The 22 Best Cafes in Melbourne For Your Flat White or Avo Toast Fix

/ Yale Wanders

Coffee is serious business in Australia. 

It’s no secret Aussies have mastered coffee — from pour over to lattes, it’s hard to go wrong.

And, when it comes to coffee, Melbourne is Australia’s capital.

Voted one of the most liveable cities in the world, it’d be an understatement to say we liked Melbourne- we absolutely loved it. Loved it in such a way, we talked about moving there one day.

Almost as soon as we arrived in Melbs, we understood why people love the city.

Aside from the amazing coffee culture, there’s vibrant street art, a delish food scene, and always-on, in a good way, culture.

Most days in Melbourne, we explored the city, posted up at a new cafe for brunch, and then worked in the afternoon and evenings.

Our time there felt absolutely perfect.

With perfectly poured cold-drips and seriously creamy flat whites, Melbourne is a coffee lovers dream.

22 Ace Cafes in Melbourne: The Best Spots for Brekkie & Brew

  • Market Lane: A speciality cafe and roastery, they do one thing and they do it well: high-quality coffee. You know it’s going to be good when the cafe’s slogan is- ‘we love to make coffee for the city that loves to drink it’. Don’t miss their original location in one of Melbourne’s coolest markets- Queen Victoria Market
  • Common Galaxia (Seddon): Full stop, the best avo toast we had in Melbourne. If you’re not staying in or near Seddon as we were, it’ll be a trek from the CBD (20-40 minutes, pending trains), but it’s so worth it. The avo toast here comes on sourdough with generous cubes of avo, feta, grapefruit, toasted almonds, soy, radish, and balsamic. Of course, you have to order it with a side of halloumi and lemon, as well as a flat white. Literal Aussie dreams
  • Proud Mary Coffee Roasters: A brunch institution in Melbourne, their drip is ace. This is a must-visit for brunch- the seasonal hotcakes are insane. When we visited, cinnamon hotcakes were on offer with crystallized white chocolate, honeycomb, pumpkin ricotta whip and coffee syrup
  • Aunty Pegs: Just down the road from Proud Mary, you’ll find their brew bar. It’s a small space, but great for a post-brunch top-up. We dug their nitro cold brew
  • Duke’s Coffee Roasters: Our favourite spot for flat whites in the CBD, Duke’s is a quintessential Melbourne cafe. Trendy, intimate, and with an ultimate focus on brew, Duke’s is the spot for your caffeine fix any time of the day. They don’t allow photos inside, which we loved- a totally different kind of vibe- less pretentious- than other cafes in Oz
  • Hardware Societe: Our first avo toast in Melbourne sure didn’t disappoint- order it with feta and hashbrowns on the side, so tasty
  • Hash Speciality Coffee: This cafe was right by the CrossFit box we worked at out, so we were repeat customers- especially once we tried their magics and corn fritters, both of which are next level awesome. Hash is also known for their hot chocolate, which they serve with fairy floss for you to pour it over- the ultimate sugar rush
  • Brother Baba Budan: Hailed as one of Melbourne’s best cafes, Baba’s has a line through the door the match the accolades. Epic magics, a must visit on your Melbourne coffee tour. Plus, the decor is too cool- chairs mis-matched and hanging from the ceiling? Into it
  • The Kettle Black: A gorgeous cafe in South Melbourne, the black and white exterior draws you into a cafe with minimal, chic design. It’s great for breakfast with a trendy twist- the avo toast on sourdough comes topped with salty cheese, pickled jalapeno, lime juice and herbs, and is every bit as delicious as it sounds
  • Fitzroy: Cool interiors, a great lunch menu, and perfectly made magics
  • St. Ali: Such a cool space, huge and in an area with loads of street art. We loved the coffee at St Ali, and the vibe even more, and wished we could return as regulars
  • Hello Sailor: A gorgeous interior with tons of plants, brass fixtures and neutral furniture. Talk about my dream cafe. The magics here are also great, and we loved the larger than life mural on the side of the cafe
  • South of Johnston: The avo toast tour continued at SoJo. The brunch menu is great, and the vibe here is awesome- busy, even on a weekday. We liked they kept the avo toast here fairly simple- smashed avo, heirloom tomatoes, feta, lemon and herbs. Simple and delicious. Space wise, there were loads of people lounging on sofas, the constant hum of conversation, a roaring fire, and tons of dogs
  • Seven Seeds Coffee Roasters: An airy, bright space with plenty of tables to sit at while you chat over a flat white. Let’s just say there’s a reason Seven Seeds is so popular among the Melbourne cafe scene
  • Higher Ground: Brekkie at this uber trendy and beautiful cafe should be a must-do for any first time visitor to Melbourne. Built in an old power station, the interiors are epic, and the food is pretty beautiful, too. I had a bagel with avo, whipped goat cheese, egg and scallions, and edible flowers, and while I enjoyed it, I’m def a fan of simpler avo toast. It was good, but one of those things that’s more Instagram than it is enjoyable
  • Bonnie: Moody interiors, and the best cold brew I had in Melbourne

A few more cafes we enjoyed in the CBD & Seddon: 

  • White Mojo: Shared a mocha here- it was good, and we liked the design of the place, but in comparison to other cafes we visited, it wasn’t a standout
  • Industry Beans, Little Collins: Scandi chic, great flat whites
  • Top Paddock: Gorgeous space, but a bit out of the way- we drove on our way to the Yarra Valley for a pre-road trip caffeine top up
  • Manchester Press: Great for coffee, bonus points because the bagels are pretty damn good
  • Fig & Walnut (Seddon): Slow Sunday mornings at this vintagey cafe near our Airbnb was the stuff our life in Australia dreams were made of
  • Seddon Deadly Sins (Seddon): Tiny, great cafe for flat whites if you’re staying in the Seddon area, as we were

Have you ever been to Melbourne? What cafes would you add to a recommendation for first time visitors to this Australian city? 

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2 thoughts on “The 22 Best Cafes in Melbourne For Your Flat White or Avo Toast Fix”

  1. I’m not much of a coffee drinker (more into tea), but I recently got into trying out cafes and their drinks. Definitely heard of Australia’s coffee scene, and I’d be keen on checking it out should I visit the country some day. And of course, order a flat white in the process!

    Reply

    • Although I’m a big fan of cold brew and roasts from around the world, even if I’m not up for a cup of coffee, I still love checking out cafes whenever I travel. Usually, they’ll have tea or other things to drink, and I’ve found local ones are such a great way to really get a feel for a place.

      And, yes, the coffee scene in Oz is legendary! Even if you only have coffee once or twice, make sure to try a flat white + a magic, and most cafes in Australia have great brunch options, so they’re worth checking out for the fantastic food 🙂

      Reply

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