One of Melbourne’s favourite cafe groups shakes things up with daytime diner Ophelia
Unlike siblings Terror Twilight and Convoy, the menu at this cinema-adjacent cafe-wine bar in Westgarth will likely be different every time you visit.
Developing crowd-pleasing dishes, executing them well, keeping them on the menu – it seems simple. But that reliability has been key to the success of Yolk Group cafes Terror Twilight in Collingwood, Convoy in Moonee Ponds and Tinker in Northcote. Zucchini-halloumi fritters straddle all their menus, for one.
So, in that sense, the group’s latest venture breaks the mould. Next to Northcote’s Palace Westgarth cinema, Ophelia is part-cafe, part-wine bar – with an “ever-evolving” menu.
“It’s like your favourite [non-country] band writing a country album: you don’t know whether you’re gonna love it or not,” admits Kieran Spiteri, who runs the group with Ben Argentino and Bec Moore. Which is to say, “it definitely is a little bit of a risk”.
The old Barry cafe corner site has been rejigged with day-to-night flexibility in mind. Go from coffee to cocktails at the curvy new bar. There’s also a statement record wall with refurbed vintage speakers, and the original maroon-ish terrazzo floor is back on display.
Spiteri says Ophelia’s menu is more creatively challenging compared to the group’s other venues, as it’s mostly dependent on what’s in-season and available from local producers, such as market gardens Remi’s Patch or Dog Creek Growers, or star supplier Natoora, which connects Melbourne chefs with leading farmers across the state.
On the opening menu, expect a Koo Wee Rup asparagus tartine on Iris the Bakery bread with golden beetroot, pink-pepper gremolata and melted fontina cheese, and bullhorn peppers stuffed with fried red rice and black beans with a tahini dressing.
There will be some anchor items, though, including granola – perhaps with sheep’s yoghurt and lemon-thyme-infused honey – and an egg plate with accompaniments like house-made relish, cultured butter and leaves.
A glass cabinet houses the grab-and-go sandwiches and salads of the day, as well as the rotating savoury scone (to start, rosemary and goat’s cheese) and baked goods galore.
Just as sweet is the miso-butterscotch iced latte, a hot new player in Melbourne’s iced-coffee game, which Spiteri says was “hard to figure out, but [is] decadent and delicious”. Meanwhile, home-made marmalade makes the breakfast martini morning-appropriate.
A handful of cocktails and a locally charged wine list are available until Ophelia closes, which is currently 4pm, but there are plans to extend to nighttime trade in the future, giving cinema-goers somewhere to snack and sip either side of later sessions.
Open daily 7am-4pm, from Wednesday, October 16
85 High Street, Northcote, instagram.com/opheliawestgarth
Tomas Telegramma is a food, drinks and culture writer.