Northcote is pretty much hipster central. For those yet to venture over to the north side; think…read morequirky cafes, organic supermarkets and edgy locals. So it's only natural that Northcote's annual street festival, High Noon, was absolutely packed with Melbourne's trendiest. The streets were teeming with energy as hordes of vintage stalls, delicious multicultural delights and a thriving music scene jostled for the crowd's attention. Inside the cordoned off drinking areas, merry folk queued for ciders under the sun, whilst munching on smashed avocado ciabattas and kangaroo burgers. This being Northcote there was, of course, only the most gourmet fare on offer. Not a sausage sizzle in sight. Local pubs, such as the Wesley Anne and the Peacock, were packed to the limit, with bands playing to packed dance floors late into the night. Held on Sunday the 18th of September, it's a date to be penned into your well-worn leather diary. So pull on your skintight denims, grab your fixie and head on down to High Street Northcote.

I have never seen as many pedigree dogs within the confines of the Northcote stretch of High Street…read moreas I did on the day of the High Noon festival in September. Whether that's a gauge of how cashed up Northcote has become or how laid back the festival is I have no idea but it is what it is. Inexact dog barometer aside, the High Noon festival is a damn good free festival - offering food, music, arts and crafts - in a very interesting area which does a very good - and hugely well organised - job of showing off Northcote's many talents. Boasting three sponsored stages with an eclectic music lineup of local bands covering genres including reggae and rock; countless pop up food and craft stalls; and a very lovely crowd, High Noon festival is definitely worth a visit. The festival draws so many people to the area that local bars can become hugely crowded and there is the occasional queue for food, but all in all High Noon is a hugely well executed free festival that I would definitely return to next year.

Went to see a band here . Great venue , ample space , great bar. Check this place as they often…read morehave a great line up of artists performing in here.

When I first visited this place I have to admit that I wasn't all that impressed with it, however…read moreover time by opinions have begun to change. Okay, it certainly isn't one of my favourite bars, and Northcote has some pretty good offerings that I prefer much, much more, however this place isn't anywhere near as bad as I first thought it was. For one thing it is a live music venue (though they have a room set aside specifically for the music) and there is a nice deck out the back (which later in the night becomes the smoking bar. They also make some decent chips, as I discovered when I met up with a friend here for a bit of a chat. While I won't be rushing back here any time soon, it still is a pretty decent place to spend some time.

Just stumbled by this place when visiting a friend. Was absolutely taken aback by the beautiful…read moreaesthetic and artwork. Fortunately the food was the best Mexican food I've had in Melbourne. This is truly a unique experience and I can not help myself but give it a 5 Star review. The staff we're knowledgeable and accomodating and I spent a great deal of time eating a delicious burrito staring at the stunning artwork. This is a must if you want to see the best of Melbourne!

3.4 Super casual…read moreMexican cafe. The food is generally very good as you'd expect from ex Radio Mexico people. Service is pleasant but uneven and the place alternately delights and frustrates. First off it must be appreciated that this is an informal and slightly rough and ready operation. We arrived to something much more casual than I'd anticipated for a birthday celebration. That was my inadequate research. The place was decked out for Halloween and various patrons were in full garb. A party was scheduled for later on, I think. The cafe was only a third full the whole time we were there. The music was pumping and was mainly very good stuff (well done on the Stooges number). There's no table service here and you order at the counter. Our pre dinner drinks came out slowly although to be fair they were mainly different Marguerita's. My classic Marguerita was good. Even though we'd pre booked our table of six there wasn't enough cutlery provided on the table which is indicative of the slightly ramshackle nature of the place. We ordered nachos first with beef and guacamole. These were very slow to come out and were a little cool when they arrived. They were delicious though and were very quickly devoured. The remaining dishes - quesadillas, burritos and tacos - came out in a piecemeal way. Some were hot, some were cool. My beef chilli quesadilla was hot and really good. The cauliflower wedges were hot and really good too. The batter was lovely and crisp. The steak quesadilla was ok only to me with nice flavour. The steak was a little chewy I thought but but my partner disagreed and really liked it. The small burritos were fantastic. Reasonably priced but actually quite sizeable. The youngies around the table who'd ordered them were all nodding and happy saying, "...this food is so good". We finished with tacos. The fish and beef ones were good too although inconsistent temperatures were evident again. My impression was they were a bit bland unless you add some chilli or jalapeño to lift them. Service from various servers was nice and cheery throughout. It you want a laid back, cheap and cheerful Mexican experience then this is your place. The cafe itself is quirky but the food is good. Eating in is an experience. There was a lot of Uber Eats orders flying out the door.

The Palace Westgarth was originally built in the 1920s and following later Art Deco additions and a…read morerecent $4 million overhaul this historically significant cinema now plays host to a decidedly eclectic selection of films catering to everyone from film nuts to novices. Boasting a licensed bar offering coffee, food and some pretty damn good ice cream, The Palace Westgarth is notable for its all inclusive and highly eclectic film programme which runs the gauntlet from Hollywood blockbusters to European film festivals and countless indie flicks in between. This particular outpost of the boutique Palace chain also has special events such as its Friday night 'Cult Vault' screenings showcasing classic and cult cinema. A must visit for its three state of the art screens, diverse film programme and culturally significant location.

The Palace Westgarth Cinemas are in many ways the hub of the Westgarth community. Situated in the…read morecentre of the township with it's highly recognizable heritage building - people from all over Melbourne know this place. Unfortunately I have to say that the Palace Westgarth does not always show movies to warrant people from all over Melbourne knowing it's presence. Don't get me wrong the Palace Westgarth does show many great movies and has a number of great film festivals throughout the year - including the Spanish and French ones of most note. It has the Friday night film vault where they show old school movies usually of the horror or other cult genres at the stoke of midnight. However, most of the time I personally feel that they don't show a great selection of films. They don't show many blockbusters, which is fine, but they also don't show that many independent films either. In fact it seems to me that a large component of their catalogue includes kids movies, second rate British romantic comedies and cheap Hollywood films. All this means is that I find I never end up going all that often to a cinema which I desperately want to support.

This bar wasn't all that bad, and it does seem to be one of the numerous live band places located…read morealong High Street. Okay, not numerous because I can only think of one other, but this one certainly wasn't too bad. It doesn't look like much out front, but they happen to have a pretty cool band room out the back, and the service isn't all that bad either. In fact, I suspect that this is one of those bars that you basically only go to to see a band. It wasn't bad but it really wasn't too much of a favourite either. Still it certainly works well as a place for live music.

Here are 303 reasons to go:…read more 1. It is easy to find at 303 High Street, Northcote. 2. The Melbourne Ukelele Orchestra members host open mic nights every month. Go on you know you want to! 3. It is right next door to the Northcote Social Club, which can get very busy and loud. 4. It is more refined than said Social Club - refined in the sense that when you are sitting at the bar in 303 you feel a bit like you are in a jazz student's living room: dingy couches, neat whiskies and an old smell in the air that could be culture or it may just be the rat that crawled under the bench and died a few years ago. 5. Not convinced yet? Well then there is the bizarre and absolutely must see back room. Not to hang out there mind you, but just to see this massive space. There is a huge stage that is truly epic, a remnant perhaps of headier days gone by. Most music you will find played out the front in the cute little living room atmosphere of the bar. But maybe the large stage out the back is there to entice lowly musicians in to play at this establishment with dreams of grandeur. Either way it is for me, one of Northcote's many mysteries...

The Thornbury Theatre is a ticket to another realm in which the glamour and touches of old never…read moredied away. It's kind of like a stage version of the bar in 'The Shining' without all the creepiness and ghosts. A low, open stage with heavy theatrical curtains at the back opens onto a ballroom-esque space with rich red and gold carpeting. To get there you go about a curved staircase from a marble foyer and past a little bar tucked in the corner of the front room. It's all about the old world charm and atmosphere that really heightens the performances. There's an alright selection of beers, and the prices are within the average. They also have some acoustic performances in the front room on occasion. The Thornbury Theatre is a requisite experience for music and other live performance lovers alike.

I've been to the Thornbury Theatre on several occasions to see the monthly 'Women of Letters'…read moreseries, as well as the annual 'Men of Letters' (both highly recommended events that you should definitely check out). The space itself is old and somewhat dilapidated, but with a bunch of character. The sound set up is never great and clearly the place could do with some equipment upgrades, but there's a charm to the venue that makes you forgive all of it's problems. Also, it has the biggest disco ball I've ever seen, which provides something interesting to look at when you get bored by whatever is happening on stage. Would not want to be sitting under that during an earthquake!