Coburg area guide

Interior at Wild Timor — Photograph: Ryan NoreiksWild Timor

Welcome to Coburg: the land of falafels, prisons-turned-real-estate and the last remaining $2 coffees in Melbourne. The main drag is Bell Street which is dotted with an increasing number of dinky new cafés, which have sprung up to serve the flood of young, bicycle-and-music-enthusiasts who are heading north as Brunswick becomes increasingly gentrified. It's a good 'hood for pub fans too, boasting the Post Office and Woodlands Hotels, both institutions whose whip-smart menus and craft beers are worth riding the number 8 tram for.

Coburg highlights

Museums

Pentridge Prison

Restaurants

Achillion International Cake Shop

Shopping

PAM Lane

Bars

The Woodlands Hotel

Restaurants and bars in Coburg

Bars

The Woodlands Hotel

If you go down to the Woodlands today you’re sure of an ace pub curry

Time Out says

Restaurants

8th Nerve Café

8th Nerve café is run by a proudly deaf owner, Warren, who lip reads orders. The café’s name actually references one of twelve cranial nerves that transmits...

Restaurants

Wild Timor Coffee

Welcome to what might be Melbourne’s nicest café, run by four ex-peacekeepers from East Timor

Time Out says

Bars Book online

The Post Office Hotel

The Post Office Hotel is reliable. You know just what you’ll get, and you know it’s going to be good: excellent food, laidback staff and cracking tunes...

Book online

Restaurants

Achillion International Cake Shop

As you enter this Greek sweet shop you’re welcomed by Achilles, hero of the Trojan War; the Greek palace named after him, ‘Achillion’, is lit up in blue...

Bars

Coburg Wine and Spirits

This neatly turned out bottle-o has some real treasures in its shelves and fridges, including excellent quality cleanskins from some of Australia’s top...

Restaurants

Middle Eastern Restaurant

Ask a Coburg local where you can find the best falafel in town and you’re in for heated debate. But the ‘World’s Best Falafel’ from Middle Eastern Restaurant...

Restaurants

Ruby's

A new café and gallery space in Coburg has opted for the Art Deco diner look with a turquoise, black and gold interior and custom made stained glass...

More great venues in Coburg

Shopping

Hot Copper

The vibe of Hot Copper, says tattooist Clare Hampshire, is “tropical greenhouse meets Scandinavian kitsch” – and you can find that out for...

Museums

Pentridge Prison

A prison isn’t your usual tourist attraction, but Pentridge Prison is a critical part of Coburg’s identity; the suburb was even called Pentridge...

Shopping

PAM Lane

Those in the know will be well aware that Preston Market is the place to go if you want armfuls of produce for spare change, Lucchini Cakes’s famous Nutella...