This is a great little salon tucked away in a quiet Melbourne laneway. Keita was a really gentle unpretentious guy who was very attentive and thoughtful as we decided how to proceed with my colour. It turned out beautifully. I don't get my hair colored or cut very often, so the price of a good cut and color, being pretty high, was ok with me. After past botched experiences I'll pay for the confidence of getting a great job done. Really nice guys who own it too.

Approximate cost: $275

Psarakos is like a boutique supermarket. A huge area is dedicated to fruit and veg..mostly great quality, and a superb selection, particularly of fresh herbs. Right beside this area there is a fantastic bottleshop, often cheaper than Coles, and again, carrying a wide selection of almost anything you can think of, at both ends of the price scale.
Like a market, there is a butcher, a poultry area and a fish vendor. All have great quality produce , and maybe it is a little more expensive than the usual, but the service and personal attention make it worthwhile.
Added to this, there is a shop selling all kinds of beans, oats, legumes, nuts, pasta, unpronounceable biscuits from Greece, and dried fruits. Forgot the bread? There is a bakery too! There is a weird little shop selling cheap as chips bags, scarves and clunky jewelery.. somebody should really make it into a cute little coffee shop!
Attached to all this is a dimly lit supermarket with an incredibly good deli and very friendly people. You can get just about everything you need here without having to go to a gaint supermarket, AND it has ample parking. Awesome!

Approximate cost: $80

My 8 year old son came out of the salon looking like a junior version of Paul Weller, complete with some punky little 'triggers'. Sam cut his hair. A very welcoming little space. Highly reccommended!

Approximate cost: $28

This is a tiny space with loads of charm, with retro inspired decor, nice plants and artwork and plenty of reading material to peruse whilst you sip your latte. They have a small selection of tasty treats like little homemade pizzas, delicious banana bread and biscuits. Plus, a fantastic breakfast menu. Outside tables make it a great place to soak up the quiet street that is Wales st, (except when the kids are on recess at the primary school across the road!) But it's a cheerful sound. they make excellent coffee, and the attention to detail is appreciated, such as a lovely little honey pot with your chai tea. Service is relaxed and friendly, and they always seem to be playing great music, old and new.

Approximate cost: $9

It's a bit old and crumbly, but Northcote plaza is a pretty good place to do your shopping. There's the big stores like K-Mart, Coles and Aldi, with lots of smaller outlets like Bakers delight. In Amongst the recognized big brands, there are dinky little '$2' dollar shops (which are heaps of fun and kind of crap at the same time!), and an assortment of daggy clothing shops. The kind that Nonnas buy their cardigans from. You can grab a yummy smoothie, hot chips, fried rice and sushi as there are heaps of food outlets in there. It's like a very small, weird (but cute) little sister of Northland, and not as claustrophobic. If you live in Northcote you see everyone you've ever known up here at some point or another. It's handy and has a certain rough charm.

Approximate cost: $80

This is a very big space attached to a commercial bakery. You can hire the room for functions. But by day it has been turned into a cafe, serving great coffee, and a variety of meals and snacks. They also do breakfast all day. A big hit with mothers in the area, theres space for prams and couches to sit on, or the choice of tables and chairs. They always have loads of magazines and daily newspapers, also have a few games for older children. The food is a bit plain. They have only just opened so I think with a bit of a jiggle here and there, they will improve and make the menu a bit more contemporary.

Approximate cost: $10

This is my favourite pizza in Melbourne. Pizza for a friend is delicious. Pine nuts, creamy goats cheese and rocket. Lovely toppings, nutty flavoured thin pizza bases.
Eating in is an intimate experience. Dim lighting, thick lovely linen tablecloths. It's warm and it smells fantastic. You can see some of the action taking place in the kitchen, as pizza dough is rolled and thrown up in the air all night long.
We usually go for take away, and I have to say we have sometimes waited for a really really REALLY long time, but when it's that good, we forgive. The dessert pizzas are TO DIE FOR. Staff are very competent, but there is an air of 'you are lucky we are letting you eat our pizza' about them! And truly, we are lucky to be eating their pizza. Laugh about it, and just sit back and eat.

Approximate cost: $18

One of the best pizzas in Melbourne hands down. Lovely bases. Great tasty fresh toppings. They keep it simple, but the ingredients are of high quality. Take away is available, but you have to wait in an area that is the main thoroughfare for service staff, so be prepared to have your feet stepped on as you sit in the chairs!! YOu get to see how the kitchen works from this spot, and it is a well oiled machine. This place is very very busy. It's hard to get a table, but you can sit in the very nice bar next door and order your pizza from there. It is delivered to you. Hows that for service!? Theres also pizza desserts. mmmmmmmmm

Approximate cost: $18

I've had some lovely breakfasts here..salmon with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce.. bloody fantastic on a hangover.
I had a terrible spill (or at least my 6 year old son did) last time we were there. Hot chocolate went all over me, all over the table and hurtled on to the floor. It was pretty spectacular! I was quite prepared to clean up this mess myself, but was very rudely brushed off by the extremely sour waitress who made a huge show of mopping up with all the accompanying "hmmph" noises you can imagine.
She wouldn't let me do it. It was all quite humiliating. She did not offer a cloth to dry my self. It was not a gracious way to deal with the situation. Anyway, I would go back, maybe minus the kid!

Approximate cost: $15

There are many interesting little things here. Brooches, alphabet hair clips, necklaces...lovely detailed handmade underwear, unusual, well made dresses and lots of excellent gift ideas. Pricey but worth it for the quality of something you wont be seeing everywhere on everybody! Staff have always been friendly without being annoying in any way.

Approximate cost: $40