Rita's Cafeteria

Photography: Kristoffer Paulsen

Rita's Cafeteria

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239 Johnston St
Abbotsford

ritasabbotsford.com.au

(03) 9419 8233

7:30 am - 12:00 am

Italian

Pizza

Breakfast

Brunch

Late Night Dining

$$$$$

Abbotsford local Brett Graham had been lamenting the lack of food options available at what was once the ‘dodgy’ end of Johnston Street when he spotted a ‘for lease’ sign on a vacant shop-front. Eight months later he opened Rita’s- a welcoming beacon on a dark and cold night in the north.

Run by three friends – owners and managers Brett Graham and Rob Lowther (of The Bottle of Milk and Pizza Pizza in Lorne) and chef Daniel Spizzica (formerly of the Stokehouse in St Kilda) – Rita’s Cafeteria is a charming pizza and pasta diner that has cultivated a strong community vibe.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Rita’s open kitchen fills the cafeteria-style restaurant with the warm aroma of baking pizza. There are two sizes (10-inch and 13-inch), which are topped with classic combinations and served on a crispy base. House-made pastas are also on the menu, as are risottos and some tasty Italian-influenced sides. There’s beer on tap and wines available by the bottle and glass since the liquor license came through over the weekend.

We hope that places like Rita’s will put this end of Johnston Street back on the map.