If you're unfamiliar with Melbourne, though, these cafes will serve as a great introduction.
It's little wonder that Melbourne's cafes are famous all over the world. We have some of the top roasters and baristas in the business working alongside chefs who have experience in fine dining establishments. Don't forget the service that has won raves in New York and other locations for being both prompt and personable.
FAQs About Cafe In Melbourne
- Blacklist Coffee Roasters, Subiaco, WA.
- The Cupping Room, Canberra, ACT.
- Monday's Coffee Store, Adelaide, SA.
- Gordon St Garage, West Perth, WA.
- Room 10 Espresso, Sydney, NSW.
- Good Day Coffee, Tugun, QLD.
- Laneway Specialty Coffee, Parap, NT.
- Iced Coffee.
- Bagels.
- Donuts.
- Croissant.
- Breakfast Sandwich.
- Breakfast Pizza.
Melbourne is known globally for its coffee obsession. It offers more than 2,000 cafés as well as some of the world's best baristas.
Australian coffee is espresso-style, in contrast with the drip-style filter coffee typically consumed in the US. They make each drink individually to order and expect the customers to take a minute to enjoy it too. Latte and flat white are the most popular coffee choices in Australia.
It shouldn't be too hard to find somewhere - there are more than 1600 cafes and restaurants to choose from, data from the City of Melbourne shows.
Must-Try Cafes In Melbourne
There is a very high bar to clear anywhere you go, but the top cafes in Melbourne stand out in every category. Their modern, skilfully prepared dishes are getting close to restaurant standards. Their interior design is much praised. They know how to obtain the most flavour out of their beans in every brewing method, including espresso, filter, and their own roasting methods. Lastly, the service and ambience at these establishments are commensurate with their overall quality.
Pillar Of Salt
Pillar of Salt is a well-loved Melbourne institution, with a steady stream of regulars drawn there by word of mouth for the unique menu items and excellent coffee. Inside the fantastic venue are exposed brick walls, giving it a quaint, vintage vibe, while outside is a charming courtyard.
Ima Project Café
The smashed avo at Carlton's Ima Project Café has been given a new lease on life. Seaweed seasonings like nori paste (processed seaweed simmered down with soy sauce) and furikake (a mixture of chopped seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar and salt) are commonly used to season rice. Ima still spreads the nori paste on the crusty sourdough and tops the avocado with furikake. The Japanese have put their own take on several Western breakfast staples, including baked eggs flavoured with miso and a's tomato, and porridge drizzled with Mitarashi syrup, a traditional Japanese sauce made of soy sauce and sugar. Also available is the traditional Japanese breakfast of fish and rice.
Fourth Chapter
The all-day breakfast menu at Fourth Chapter features a wide variety of tasty options like sweet potato nachos and waffles, Golden Gaytime waffles, and soy glazed barramundi. These dishes are not only delicious, but they also look great on Instagram because to the cafe's bright, airy, and plant-filled interior.
Restaurant and Bakery Serving Wild Creatures
WildLife Bakeries' sourdough, with its deep caramel and crunchy crust, is like going to church on bread. Locals flock here to get their morning fix of the intense, chewy crumb, which goes great with a swipe of miso butter or a dip in harissa-heavy shakshuka. They take delicious sandwiches and baguettes for lunch that you wish would last forever.
Light Years
The distance of a light year, at around 9.8 trillion kilometres, is not a jog in the park. However, if you have your GPS set to Hawthorn, you won't have to go far to experience the wonders of Light Years café. While items like benedict or eggs scrambled, burgers, bircher muesli, and fish and chips may seem mundane on the menu, they are prepared in a way that is anything not.
Terror Twilight
Collingwood's newest breakfast spot, brought to you by the same people behind Heartattack, Wide Open Road, and Vine, is all about promoting healthful options like three-grain porridge, pikelets with coconut yoghurt and Brussels sprout fritters.
Westwood
A facility like Westwood should be required in every Melbourne neighbourhood. Somewhere that serves you a strong cup of coffee and a Croque madame in the morning, a fresh baguette for lunch, and a glass of wine as the sun dips below the horizon. Although Westwood isn't technically a cafe (it transforms into a wine bar after dark), it does a fantastic job of serving its early morning customers.
Croissanterie Lune CBD
The best warehouse bakery in Fitzroy has been well-known in recent years. Cameron Reid and Kate, a brother and sister pair, run Lune Croissanterie. There, they produce almost mathematically flawless croissants in a climate-controlled facility. Due to the overwhelming demand, the duo has opened a second location in Melbourne's central business district. You can grab your coffee and pastry fix to go from their CBD shop, making it ideal for city people. The interior features a high marble table but no chairs for that authentic European experience.
Lankan Tucker
The world would be better off if Sri Lankan cuisine became more well-known. Lankan Tucker was opened in 2016 by Nerissa Jayasinghe and Hiran Kroon, a couple who like calm areas in Brunswick West.Their cosy place has all the trappings of a Melbourne café – There's St. Ali coffee, a chill atmosphere, lots of plants, and kind service, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll find that the menu is stacked with authentic Sri Lankan dishes.
Au79
Abbotsford's newest and most ambitious cafe, Au79, takes its name from the atomic number of gold and features a bakery, coffee roaster, and small retail area all under one roof. The CCC Group (the same people in charge of Addict Food & Coffee, Sir Charles, Prospect Espresso and Liar Liar) transformed a former auto repair shop into a fantastic café.
Oasis Bakery
A kind of a cult has formed around Oasis Bakery, a bakery, café, and grocery located in the heart of Murrumbeena, a distant neighbourhood. Celebrating its 18th year in business in 2016, it underwent a makeover that turned it from a small suburban store into a sprawling, sophisticated Middle Eastern bazaar.
Tom Thumb
Coffee quality is not sacrificed for hole-in-the-wall ambience. Milk coffee with a caramel apple flavour is ensured thanks to the use of Clement's Pony blend (from the family that includes Market Lane, Sensory Lab, and ST ALi). All black coffees are brewed using a single origin bean from Sensory Lab, and the friendly baristas will take the time to explain the nuances of each blend. Despite the long wait times, everyone at Tom Thumb is friendly and helpful.
Hector's Deli
John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, an English nobleman in the 18th century, popularised the practise of serving meat between slices of bread. He likely had no idea that his invention would go on to become one of the most iconic foods in the world. Hector's Deli is a new sandwich shop in Richmond, Virginia, serving up traditional sandwiches with a modern twist. There are only six items total on the menu (three available at 7.30 am and three available at 11 am). There aren't any eggs in here. There will be no elaborate plating here. There are no forks or spoons.
Gilson
Melbourne's best walking and running stadium, the Tan, has a number of great dining alternatives along Domain Road's border with it. Gilson joined the group not long ago; it was opened by the same couple responsible for the Mammoth and Barry cafés, Loren and Jaime McBride. On Saturday mornings, the place is bustling with activity, thanks in no small part to the endorphin-charged runners who are chowing down on their poached eggs.
Second Home
Eltham now has a new cafe, thanks to Jason M. Jones, who also owns the popular Friends of Mine and Porgie and Mr. Jones. Some city dwellers may be put off by how far away Second Home is, but it's really not that far down the Eastern Freeway, and the rewards for venturing there are well worth the effort. The cuisine is inviting, and it makes you feel tempted enough to question if a better name for the restaurant would have been Second Stomach.
Bawa
Though it might not spring to mind at first, the tropical modernist setting in which you are enjoying your California superfood salad is a deliberate aesthetic choice. But here in the cafe honouring the establishment's namesake, you are. In keeping with architect Geoffrey Bawa's grand design, jungle scenes adorn the walls here, while plants perch above the chandelier, draping their welcoming fronds towards the activity below.
Collins, Lt. Industry Beans
One of the most important abilities of a modern professional is the ability to sneak out of the office for a cup of coffee. Indulging in some Industry Beans on Little Collins Street is a great perk of taking part in the unofficial mini-break within the 3000 postcodes. A new and improved edition of Industry Beans is here.
Tall Timber
Tall Timber is a basic yet amazing cafe in Prahran, and its tagline, "Good food. Good coffee. Good people," says it all. This cosy cafe has a menu full of customer favourites and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Left Field
Left Field, located in a residential area of Koornang Road, is owned by the same people that are responsible for the success of Tall Timber, Marquis of Lorne, and Rustica Canteen. It appears like the Left Field team are scoring goals, since more and more people are ready to wait to sit down for dinner until a seat opens up.
Small Graces
Aside from serving a standard brunch menu, this cafe offers a lot more. Brunch meals are prepared using ingredients that are ethically obtained from Victorian farmers, showcasing the restaurant's fine dining heritage.
Hustle
The Southeast Asian condiment sambal is especially well-liked in Indonesia and Malaysia. For a morning dish that will have you reaching for water, try Hustle Fitzroy's scrambled eggs with housemade roti, coriander and fried shallots. But hustling Fitzroy isn't like any other breakfast joint.
Leaders In The Business World
The "Practical Men of Wide Experience" who run the show at Captains of Industry provide a one-stop shop for all of a gentleman's needs shop complete with barber, The combination of a shoe shop and a cafe. However, we come mostly for the excellent coffee and delicious sandwiches.
White Mojo
The posh White Mojo, like its Hardware Lane neighbours Hash Speciality Coffee and Hardware Société, has "Instagram darling" written all over its DNA. Although the black, jewelled cow's head on the wall, Scandi-chic hexagon tiles, and natural wood accents may all tempt you, you're really only here for the café's famous croissant burger.
Mammoth
This Armadale cafe's menu is cutting edge, putting a modern spin on traditional café standards.
- Flavors of lamingtons are baked into the pancakes.
- Lavender is baked into a bagel.
- Your eggs Benedict come with a side of duck sausage.
The premium selling point of the lobster doughnut burger is an example of the unexpected delights that might result from such innovation. These three ingredients might not sound like they'd go together, but at Mammoth they create something quite delectable.
St Ali
Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock and St. Ali South is already partying like it's spring break. In the background of all the business talk and weekend recaps, you can hear Angel by Massive Attack, Mark Morrison's Return of the Mac, and Mobb Deep's East Coast hip hop. It's a fantastic tune to wake up to. Before everyone started making their own food at home, one of the first café-roasteries was St. Ali on Yarra Place. coffee beans. Industrial coffee and big tables accessories are still a staple in the upscale warehouse space.
Have a good time at the Milk Bar
This Bentleigh eatery is reminiscent of the convenience stores of yesteryear, and it is located on a busy intersection. Café staples like bircher muesli are served with strawberry granita, while exceptional hotcakes come with meringue crumb, berry compôte, spiced maple syrup and ice cream, among other toppings. The decor is a pastel palette of blue, white and pink.
Sandwich Shoppe Kelso
Caffeine junkies raised on a diet of Seinfeld may have thought that the limitless cups of coffee served in American diners were the Holy Grail of beverages. Abbotsford's Kelso's Sandwich Shoppe, open from 10.30 a.m. to midnight, has a porcelain mug of filter brew to satisfy your coffee bean fantasies. One of the many draws to this laid-back cafe is the free flow of their house blend coffee, Coffee Supreme, which features a velvety chocolate undertone.
Shop for Sweets
The folks in Spotswood's quiet little downtown shopping district are just as likely to cheer on the bad guy, sugar, as we are. The allure of Candied Bakery, an Australian establishment with an American flair, draws significant audiences. Americana is represented by the marshmallow chocolate chip cookie, hot dog, and shake; Australia is represented by the lamington and the sausage roll; and Europe is represented by the croissants and the fresh pancetta and provolone-stuffed panini.
Cafe on Long Street
We are all aware of how difficult it is to search for employment. The situation is undoubtedly more challenging when you're a refugee on a short-term visa and your English is less than great. François and Jane Marx wanted to do something about the distressing disparities their employees faced, so they opened a café and hired and trained immigrants. The two people were able to launch their social enterprise, Long Street Coffee, thanks to a successful crowdfunding effort.
A Pot Without a Kettle
The Kettle Black aspires to be as successful as her overachieving older siblings in South Yarra and Richmond, Top Paddock and Two Birds One Stone, like a young sibling wanting to fit in with the popular set. The location is a stylish Victorian terrace house in South Melbourne and the ground floor of a modern apartment building.
Saint Dreux
You've probably noticed that the katsu — panko-crumbed, deep-fried meat on crustless white bread — is defying the laws of our attention-deficit dining scene, whether you prefer eating at hipster cafés or cosy ones, trendy Spenny or Wire bars, or fine establishments. The sandwich's unending rise finds its next launch pad at Saint Dreux, a freestanding coffee and sandwich cafe inside the high-end St Collins Lane mall.
Top Paddock
Top Paddock is a café that appears regularly on Instagram users' weekend feeds. This chic Richmond brunch establishment is the older sibling to the Kettle Black, and it's a favourite of the pilates brigade. If you want to be in good shape, get the Top Paddock, which consists of chorizo, bacon, green tomatoes, and poached eggs served on toast.
Good Egg
Nick Devereux and Greg Bremner, who also run the Balaclava alleyway café Wall Two 80, were inspired to launch the egg-based café after realising how popular their bacon and egg roll special was. The South is a 30-seat theatre that features minimal design. Melbourne venue with vibrant yellow accents. The outdoor seating is great on a nice day, and you can easily forget that you came for the eggs.
Industry Beans
Industry Beans is one of Melbourne's top cafés for to its superb seasonal brunch menu, which features dishes like peanut-crusted soft-boiled eggs and coconut and pineapple brioche. This Fitzroy hotspot is not only home to some of the city's finest boutique roasters, but also serves up some of the finest coffee in the entire city.
The Penny-Farthing is home to Industry Beans, a roastery and café. They take their coffee as seriously as Captain Pain, who runs the nearby boot camp, does his required push-ups. You can find it behind the Rose Street Artists' Markets. As soon as you sit down, the attentive waitstaff will bring you a 15-page coffee menu with single origins from places like Honduras, El Salvador, and Burundi.
Rustica Sourdough
Since it opened in 2012, this Fitzroy bakery and café has acquired a devoted local following. Brenton Lang currently provides bakeries and restaurants all throughout town with his artisan bread, tarts, and galettes. Therefore, come often and sample all of Lang's delicious breads, ranging from organic white dough and seedy whole flour to olive with fresh parsley to spicy fruit buns.
Proper & Son
So, you could stomp around South Melbourne Market, bartering for your five daily newspapers, or you could settle down at Shop 13-14 in the food hall and tuck into a delicious Proper & Son roast roll. Grab one of their famous brisket rolls. A fluffy brioche bun packed to the brim with tender slices of Wagyu beef. It's served with a side of pickles, mustard mayonnaise, radish, red cabbage, red sorrel, white onion, and mayo. You should expect some messiness while eating this; the bun may come apart and the beef juice may drip over the steel plate.
The Farm Café
The Children's Farm is much more family-friendly than a science fiction narrative, despite the name's potential to evoke images of kids emerging from enormous pea pods. The fact that you can be facing off with a pig named Typhoon in a matter of hopscotch jumps from Abbotsford Convent never ceases to astonish us. Get your morning coffee while you play with the chickens (but don't feed them!) and hang around to look around the farm afterwards.
Matcha Mylkbar
The Matcha Milkbar's menu is full of green items, and we don't only mean veggies, as befits the café's status as a vegan, health-oriented establishment. Kale smoothies, green burger buns, green waffles, and green matcha lattes are all on the menu. Soak up the plates' radiance of health and give the vegan eggs a shot. Sorcery was used to create this masterpiece.
The Grain Store
This CBD whole food restaurant proves that being health-conscious doesn't require a wardrobe of hemp and patchouli. Rich cream walls, marble tabletops, white enamelware jugs, and maidenhair ferns give the area an aura of the landed aristocracy. The soil itself also plays an important role. Produce, dairy products, and meats on the menu are all obtained regionally and are as natural as possible.
Conclusion
These cafes are a wonderful starting point for any visitor to Melbourne. These contemporary, expertly-prepared dishes are almost as good as those served in restaurants. They have perfected the art of extracting maximum flavour from their beans, regardless of the brewing process. Both the service and the atmosphere are comparable with the high quality of the products. The new Collingwood breakfast place is all about serving up nutritious food like three-grain porridge, pikelets with coconut yoghurt, and Brussels sprout fritters.
It was in 2016 that Nerissa Jayasinghe and Hiran Kroon established Lankan Tucker. The newest and most ambitious cafe in Melbourne is Au79. There's a bakery, a coffee roastery, and a little shop all in one convenient location. Sandwiches with a contemporary spin are offered at Richmond's Hector's Deli. Gilson is now part of the crew at the Mammoth and Barry cafes.
St. Ali, located in Melbourne's South End on Yarra Place, was one of the earliest café-roasteries in Canada. Bircher muesli with strawberry granita, hotcakes with meringue crumb, berry compôte, and ice cream—these are all cafe standards. Some of Melbourne's most popular cafés include The Kettle Black, Top Paddock, and Two Birds One Stone. South Melbourne's The South is a chic Victorian terrace house on the ground level of a sleek apartment complex. Within the Saint Collins Lane shopping centre is where you'll find Saint Dreux, a stand-alone coffee shop and sandwich shop.
In the Penny-Farthing, you'll find the roastery and café known as Industry Beans. Since its 2012 debut, locals have shown their undying love for Rustica Sourdough. Breads made by Brenton Lang include organic white dough, seeded whole flour, olive with fresh parsley, and more. Green food is abundant on the menu at the Matcha Milkbar, and we don't just mean salads. Take in the healthy glow of the platters and try out the vegan eggs. The Grain Store demonstrates that one need not dress in hemp and patchouli to be environmentally conscious.
Content Summary
- It is not surprising that Melbourne's cafes have gained international renown.
- Professional chefs with experience in fine dining places work with some of the best coffee roasters and baristas in the industry.
- Don't forget the acclaimed, prompt, and friendly service that has earned accolades from customers all over the world, including New York.
- The competition is fierce everywhere you go, but Melbourne's best cafes consistently shine.
- Ima Project Café in Carlton, Florida has given fresh life to the smashed avocado.
- A number of Western breakfast mainstays have been given the Japanese treatment, such as cooked eggs flavoured with miso and a's tomato and oatmeal drizzled with Mitarashi syrup, a traditional Japanese sauce comprised of soy sauce and sugar.
- Fish and rice, a staple of the Japanese morning meal, are also on the menu.
- Distance Measured in Light Years In other words, a light year's journey of roughly 9.8 trillion kilometres is no stroll in the park.
- To enjoy the delights of Light Years café, however, you need not travel far if your GPS is programmed to Hawthorn.
- Terror Twilight Healthful options including three-grain porridge, pikelets with coconut yoghurt, and Brussels sprout fritters are prominently featured at the newest breakfast place in Collingwood, which is owned by the same folks behind for Heartattack, Wide Open Road, and Vine.
- Westwood Every community in Melbourne ought to have access to a facility like Westwood.
- Croissanterie To the CBD of the Lune In recent years, a reputation for being Fitzroy's finest warehouse bakery has grown.
- Lune Croissanterie is owned and operated by the Reid siblings, Cameron and Kate.
- Sri Lankan Tucker It would be great if Sri Lankan food gained more attention internationally.
- Nerissa Jayasinghe and Hiran Kroon, a couple who values tranquilly, established Lankan Tucker in Brunswick West in 2016.
- Oasis Cafe and Bakery Oasis Bakery, a bakery, café, and grocery store in the centre of Murrumbeena, a far-flung neighbourhood, has developed something akin to a cult following.
- A Thumbs-Up for Tom The excellent coffee is not compromised by the divey setting.
- Tom Thumb has great customer service, despite the large wait periods.
- Traditional sandwiches with a contemporary spin are what you'll find at Hector's Deli, a new sandwich store in Richmond, Virginia.
- Gilson There are a number of excellent eateries along the section of Domain Road that borders the Tan, Melbourne's premier walking and jogging stadium.
- Some city dwellers may be deterred by Second Home's apparent isolation, but getting there is easy enough via the Eastern Freeway and the rewards are substantial.
- The food is tempting, to the point where you wonder if the restaurant should have been called "Second Stomach."
- However, you find yourself inside the cafe named after its namesake.
- Walls are painted with jungle themes in Geoffrey Bawa's signature style, while plants hang from the ceiling above the chandelier, their fronds waving down to the bustle below.
- Commercial Lentils The ability to quietly leave work to grab a cup of coffee is a crucial skill for any successful professional in the modern era.
- The latest version of Industry Beans is far better than the previous ones.
- Big Trees The motto of the Prahran eatery Tall Timber is "Good cuisine.
- Completely out of the blue The same folks that made Tall Timber, Marquis of Lorne, and Rustica Canteen famous also own Left Field, a restaurant in a residential part of Koornang Road.
- Hustle Sriracha is a popular Southeast Asian condiment, while sambal is more popular in Indonesia and Malaysia.
- However, the best part about this place is the great coffee and tasty sandwiches.
- What's Up, White Mojo? Like its neighbours on Hardware Lane, the ritzy White Mojo is an Instagram darling in the making.
- Mammoth You won't find any old standbys on the menu at this trendy Armadale cafe because everything has been updated with a contemporary twist.
- At 9:00 on a Tuesday morning in St. Ali South, the festivities begin.
- St. Ali on Yarra Place was one of the first café-roasteries, opening before people started cooking for themselves at home.
- The Milk Bar is where you want to be, so have fun there. This Bentleigh restaurant is on a major thoroughfare and seems like a throwback to convenience stores.
- Australia's Candied Bakery, which has an American vibe, is a popular tourist destination.
- François and Jane Marx started a cafe and hired and trained immigrants in order to alleviate the unpleasant inequities their staff encountered.
- Crowdfunding allowed the two to get their social venture, Long Street Coffee, off the ground.
- Nothing boils in a pan without a stove Like any younger child hoping to fit in with the cool crowd, The Kettle Black hopes to achieve the same level of success as her overachieving elder siblings in South Yarra and Richmond, Top Paddock, and Two Birds, One Stone.
- In Richmond, this elegant brunch spot is the big sister to the Kettle Black and a favourite of the pilates crowd.
- Top-Notch Ovum After seeing how well received their bacon and egg roll special was at their other Balaclava alleyway café, Wall Two 80, Nick Devereux and Greg Bremner decided to open their own egg-centric eatery.
- Some of the best seasonal brunch delicacies in Melbourne can be found at Industry Beans, including peanut-crusted soft-boiled eggs and coconut and pineapple brioche.
- This Fitzroy cafe not only provides the best coffee in Melbourne, but it also houses some of the city's best boutique roasters.
- In the Penny-Farthing, you'll find the roastery and café known as Industry Beans.
- A short walk will take you there from the Rose Street Artists' Markets.
- As soon as you take your seat, a member of the friendly staff will bring you the 15-page coffee menu, which features single origins from countries like Honduras, El Salvador, and Burundi.
- Dough made with a sour starter; traditionally Italian. This bakery and café in Fitzroy has been popular with locals since since it first opened in 2012.
- Bakeries and restaurants all throughout town are now getting their handmade bread, tarts, and galettes from Brenton Lang.
- Just & Son You could stomp about South Melbourne Market, haggling for five daily newspapers, or you could relax at Shop 13-14 in the food hall and have a Proper & Son roast roll.
- Farm Café, Where Good Food Comes From Though the name may make you think of children emerging from giant pea pods, The Children's Farm is actually more of a family-friendly story than a science fiction one.
- It never ceases to amaze us how quickly one can get from Abbotsford Convent to a pig named Typhoon.
- A Matcha Mylkbar As befits its status as a vegan, health-oriented institution, the Matcha Milkbar's menu is replete with green foods, and we don't just mean vegetables.
- Green matcha lattes, green waffles, green burger buns, and green smoothies are all available.
- Take in the healthy glow of the platters and try out the vegan eggs.
- Warehouse of Cereals Eating at this CBD whole food restaurant demonstrates that one need not don a wardrobe of hemp and patchouli to be considered health-conscious.