Melbourne is Australia's breakfast (or brunch, depending on how late you stay up) queen. The city basically invented modern cafe culture, with our easy-going, wake-up late for a bite culture emulated all over the world. But with so many options, where do you start? Don't worry, we gotchu with Melbourne's best cafes and breakfasts for 2024.
THE BEST BREAKFAST MELBOURNE HAS TO OFFER AT A GLANCE:
- Best breakfast toastie: Hifi
- Best breakfast bagel: Mile End Bagels
- Best breakfast burger: Good Time Milk Bar
- Best omelette: Lenny
- Best breakfast platter: Lilijana Eatery
- Best baked eggs: Cibi
- Best breakfast in Melbourne CBD: Hardware Societe
- Best breakfast crumpets: Lorna
- Best breakfast hotcakes: Top Paddock
- Best dietary-friendly breakfast: Terror Twilight
Lilijana Eatery
169 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Image: Lilijana Eatery | Stephanie Comelli
The pocket-sized cafe is heavily European influenced and while it has a distinctly continental feel it leans into Eastern Europe and the Nordic countries, which breathes a sense of freshness into the plates.
Think platters with kransky, blood sausage, Nordic egg spread, spinach and goats cheese, spiced butter beans and house-made sourdough that’s gorgeously springy like a cake all served on vintage China. There’s a series of these picky plates: the Danish house-cured salmon with ricotta dill spread, cucumbers and jammy egg, and jamon serrano with salami, liverwurst, cheese, mustard and olives to name a couple.
INSIDER INTEL:
- Indulge in breakfast dessert, grab yourself a cinnamon bun (kanelbullar) to go with your second coffee.
- We advise taking a friend and sharing a few platters; the picky bits are what you’re there for after all.
- The windows facing out to Bay Street are excellent for people watching.
Convoy
109 Pascoe Vale Road, Moonee Ponds
Image credit: Convoy | My Friend Tom
A relative newcomer to the cafe scene, Convoy has started strong as a contender for the best breakfast in Melbourne. Helmed by the same team behind Terror Twilight and Tinker, here you'll find a staple range of brunch items like cinnamon scroll hotcakes, Turkish eggs with a beef Sujuk a hot red pepper butter, lemon yoghurt served up on sourdough and good ol' avocado toast. One of the biggest drawcards is the caramelised miso brioches which come with a decadent hazelnut mascarpone.
Lorna
1053 Burwood Highway, Ferntree Gully
Image credit: Lorna | Supplied
At the base of the Dandenong Ranges sits Lorna, an award-winning cafe in the humble suburb of Ferntree Gully. Although it's out of the city, there's plenty of reasons to pay this spot a visit like crumpets with lemon curd—an intergenerational recipe—to more inventive brunch must-eats like the eggs benedict hot dog.
Lux Foundry
21 Hope Street, Brunswick
Image credit: Lux Foundry | Brook James
Lux Foundry is a fave dog-friendly breakfast spot for northside locals. The cafe is in a converted warehouse and has been serving up innovative dishes for the better part of a decade. Lux Foundry’s all-day breakfast menu has got something for everyone including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. But it's their soft shell crab chilli scrambled eggs that keeps us coming back.
Higher Ground
650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD
Image credit: Higher Ground | Supplied
Higher Ground is a must-do when in the CBD. Make sure you book as queues go around the corner for this beloved breakfast spot situated in a cavernous heritage building. They're dishing up elevated brunch dishes all day long, but can take you through to lunch and arvo stnacks. With options like peanut butter waffles with chocolate and orange yoghurt mousse, there’s a reason they’ve got the rep for some of the best breakfast Melbourne has on offer. If you’re looking to up the anty on your morning beverage you can swap out your coffee for one of their many breakfast cocktails.
West 48
48 Essex Street, Footscray
West 48 is located in the heart of Footscray and is not looking to reinvent the breakfast wheel. Their menu is packed with all the breakfast classics, so you know you’re guaranteed a good feed. You can expect to have your pick from a smoked salmon croissant, Shakshuka, corn fritters and of course eggs benedict. Their decayed industrial interior and westside location make it the ultimate location for a Melbourne breakfast.
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Via Porta
Various locations
Image credit: Via Porta | Supplied
Via Porta is a part bakery, cafe, and deli that refuses to let you leave hungry or empty-handed. They know good food and you can bet they know breakfast. Their poached pear French toast with caramel sauce is a crowd-pleaser. But if you’re looking to opt for something more savoury look no further than their crispy eggs stacked with smoked ham hock, sweet potato puree, candied walnuts, mesclun salad, honey mustard vinaigrette, gouda cheese on sourdough toast.
Good Times Milk Bar
83 Tucker Road, Bentleigh
Image credit: Good Times Milk Bar | Supplied
Like the name suggests, Good Times is serving up some good times. They have a laid back style and a hefty brunch menu—plus, it’s typically filled with a slew of devoted locals. From American-style burgers to pancakes, and a good old-fashioned eggs benedict this Bentleigh spot serves up all the right stuff.
Lenny
113 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park
Image credit: Lenny | Born Social
Lenny’s Albert Park location makes it the perfect destination for a mid-week or weekend brunch. Their spicy prawn omelette and Okonomiyaki-inspired pancake are two of the most unique savoury options on the menu. Also lining up the decadent array of brekky options is the sugary Banoffee pie french toast which is made from croissant loaf and topped with whipped vanilla mascarpone.
Hamptons Bakery
427 Hampton Street, Hampton
Image credit: Hamptons Bakery | Supplied
Hamptons Bakery will transport you right to upstate New York. The breakfast menu will satisfy all your cravings with offerings like cinnamon porridge, mixed mushroom bruschetta, buckwheat granola and beetroot-cured salmon Gravadlax. Take us to the Hamptons, where the coffee is hot and the artisan pastries are sweet.
Lankan Tucker
486 Albion Street, Brunswick West
Image credit: Lankan Tucker | Shevan J Photography
Lankan Tucker is a Sri Lankan-inspired cafe that is known for serving hearty portions filled with colour. Let's face it, we're keen to do brunch differently and with plates like a coconut-topped breakfast curry and a buriyani burrito with chicken curry and melted cheese wrapped in a house-made roti. Also, a big shoutout to their rich coffee blend.
Top Paddock
658 Church Street, Richmond
Image credit: Top Paddock | Supplied
Top Paddock pumps out heaps of tasty dishes and the warm-lit interior makes it a perfect spot to catch up with a friend. The cafe is famous for its blueberry and ricotta hotcake which still generates hype on the 'Gram, and the wait times parallel this. If you are after something a little fresher, slurp up one of their smoothies or juices.
Levi
6 Railway Parade, Murrumbeena
Image credit: Levi | Supplied
Hidden in the humble suburb of Murrumbeena is one of Melbourne's best breakfast spots, the mighty Levi. The menu nails breakfast fare, with a Beetroot & Gin Cured Salmon kicking off the lighter side of things, then on the other end of the spectrum is a hearty beef rib Benedict. Meanwhile, those who throw around the term breakfast loosely should head straight for the cheeseburger. It slaps.
The Terrace
Corner Alexandra Avenue And Anderson Street, South Yarra
Image credit: The Terrace | Griffin Simm
Melbourne's leafy pride and joy, buried within its flora and fauna, is The Tan— a hallmark of the city. The garden's cafe, The Terrace, has been taken over by the Darling Group (Top Paddock, Kettle Black, Higher Ground). Inside you'll find familiar favourites, foremostly the blueberry and ricotta pancakes as well as brunch plates like an avocado tarte tatine, chilli-scrambled eggs, fresh-made baguettes and more.
Terror Twilight
11 – 13 Johnston Street, Collingwood
Image credit: Terror Twilight | Supplied
There's queues down Smith Street on the weekend for a reason. Terror Twilight, who have a stack of cafes (and a wine bar Ophelia) around Melbourne have been slinging kooky numbers like green eggs or BYO bowls to satisfy hungry (and often hungover) locals for yonks now. Alongside this they pride themselves on seriously top-notch coffee. They cater for pretty much every dietary requirement too with a ton of vegan and gluten-free options.
Hardware Societe
123 Hardware Street, Melbourne CBD
Hardware Societe is one of the best spots for breakfast in Melbourne CBD and it's absolutely delicious too. The baked eggs here are pretty stellar or have dessert for breakfast and try the chocolate-ginger porridge. With a sister store in France, all the dishes have a French influence and will leave you scraping every last bit on your plate.
Mile End Bagels
Various locations
Image credit: Mile End Bagels | Parker Blain
There are no shortcuts here: Mile End Bagels are baked in a wood-fired Canadian stonemason and boiled in honey water for a slightly sweeter aftertaste. There's heaps of options but our staple go-tos are either the smoked salmon number with rich sliced tomato, zesty red onion, or their brisket pastrami with a hot and sweet mustard and cream cheese. Now operating in Fitzroy, Brunswick and Richmond there are plenty of bagels for everyone.
Clubhouse
1290 – 1292 Malvern Road, Malvern
If you’ve been to Tinker or Bentwood, it's the same crew that's behind Clubhouse. The Clubhouse team constantly changes up their menu to keep you on your toes and utilise seasonal produce. Their beetroot grain salad will get in your daily veggie intake, but if veggies early in the morning aren’t your vibe—try the peanut butter granola bowl or the club ricotta hotcakes with yuzu curd.
Industry Beans
Various locations
Image credit: Industry Beans | Supplied
Industry Beans is in a class all of its own, with an award-winning fit-out, premium coffee and some of Melbourne’s best breakfast dishes. The avo smash is delicious, but it’s the porcini nest— a porcini-dusted egg atop a woven potato nest filled with mushroom and truffle, that tingles our taste buds. Their peanut butter brownies are also pretty damn good. With cafes across Fitzroy, Melbourne CBD and Chadstone Shopping Centre, it's not hard to come by one of the best breakfasts in Melbourne at Industry Beans.
Napier Quarter
359 Napier Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Napier Quarter | Facebook
Dedicated to high-quality ingredients and traditional food with a Euro-feel, Napier Quarter knows how to serve a great breakfast. Celebrating the community, the cafe and wine bar has a warm feel to it and serves up comforting dishes like baguettes and tarts. It's breakfast from 9am Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and whether it’s a frittata, galette, salad or the now iconic anchovy and egg on sourdough toast—Napier has artisan cooking at the heart of every dish. For a traditional breakfast that is one of the best Melbourne has to offer, head over to Napier Quarter.
Monk Bodhi Dharma
Rear 202 Carlisle Street, Balaclava
Image credit: Monk Bodhi Dharma | Supplied
Monk Bodhi Dharma is an inviting plant-based cafe, tucked away in a car park. While no dishes include eggs, their menu is far from boring. Try their Buddha Bowls or their famous Banana Dharma Pancakes with a dulce de leche ice cream. Whether you're a sweet tooth or looking to get in your veggies for the day, they have options to satisfy everyone. They also specialise in coffee and chai lattes, so grab one of these to elevate your meal to the next level.
Proud Mary
172 Oxford Street, Collingwood
Image credit: Proud Mary | Supplied
Proud Mary has a cool, rockabilly vibe, great coffee and a smashing breakfast menu. Their tahini eggs with toasted sourdough Guindilla peppers and Zhoug absolutely slap, as does their morning granola. If you're after something a little more chill, just grab a coffee and one of their sandwiches or baked goods. They’re simple but go hard on great flavours.
Rustica
Various locations
Image credit: Rustica | Supplied
The Rustica empire is renowned for their baked, and well, rustic goods. With perfectly cooked croissants and sourdough that is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, it's a good spot to grab a coffee and something to go. Alternatively, dine in and go for something a little fancier like the spanner crab scramble or croissant french toast. Tempted? Well, rush over to Rustica for one of the best breakfasts Melbourne has to offer.
Cibi
33 – 39 Keele Street, Collingwood
Image credit: Cibi | Supplied
This carefully curated warehouse space is home to two phenomenons; the stacked menu of breakfast options and the ultra-refined plant and homewares store. Cibi is an aesthetic-filled pleasure, with white-washed walls, plants all around, and Japanese-fused dishes like Miso-baked eggs that go down a treat.
Archie’s All Day
189 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
As the name suggests, Archie's All Day serves up some of the best breakfast in Melbourne from 8am. Located on Gertrude Street, it's the perfect fuel spot after wandering along the buzzing shopping strip. With so many options to choose from, we suggest trying the fried chicken waffles or ricotta hotcakes. Heads up—their range of brekkie cocktails or mimosas is worth a taste and will level up your meal.
Hifi
316 Smith Street, Collingwood
Image credit: Hifi | Annika Kafcaloudis
A newcomer to what could unofficially be known as Melbourne's sandwich strip, Hifi know their thing or two around a sandwich as well as a shake and coffee for that fully-fledged breakfast. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu here, though you'd be silly to skip past those hefty AM toasties, or their fancy take on a fillet-o-fish.
The Kettle Black
50 Albert Road, South Melbourne
Image credit: The Kettle Black | Supplied
Housed in a classically restored Victorian-era style building, Kettle Black’s is the go-to destination in South Melbourne. Their menu houses traditional favourites like mushies on toast and brisket benedict but also has contemporary takes for those wanting something new. The roast lamb shoulder roll with whipped chilli fetta —or the Tiramisu waffles paired with Darling blend espresso syrup, cocoa nibs and raspberries are both worth a try. With a variety of items sure to satisfy any palate, this is one you’ll see on all the best breakfast in Melbourne lists.
South Of Johnston
48 Oxford Street, Collingwood
South Of Johnston is the bomb for all things vegetarian. Try out their pan fried mushrooms with pumpkin hummus and crispy capers . They even have an open fire, so you can cosy up and drink your coffee in the chilly morn’. For one of the best vegetarian breakfasts in Melbourne, this is your spot.
Bentwood
237 Napier Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Bentwood | Supplied
Bentwood in Napier Street serves up a sweet timber interior with ultra-mod influences. Their churros waffles, acai bowl, eggs benny or fried chicken burger is sure to make your stomach rumble. Head over there for fun twists on brekkie faves and great coffee.
Mammoth
736 Malvern Road, Armadale
Image credit: Mammoth | Supplied
Run by a superstar team from Barry and Touchwood, new Melbourne cafe Mammoth brings delicious food and drinks to Armadale. The cafe's ethos focuses on freshly made food, high-quality coffee (as you would expect) all served in a beautiful space. Drop by for one of the best breakfasts in Melbourne, we guarantee it.
Florian
617 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North
Northside's favourite all-day eatery, Florian, brings a European bent to its breakfast and brunch fare. Staples like the folded eggs are a must-eat, and it'd be rude not to swing past the pastry window on your way out—or in. On occasions, Florian also run an evening service with one-off menus and a considered wine list.
Leading image credit: Hifi | Annika Kafcaloudis
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