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About 2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne

" Melbourne and café culture go hand in hand, and Australian Traveller captures the city’s love affair with caffeine in their 2025 feature, Our Guide to 38 of the Best Cafes in Melbourne. From laneway espresso bars to sun-drenched brunch spots and trend-setting coffee roasters, this guide is your ultimate companion to navigating Melbourne’s vibrant café scene. Whether you're a flat white fanatic, a filter coffee connoisseur, or a lover of loaded toast, this list serves up something for every caffeine-seeking soul. "

Overview
In Melbourne, cafés are more than a morning pit stop—they’re a lifestyle. Australian Traveller’s 2025 feature, Our Guide to 38 of the Best Cafes in Melbourne, dives deep into the city’s world-renowned coffee culture, spotlighting the venues that deliver more than just a good brew.
This extensive guide features a mix of cult favourites and local secrets scattered across Melbourne’s inner suburbs and beyond. Whether it’s a perfectly poured piccolo in a minimalist hideaway, a long black enjoyed under leafy courtyard vines, or a next-level brunch with house-fermented hot sauce, these cafés all have one thing in common: quality with character.
Australian Traveller highlights venues where the baristas are artists, the beans are ethically sourced, and the menus celebrate local produce with creativity and flair. It’s a collection that captures Melbourne’s café diversity—covering everything from third-wave coffee havens and Scandi-chic brunch spots to heritage-listed gems and bustling community hubs.
Each café has been chosen for more than just its coffee—expect inviting spaces, warm service, and thoughtful details that make you want to linger. Whether you're a tourist sipping your way through the CBD or a local looking to mix up your morning routine, this list offers something new to discover at every turn.
You’ll also find vegan-friendly menus, gluten-free goodies, and plenty of spots where great coffee meets great conversation. It’s Melbourne’s café scene, brewed to perfection.
For coffee lovers, brunch enthusiasts, and design-minded diners alike, Australian Traveller’s 2025 café guide is a must-read map to Melbourne’s best bean-fuelled destinations.

Last update August 2025

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2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - List

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2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - List

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2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.1

Hardware Société
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Brunch;French

Hardware Société is a Melbourne breakfast icon that transforms the first meal of the day into an art form, blending French flair with modern Australian creativity. Now at its spacious Katherine Place home, this all-day breakfast institution continues to wow with inventive plating, bold flavours, and polished service—delivering a dining experience that’s as stylish as it is satisfying.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.2

Operator 25
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coffee Shop;Brunch

Housed in a beautifully restored heritage building that once served as a telephone exchange, Operator 25 combines Melbourne’s love of café culture with an inventive, global twist. This Wills Street favourite offers an all-day brunch menu that blends Asian-inspired flavours with modern Australian creativity, served alongside specialty coffee in a stylish, light-filled setting that honours its history while feeling fresh and contemporary.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.3

Higher Ground Melbourne
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Higher Ground transforms café dining into an architectural and culinary experience, delivering ambitious all-day fare in a soaring heritage-listed space on Little Bourke Street. With its striking design, inventive brunch-style dishes, and specialty coffee program, this Melbourne CBD hotspot blurs the lines between café, restaurant, and urban oasis—perfect for casual meetups, working lunches, or slow mornings done in style.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.4

Saint Dreux
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Japanese;Sandwich

Saint Dreux elevates the humble sandwich into an art form, bringing Tokyo-style precision and premium ingredients to Melbourne’s lunchtime scene. Best known for its signature katsu sandos—pillowy milk bread layered with perfectly cooked meats or vegetables—this sleek takeaway spot in Emporium Melbourne offers a refined, grab-and-go dining experience that’s big on flavour and presentation, proving fast food can be both beautiful and memorable.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.5

Little Rogue
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coffee Shop

Little Rogue is a hidden café gem in Melbourne’s CBD, delivering specialty coffee, inventive pastries, and cosy charm from its tucked-away Drewery Lane location. Known for its minimalist aesthetic and barista-driven service, this laneway favourite is perfect for those seeking a peaceful escape from the city’s bustle—offering expertly brewed coffee, house-baked treats, and the quiet joy of discovering something special off the beaten track.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.6

Brick Lane
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Modern Australian;Bakery

Tucked down one of Melbourne’s most photogenic laneways, Brick Lane offers a laid-back café and bakery experience that’s as charming as it is satisfying. Housed in a converted warehouse on Guildford Lane, this hidden gem delivers hearty breakfasts, quality coffee, and a rotating selection of house-baked goods in a rustic industrial setting. With exposed brick, friendly vibes, and all-day comfort food, Brick Lane is a true inner-city escape just off the beaten track.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.7

Liminal
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Modern Australian

Liminal blurs the lines between café, wine bar, and refined lunch destination, offering an all-day space that transitions seamlessly from early morning coffee to elegant evening drinks. Located in the Paris end of Collins Street, this stylish venue is part espresso bar, part restaurant, and part retail space—serving fresh, seasonal dishes alongside a curated wine list in an airy, design-led setting.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.9

phatMILK
Travancore, Victoria, Australia
Coffee Shop;Brunch;Middle Eastern

phatMILK is a vibrant suburban café bringing big-city brunch energy to the tree-lined streets of Travancore. Known for its bold, Middle Eastern-inspired flavours, specialty coffee, and generous plates, this colourful local favourite blends a friendly neighbourhood vibe with a menu that keeps regulars coming back and weekend brunch-hunters willing to travel.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.11

So & So
Travancore, Victoria, Australia
coffee_shop

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.12

Proud Mary
Collingwood, Victoria, Australia
Breakfast;Coffee Shop

Proud Mary is a pioneer of Melbourne’s specialty coffee and café culture, serving up expertly brewed coffee, wholesome brunch fare, and warm hospitality from its Collingwood flagship. Located on Oxford Street, this energetic café blends industrial-chic design with a genuine love for food and coffee—making it a beloved destination for locals, foodies, and visiting coffee aficionados alike.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.13

Convoy
Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia
Modern Australian;café fare

Convoy brings elevated brunch and contemporary café dining to Moonee Ponds, combining clean design, refined dishes, and a community-focused vibe. From its striking interiors to its chef-driven seasonal menu, Convoy delivers a polished all-day experience without pretension—making it a destination-worthy café for locals and brunch lovers alike. Specialty coffee, creative plates, and warm service make every visit feel just right.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.15

Cibi Café
Collingwood, Victoria, Australia
japanese

CIBI Café brings the calm elegance of Japanese design and lifestyle to a light-filled Collingwood warehouse, offering wholesome food, thoughtful retail, and tranquil café vibes. Part eatery, part concept store, CIBI is a destination for nourishing breakfasts, handmade Japanese meals, and beautifully curated homewares—all wrapped in a space that radiates warmth, simplicity, and quiet creativity.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.17

Auction Rooms
North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Breakfast

Auction Rooms is a North Melbourne café institution, renowned for its specialty coffee, inventive brunch menu, and industrial-chic charm. Set in a beautifully converted former auction house, this all-day café delivers quality and consistency with flair—blending creative dishes, house-roasted Small Batch coffee, and warm service in a spacious, light-filled setting that captures the heart of Melbourne’s café culture.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.19

The Kettle Black
South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Brunch;Modern Australian

Where heritage meets high design, The Kettle Black redefines brunch in a striking fusion of Victorian terrace and sleek modern architecture. Located on the edge of South Melbourne, this café icon is known for its beautifully plated dishes, polished service, and upscale atmosphere—turning breakfast into a refined, city-worthy experience.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.22

ONA Coffee
Brunswick, Victoria, Australia

ONA Coffee Brunswick delivers an elevated café experience with world-class brews, sustainable sourcing, and creative all-day dining in a stylish warehouse setting. As the Melbourne flagship of Canberra’s renowned specialty roaster, ONA combines precision coffee craftsmanship with warm hospitality—offering everything from experimental extractions to hearty brunch plates, all within a calm, modern space tucked away in Brunswick’s backstreets.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.24

Au79 Café
Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.26

Code Black
Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Modern Australian

More than just a coffee stop, Code Black in Brunswick is a temple to bean worship—roastery, brew bar, and café all rolled into one sleek industrial space. With its moody interiors, expert baristas, and flavour-forward menu, it’s a go-to destination for serious coffee lovers and brunch seekers alike in Melbourne’s inner north.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.27

Napier Quarter
Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

Napier Quarter is a quietly refined neighbourhood café and wine bar that captures the essence of slow, thoughtful dining in Fitzroy. Tucked away on leafy Kerr Street, this intimate corner venue blends European charm with Melbourne sensibility—offering seasonal produce, artisanal toasties, curated wines, and heartfelt hospitality from morning espresso to late-night snacks. It’s a place to savour, whether you’re grabbing a quick coffee or settling in for hours.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.29

Monk Bodhi Dharma
Balaclava, Victoria, Australia

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.30

Proper & Son
South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.31

Carter Lovett
Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.34

Pillar of Salt
Richmond, Victoria, Australia

Pillar of Salt stands as one of Richmond’s standout café destinations, known for its vibrant brunch dishes, quality coffee, and breezy courtyard setting. Located on busy Church Street, this local favourite blends a sleek, warehouse-style interior with a bright, seasonal menu and relaxed energy. Whether it’s a weekday coffee stop or a weekend brunch feast, Pillar of Salt delivers Melbourne café culture at its best—bold, fresh, and unfailingly satisfying.

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.35

Elephant Cafe
Flemington, Victoria, Australia

2025 Australian Traveller - Our guide to 38 of the best cafes in Melbourne - No.37

Second Home
Eltham, Victoria, Australia
Cafe

Second Home in Eltham, Victoria, is where rustic charm meets modern dining. Nestled in a converted industrial space, it offers a cozy atmosphere perfect for intimate dinners and lively brunches alike. With a focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, the menu celebrates the best of contemporary Australian cuisine. Guests can enjoy a cup of expertly brewed coffee or a curated selection of wines while unwinding in the warm, inviting setting that truly feels like a home away from home.