Sri Lankan cuisine: the best places to taste it in Fitzroy

"This is a very good place with a style and way all its own - and they have free WiFi - which in this country is quite unusual. The staff are freindly..."

Peter Kurg

"Was nearly put off by the hipster vibe but so glad I wasn't. Had the Kiribath (milk rice) and chicken curry for lunch - utterly extraordinary...."

Suren Jayaweera

"Seriously, it was like 4 days ago when I ate the most amazing breakfast of quinoa falafel's, chorizo, smashed Avo (think melbourne has a law that..."

Helen Evans

"Brilliant, authentic Sri Lankan dishes. Had breakfast and asked to swap a son-in-law egg for scrambled with chilli. No problems!..."

Peter Andree

"Fabulous little gem to eat at. Authentic, delicious food that is made from the heart. The atmosphere was warm and trendy and the staff were..."

Rebecca Richards

"Had the roti and the soft crab burger. Both fantastic. Could have worked our way through the whole menu if we'd had the appetite!!..."

Sherri Ring

"Perfect food, perfect coffee, friendly staff!..."

Jonas Mai

"Awesome food, great service, pretty cool place to hang..."

Dinuka Peiris

"Yum! Had dinner here, awesome vibe & friendly service. The Kottu roti and crab curry are highly recommended as well as the noodle cakes. Topped of..."

Nad Perera

"If you are looking at modern Sri Lankan food. then this is the place to be. Nothing can beat the Hoppers and..."

Dhanushka Gunathilake

"chicken burger and lamb salad..."

Xinyan Liu

"Their claim to fame is the hoppers and they sure didn’t disappoint. The other option that we have frequently here are the tumeric chai and I’ve..."

Alan Tse

"We dropped by here for the first time for lunch today. There was a nice ambience about this place - parts of it were brighter and parts were more dim..."

Crabapples For Lunch

"I loved the vibe ! it was so chilling with the chilling music and I ended up staying there for hours. It was all packed for hours on Sunday when I..."

Selki Kim

"Great atmosphere and really comfy place. Staff were friendly and really quite efficient .i ordered the breakfast hoppers Coffee was beautiful but the..."

Brien Dhas

"Been travelling around fitzroy for a while now and overheard that this cafe provide good quality dish. The place itself is quite dark inside but they..."

Munching Pandas

"My friend recommended this place as I moved to Fitzroy recently, so I stopped by. I ordered latte and it was really good with a good latte art...."

Shine

"This unassuming venue on smith street is full of surprises. I’d been wanting to go here for some time and recently got the chance. Although the..."

Samantics

"I am half Sri Lankan, so I know what to expect when someone says Lankan food. I had the milk rice, and it was absolutely incredible. The rice was..."

Do It For The Brunch

"Very friendly staff and in contrast to other reviews my partner and I found the service to be quite prompt, however there were not many other patrons..."

PlasterPillow

"Food at this cafe is great and the menu is slightly different from the other cafes. We had the scotch eggs and the benny breakfast which had a..."

Lifecycle

"Delicious!! Nice ambience, great food. I had the traditional hopper and loved it. Had a taste of everyone’s brekky and would have ordered all again..."

Carlsberg

"Love it! Popped in for a delightful Saturday brunch. Easy seating but filled up pretty quickly. Ordered a chai and the egg kottu. The chai was..."

Loz Arthur

"Started off a little skeptical when it took over half an hour for my coffee to arrive but after that the food and further drinks were all prompt and..."

Kate Dougherty

"I am ashamed to say that I had no idea this place was down the road, or what food it served, basically I knew nothing about it. Me and a friend..."

Cheronnie

"Just back from Sri Lanka so keen to try - food was overall very nice especially the vegetable curry and the kiri hodi (white curry) and I love egg..."

Miriam Faine

"Nice spot, great atmosphere and good brunch food. Went here with my partner and we had egg hoppers. The highlight was the Dahl - very aromatic and..."

Alex Butenko

"Been there for a cold winter night to give a try as I am not really big curry fine. However, after I ordered the crab and chicken, I changed my mind...."

Laurence Song

"The breakfast hoppers are awesome. The food is fresh and flavorsome. Tried the turmeric chai latte and was pleasantly surprised. The quinoa fritters..."

Comfy Chairs

"Great brekkie with Queen Foodie The Bircher muesli bowl looks great and tastes even betterGet down here - bottom end of Smith Street..."

The Waiter

"We recently travelled to Sri Lanka and after eating some of the most amazing curries, rotti and other traditional dishes, we thought we'd never be..."

@twogoodtoresist

"Have been wanting to try this place ever since I saw it as I was driving down Smith St one day amd saw the name! Have to say the menu was a surprise..."

Shazzamataz

"With a rather unassuming name, Pavlov’s Duck provides Melbourne with a trendy and modern take on traditional Sri Lankan cuisine. Even the more..."

Penguineats

"Perplexing little squished together combination of half regular Melbourne cafe / half regular Sri Lankan restaurant and an entirely incongruent..."

Iris Myandowski

"Nice factory style set up. Coffee great was and arrived swiftly, the chocolate muffin a real treat. Stopped by by chance, would definitely do so..."

M For FOOD And Drinks Occasionally.

"The misses and I had breakfast here yesterday, decided to go for a savoury (breakfast hopper) and a sweet (panacotta) dish and share. The..."

Bas Hamers

"This is my 2nd time here for breakfast and I loved it both times. They have some really interesting options of breakfasts with a Sri Lankan..."

Deb Taylor

"Been wanting to try this place for dinner for a while after having a couple of breakfast's here. Atmosphere is good and the Sri Lankan hawker food is..."

Beanthereatethat

"Came here with a gift voucher, the service was friendly and welcoming . Went on a Friday night. Greeted by the cook, cooking at the front window...."

Italo5

"Pavlov known for his salivating dog experiment would be proud to know that Pavlovs duck can have a similar effect on humans. Having heard of this..."

Dr S

"Food yummy, cultural blending of food fun. The Lankan Frenchy very flavoursome, the shards of Vegemite on the Avacado pretty edgy, not made to..."

Alexander Rangie Gylo

"Solid cafe with interesting menu - mix of modern Australian and Sri Lankan cuisine. Beautifully presented. The lychee panacotta was delicious but I..."

Mrs Mark

"Venture a little further up Smith St towards the outdoor factory outlets, and you’ll come across Pavlov’s Duck. It’s a busy Sunday, and the..."

A Chronicle Of Gastronomy

"Came here for lunch today, food was pretty good. Had the brunch bowl and you can't really go wrong with spiced chickpeas, pumpkin, greens and..."

Yume Yume

"If you are looking for a unique brunch menu, look no further than Pavlov’s Duck! The Sri Lankan inspired dishes here are bold, full of flavour and..."

DAMMIT JANET I LOVE FOOD

"If you haven't tried Sri Lankan food before, or like us have been dying to find a place that does decent Sri Lankan food then you're in for a real..."

Melbourniancritic (The Melbourne Experience)

"Pavlov’s Dog is a simple psychology experiment whereby a dog is conditioned to associate the ringing of a bell with food, and thereby salivate...."

Ashanie Mekhala Perera

"Ordered the potato and fish fritter aka French Lanky for brunch. I really enjoyed the flavours, although there may be some who may think the fish..."

Louise

"We read about this cute and cosy little cafe offering srilankan food options and we decided to try it out for dinner. We tried the hoppers, the..."

The Frugal Cats

"My first taste of Sri Lankan cuisine was at Pavlov’s Duck down on Smith Street of my neighbourhood. I love the name of the place and was pretty..."

Donutsam

"Love this place! Delicious matcha and turmeric Lattes. The Lankan Frenchy is a croissant with a whole number of bit and pieces, including curried..."

Amy Fogs

"Love their interesting menu! All dish were inspired by Sri lanka cuisine and it was really hard for me to choose only one (wanna try them all!). 1...."

Joyce Wu

"Beautiful food full of flavour and spice, perfect for sharing or just indulging yourself. Wonderful warm atmosphere and vibe, lovely wait staff, will..."

Laura Hurley

"Excellent fusion of French and Lankan cuisine.. Enjoyed Braised Lamb salad and pumpkin Chia pancakes .. The smoothies were great too .. Need to try..."

Praveen Bajaj

"Loved it! The inside is amazing - I felt like I wasn't in Melbourne. All the food options seemed great! Staff were friendly. I had the golden latte..."

Sophieea

"Fitzroy café Pavlov’s Duck is a wonderfully surprising fusion of French and Sri Lankan cuisine. . While on paper that may sound strange – it..."

Trading Plates

"Great menu, full of delicious food. Service was great, golden latte was the bomb! We stumbled on the place by default but will definitely be back...."

Ameliajcollins

"I came here for brunch and what a joy it was to eat here. Ordered their hopper with dhal, coconut sambal and chilli onion...whoa! A total celebration..."

Soleil

"shortly before heading overseas, i was invited to a tasting night at pavlov’s duck on smith st in collingwood. the sri-lankan influenced cafe..."

Inlovewithbrunch

"Jun'17 update - Went here for dinner on a Saturday night. Was pretty excited because I like the breakfast here. On the menu there is a banquet that..."

I. D.

"A great tasting hopper and roti experience, just like you've been invited to someone's home. Very hospitable friendly and on tram line 86 at stop 20...."

Krishna Brannigan

"Full of flavour and great healthy cool option super smoothies.Spinach & berry was my favorite but the kids loved the cocao. Great quick power up..."

Sharon Tauru #jazalajewels

"Fabulous fusion cafe. Service was good and food was so interesting. The Pol Roti was a little small on the portion size side, but big on flavour! The..."

Kirkweeden

"Chicken kottu is amazing !!! I'm not a spice head but mild was just right for me. If you like spice you will like this dish !l! Also comes in medium..."

Owen K

"Interesting fusion dishes with a lot of flavour. Good coffee and some streetside tables. Slightly disinterested staff but well worth a..."

Dominic Svensson

"Comfy little cafe on Smith st. The varied menu is fantastic, already flagged what I am gettting next time 😄The Kottu Roti was the perfect..."

K.T

"Absolutely love it here! The food is fantastic, the staff are super friendly and the coffee is amazing. I'd highly recommend the coconut cold..."

Luke Vear

"‘There is no love more sincere than the love of food’ – the perfect tagline for a restaurant!. Pavlov’s Duck can be a bit of a surprise. The..."

The Spice Adventuress

"Saw Sri Lankan hoppers being prepared in the window this morning and stopped in for an unplanned snack. The hoppers with sambal and Dahl were..."

Latitudes

"First up: Thosai (fermented crepes) and Vada (spicy donuts) are served with sambar curry (lentil vegetarian curry) and green sambol (coconut, lime..."

Eat And Be Merry Crew

"Pavlov’s Duck is a Sri Lankan influenced brunch/cafe located at the other end of Smith Street where it’s a bit more quieter. Don’t let this..."

Linnie Eats All The Food

"Pavlov’s Duck was an accidental discovery from a walk on Smith St, leading us to the reinvigorated menu inspired by the flavours of Sri Lankan..."

Hungrycookie

"The perfect combination of rich, tasty, soulful Sri Lankan food with fresh, organic and gentle ingredients. I'm picky with heavy foods for breakfast..."

Yolanda Campbell

"Food--> 3.5 Giving an extra 0.5 cos of the vibrant and cool hipster looking cafe decor:) Vibes count. Thought the menu with..."

Hahappieats

"What a lovely find! My friend and I just wanted to have coffee and stumbled into Pavlov's Duck with my 1 year old daughter. The staff was..."

Heidi Ofner

"Great coffee from padre. Ordered the pol roti ($17.5) expensive considering that it doesnt come with any meat, but very flavorsome! The dahl taste is..."

Celia Çaesandrika

"Breakfast before a road trip and with no plans for the next week (so unlike us on a weekend and with a destination to go to) we needed a good start...."

Minda Barley

"I was actually hesitating whether to try this place cuz I saw the ratings was only 3.4. However, two dishes from their menu caught my eyes so I've..."

Mabel Lee

"Unassuming cafe that does South-Asian inspired breakfast food. Their menu is a breath of fresh air if you are getting a bit tired of the smashed..."

Nithya Nagarajan

"Great coffee. I had the Pumpkin and Chia seed pancakes with Poached eggs - delicious! Perfect size, not too heavy. Love the Sri Lankan influence on..."

Scott McConnell

"The roti dish was delish with nice flavours! Would definitely recommend that. Atmosphere was nice. Service was fairly quick. Perfect start to my day!..."

Riz

"Very nice & relaxed environment, friendly staff, great coffee. Everyone in our group was happy with their meals except for the french toast - the..."

Rose

"Love the name of this cafe, and their tagline, “There is no love more sincere than the love of food” is perfect. A rustic warehouse kind of..."

Chewing Is Exercise

"Went to Pavlovs duck for a girls catch up, for some coffee and lunch. What a great place! Loved the atmosphere and service, very friendly staff,..."

Alina Natalia

"Really delicious food, amazing and friendly service! Portion sizes aren't massive either which I count as a positive :) well done guys! Made my day!..."

Amyminchin

"Just moved to the area and finally got around to fully trying this nugget out. What a brilliant place! Loved the egg and bacon foccacia, and the chai..."

This Diner Is Anonymous

"Brunch with a Sri Lankan twist! Very nice coffee. We were after a light breakfast, and the hoppers were perfect. Something a bit different! The..."

Ashlee B

"Love Pavlov's Duck!. We totally loved it. We visit Melbourne regularly and we always stop at Pavlov's Duck. The hoppers are the new thing we tried..."

Facebook User

"Industrial chic. Good coffee in an interesting industrial chic..."

Audacity Of Hope

"A cosy pit-stop for the weary shoppers on Smith St.; an abode for those in need of a brain jolt with a caffeine hit and free WiFi for..."

Suraj Varma

"OMG!. Food @ pavlov's duck =..."

Zoukman

"Yum!. What a find! Loved this place. I had the pancakes which were the best I have ever eaten.. Which is a big call as I've eaten more than a few in..."

Jayne Jackson

"The 'Pol" Roti. Amazing flavours in the dhal/lentils, perfect combination with the sweet chilli sambal, egg and coconut roti. Very..."

Diner

"What an interesting place to eat/drink. Fantastic take on the fusion food. And such attention to..."

Sonia Starosta

"Much better. So much better since it changed hands a few weeks back. Still not incredible but a good option if breakfast thieves is too busy. Coffee..."

Hugh M

"Great dining experience. Amazing atmosphere, friendly staff, great food with a good variety and awesome coffee. Special mention for the amazing mint..."

Kelly Chamberlain

"Sunday afternoon snack. Delicious spinach, mushroom and egg roti rollwith my face coffee - Padregreat atmosphere, pleasant staffa good..."

Thexfacta

"Lovely spot for brunch!. Nice cosy atmosphere. Amazing coffee. I had the french toast and it was so delicious. Good value and friendly staff...."

Christine.kovacs

"Nice warm and cosey environment. Cool art work on the walls and great decor. Amazing coffee, lovely fresh juices. Pulled pork was..."

Caitlin Mikheal

"New Management *THUMBS UP* & the Zesty Lemon Salad with Chicken OH MY!. DELISH!! Avocado, chicken, the perfect amount of red onion, tomato, greens..."

Haroulad

"Healthy and yummy! Great vi.... Healthy and yummy!Great vibe and friendly staff..."

Nadine Aziz

"The coffee here is one of the best I've had in the area. It's a lovely little..."

Loveroffood

"Coffee usually excellent. Cafe has a great feel and the baristas, with one exception do a great job. It's enough to stop me going there, as I want to..."

Wincof

"Where is everyone?. Before I begin, I have to admit, that I am in fact a regular at Pavlov's Duck (long time customer, first time reviewer). Let me..."

Jaren Howard

"Wow. Been to many places in Melb all had a great name for themselves but I have yet to be impressed by one .untill now I found this..."

Ahmclachlan74

"What a find! Smith St Collingwood used to be full of awesome outlets, but it seems that since Nike moved to South Wharf it's become a bit of a dead..."

Tiger82

"I came back to Pavlov's Duck for the best eggs benedict ever! These guys know how to make great coffee and never disappoint. A friendly, relaxed..."

Jbernaldo10375

"I think Pavlov's is awesome.. I've been to Pavlov's a few times and I've been really happy with the whole experience. Staff are friendly, food comes..."

Natasha.badami

"Perfect Coffee. Been to this place many a times. Relaxed atmosphere. great tasty, filling food. Caters for all dietary requirements. being lactose..."

Joe Rocca

"Great coffee friendly staff....and surprisingly good food for a small cafe...will be back..."

Reece

"Pavlov's duck. I've been there on a few occasions now and each time the coffee is wonderful. The service is lacking sometimes and the staff seem very..."

Coffee Guy

"Where everybody knows your name.... If you want snooty service there are plenty of places to choose from in the hood. If you want to go to a cafe and..."

Stephanie Jane

"Must visit....... Stumbled on this cafe and was very pleasantly surprised. Great coffee, engaging staff, crazy/intriguing decor with the best Nachos!..."

C_hall

"Pavlov would have loved this place. Such a friendly atmosphere in this cafe, without all the pretension that sometimes accompanies the small cafes in..."

Helen.lind

"Great Service. Pavlovs Duck what a hidden Gem love the look as soon as I walked in, Staff were so friendly and accommodating to us. Coffee and Hot..."

Tinkerbell304

"Excellent customer service & delicious food.. Love going to Pavlov's Duck for breakfast, brunch, lunch or to events where Pavlov's Duck have catered!..."

Gorgeousbaby

"Loved it. OMG, the mini beef burgers are fabulous! I loved the whole set up of the place, it was very cool and so eclectic wiht a great atmosphere...."

Elizabethmark

"Great coffee. Fantastic coffee! Great service. Can't wait to try the breakfast menu - we will be back..."

Eilighcandrews

"Review - 11th August. Had lunch at Pavlov's Duck with the kids last weekend. Delicious food, great atmosphere, quick service, friendly staff. Good..."

Karyn

"Highly recommended, amazing food great variety with so much flavor. Friendly staff and service with a smile. Will definitely be going..."

Naomi Howell

"I am yet to taste something from Pavlovs duck that i didnt LOVE. Its amaaazing food and fantastic customer service. An all round delightful..."

Jenna Rodger

"Amazing pastries and the fruit loaf is the best I've tasted. Well worth a..."

Beth Hall

"Amazing menu. Great coffee. And extremely helpful and friendly staff. Will recommend to everyone I know in this area. Could not fault in any way. I..."

Melbourneisrad

"Fantastic French..."

Phil Stubbs

"Best brunch around. As a brunch connoisseur, who has tried many of the traditional top spots around Melbourne, I was very surprised to find this..."

Craig

"What a delightful place this is! Interesting menu and very friendly and sweet service. I had scrambled eggs and they were cooked to perfection. My..."

Stephen Duns

"Lovely lunchtime stop at Pavlov's Duck (great name too). Great service, good coffee and really tasty 'Milk Rice' dish of chicken..."

Sam Rye

"Very nice place even on a cool winters morning for coffee and breakfast. Coffee was very nice although a larger cup would have been good. The poached..."

Towoomba Resident

"Beautiful ingredients, well priced, a quaint atmosphere and even nicer coffee. Will be..."

Matthew Allen

"Food was really tasty. Staff were really pleasant, I would have liked more check ins but thats just me as I tend to do follow up orders with..."

Kieran Cooper

"Tried a hopper for the first time. If you haven’t had one, this is the..."

Bill Mrozek

"Went here on a weekend for breakfast, had the full breakfast, tried both the vegetarian and the meat (chorizo and bacon) variants. The place had a..."

Thomas B

"Today was my first visit to Pavlov’s Duck on Smith St. Great little local find, the space is bigger then expected with options to sit inside and..."