Correction (9 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 5 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
Planning a date in Northcote and want more than a guess? This page covers six sit-down places: four in Northcote, one in Fitzroy North (Cinder) and one in Thornbury (Umberto Espresso Bar).
Each carries a tasting or set menu, a private-dining mention or an AGFG date-night tag. We checked each against at least two sources, including its own site and the Australian Good Food Guide.
Talk-ability is read from what a venue publishes, such as a live music tag. Accessibility is noted where a source lists it.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasting menu or a few plates | Estelle | Five-course chef’s selection tasting menu | $125pp |
| Oysters and set menus | Zsa’s | $4 Appellation oysters (Aperitivo afternoons, 3pm to 6pm daily) | $4 |
| Shared Ethiopian platters | Mesob | Herbivore combination platter | 26pp |
| Sri Lankan dinner, evenings only | Zircon Restaurant & Bar | see below | not printed here |
| Lunch event in Fitzroy North | Cinder | Lunch at Cinder | $55pp |
| Tuesday pasta and wine | Umberto Espresso Bar | Pasta & vino | $25 |
Estelle — 243-245 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Estelle’s site invites you to ‘drop in for a glass and a few plates, or stay for the full tasting’, which makes it flexible for a first date or an anniversary. Its menu prints the Five-course chef’s selection tasting menu at $125pp and the Three-course choice menu at $98pp. AGFG lists Thursday and Friday 4:30 PM to 11:00 PM, and tags it Disabled Access. Plan B: the AGFG listing also shows Takeaway.
On the menu (copied from theestelle.com.au/menu on 5 October 2026):
- Five-course chef’s selection tasting menu: $125pp
- Three-course choice menu: $98pp
- Scone, cheddar custard, onion jam: $8
- Goat’s cheese churros, truffle honey: $12
Split or splurge: Split plates such as the Scone, cheddar custard, onion jam at $8 and the Goat’s cheese churros, truffle honey at $12, or splurge on the Five-course chef’s selection tasting menu at $125pp.
Zsa’s — 202 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
AGFG tags Zsa’s with ‘Romantic’, ‘Alfresco Dining’ and ‘Private Dining’. Its menu prints $4 Appellation oysters for Aperitivo afternoons, 3pm to 6pm daily. The reservations page lists a Two course antipasto and pasta set menu at $55 and a Multi course chefs selection at $82. Its site lists Wednesday 3pm to 9pm and Friday and Saturday 12pm to 10pm, and we could not find a published accessibility note.
On the menu (copied from zsas.com.au and zsas.com.au/reservations on 5 October 2026):
- $4 Appellation oysters (Aperitivo afternoons, 3pm to 6pm daily): $4
- Two course antipasto and pasta set menu: $55
- Multi course chefs selection: $82
Stage: Third date or later, when a set menu such as the Two course antipasto and pasta set menu at $55 feels like a plan rather than a risk.
Mesob — 213 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
AGFG tags Mesob with ‘Romantic’, ‘Live Music’, ‘Alfresco Dining’ and ‘Disabled Access’. Its undated menu PDF prints a Herbivore combination platter at 26pp, an Omnivore combination platter at 29pp and a Negus platter at 40pp. The site lists Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30pm till late. Check current prices, because the PDF is undated.
On the menu (copied from mesob.com.au menu PDF on 5 October 2026):
- Herbivore combination platter: 26pp
- Omnivore combination platter: 29pp
- Negus platter: 40pp
Talk-ability: AGFG lists Live Music here, so ask whether a band is on the night you book if you want to hear each other.
Zircon Restaurant & Bar — 240 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
AGFG tags Zircon with ‘Romantic’, ‘BYO’, ‘Live Music’, ‘Alfresco Dining’ and ‘Disabled Access’. Its site lists Wednesday and Thursday 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Sunday 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and Monday and Tuesday closed. We could not find menu prices, and its online ordering page said it was not accepting online orders when we checked.
Exit plan: It is closed Monday and Tuesday per its site, so if your first-choice night falls through, Wednesday to Sunday is the window.
Cinder — 18 Brennand Street, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Cinder’s site places it behind the historic Terminus Hotel, in Fitzroy North rather than Northcote. Its event page lists Lunch at Cinder, Friday to Sunday, at $55pp. The site lists lunch from 11:30am Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and dinner from 5:30pm Tuesday to Saturday, with the kitchen closed between 3-5pm. AGFG tags it ‘Romantic’ and ‘Disabled Access’.
On the menu (copied from cinder.melbourne/lunch-at-cinder on 5 October 2026):
- Lunch at Cinder: $55pp
Say this: When you book, ask whether the lunch event page is still current, because the site’s footer is old.
Umberto Espresso Bar — 917 High Street, Thornbury VIC 3071
Umberto’s contact page prints a Tuesday Pasta & vino deal at $25, dinner only, 5pm to 9:30pm. It lists Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner, 11:30am to 9:30pm, and says a surcharge of 10% applies on Sundays. AGFG tags it ‘Romantic’, ‘Alfresco Dining’, ‘BYO’ and ‘Disabled Access’. It is in Thornbury, a short hop from Northcote.
On the menu (copied from umberto.com.au/contact on 5 October 2026):
- Pasta & vino: $25
Split or splurge: Split the Tuesday Pasta & vino deal at $25, and note the 10% Sunday surcharge its contact page prints.
Quick answers
What are the best date night restaurants in Northcote?
This page lists six places. Estelle, Zsa’s, Mesob and Zircon Restaurant & Bar are on High Street in Northcote, Cinder is in Fitzroy North and Umberto Espresso Bar is in Thornbury. AGFG tags Zsa’s, Mesob, Zircon, Cinder and Umberto as Romantic, and Estelle’s site offers a few plates or the full tasting.
Which Northcote restaurants have a tasting or set menu?
Estelle’s menu prints a Five-course chef’s selection tasting menu at $125pp. Zsa’s reservations page lists a Multi course chefs selection at $82.
Are there cheaper date night options near Northcote?
Umberto Espresso Bar’s contact page prints a Tuesday Pasta & vino deal at $25. Zsa’s menu prints $4 Appellation oysters for Aperitivo afternoons. Mesob’s undated menu PDF prints a Herbivore combination platter at 26pp. Deals apply only in their printed windows.
Which Northcote date night restaurants list disabled access?
AGFG tags Estelle, Mesob, Zircon Restaurant & Bar, Cinder and Umberto Espresso Bar with Disabled Access. We could not find an accessibility note for Zsa’s, so ask before you book.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 5 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the places’ own websites and the Australian Good Food Guide. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 5 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Estelle: openstreetmap.org/4840359922, theestelle.com.au/contact, agfg.com.au/the-estelle-45422, theestelle.com.au/menu, theestelle.com.au
- Zsa’s: openstreetmap.org/625183472, zsas.com.au, agfg.com.au/zsas-bistro-88981, zsas.com.au/reservations
- Mesob: openstreetmap.org/3088929512, mesob.com.au, agfg.com.au/mesob-58092, mesob.com.au menu PDF
- Zircon Restaurant & Bar: zirconrestaurant.com.au/index, agfg.com.au/zircon-restaurant-bar-140170
- Cinder: cinder.melbourne, agfg.com.au/cinder-95205, cinder.melbourne/lunch-at-cinder
- Umberto Espresso Bar: umberto.com.au/contact, agfg.com.au/umberto-espresso-bar-36785
