The former Frederick Gugenberg men’s fashion shop on the corner of Gertrude and Smith streets closed over a year ago and, in 2012, became the venue for some pop-up shops. It has recently reopened as Karavan, a Mediterranean / middle eastern cafe.
Although many new restaurants have opened in Fitzroy in the past few months, I am not inspired by the American diner trend and there are only so many burgers I want to eat. I’m not likely to try them all. Cider House is great for offering a wide range of ciders, but that is the last place I can think of that has tried to do something different in Fitzroy.
Karavan is different in that it serves a range of briki brewed coffees – Greek, Turkish, Arabic, etc, and Mediterranean inspired food, such as these fantastic fresh grilled sardines that I had for lunch last week.
I hope Karavan does well because the food and coffee are good and they’re providing a welcome alternative to the emerging gastronomic monoculture of modern share plate dining and burgers and fries.
