Ed Kavalee is a founding member of hit comedy show Have You Been Paying Attention? and has also worked as an original cast member, producer and ensemble director for Network 10’s Logie Award-winning Thank God You’re Here.
Kavalee is a co-writer, co-producer and co-host on World Cup Fever 2026, Total Football for SBS, Channel 7 and Fox Sports, and co-writer and co-host on The Joy of Sets for Nine Network with Tony Martin. Ed wrote, produced and co-directed the telemovie Scumbus for Channel 10, and is set to star in Cop This, a new Australian comedy written, produced and co-directed by the man himself.
And the accolades don’t stop there. The actor, writer, comedian and producer also happens to know about a few great spots for an even better meal.
My local is The Anglers Tavern in Maribyrnong. They have started a stand-up comedy night. Fantastic room and great acts. I saw Tony Martin, Anna Perry, Firdi Billimoria, Lizzie Hoo and Andrew Portelli recently. That’s a huge line-up and great food.
The best new thing I’ve found is Poke On, South Yarra. A short walk from Channel 10 and delicious. The chairs are mismatched and the line is out the door. Quick, simple and spot on.
When I want to celebrate an occasion with a special meal… I don’t go out much, but there’s a great place called Chiba in Moonee Ponds. Delicious Japanese food and a clientele of parents who need to get home before the babysitter has to leave. Perfect.
When I want to show off the city to friends from out of town, I say breakfast. Melbourne has to be the best for breakfast in Australia… or maybe I don’t go out past 2pm. I can’t go past a café No. 19 in Ascot Vale.
My favourite Melbourne comedians to go out for a meal with are… I don’t drink or play golf or do stand-up so I’m not great company. So I’ll say hanging with my friends from How You Been Paying Attention? in the green room after the show is my time because we have sushi, chicken sandwiches and Pringles. It’s a wild time!
My favourite place to load up on supplies is a place called Aberfeldie Salumeria. There’s an incredible range of Italian foods and they do catering for kids’ parties. They also sell milk for when I’ve forgotten to get it.
There’s no better value in the city than any place that still gives kids two free marshmallows with a small hot chocolate. Marshmallows are almost as expensive as petrol these days.
And I wish more people would experience the excellence of comedy in Melbourne. Improv at The Improv Conspiracy and stand-up at Basement Comedy Club in the city. It’s world-class comedy right here, almost every night of the week.
My defining food moment in Melbourne was the dessert room at my wedding at Carousel in Albert Park. Nobody expected my wife and I to even have dessert. So we had a whole room of them!
If there was one thing I could change about eating and drinking in Melbourne it would be… coffee should be served at the start of the meal. It gets everyone going.
But the things I hope never change here are cafés and burger joints. For some reason, Melbourne is world-class with these places. There’s always a new one with a great menu. Big shout out to the new Royal Stacks near me. Just the best.
Created, written, produced and co-directed by Ed Kavalee, Cop This is a new Australian comedy packed with familiar faces, including Nicolette Minster, Ray O’Leary, Tiffiny Hall, Toby Truslove, Lehmo, Rob Carlton, Gary Sweet, Tony Martin, Josh Lawson, Julia Morris, Dave Hughes, Ash Williams, Dilruk Jayasinha, Ryan Moloney and many more.
It’s a double dose of Ed on Network 10 this evening. Catch him on Have You Been Paying Attention? At 8.40pm, followed by the Cop This premiere at 9.40pm. Watch and stream free on 10.