The Best Cafes for Working or Studying in Melbourne
Settle in for a productive work or study session with a strong coffee in hand at these laptop-friendly cafes around Melbourne.
The Best Cafes for Working or Studying in Melbourne
Settle in for a productive work or study session with a strong coffee in hand at these laptop-friendly cafes around Melbourne.
In a post-COVID world, the novelty and allure of working from home has worn off for many. There's usually a pile of unfolded laundry in your periphery, housemates or children distracting you, and of course, the temptation of your cosy bed calling you to swap your to-do list for just one more episode of your latest binge. So, instead, why not check out all the laptop-friendly cafes dotted around Melbourne that are ideal for those working or studying from home, when you just need to get out of said home for a while.
Whether it's great food or bottomless coffee, free wifi or a peaceful and quiet atmosphere, a comfortable space to bunker down for a few hours, or a convivial, friendly vibe that makes you feel less alone on those long, monotonous days, these cafes have something to offer that a sterile office or your cluttered home just can't match. So ditch the PJs, leave your sad leftovers at home, and use our handy guide of the best cafes for working or studying in Melbourne to make your nine-to-five a little more exciting.
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The Best Cafes in Melbourne
The Best Coffee Shops in Melbourne's CBD
The Best Breakfast in Melbourne
The Best Coffee in Melbourne
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Upper Middle has opened within the Eastern Road complex in the heart of South Melbourne, designed as a spot for quick coffees or leisurely lunches. Upper Middle is the debut venue from Franck Sammut, whose career spans some of Melbourne’s most popular dining rooms, including France-Soir, Stokehouse, The Botanical and Bistro Thierry. Armed with years of experience, Sammut will build his own venue around the kind of hospitality he has always championed.
For those who live or work locally, Upper Middle offers a new and exciting spot to spend a couple of hours working or studying outside the office or at home. And we can almost guarantee you’ll enjoy a better lunch here than if you rumaged through the back of your freezer for leftovers. A brunch menu is complemented by goodies from a baguette bar and a pizza oven. Crusty baguettes are stuffed with the likes of chicken, grilled peppers, potatoes and dressing, house-cured salmon, dill cream and fennel salad, and premium leg ham, Comte, butter, pickled beetroot and alfalfa. From the pizza oven, grab classics such as a margherita or a potato with rosemary, a vegetarian creation of zucchini, capsicum and pickled broccoli, or a spicy slice with nduja, salami, pickled chilli and jalapeño honey. Taking its lead from European bakery culture, Upper Middle is set to become a local fixture, an everyday spot built into a daily ritual.
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Beautiful Jim Key, situated in Jewell Station Village, calls itself a neighbourhood cafe and luncheonette inspired by the “fantastic and the curious.” It’s the place to go when you’re as serious about your brunch options as you are about getting your work done, because it offers one of the most exciting menus in Melbourne.
The menu plays into the venue’s ethos of whimsy and joy. For brekkie, there’s French toast with Montenegro, blood orange and crème fraiche, congee with shiitake and egg or scallops, and curried soft-boiled eggs with golden mango chutney. There’s also a broccoli toasted sandwich with pecorino, chilli and anchovies, or a traditional big breakfast with sausage, bacon, beans, tomato and eggs. Come lunch, the menu shifts to considered large and small plates, primed for a cocktail or glass of wine, the ultimate rewards for getting through a day’s work.
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Dua Bakehouse, situated within the Collingwood Yards precinct, is a bakery that blends Southeast Asian flavours with European pastry techniques. Since opening in early 2025, the understated yet aesthetically pleasing bakery and cafe has garnered a loyal following of locals and visitors seeking out two-toned iced drinks and the famous fluffy shokupan.
Dua Bakehouse welcomes customers with a brightly lit central bar and a spacious, light and airy seating area that feels calm and grounding. The warm space encourages slow mornings, long coffee sessions and quiet conversation over a coffee and cake while you productively work through your to-do list. A small dine-in menu features thick slices of airy shokupan served with butter and preserves, kaya toast with a runny egg, and brûlée French toast. In keeping with the trends, you can find matcha in all forms at Dua, so you’ll be well caffeinated to power through your work.
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Taking up residence in a huge 800-square-metre warehouse, which was once a garment factory, Cibi now stretches out across a space four times the size of the original, which is a good thing considering how popular it is. But if you can snag a table, the tranquil, calming vibes offer a perfect place to perch for a study or work session.
The cafe has expanded its menu, too, with food available from breakfast through to afternoon tea. The super-popular Japanese Breakfast — with grilled salmon, omelette, seasonal greens, rice and miso soup — is excellent brain food to get you through that exam prep or dreaded work task. And reward yourself at the end of a productive day by perusing the delightful homewares and plants.
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If it’s all in a name, then Clifton Hill cafe, Open House, says all you need to know about this warm and welcoming spot. At the heart of this cosy space is a focus on community and creating an inviting space for all. As part of its welcoming and inclusive ethos, the owners want everyone to find something they love to eat, regardless of any dietary needs.
On toast, choose between folded eggs with pickles, braised mushrooms with goat’s cheese, or avocado with nori and tahini cream. The miso egg sandwich with Japanese pickles has quickly become a house favourite, alongside the roast chicken version with sesame mayo and cabbage. If you’re skipping the bread, consider a braised beef brisket bowl with bok choy and rice, zucchini fritters with couscous and harissa, or smoked trout with pickled ginger and miso mayo. Open House is quickly becoming a community hub for the neighbourhood, with its laidback atmosphere and sunlit space, a wonderful space to spend a few hours on your laptop, while still enjoying the day.
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The State Library may be beautiful, and seem imposing and cold, but don’t be put off — there’s warmth, comfort and productivity waiting for you in spades, especially inside the Guild Cafe. Situated in a part of the library that was closed for 15 years, the cafe sprang up as part of the huge refurbishments the precinct went through a few years ago.
Big windows make for plenty of light, while large communal tables lend themselves perfectly to remote working with just you, your laptop, and a bunch of other focused people. Plus, the folks at Guild know what they’re doing when it comes to coffee, serving up expertly brewed St Ali beans to tired students and workers. It’s one of the very best cafes to work from in Melbourne.
Image: Tofu!.
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If your weekday mornings are spent somewhere a little more corporate, Liminal might be the perfect multi-functional space for you to fuel up at before popping off to work. Located in the foyer of Collins Street’s T&G Building, this daytime diner has become a favourite for those working on their laptops — or having meetings — in the city.
Admire stretches of marble and lounge on comfy contemporary couches while you enjoy a wide range of brekkie staples. Menu highlights include the avocado on toast with fennel, grapefruit, endives and chilli oil; the moreish sausage and egg muffin; its breakfast roll with bacon, a fried egg, hash brown and secret sauce; and the breakfast platter with soft-boiled eggs, labneh, smoked trout, pickles and spiced carrots. The venue also serves as a wine store, event space and marketplace. Tick, tick, tick.
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For those in demanding jobs, it can be difficult to get their brains moving in the morning. If you think surrounding yourself with suspended bookshelves and pillars filled with pot plants will get things going, head down Flinders Lane to Journal.
This long-standing institution is as cosy as it is convenient, and it’s a great hideout from the hustle and bustle of the CBD. Simplicity is key at this restaurant, centred on classic breakfasts such as crumpets, croissants and topped toasts. Plus, you can pick up wifi from the City Library.
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Flemington is lesser known for its cafe culture than its neighbouring suburbs, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t full of options perfect for a working day with coffee — and Wolf & Hound cafe is a prime example.
Just near Newmarket Station, Wolf & Hound is a sweet little space with food that packs a serious punch (think chilli scramble and some hectic crumpets). There are vegan options, free wifi, nice vibes and artworks of doggos on the walls. If you’re looking for a North Melbourne cafe to work in, consider this local haunt.
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The southside provides for those seeking an out-of-home office in Melbourne, with Hobba on Malvern Road the place to go for a warehouse space that’s still comfortable enough to feel at home in.
Hobba serves up big, hearty meals (think fried chicken and waffles, a breakfast focaccia with the works, or a pulled pork benny) and either house blend or single-origin coffee options. Plus, the wifi is fast and free, so the reasons for going are many.
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The nicest thing about A Minor Place is that it’s off the main drag — sitting innocuously on Albion Street in what just seems like another cute Brunswick weatherboard house, the Melbourne cafe is quiet in its surroundings but busy in its coffee and brunch seekers.
As well as the best fried haloumi you’re likely to find northside, A Minor Place is responsible for a pretty bumper smashed avo, a sunny outside deck, and a comfy indoors that’s just like being in your own house. Free wifi, plenty of power points and good coffee (by Industry Beans) round things off at this fab Melbourne cafe where you can work or study during the week.
Image: Visit Victoria.
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Melbourne is no stranger to a bakery come cafe that serves up daily brunch dishes, but Faraday’s Cage in Fitzroy has got to be one of the greatest. As it is a local bakery, you can delight in fresh sourdough bread and sweet and savoury pastries alongside an impressive selection of takeaway sangas.
If you pop by on a weekday, you’re likely to find a spot to settle in for a long day of working or studying — just be sure to order more than just a few cups of coffee. Not only does this Melbourne cafe deserve the love and money, but it would be a total fail to not try some of it’s next-level eats.
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If you feel like you need to get out of your natural environment to really get your work hat firmly on, why not head out of town a little? Earthly Pleasures is well worth the one-hour drive to Belgrave in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges — and pleasures it offers indeed.
Ethically focused and in dreamy lush surroundings, the cafe is set in a beautiful old stone building among green gardens. Take your laptop outside, make full use of the free wifi, and feel utterly refreshed (yet somehow also very productive). Homemade sweets, beer and wine are available, and the 8.30am–4pm opening hours step things up a notch to “I’ll stay here all day” levels.
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Code Black has set up shop in the CBD, Southbank and South Melbourne, but the North Melbourne and Brunswick venues are its best for working. At each site, you’ll find some banging brekkie, coffee and pastries, plus free Wi-Fi and stacks of sockets for charging your laptop.
The North Melbourne site is a little quieter, but the Brunswick cafe is bigger and open longer. This means you can finish the day with a glass of wine or coffee-infused cocktail in hand, making the last few hours of work all the more enjoyable.
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Named after the symbol (and atomic number) for gold on the periodic table, the team behind this ambitious eatery have certainly gone for gold in every aspect of its production. The menu at Au79 — one of the very best cafes in Melbourne — represents an imaginative approach to food, twisting familiar brunch dishes into something new.
You’ll also have no trouble finding a table in the 200-seat space, which feels more like a greenhouse than an Abbotsford cafe. And with such size, you can easily bring a few mates with you for chats and motivation.
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