Little Odessa

Walking down Brunswick Street, you would be forgiven for almost missing Little Odessa, which hides around the corner from Fitzroy-local vintage store Hunter Gatherer. But make sure you hunt for it pals, this is a hidden(ish) gem you do not want to miss.

The local wine bar is run by brother–sister duo Sofia and Stefan Soltys, who have Melbourne hospitality running through their veins – their mother started up Cafe Paradiso on Lygon Street in the 70s, then The Paragon on Rathdowne Street with their father years later. They also opened up Frances Food & Coffee across on Franklin Street by the Queen Vic Markets a few years ago, so we knew we would be in good hands when we rocked up to the quaint Eastern European eatery.

Little Odessa offers a drinks menu with beverages from the Eastern Bloc and dishes inspired by the Soltys siblings’ Ukrainian upbringing, with a twist. Wines from Romania and Hungary are listed amongst local Victorian names, like Moo Brew, Mornington and Moondog.

To start with, we got some in-house pickled nuts. Stefan, who was our waiter for the night, told us they had been experimenting with pickling different nuts and had been the happiest with how the cashews – which we were eating – turned out.

We then shared some borscht and potato & cheddar pierogi, arguably two of the more traditional items on their menu. If you’re a fan of beetroot, make sure you get the borscht. And make sure you get the pierogi regardless, because I could have had just those and gone home happy.

Next up came the salmon tartare and what Stefan told us was an increasingly popular dish: the braised veal shin with peppered mamaliga – what farmers in Eastern Europe lived on – and goats cheese. My mouth was not ready for the beautiful mingling of flavours and textures that came next.

Now, you’d think that that would have been the peak of our meal; the climax, if you will. But we had spotted something on Instagram in the dessert menu that we didn’t want to miss – their handmade chocolate filled with plum and vodka jelly. I don’t usually say this about my food, but this was fun to eat and even better as the cherry (plum?) on top of our Little Odessa journey.

Sofia and Stefan were lovely hosts, and their love for the food and wine they grew up with shines through in Little Odessa. Do yourselves a favour and stop by their place sometime! 

Little Odessa 
274 Rear Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Open Wednesday to Sunday, Wednesday to Friday, 5pm to late, Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 3pm then 5pm to late
littleodessa.com.au