Joe Green - Northcote

This venue is on Mitchell Street which runs off High Street right in the middle of all the action in this area. The location is perfect as there is a reasonable sized car park next door and a tram stop only a minute away. The space is bright and roomy with windows that open to the street, overlooking outdoor tables which are very popular in summer.

Artwork adorns the walls, and mixed with the furnishings and plants there is a warm and relaxed feel to the space. The toilets are discretely positioned behind an alcove, and I must say have been spotless on the several occasions I have used them.

The food is rustic Italian and the specials board is the way to go. My friend and I opted to share several entrees (tapas style) but then went our separate ways with the mains, both ordering from the specials board.

Our menu included the following:

• ‘Caponata’ - consisting of sautéed eggplant, zucchini, red capsicum, onion and celery

• Mussels pescatora - steamed in white wine, tomato, garlic, chilli and parsley

This was a great way to start the evening, accompanied by a glass of Bortolomiol Prosecco DOGC (my friends selection) and 2008 Gran Sabbo Trebbiano (my selection). It is worth mentioning that we were both pleasantly surprised by the generous serve of mussels that filled the serving bowl. We decided to stick with Italian for the evening so selected a bottle of 2008 Pipoli Aglianico Del Vulture DOC to share.

The wine list is small but well formed with an Italian focus (though there are a few local wines including the Soumah Savarro we distribute from the Yarra Valley)! You will find around 9 whites and reds by the bottle and a selection of 5 each by the glass. Boutique beers are also available.

Our mains were:

• Tagliatelle with crab
• Pappadelle with braised veal (I just love this dish in winter)

Both were good, portions just right, flavours fresh and timing spot on. We had finished our main meals before we had finished our wine, which gave us the opportunity to sit and relax and observe what was going on around us. When our mains were served every table was full and I believe one or two tables had been re-set prior to our arrival.

Service was precise and efficient and as my friend observed, each staff member had a routine of returning to the service counter, sweeping the room with their eyes to check on water, the clearing of dirty crockery, drink requests or general assistance required by diners. This sort of service is expected, even demanded at the top restaurants in Melbourne however clearly lacks in many café, bistro and pub dining. The fact I was surprised to witness such good service says something to me and Joe Green, for me, sets the bar for this type of venue.

It was definitely worth the tram ride on a cold Friday night. For just over $100 between us we ate and drank very well, so well in fact that we skipped the tempting desserts and coffee. If the locals of Northcote / Thornbury don’t know about this venue they are missing out. Joe Green is the sort of venue that ticks all the boxes with efficiency and value for money and the service is a definite bonus.

The venue is open Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast and lunch (7:30am during the week and 8am weekends) and Wednesday to Sunday for dinner (closing 10pm). It never hurts to book for dinner as venues that offer value for money and excellent service have a way of getting repeat business on a regular basis!

Cheers Sarah