Footscray at a glance

eat street

Where to eat in the 'Scray is no longer as simple as awesome Vietnamese. There's still that too, and plenty of it, but diners can also expect US barbecue, pizza, good coffee and cult burgers. Never has the west been hotter.

8Bit

8 Droop Street, Footscray 03 9687 8838 eat8bit.com.au/

A couple of years ago, 8Bit dragged daggy old Droop Street kicking and screaming into the realm of burgers, beards and man buns. Since then it's often standing room only for the mix of locals, tradies and students who call this arcade-game-themed burger joint home. The service is prompt, the soft drinks and beer are cold and the burgers are pleasantly juicy. Nuff said.

Cavallaro Pasticceria

98 Hopkins Street, Footscray 03 9687 4638 tcavallaroandsons.com.au/

Locals don't talk about Cavallaro because the more the word spreads, the fewer Sicilian house-made cannoli filled with chocolate, ricotta or custard there are to go around. For 60 years, Footscray folk have held this secret close to their chests but thanks to the power of the interwebs, Cavallaro now belongs to the whole of Melbourne. Well worth a trip across town.

Co Thu Quan

Shop 22, 63 Nicholson Street, Footscray 03 9913 9692

Forget pho. This is fair-dinkum Vietnamese street food done the way the Vietnamese like it. Expect to pay very little for dishes many neophytes may never have seen before including one tasting plate with the tiniest fried crabs imaginable and bowls of coconutty offal stew. Close your eyes and you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Vietnam.

Konjo

87-89 Irving Street, Footscray 03 9689 8185 konjo.com.au/

Did someone say incredibly cheap all-you-can-eat Ethiopian buffet lunch and dinner, Wednesday to Saturday? Like $15-a-head cheap? Did they also mention the house-roasted aromatic Ethiopian coffee and berbere-spiced bowls of ful (broad bean breakfast stew)? We bet they also didn't mention that there's a wide array of Ethiopian crafts, textiles and spices on sale here too, but there is.

Little Saigon

63 Nicholson Street, Footscray

Vietnam living, Melbourne-style, doesn't get better than this gritty but animated market. Eat in at one of several on-site cafes or takeaway joints, then browse the most comprehensive range of South-east Asian fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and groceries on offer this side of the Mekong. Saturday arvo sees this place crammed and very noisy: ace.

Mesnoy Injera Bakery

77 Irving Street, Footscray 03 9687 8855 mesnoyinjera.com.au/

So you've done the African eats along Irving Street and you're hooked on injera, the sour, spongy flatbread that underpins almost every Ethiopian meal. But where to get it? Why, Mesnoy bakery of course. In fact, you can pick up most of the ingredients you'll need to get authentically Addis Ababan at home including a fiery berbere paste. Check the website for recipes, too.

Nhu Lan

116 Hopkins Street, Footscray 03 9689 7296

This joint is as humble and unprepossessing as its banh mi are sexy and desirable; the ever-present queue at the counter is testament to that. Crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside buns, stuffed to bursting with juicy tofu, chicken, pork or meatballs, crisp herbs, chili, cucumber and pickled carrot. And all for $5 a pop. If only they were open 24/7.

Ovest

572 Barkly Street, West Footscray 03 9687 7766 ovestwest.com.au/

Barkly Village is on the march and this friendly neighbourhood pizza joint, which successfully blends hipster chic with family fare, leads the charge. Some pretty high-end ingredients (truffled ricotta anyone?) stalk the crisp, puffy bases here, but you can still eat your fill of Naples' finest and chug on a craft beer without breaking the bank. Also, likely the best lasagne in the west.

Slice Girls West

4 Yewers Street, Footscray 03 9689 6260 slicegirls.com.au/

Former T-shirt factory morphs into a industrio-retro-rustico, yet somehow cozy, pizza joint. Strut on down from Footscray Station, sip on a wine or a jar and, as the sign says, "Slice up your life". The pizzas here, with names inspired by the girl-powered '90s pop group, are cheap, uncomplicated and give good chow. They also do a fine line in toasties.

Up in Smoke

28 Hopkins Street, Footscray 03 9689 8188 upinsmoke.net.au/

Meat lives here. Meat of the American smoky barbecue persuasion. Meat that is reasonably priced, superbly tender and juicy. Meat that comes with hot sauces, pickles, good bread and a selection of, here's the surprise, well-planned vego salads. Meaty atmos too: buzzing and burbling along to cocktails, good beers and much chit chat. Need more meat? Head to the in-house takeout shop.