Good Measure

Good Measure is a warm, timber-clad cafe-meets-cocktail-bar inspired by the slow-paced neighbourhood cafes found throughout Japan. To find it, you only need to look for the signage with a magpie, just a short walk from Argyle Square.

Co-owners Brandon Jo, Mitch Miller and Max Allison want guests to treat the space like a home away from home, so they’ve decked it out like a north-side living room, with house plants and vintage furniture strewn about the space.

The team’s collective resume includes Boilermaker House, Eau de Vie, Nick & Nora’s, Leonardo’s Pizza Palace and Falco Bakery – and the experience shows on the solid all-day offering.

Sarnies are the signature, assembled using sourdough by Falco Bakery, produce from Northside Fruit & Veg, and various cuts from butcher Hagen’s Organics.

Coffee is by Code Black, and you can go one further with a Mont Blanc – a cold filter brew that’s lightly sweetened with dark sugar, topped with whipped St David’s cream and showered with fresh grated nutmeg and orange zest.

Once the sun sets, the record player cranks up and the venue transforms into a cosy cocktail bar. Again, Japan is an influence here, with a range of sakes supplied by Melbourne Sake Company. There are also house cocktails and a list of mainly Victorian wine and beer, to go with the snacky night-time menu.