Melbourne may run on coffee, but you can’t survive on that alone — so it’s handy that the city has a thriving breakfast and brunch scene too. Whether you’re after a classic smashed avo, bagels to-go or a decadent feast to help you relax at the start of the day, Melbourne is full of bustling breakfast spots. Start your day right with our breakfast recommendations, which will help you find the best breakfast in Melbourne for you! Of course, if you want to while away more of the morning, they’ll double up as brilliant brunch spots in Melbourne too.
1. Hardware Société
Hardware Société may have locations in Paris and Barcelona, but it was born right here in Melbourne. This iconic breakfast restaurant serves up plenty of delicious treats inspired by French and Spanish cuisine. Start your day with indulgent treats like scrambled eggs vol-au-vent, twice-baked soufflé and timbal de anchoas. Pair your breakfast with an assortment of drinks, like coffee, tea, cold pressed juice and cocktails.
Both of Hardware Société’s branches are located in the CBD. You can visit their original spot on Hardware St, or opt for their bigger, flagship store on Katherine Place — either way, you’re guaranteed one of the best breakfasts in Melbourne’s CBD when you visit.
📍 10 Katherine Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000 and 123 Hardware St, Melbourne VIC 3000
⏰ Hardware Société on Hardware Street is open 8am-2:30pm every day. Hardware Société Katherine Place is open 7:30am-3pm (Mon-Fri) and 8am-3pm (Sat-Sun)
2. Higher Ground
Take your breakfast to new heights at Higher Ground. Set inside a heritage-listed powerhouse, you’ll find plenty of corners to relax and enjoy a standout Melbourne breakfast. The upstairs level even has its own barista station, so you don’t have to wait long for your coffee. Try elegant breakfast options, like spanner crab benedict, dark rye & chive waffle with salmon, blueberry & ricotta hotcake, a seasonal breakfast salad and more.
📍 650 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
⏰ Open 7am-5pm (Mon-Fri) and 7:30am-5pm (Sat-Sun)
3. Manchester Press
If you prioritise coffee with your breakfast, then this laneway café is the place to go. Named after the printing press office that once occupied the building, Manchester Press serves up excellent coffee, a wide range of loaded bagels, as well as sandwiches and healthy bowls. A standout grab-and-go breakfast in Melbourne, truly.
📍 8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
⏰ Open 7:30am-3:30pm (Mon-Fri), 8:30am-4pm (Sat-Sun)
4. Caffé Amatrice
A recent addition to the city that’s quickly getting a reputation for banging breakfasts in Melbourne, Caffé Amatrice is named after arguably their must-have dish: baked eggs smothered in smoky, spicy amatriciana sauce. Because it’s A) Melburnian and B) Italian, the achingly cool décor stands out as a highlight, and the recent addition of a rooftop hangout is another exciting development.
📍 16 Stephenson St, Cremorne VIC 3121
⏰ Open 8am-3pm (Mon-Fri), closed Saturdays and Sundays
5. Bowery to Williamsburg
Feel transported to a New York diner at Bowery to Williamsburg, an all-American breakfast joint in Melbourne’s CBD. This venue pays homage to the Bowery subway station, and features traditionally made bagels. If you’re not grabbing a bagel to-go, stick around for their lox & potato latkes, 14 hour roasted beef brisket with eggs, pastrami sandwich and more.
📍 16 Oliver Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
⏰ Open 7:30am-2:30pm (Mon-Fri), 8:30am-2:30pm (Sat-Sun)
6. Rustica
Love bread? So do we. Watch the team at Rustica make their delicious sourdough bread at their flagship store in South Yarra. If you’re on the go, grab one of their rotating pastries, sandwiches, salads and brekkie rolls. Or, stick around and enjoy something heartier, like chilli scrambled eggs on pumpkin sourdough, for breakfast.
Visit their flagship South Yarra store on Chapel Street, or enjoy one of their other cafes around Melbourne.
📍 Find them in South Yarra, Brighton, Highpoint, Queen Street, Rialto Towers, and Melbourne Airport Terminal 1
7. Two Birds One Stone
Two Birds One Stone is known for their beautiful ricotta pancakes, but there’s heaps of other yummy breakfast options to try. Enjoy a seasonal menu, with plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. Start the day with something sweet, like brulée French toast, or go savoury with something like shakshuka with chorizo, poached eggs, feta, olives and pita bread.
📍 12 Claremont St, South Yarra VIC 3141
⏰ Open 7am-3pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-3pm (Sat-Sun)
8. The Kettle Black
Step into this heritage-listed venue in South Melbourne — run by the same folks as Higher Ground — and treat yourself to a sophisticated breakfast at The Kettle Black. Sweet breakfast items like the tiramisu croffle or blueberry & ricotta hotcake are amongst the very best breakfasts in South Melbourne, or you can opt for something savoury like pastrami brisket on sourdough. If you’re on the go, grab a tasty sandwich or pastry for the walk.
📍 50 Albert Rd, South Melbourne VIC 3205
⏰ Open 7am-4pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat-Sun)
9. CIBI
You’ll feel welcome at this Japanese-inspired café and design store. Founded by Meg and Zenta Tanaka, CIBI blends their experience in food, wine, design and architecture. Their CIBI café serves up homely Japanese breakfast plates inspired by their grandmother’s home cooking. The traditional plate, for example, features grilled salmon, omelette, seasonal vegetables, a CIBI rice blend, miso soup and more. If you’re after something else, they also have miso baked egg, avocado toast and more.
📍 33/39 Keele St, Collingwood VIC 3066
⏰ Open 7am-6pm (Mon-Thu), 7am-7pm (Fri), 8am-6pm (Sat-Sun)
10. Auction Rooms
Stroll down Errol Street in North Melbourne and have your breakfast at Auction Rooms. Set in the old W.B. auction house, you’ll spot the café thanks to its bright blue façade. On the inside, you’ll enjoy industrial vibes thanks to the high ceilings, exposed brick and natural light. Start your day with a St Ali coffee and feast on breakfast delights, like a breakfast board, house-made granola or brioche French toast. What could be better?
📍 103-107 Errol St, North Melbourne VIC 3051
⏰ Open 7am-4pm (Mon-Fri), 7:30am-4pm (Sat-Sun)
11. Tinker
Treat yourself to a modern take on Melbourne breakfast classics at Tinker in Northcote. Made from the same hospitality team behind Terror Twilight, Convoy and Hi Fi, you’ll find plenty of colourful items that also make it one of the best places for brunch in Melbourne. Expect seasonal and cheerful dishes, like the Golden Gaytime hotcakes, mango & saffron panna cotta or waffle eggs benedict. Pair your breakfast with coffee, tea, smoothies, and even cocktails from 10am.
📍 235 High St, Northcote VIC 3070
⏰ Open 7am-4pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat-Sun)
12. Archie’s All Day
You can’t go wrong with breakfast at Archie’s All Day. This fantastic venue in Fitzroy has a massive range of options to help you kick-start your day, from the sweet to the savoury. Perhaps you feel like fried chicken and waffles for breakfast? Or a brioche roll stuffed with scrambled eggs and ‘Godmother Chilli’? They’ve also got plenty of Melbourne breakfast favourites, like smashed avo, ricotta hotcakes, eggs on sourdough, granola and more. Wash it down with coffee, juice, tea, smoothies and even cocktails, and snag a spot outside on a sunny day if you can.
📍 189 Gertrude St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
⏰ Open 8am-3pm, every day
13. Monk Bodhi Dharma
Looking for plant-based breakfast places? You’ll love Monk Bodhi Dharma in Balaclava, where guests can start their day feeling refreshed and nourished with the range of wholesome dishes. Try Monk’s Acai Bowl, Banana Dharma Pancakes, mushrooms on house-made pumpkin polenta bread and more. Then, pair it with a cup of organic chai or specialty coffee from Disciple Roasters.
📍 202 Carlisle St, Balaclava VIC 3183
⏰ Open 7am-3:30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-3:30pm (Sat-Sun)
14. West 48
Aiming to prove that west is best for breakfast, this industrial venue in Footscray has a stacked menu for every mood. Try sambal eggs on paratha roti bread, a breaky dog with smoked kransky, slow-cooked beef brisket on hash browns and more. There’s also plenty of breakfast favourites, like eggs on toast and smashed avo. West 48 also has a variety of drinks, like coffee, matcha, Vietnamese coffee, juice, smoothies and milkshakes.
📍 48 Essex St, Footscray VIC 3011
⏰ Open 8am-2pm (Mon-Sat), 9am-2pm (Sun)
15. Lux Foundry
Bring your pup along to this dog-friendly café in Brunswick. Located in a heritage-listed warehouse, Lux Foundry also features an expansive courtyard so you can have breakfast with your pooch. Find plenty of hearty and delicious items on the menu, including crab chilli scrambled eggs, passionfruit & ricotta hotcakes, and corn & manchego croquette. They’ve got plenty of coffee, tea and smoothie options, as well as cocktails.
📍 21 Hope St, Brunswick VIC 3056
⏰ Open 7am-3:30pm (Mon-Fri), 7am-4pm (Sat), and 8am-4pm (Sun)
16. A Thousand Blessings
You’ll find A Thousand Blessings in Richmond, where it’s cultivated a steady, well-earned reputation as one of the best breakfast places in the neighbourhood. The coffee meets Melbourne standards (read: excellent), whilst the breakfast bowls and wraps will set you up nicely for the day. One might even say you’re blessed…
📍 251 Highett St, Richmond VIC 3121
⏰ Open 7am-3pm (Mon-Sat), 8am-3pm (Sun)
17. Foxtrot Café
A minimalist spot that’s only open on weekdays, Foxtrot Café is one of our favourite breakfast places for a bite to eat whilst hunched over our laptops. Offering simple yet super tasty food, the vegan breakfast is a menu highlight, and you can grab salads and pies once the lunchtime hunger hits.
📍 1/204 Gladstone St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
⏰ Open 7am-3:30pm (Mon-Fri), closed Saturdays and Sundays
18. Chéri
Handily placed just across the road from South Melbourne Market, Chéri is a chic, European-inspired dining spot that serves delightful breakfast options such as spiced polenta porridge and croissant loaf French toast. Don’t leave without snagging a sweet treat from their viennoiserie and patisserie selections to save for later.
📍 285-287 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
⏰ Open 8am-5pm, every day