Hector’s Deli Fitzroy

Hector’s Deli is one of Melbourne’s favourite sandwich shops. The Richmond flagship and second store in South Melbourne regularly draw crowds.

This third outpost in Fitzroy continues that legacy. Take one look at the menu and you’ll see why. An oversized chicken schnitzel on an undersized potato bun. A doubly cheesy HCT with mozzarella and provolone, mortadella, and tomato chutney. And a banger beef and pickles beckoning to be souped up with cheese and the signature Hectic sauce.

As well as all the OGs, the well-oiled machine offers a better-than-Macca’s breakfast offering: decadent egg-and-cheese muffins with the option to add on bacon or sausage. There's also a vegan sanga that pays homage to the spot’s plant-based origins: fluffy, thick-cut, house-baked rye slathered with a saucy, slightly spicy chickpea mix and stacked with beetroot, carrot, cucumber and lettuce.

Another standout is the iced coffee spritz, which hits the sweet spot by blending cold brew and lemony soda in a perfect ratio. Plus there’s espresso coffee by Axil Coffee Roasters.

The space itself is schmick and spacious, with all the character of a classic American burger joint. Working with front-running local interior-design firm Hecker Guthrie, owner Dom Wilton reimagined the space but retained the graffitied red-brick exterior. It’s all stainless steel, timber, and red and white detailing, with a dozen or so bench seats to perch at.