excellent, and yes, they use unhomogenised milk — which I’ve unfortunately taken a liking to, and I’m hoping I don’t develop any more expensive, organic habits because of it. This is genuinely my second favourite coffee in the area. No doubt, it’s one of the ‘sceney’ places, but the staff are genuine and lovely — play on.
220 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Clifton Hill, 3068
Open House
Open House brings not one but three distinct seating philosophies to 3068. The main chair is a close cousin of the Cafe Piccante bentwood — same bones, different finish, same reliably stackable spine. Nothing here will surprise you, and that’s rather the point. Out front, the footpath chair does a perfectly unremarkable job, which is either damning or exactly the kind of quiet competence we should be celebrating more. It’s not my favourite chair on this list, but not my least favourite either. And tucked along the bench, a low, unassuming stool that takes up almost no room at all and has no interest in being noticed. We admire the restraint — not every chair needs main-character energy. Jack, the barista here, is one of my favourites in the area and makes a great brew — the food’s excellent too. Can everyone please apply the pressure to the owners to introduce a steak on the breakfast menu — this would be very convenient for me.
122 Roseneath St, Clifton Hill VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Piedimonte’s Cafe
This number is straight from the set of The Sopranos — ornate carved timber, tufted velvet gone the colour of an old brass instrument, tucked away upstairs inside Piedimonte’s itself, the IGA everyone in Fitzroy North already knows. It’s straight out of the ’80s and I’m all here for it. It’s possibly one of the most underrated chairs in the postcode.
37-49A Best St, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Raffy’s
Raffy’s has taken the unusual step of branding its furniture. The stool carries its own etched signature, burned right into the seat, like a piece of real estate rather than something you perch on with a takeaway flatty. We appreciate the confidence. Not every stool has earned its own name etched in. This one definitely has. Raffy’s also doubles as a wine bar, with DJs and a proper drinks list — well worth checking out if you’re visiting Melbourne.
656 Smith St, Clifton Hill VIC 3068
Clifton Hill, 3068
Standing Room
Contrary to the name, Standing Room actually has plenty of seating. Featuring a full row of burgundy metal chairs and steel tables set against a completely blank white wall in a laneway, an arrangement that leaves patrons with little to look at except the chairs themselves. They get the job done, though the open-backed frame runs a touch airier than we’d personally go for. Still, there’s a chair here for everyone. The coffee’s genuinely good, too, and Mrs Breakfast Shirts particularly likes the cookies here.
187 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Taiyo Sun
Taiyo Sun runs two very different seating concepts for an eight-seat, easy-to-miss little cafe with an unassuming entryway. The bench is one of the earliest bench-seating setups we can find in this postcode, worn in exactly the way a good bench should be. The planks, we’re reliably told, originally came off a Viking boat sometime in the 1500s. Make of that what you will. The stool, by contrast, is practical and whitewashed, entirely without pretension — it isn’t trying to be a design statement, it’s trying to hold a person while they drink very good coffee, and it succeeds completely. Flip it upside down and the leg brace forms something suspiciously close to an Illuminati symbol, entirely unintentional, we’re assured. This cafe holds the number one spot for my favourite coffee in the postcode, full stop (Wide Open Road is the roaster), and the people here are absolute angels. Mrs Breakfast Shirts also says this is the best place for matcha in the area.
394 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Tin Pot — the standard chair
This is the kind of turned-timber, rush-seated dining chair you’d expect to find in some minor royal’s country mansion back in the day, not a Fitzroy North cafe — and yet somehow Tin Pot ended up with a whole set of them. Solid, dependable work all the same: the fireplace and general homely warmth mean this one’s rarely empty for long. A strong chair in its own right, even before you get to the main event two seats down.
248-250 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Tin Pot — the top dog chair
The single most sought-after seat in Fitzroy North, by our count — gold velvet, deeply tufted, positioned with an unbeatable view of the street (and, as it happens, of Piedimonte’s across the road). The cushion’s worn in perfectly by what must be thousands of people by now. Land this chair and you have achieved a kind of temporary monarchy. People will notice. That is, after all, the entire point.
248-250 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Fitzroy North, 3068
Glory Us
Let’s be honest, exactly the kind of chair you’d spot in the background of a glossy OnlyFans set. As far as we’re concerned — it’s the only cafe swivel chair option in 3068. Cream-leather that a mid-90s Bond villain would use to stroke something ominous just out of frame, and we wouldn’t change a thing. Glory Us is one of the earliest cafes to open in Fitzroy North (2nd to Floor Monkey), and there’s clearly a lot of love and care put into the food. If they ever put a steak on the menu, I’ll be in far more often.
73 Reid St, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
The chair, delivered. Mitte, Fitzroy North, 3068.
Shot on location across postcode 3068 · Photography by Jonty · Words by Breakfast Shirts
