Located in a section of the State Library that had been closed for more than 15 years, Guild Cafe opened in 2018 as part of the precinct’s extensive refurbishments. Run by the minds behind Almond Milk Co, the cafe resides just inside the Library’s Russell Street entrance. It offers a short but sweet menu, with The Hamptons Bakery pastries starring alongside breakfast options including granola with minted coconut yoghurt, and a vegan ramen featuring nori and pickled ginger. With lots of communal tables, big windows, ample light and an all-day filter coffee pass, this is the perfect nook to have breakfast in Melbourne’s city centre — before having a long productive day.,

Located in a section of the State Library that had been closed for more than 15 years, Guild Cafe opened in 2018 as part of the precinct’s extensive refurbishments.

For those in demanding jobs, it can be difficult to get your brain 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. 

Long-running Hardware Street cafe Hardware Societe sadly closed its doors earlier this year. But in happy news for fans of quality Melbourne CBD brunching, its newer sibling site remains open, promising a grander space and shorter queues. 

The hanging foliage and whitewashed brick walls of Manchester Press are a refreshing sight for early morning visits. This cavernous laneway cafe usually sings with a hum of people plunked on retro school chairs, enjoying their specialty coffees by Ona.

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.

Chicken and waffles might sound indulgent as a breakfast dish, but sometimes it’s necessary. Bowery to Williamsburg‘s take on the classic will sort you out, whether you’re a little dusty, had a large morning workout or simply feel like treating yo’self. 

White Mojo serves up one of the CBD’s more indulgent morning menus — perfect if you’re treating yourself to a birthday breakfast, have a particularly big deadline or, y’know, it’s a Tuesday. 

The bottom part of Flinders Lane is usually overshadowed by its more impressive top end. However, tucked down there is The Grain Store, a spacious Melbourne breakfast spot offering homey, substantial brunch dishes filled with real ingredients.

Rocking a playful space filled with navy accents and dreamy pink terrazzo, and nestled within the new 80 Collins precinct, Maverick is a vibrant modern cafe from the minds behind Richmond’s Mayday Coffee & Food.