Authentic Italian at Zsa's in Northcote

Call it fate – or justification for feeling tipsy mid-week before lunchtime – but I share a name with a spritz at Zsa’s. The Sophia has a hit of honey from Professore Rosso vermouth and a savoury whack from a fennel salami and olive garnish. Technically, it’s named after Ms Loren, not Ms Levin – but I, too, owe everything to spaghetti.

Zsa’s opened as a deli at the Ruckers Hill end of High Street in mid-2020, followed by the bar and bistro when dining-in was green-lit. It’s the only place in the area where you can eat oysters at 10am and finish with a $75 dinner degustation.

Let the weather dictate whether you sit at umbrella-shaded tables on High Street or forest-green banquettes surrounded by shelves of artisan produce. There’s a gilded display cabinet piled with boards of panini, and local and imported cheese and charcuterie. I make a mental note to snack on them solo at the bar with a glass of Yarra Valley house sangiovese or, better yet, a bottle of beaujolais. But today it’s lunch with the girls, and I’ve double-parked a cocktail and coffee to prove it.

The kitchen pimps tins of Cuca seafood and we start with a “fish & chips” sandwich: smoked trout, horseradish cream and potato crisps for crunch. I order gnocchi after seeing fresh pasta being sold from racks inside. The pillows are jumbled with mild crumbles of squacquerone cheese and zucchini ribbons, pickles and flowers. Brittle-skinned mirror dory arrives on roasted red-pepper ajvar, and we order fries to balance out a trio of salad; the best a herby pea-and-ricotta slaw.

Whether $20 Wednesday pasta night, porchetta roast Sunday lunches or weekend European brunch boards, I don’t need an excuse to return. For now though, there’s another spritz with my name on it

What’s nearby?

High Street, Northcote, is a vintage wonderland. For clothing, check out Yesteryear Vintage, Asobii up Westbourne Grove for Japanese designers or visit nearby op shops. Grandfather’s Axe has a stunning showroom of mid-century Scandinavian and European furniture.