Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Melbourne
These Melbourne cafes, delis, bakeries and bagel shops serve up the best breakfast in Melbourne whether you're after a greasy egg and bacon buns, a sweet and crunchy pastries, a refined Japanese set breakfast, or anything in between.
Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Melbourne
These Melbourne cafes, delis, bakeries and bagel shops serve up the best breakfast in Melbourne whether you're after a greasy egg and bacon buns, a sweet and crunchy pastries, a refined Japanese set breakfast, or anything in between.
The best breakfasts in Melbourne are as diverse as the multicultural city they're made in. Sure, you'll find Vegemite on toast and all kinds of smashed avocado on the menu at these Melbourne breakfast spots, but there is so much more on offer. After an epic shakshuka to share? We got one. Japanese set breakfast? There are heaps here. Hungover and need a bacon roll and bloody mary, stat? Let us take care of you. Want something light and healthy? There's an acai bowl or a salad to suit any appetite.
The best breakfasts in Melbourne are found in cafes and bakeries, bagel shops and delis, in the CBD and across all suburban pockets of Melbourne. Read on to see where you'll next be fuelling up before work or relaxing during a long, lazy Sunday morning with mates, and enjoy the best breakfast that Melbourne has to offer.
Recommended reads:
The Best Cafes in Melbourne
The Best Bottomless Brunches in Melbourne
The Best Coffee in Melbourne
The Best Restaurants in Melbourne
-
27
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.
The warm space encourages slow mornings, long coffee dates and quiet conversation over a coffee and cake or a more substantial meal. A daily selection of cake slices, breads and pastries greets you when you enter, and may include the likes of chocolate fudge cake, chunky cookies and Scandinavian cakes with a signature Raymond twist. Shiopans — buttery, salted bread rolls — come filled with a selection of savoury and sweet options ranging from Chinese pork jerky with pork floss, to miso salmon with wasabi mayo cabbage, and even a take on a croque madame. 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, such as a malted matcha strawberry iced drink, a matcha banoffee cream pie, and a doughy white chocolate and matcha cookie.
-
26
Melbourne’s beloved self-serve açaí spot, Blitz Bar, has opened its fifth location in Toorak Village. The latest opening is a sign of the business’s continued success, as hordes of its devoted customers flock to Blitz Bar locations across Melbourne at all times of the day and night. Blitz Bar was founded by three young, health-conscious 25-year-olds, who chose to ride the wellness wave at just the right time. They identified a gap in the market for easily accessible, healthy yet delicious take-out meals, especially for breakfast. So they developed the concept for a self-serve açaí bar, featuring organic açaí sourced sustainably from Brazil, with a range of over 40 premium toppings to customise your bowl as you please.
There’s fresh-cut fruit, house-made peanut butter, chia pudding, cookie dough, granola, various sauces, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and a number of superfoods. While some might opt for keeping things light with strawberries and kiwifruit, we prefer ours loaded with crumble, pistachio butter, dates, and Biscoff. In addition to its Brighton, Windsor, Malvern and Mentone stores, the new Toorak Village location continues the brand’s rapid expansion. Beyond its pay-by-weight self-serve bowls, Blitz also offers a menu of signature smoothies, organic coffee and nourishing wholefood treats.
-
25
Beautiful Jim Key, situated in Jewell Station Village, calls itself a neighbourhood cafe and luncheonette inspired by the “fantastic and the curious.” 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 a selection of large and small plates, primed for a cocktail or a glass of wine.
-
24
If it’s all in a name, then the new 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 their welcoming and inclusive ethos, the owners want everyone to find something they love to eat, regardless of any dietary needs.
The menu is concise — with a focus on quality rather than quantity. 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.
-
23
From the team behind A Minor Place, Wide Open Road on Brunswick’s Barkly Street offers much more than the unassuming shop front suggests. With the subtle signage and brick finish, the place comes to life as soon as you enter the door.
On top of the cafe space, Wide Open Road has its own roastery, cupping room and green bean storage. From here comes some of Melbourne’s best coffee. But we’re talking about brekkie here. And at Wide Open Road, you’re spoilt for choice. We usually make a mad dash right for the Turkish eggs — some of the city’s best — but would never turn our nose up at the cafe’s ricotta pancakes with praline butter, for the French omelette loaded with gruyere cheese and soft herbs.
-
22
Rustica is far more than your usual bakery. Yes, these folks bash out some damn fine bread, but its breakfast and lunch game is just as strong — if not better. Enjoy sourdough bread in its purest form with a slice of fruit, white or seeded toast, or dive into the more complex creations.
Get eggs benny your way with a choice of protein, or a chilli scrambled eggs freshened up with herbs and créme fraiche. There are plenty of more substantive lunch options, such as a fried chicken burger, spiced lamb mince with hummus, and a few salads on offer too.
-
21
Top Paddock has been home to some of the best breakfast in Melbourne since it opened in 2018 — at a time when Melbourne’s cafe scene was cementing itself as one of the best in the world. And thankfully, it hasn’t lost that original spark. Great brekkie continues to be served here every day of the week.
You will, of course, find your staples of toast, granolas and eggs any way you like. But you might be surprised by dishes like the breakfast salad with eggplant cream or a mushroom and truffled straciatella with toasted sourdough. Of course, the inimitable blueberry and ricotta hotcake, an enduring favourite for good reason, continues to reign as one of Melbourne’s best sweet brekkies.
-
20
Mile End Bagels in Fitzroy takes its name from a neighbourhood in Montreal, whose bagel obsession gives New York’s a run for its money. Boiled in water and honey and baked in a wood-fired oven, these rings of dough are seriously legit.
The bagels come in several varieties, including sesame, poppy and everything. And spreads include peanut butter and jam, a classic cream cheese option and Vegemite (because, Australia). Then, of course, there are more creative and substantive offerings. The smoked salmon with avo and tomato is a classic, as is the brisket pastrami with mustard and pickles, and the chicken salad with barbecue sauce and tasty cheese.
-
19
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 the hungry AM crowd.
Admire stretches of marble and lounge on comfy contemporary couches while you enjoy a wide range of brekkie staples and inventive dishes. Try trout crumpets with sunflower cream and pickled fennel, a rice bowl with veggies, soy poached chicken and miso tofu, or tomato and peaches with straciatella. The venue also serves as a wine store, event space and marketplace. Tick, tick, tick.
-
18
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.
But Faraday’s takes it one step further with a pleasantly gourmet all-day breakfast menu. The rotating specials are also a highlight. You may be lucky enough to find anything from a tom yum soup to chicken skewers with saffron rice pilaf, tiramisu, French toast, or a soft shell crab burger.
-
17
It’s easy to miss Seven Seeds on Berkeley Street, hidden in one of the quieter pockets of Carlton. This micro-roaster, cafe and retailer is hidden behind a wood-panelled door, which serves as a humble ruse for one of Melbourne’s best breakfast spots.
The team here is renowned for bringing the tastiest characteristics out of a bean, and it’s one of the few roasteries to cup what it roasts on a daily basis. But the food is also worthy of coming for in its own right. Creative and surprisingly affordable brunch dishes adorn the menu, with our favourite being the waffle benny. The parmesan waffle is simultaneously crunchy and pillowy, topped with tarragon hollandaise sauce, poached eggs and a heap of ham. It’s a must-order.
-
16
Tucked down a CBD lane in a stunning heritage-listed building on Wills Street (just off LaTrobe) in a pocket of the city that’s usually reserved for business only, everything about Operator25 is unassuming. And from the minute you step in, you can tell it’s all business here, from the crisp interior design and outstanding coffee, to the polished brunch and lunch menu that’s one of the best in the Hoddle Grid.
You can drop by for simple eggs your own way or a few slices of toast with condiments, but be sure to explore the bigger bites when you have time to treat yourself to a proper Melbourne breakfast. The coconut rice porridge with red beans, fruit and almond streusel is a winner for a light brekkie, and the yuzu smashed avo with Japanese citrus dressing, halloumi and beetroot chickpea puree is a fun take on a classic.
-
15
Yes, the team uses simple building blocks to create their offerings — from fresh produce grown on-site to shipping containers and recycled materials — but the end product is anything but basic and rudimentary. They have managed to make a unique Melbourne brunch spot that doubles as a community space where local Footscray folks from all backgrounds are welcome.
Food-wise, there’s everything from shokupan with Thai milk tea custard brulee, to garlic mushrooms with cashew cream, a Reuben Sandwich with the works, to nori buttered udon noodles. But the greasy breakfast burger will always hold a special place in our hungover hearts. Add some coffee from Small Batch and a tall Bloody Mary, and you’ll be in for a delightful arvo out in West Melbourne.
-
14
The Midas touch. It’s a thing, and the team behind Top Paddock most definitely have it — in the hospitality scene anyway. And one of the best in the family? The Kettle Black.
The chilli scrambled eggs are some of the best in town, and depending on the season, may be adorned with fragrant sambal and prawns. For a virtuous start to the day, you can’t go past the almond, chia and steel-cut oat granola with coconut yoghurt. Clean eating can taste great and look really good, too.
-
13
The Hector’s Deli empire now spans an amazing seven locations, which speaks to how well received the sandwich store has been by Melburnians over the years since its inception.
While it’s mostly known as a lunch spot, there are plenty of options that make for a stellar brekkie. The toasted sandwiches, which include a famous tuna melt with pickled green chilli, a beef pastrami number with mustard pickle spread, and a mushroom melt with onion, mozzarella and provolone, are available bright and early from 7am. There is also a dedicated egg and cheese breakfast sandwich with option to add on sausage and/or bacon.
-
12
Cibi cafe outgrew its small space back in 2018 when it moved down the road to take over a huge 800-square-metre warehouse. Here, the team can stretch and really flex their food and style muscles. Part cafe, part gallery space, part homeware store, part plant shop, this chic warehouse spot is where people come to find some of the best breakfast in Melbourne (focusing on Japanese eats) and buy artisanal homewares.
Love the food at Cibi in Collingwood? Buy the cookbook and recreate such dishes at home. Equally enamoured by the plate it was served on? Those are for sale, too. Even the chair you sit on could have a price tag underneath it. Synergy is in full swing at this Melbourne cafe.
-
11
Falco has become one of Melbourne’s most popular and most consistently excellent bakeries. With several outlets serving up a stellar selection of pastries, pies, sandwiches and fresh bread, a stop at Falco makes for an easy, quick, and satisfying breakfast.
Drop by for ham and Comte croissants, seasonal fruit danishes, cardamom buns and a whole array of pies. Either take them to go or enjoy them out on Smith Street, doing a spot of people-watching in the morning. The egg salad sandwich is famous for good reason, and it is the ultimate on-the-go breakfast.
-
10
This Lebanese bakery and grocer has been a Sydney Road favourite for many decades — but too many people stop by for a quick takeaway treat, missing out on the stellar dine-in options. Yes, we are also obsessed with the golden spinach and feta pastries, the boat-shaped shanklish pies flecked with herbs and the holy layered baklava drenched in syrup. But grab a seat inside and enjoy an even better experience.
For an early visit, look no further than the A1 Brekkie. It consists of two eggs, sujuk (a spicy fermented sausage), homemade labneh, cucumber, tomato, olives, mint and pita bread. The platters are also the best choice for a heartier Melbourne breakfast.
-
9
The minds behind Northcote’s Tinker, Collingwood’s Terror Twilight and Smith Street sandwich spot Hi Fi made a foray into the inner-northwest with Convoy — a bright daytime diner overlooking Queens Park.
Here, the team is plating up both familiar favourites and new creations that change regularly. You might find smashed avo on toast with pickled red cabbage, feta, salsa verde and crispy kale; hot jam pancakes with cinnamon caramel and cardamon crumb; or Turkish eggs with sujuk and a bright lemon yoghurt. The hollandaise on its eggs benny is also next level. Whatever you choose here, you’ll be very, very happy.
Image: My Friend Tom.
-
8
This cafe has been a Chapel Street stalwart since its opening back in 2008 under the name of Dukes Coffee Roasters — changing its name to Journeyman in 2014 to clearly define the difference between the roastery and the cafe. Its roots are deeply set in the coffee roasting game, but the team has since gone far beyond that focus.
Nowadays, you’ll struggle to grab a seat due to its popularity among Melbourne brunch lovers who keep returning for the ever-evolving menu. But no matter how often they update the food offerings, the regulars will never allow Journeyman to remove the famous avocado hummus toast served with honey-candied bacon and a poached egg. And we can’t blame them — it is a winning combo and is one of Melbourne’s most popular breakfast dishes.
-
7
Northcote’s Tinker is yet another notch in the belt of the crew behind Convoy, Hi Fi and Terror Twilight. These Melbourne cafes are slinging some of the best breakfast in Melbourne, and Tinker is absolutely no exception.
Come weekends, the few outdoor tables lining High Street are filled with dog owners catching up over coffee, while the large, light-filled indoor space is always buzzing. Head into the courtyard out back, and you’ll find even more pups, plus plenty of boozy brunch lovers hitting the bloody marys and Aperol spritzes alongside brilliant breakfast dishes that change regularly.
-
6
Code Black has set up shop in North Melbourne, the CBD, Southbank and South Melbourne, but its flagship cafe in Brunswick is still our fave. Here, you’ll find its roastery HQ — where the team is perpetually roasting ethically sourced beans and teaching the next generation of baristas how to extract the perfect shot.
But Code Black is more than just its coffee. Head here any day of the week for an excellent selection of Melbourne brunch items. Get around the avocado with a fattoush salad and labneh on a sesame bagel, fried chicken with spring onion waffles, fried egg and hot maple, or go sweet with honey butter toast with tiramisu cream, coffee caramel, and dark chocolate. Long boozy brunches are also an option, with a long list of wines that rivals many Melbourne restaurants and a cocktail list that goes the extra mile.
-
5
The Melbourne cafe scene reeled when Carlton’s Ima Project Cafe closed at the beginning of 2023 — but this spot was not down for long. A few months later, it respawned in Brunswick under the new name Ima Asa Yoru. And the Japanese cafe only came back bigger and better.
The new spot not only serves up breakfast and lunch, but heroes izakaya eats for dinner and has its own grocer next door. But we are here to focus on the Japanese breakfast fare. Fans of the old spot will be glad to know the signature teishoku (a Japanese set meal of rice, miso soup, pickles and your choice of either fish or eggplant) still lives on in Brunswick, alongside a whole host of new dishes that change regularly.
Images: Albert Chandra
-
4
Located at the Southern Cross end of Little Bourke Street, Higher Ground is from the team behind quintessential Melbourne cafes, including Top Paddock and The Kettle Black — and boy is it a beauty. The huge, high-ceilinged 160-seat venue sits on the corner of Little Bourke and Spencer Streets in a former warehouse. The interior is impressive to say the least; a palette of exposed brick and green marble is spread across a multi-level space, which includes a raised area, an open kitchen, and a large mezzanine that holds couches, tables and its own bar.
The venue serves the superb cafe fare that its sibling cafes are known for, with the all-day menu including the likes of the avocado pretzel, a seasonal Benedict with the likes of prawns, kimchi and yuzu kosho, and particularly good chilli scrambled eggs. The famous Top Paddock ricotta hotcake has been on the menu since the beginning and has reserved a spot on the call sheet ever since.
-
3
With a luxurious yet welcoming blue-and-white interior and boundless natural light flooding in through two walls of uninterrupted windows, Middletown Prahran is a brunch venue designed to relax, inspire and rejuvenate.
And its all-day breakfast menu is an absolute banger. We love its seasonally changing granola, avocado on toast and corn fitters, but we tend to come here for the big brekkie. It features chilli scrambled eggs, pork sausages, streaky bacon, hash browns, roasted tomatoes and tomato relish on sourdough toast — leaving you well and truly satisfied.
-
2
From the outside, this Japanese cafe in West Melbourne may seem like one of city’s many minimalist breakfast and brunch spots, but there is so much special goodness happening within. Owner of 279, Kantaro Okada, focuses on recreating home-style Japanese soul food that’s been passed down through generations — putting traditional onigiri front and centre. These triangles of rice are served with a variety of toppings, from classic ume-plum to Osaka cheese.
There are also take-away bento boxes featuring all sorts of deliciousness, and a selection of pastries that will have you struggling to choose just one. It’s famous mochinuts — a cross between mochi and doughnuts — come in a variety of flavours such as yuzu, black sugar, sesame, and kinako. Basically, there’s too much good stuff to try at this Melbourne breakfast haunt — you’d best book in multiple visits.
-
1
From the creators of Convoy, Hi-Fi and Tinker comes this breakthrough Melbourne cafe that champions healthy breakfast and lunch dishes that are full of flavour and creativity. There are plenty of sweet dishes if that is how you prefer to start your day, such as a coconut tapioca pudding with poached peaches and candied walnuts, or hazelnut mocha pancakes with Baileys cream and chocolate crumb. However, for us, there is one particular dish on the menu that we can never resist. The Eggs Kurosawa, with steamed rice, boy choy, avo, miso mayo and teriyaki, is one of our favourite breakfasts in Melbourne.
Terror Twilight also goes down a different coffee road, compared to many Melbourne cafes — giving diners the option to upgrade their usual brew with nootropic supplements and natural health boosters such as chaga mushrooms and MCT oil. But you don’t have to be too good here. Life is all about balance, after all. Pair these nutritious offerings with something a little naughty. The Bloody Maria cocktail, made with tequila, Martini Rosso, TT pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and TT hot sauce, will definitely do the trick.
Feature image:
- The 18 Most Whimsical, Witchy and Gothic Places in Melbourne
- The Best Cafes for Working or Studying in Melbourne
- Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Melbourne
- The 20 Best (and Cosiest) Bars and Pubs with Fireplaces in Melbourne
- The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne
- Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Melbourne's CBD