Enter your search here.
These 15 cafes serve up some of the finest coffee in Melbourne | Source: Auction Rooms Cafe
11 mins
Dining Food & Drink
While Australian coffee culture is considered some of the best in the world, Melbourne is a city that can arguably take the crown. The Victorian capital’s tightly packed alleyways are filled with bustling cafes where exotic coffee blends and mouth-watering brunch menus draw Melburnians out every morning, rain, hail or shine.
Melbourne boasts some of the most acclaimed baristas and cups of coffee in the country, therefore deciding on the right place to order your morning brew can often be a feat in itself. In fact, according to data from Tourism Australia, Melbourne is home to more than 2,000 cafes; spoilt for choice is an understatement.
If you’ve just found your favourite morning brew in Perth, it’s now time to take on the city of Melbourne and discover these 15 cafes that will deliver a delicious morning caffeine hit.
Serving coffee rain, hail or shine, Auction Rooms is a North Melbourne haven that operates 365 days per year. Boasting vintage-style decor and rustic interiors, you’ll be treated to a wide range of cozy spots to enjoy a morning brew from. If you’re peckish, an all-day menu delivers all of your classic breakfast favourites including house-made granola and Brioche French toast. If you’re after something a bit bigger, the Breakfast Board promises to satisfy a large appetite, served with grilled chorizo, smoked salmon, soft-boiled eggs and a potato rosti.
Auction Rooms is open Monday to Friday from 7am and weekends from 7:30am.
Tucked within a tiny Melbourne alleyway, the League of Honest Coffee is a team serious about their beans. The baristas serve up a long list of single-origin beans from around the world, ground and boiled in ‘The Slayer’, one of the highest-demand espresso machines in the world.
And it’s not just their coffee they’re serious about too. A breakfast menu specialises in everything carbs, serving pides filled with halloumi, chicken and mayo baguettes or a range of toasties.
The League of Honest Coffee operates Monday to Friday 6:30am to 3pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm.
With a well-established reputation as a local favourite, you can count on Darling Cafe for your morning caffeine hit or Sunday brunch. The award-winning cafe lies under the ownership of the Higher Ground team and delivers a slightly more casual take on decadent cuisine and quality coffee. Darling Cafe is a neighbourhood gem and serves up an Asian-inspired brunch menu with everything from kale salads to French toast.
Set within the best that South Yarra has to offer, the eclectic interiors are also available for event bookings. Darling cafe is open every day from 7am.
Set within the interiors of a heritage-listed old powerhouse, Higher Ground is a mix of soaring ceilings, exposed brick walls and a cool monochrome palette. An upscale dining venue, the menu serves up a range of decadent dining choices alongside your morning brew. A ricotta hotcake or chilli scrambled eggs are the perfect choice from the all-day breakfast selection to warm you up alongside a long black or cappuccino.
Located in the heart of the city, Higher Ground is open for lunch and dinner service Monday to Saturday from 7am to 10pm and 8am to 4pm on Sundays.
Reunion & Co. was founded by locals Nicole Hately and Darian with an ethos in mind and that was to reunite people for the purpose of high-quality food and coffee. The space has done just that, within a small venue defined by its rustic decor and opulent finishes. Behind stained glass windows, find a table with friends and enjoy a never-ending menu that serves breakfast and lunch all day.
Those who enjoy alternative milk options will benefit from options ranging from soy to coconut milk and a long list of seasonal batch brews and classic coffee options.
Reunion & Co. is open and brewing every day from 7am.
Since its inception in 2005, St. Ali has become a Melbourne institution for speciality coffee. With direct relationships with farmers and in-house roasting, the brew at this cafe is something that can’t be missed. Today, the cafe’s brew is being sold in cafes across the nation, including a sister store in Jakarta.
The South Melbourne flagship venue is set within an old converted warehouse and is an intimate space featuring mixed-material decor and vintage-style dining.
St. Ali is open and roasting every day of the week, from 7am to 5pm.
The striking blue shades of Now and Then will catch your eye on a stroll down Malvern Road. Don’t be fooled by the vintage interiors as this cafe serves up a delicious modern brunch menu, mixing in spinach courgette fritters, a vegan burrito and zucchini pasta amongst all of your classic breakfast favourites.
This cafe is positioned in the heart of Toorak Village, so you can grab breakfast in between visits to the trendy fashion boutiques or beauty parlours that line the streets.
Now and Then is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 4pm and Saturdays, 7:30am to 3pm.
Designed by architect and owner Joshua Craster, Bench Coffee Co. is a contemporary space with sleek interiors. The heart of the cafe is the statement bench, built using glass blocks and exuding luxury from every inch of its countertop. The stylish cafe’s housemade coffee roast is served alongside a selection of beans from around the world.
Aside from brew, the venue specialises in dacquoise, a soft dessert cake filled with layers of meringue and whipped cream upon a buttery biscuit base.
Bench Coffee Co. is open weekdays from 7am to 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 5pm.
Straight to the point, the motto of Terror Twilight is ‘Nice people, great coffee, food and cocktails’, a mantra echoed within the trendy interiors of the Collingwood cafe.
Behind the pastel palette and laidback vibes of Terror Twilight is a menu encompassing exotic seasonal picks and beans from Wide Open Road. If you’re in need of a specialised caffeine hit, the team have curated blends of mushroom, nootropic coffee and chai in their ‘mushroom mind concoction’, which mixes Mane mushroom, maca powder and milk coffee. This all-natural cognitive enhancer will give you the energy you need without sacrificing nutrition-rich ingredients.
Terror Twilight is open from 7am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Established in 2007, Seven Seeds has set the benchmark for a high-quality brew. The team sources, roasts, brews and retails its specialty coffee as well as delivers an in-house experience. On the menu is a modern take on breakfast favourites including an avocado toast with lime and macadamia or a classic waffle benedict.
The intimate space is located in the bustling and vibrant Carlton and is open weekdays from 7am and weekends from 8am.
Not your average Sunday brunch spot, Jethro Canteen brings a range of international influences to its food menu including Japanese pancake Okonomiyaki, a Philly cheese steak burger and a Mexican chicken burrito. Located only minutes from Burnley train station, the bustling cafe is open 365 days a year and quickly rose to the top as a local Richmond favourite since its inception in 2016.
In terms of brew, Jethro covers everything from a classic espresso to batch brews and a prana chai. Jethro is open weekdays from 6:30am, Saturdays from 7am and Sundays from 8am.
Market Lane Coffee is a roaster and retailer located in the bustling Prahran Market precinct. Owners Fleur Studd and Jason Scheltus opened the business with the intention of producing high-quality sustainable brew and have been a 100 per cent carbon-neutral business since July 2020.
Since its opening, the business has grown to six locations across Melbourne; a testament to the incredible quality of the roastery. Brewing classic espresso coffees and pour-over filters, the team at Market Lane have got all of your orders covered. Market Lane Prahran is open every day from 7am and Sundays from 8am.
Patricia Coffee was opened by best friends Bowen Holden and Pip Heath who named the store in a tribute to their late grandmothers. The cozy and inviting space may be tiny, but it sure packs a punch with its long list of Melbourne-based roasters which includes Seven Seeds, Market Lane and Proud Mary.
In 2016, the cafe began its own in-house roasting and today serves this up on the menu as a seasonal espresso blend or the ‘Patricia Blend’. Alongside quality coffee is a tasty selection of bakery treats all sourced from local favourites.
Patricia Coffee Brewers is open every day from 7am.
The unique menu at The Pickers Union is inspired by American cuisine and is constantly changing with seasonal produce. Its brew is served from Cartel Roasters in a Slayer Steam machine for a truly unrivalled standard of morning coffee.
If you’ve visited The Pickers Union and can’t get enough, the venue also offers catering and event services for your next work or birthday brunch. The Pickers Union is open every day from 8am.
From their headquarters on River Street, Veneziano Coffee Roasters do it all. Roasting and supplying across the country, they also serve up an extensive brunch menu and host roastery tours, tasting experiences and barista latte art competitions.
If you’re simply searching for a good cup of joe, they can also do this too, with classic espresso orders or even a Gingerbread Iced Latte. The kitchen team are experts in curating sweet breakfast dishes with an apple crumble French toast on the menu or overnight oats made with rhubarb compote.
Staying the night in the city? Check out The 10 Best Wine Bars in Melbourne.
14 mins
4 mins
Copyright © 2022 The Market Herald.