Pipis Kiosk
Right alongside Kerferd Road Pier in Albert Park is Pipis, a reimagined seaside kiosk that’s making a splash. On its street-facing side, there’s a small takeaway window where you’ll find topnotch classics such as ridiculously crispy battered fish, piping-hot chips and potato cakes, as well as big fish burgers and egg-salad sangas, and ice-creams to eat on the sand. Plus, coffee, juices and tinnies to go. But there’s more to Pipis than meets the eye – it’s not just a kiosk. Attached is a relaxed yet elegant restaurant with unobstructed ocean views. It serves beachy, summer-appropriate cocktails with a thoughtful seafood-centric menu. “We get our fish every day, and the fish changes every day,” says Canadian-born chef Jordan Clay, who owns the spot with Tom Hunter.
Scalable
Inspired by memories of Clifton Hill Macca’s, 300 Grams is best known for its beef-smash patties. But the old-school Filet-o-Fish-esque burger has quietly developed a following since the burger joint opened in Northcote in 2019, and then in Coburg in 2020. So much so that it encouraged the team to open Scalable, an industrial, terrazzo-covered fish’n’chip shop in Essendon. Find everything from go-to fish’n’chip packs to fish souvlaki (made with grilled gummy, hot chips and extra thick house-made tzatziki) and a tuna cheeseburger, which the team has modelled after the 300 Grams signature. “We mince the tuna and have added a few of our spices,” says co-owner Joe Farah. “We give it a nice little crust. It tastes like our 300 Burger almost exactly.” And, of course, potato cakes: they’re hand-cut and fried to crispy perfection.
Tide Fish Bar
Sandy feet are welcome at this fancy bayside fish’n’chipper in Brighton. But, “We’re not trying to reinvent fish’n’chips,” says co-owner Mary Solos. “We just wanted to make it that little bit … more refined.” It’s doing all the old-school staples, but with a slightly modernised Mediterranean approach – a nod to the owners’ Greek roots. Find Aussie and New Zealand-sourced fish (think barra, flake, rockling or blue grenadier) served grilled or fried in crisp golden batter. There are also crowd-pleasers such as hulking hand-cut potato cakes (a must), flash-fried calamari, and tempura-battered prawns and scallops. Rounding out the menu is Baja fish tacos with Fancy Hank’s hot sauce, sweet-potato fries and vibrant salads (including the “smashed” falafel and a crisp rainbow slaw).
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SIGN UPAdditional reporting by Jo Rittey, Quincy Malesovas and Emily Holgate.
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