Ah, the pleasures of an unpretentious local pub that has your usual battlements of draught beer taps lining the long and polished bar but also does a decent meal at good prices. Here at Fitzroy North’s Railway Hotel, simply The Railway to its retinue of local loyalists, we’ve found that not only does it house a secret and altogether charming grape vine-sheltered beer garden out back, but that central to its appeal is an Italian kitchen – run by owner Miriam Negrelli and turning out recipes gleaned from her mother Luisa – that turns out the cuisine of the bel paese just like nonna would. This gem of a Melbourne boozer (and down-home Italian restaurant) up on Nicholson Street also boasts an enviable line up of local live music.