SEARCH FITZROY NORTH

Batifoler means 'to romp or to lark about; to flirt'- appropriate descriptors of this cheerful suburban bistro. Quality, well-priced Gallic classics are prepared and served by an all-French staff, encouraging diners to pull out their dodgy high school French in order to completely capture the French experience. The dishes have a predominantly hearty provincial flavour, with occasional Mediterranean notes from France's southern neighbours.

The Lord Newry Hotel is famous for its position and its prices so there's usually a crowd around the bar. But the menu is a delicious variety of bistro styled foods very well priced. This iconic North Fitzroy pub located on the corner of Brunswick and Newry Streets is open seven days a week.

Dinner is available 7 nights a week. Lunch and dinner available Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm

Across from the Fitzroy Piedemontes supermarket and St Georges Road shops, this grand old building beckons. There is a drive though bottle shop, a pool table and a range of live entertainment including bands and DJs. If you just want to sip a beer and watch the world go by - relax on one of the comfy couches in the lounge room style glassed-in annex. A newer aspect of the Parkview is the Store Room, an upstairs labyrinth of rooms used for performances and private functions. It boasts a small bar and lounge area to complement whatever gigs are on at any given time. No need to rush home at midnight either - as the Parkview stays open much later than other venues in the Fitzroy area.

A popular, busy pub with a mixed local crowd, the Railway boasts plenty of railway paraphernalia to keep one intrigued. Old station signs, tales of disused stations and lines - and that was just on the wall next to the bar. Food here is popular, too, with a comprehensive menu on offer.

The Railway's a larger, more old world pub than the nearby Empress, and has a much more personal feel to it. Lights are kept dim for added ambience.

A quiet, no-nonsense local, the Royal Oak Hotel has extensive TAB facilities and is appreciated by younger and older regulars that like their atmosphere to be a real pub - smoky, plenty of old bottles on display and beer kegs made into tables. Emphasis here is on the beer, betting and watching sport when it's on.

You have to push really hard on the door to get in, but your efforts will reward you. The bar goes all the way around the venue, propping up many a local drinker - and if you follow it to Tramway's far side, the comfy chairs and couches won't disappoint. There is also a dart board and pool table at opposite ends for the more energetic.

The Empress is an institution known for "being there" when underground original music was cutting edge. Sharing this scene with The Espy, The Punters, The Tote and very few others. The Stage was and still is a nursery for up and coming artists. A bohemian pub with a rustic garden and an ever changing range of music from rock to electronica. Its food is as renowned as its music. A great place to just hang out or to eat and listen to music all night