You want takeaway in Ivanhoe that survives the trip home and doesn’t taste like a lazy suburb compromise. Start with Wagtail, keep Ava close, and use this as the no-nonsense shortlist for fried chicken, kebab, fish and chips, and weeknight dinner.
The Verdict
Wagtail at 66 Flinders Drive is the Ivanhoe takeaway pick if you only choose one. It costs $14-33 per person, opens Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30pm to 11pm, and does the thing too many suburban takeaway spots miss: it makes the basics feel deliberate. The fried chicken is the order most people make, and that is still the right move. It is consistent, travels better than fussy food, and feels like the kitchen actually cares. The burgers are the other reason to go, especially if your alternative is a chain burger that tastes like it came from a laminated training manual.
Ava at 48 North Crescent is the serious challenger, especially if you care more about flavour per dollar than polish. It runs Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm-3pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm, with prices around $23-38 per person. The kebab has the depth of a dish made over and over until the kitchen can do it on instinct, and the fish and chips at $23 is the simple, clean order that makes the place worth knowing. If you want pure value, The Red Kitchen at 30 East Parade has the best quality-to-price ratio in Ivanhoe, with fried chicken at $22 and a counter-service setup that makes sense for a proper takeaway night. Don’t default to Remy’s just because it looks like the safest all-rounder. It is solid, but if you are only ordering once this week, Wagtail has the clearer reason to exist.
What It’s Actually Like
Ivanhoe takeaway works best when you treat timing as part of the order. Wagtail seats about 45, and Friday or Saturday night fills properly. Midweek, you can usually walk straight in, order without drama, and leave before your hunger turns into a personality problem. The owner is often behind the bar, which explains why the place feels tighter than a normal suburban takeaway counter. Check the specials board before you commit. It changes weekly and is usually more interesting than the printed menu.
Ava is smaller, around 30 seats, and the kitchen runs with a small team. That is good for food and less good if you arrive right in the crush. They do not take bookings on weeknights, so go before 6:30pm or after 8pm unless you enjoy standing around North Crescent pretending you are not annoyed. Tuesday is the sleeper move if you are eating in or collecting with a bottle in hand: BYO wine is $5 corkage.
The Red Kitchen is the most honest takeaway operation here. No table service, three outdoor tables, counter ordering, and food that makes more sense at home than under restaurant lighting. Sunny Quarter at 218 Collins Place is newer, opened in late 2025, and has already built a following around a short eight-dish menu. Sunday lunch is the sweet spot there: same food, half the crowd. Remy’s at 23 East Parade is useful when you need reliable rather than exciting, with kebab at $29 and fish and chips at $21.
Parking along Flinders Drive is metered until 6:30pm, then most nearby spots loosen up. Side streets are usually two-hour parking. Skip this list if you need guaranteed gluten-free or vegan without a phone call; every restaurant listed handles vegetarian requests, but vegan and gluten-free need confirming first. If you are west of the easiest Ivanhoe public transport option, factor in the pickup time before you order something that wants to stay crisp.
Who This Suits
If you are a fried chicken person, pick Wagtail. It is the benchmark and the least likely to disappoint. If you are a flavour-per-dollar person, pick Ava, especially for the kebab or the $23 fish and chips. If you are feeding people at home and do not care about dining-room polish, pick The Red Kitchen and spend the savings somewhere else. If you are curious about the newer name, pick Sunny Quarter for Sunday lunch when the crowd is thinner. If you are organising a low-risk Friday or Saturday dinner, pick Remy’s, but book 3-5 days ahead if you want one of the top two spots.
Cost-wise, Ivanhoe takeaway is not bargain-bin cheap once you move past basic fish and chips. Expect Wagtail to sit between $14 and $33 per person, Ava between $23 and $38, Sunny Quarter between $23 and $31, The Red Kitchen between $22 and $35, and Remy’s between $22 and $36. The Red Kitchen is the value play, Wagtail is the best overall spend, and Ava is where the money makes sense if you want food with more character.
Time of day matters more than suburb guides usually admit. Wagtail is easiest midweek. Ava needs an early or late arrival because the small room and no-bookings weeknight policy can punish casual timing. Sunny Quarter is a Sunday lunch call, not a peak-night flex. Friday and Saturday are when delivery apps feel tempting, but they are also when food suffers most in transit. The Red Kitchen and Wagtail are on Uber Eats and DoorDash, but order directly when you can. Those bags compress the food, and the platforms take a hard cut from the restaurants.
What to Do Next
Order Wagtail directly on a midweek night, check the specials board, and make fried chicken the baseline. If budget matters more than the top pick, use Ivanhoe Cheap Eats before you spend Remy’s money on a routine dinner.
Nearby Guides
- Melbourne CBD Takeaway
- Ivanhoe Cheap Eats — when budget matters
- Ivanhoe Bars — post-dinner drinks
- All Ivanhoe Guides
Last updated: March 2026
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- Best Vegan in Ivanhoe
Useful tools:
Check venue websites for current menus and hours.
