In a whirlwind 12 months since Good Food reintroduced its Essential Melbourne Cafes and Bakeries guide, Melbourne’s dining scene has shown no signs of slowing down. Fine-dining chefs and industry veterans have unveiled bakeries to instant crowds, coffee shops continue to flourish and brunch knows no borders, spanning everything from avocado toast and nasi goreng to tofu brains, the jiggly Chinese soy breakfast pudding. Here are our top new picks cranking Melbourne’s brekkie game up a notch.
Vandels
Chef Shaun Quade (ex-Lume) and his partner, Veronica Fil, opened their timber-trimmed bakery in June and quickly earned a legion of hungry fans. Pies with soaring puff pastry lids (made with Lard Ass butter) are bestsellers. They might be filled with lamb shank, confit garlic and potato, or chicken in a mustard-cream sauce. Quade’s finely trained palate amps up everything from a simple pork-and-fennel sausage roll to a salted chocolate cookie made with nutty buckwheat and malted barley flour.
Good to know: Their pies are in hot demand so aim for an early visit. Right nearby, Ovens Street Bakery keeps the momentum going with legendary sausage rolls, well-priced loaves and danishes.
446 Sydney Road, Brunswick, vandelsbakery.com
Cham
Run by couple Tony Nguyen and Christa Chan-Nguyen, this cafe balances comfort with finesse. Banh mi chao – “bread with pan” – might be thought of as a big breakfast. House-made pork meatballs, chicken liver pâté and an egg mingle in a skillet bubbling with tangy tomato sauce; a crusty baguette attends to mopping-up duties. Vietnamese coffee is made with beans from a specialty roaster in Vietnam, Every Half. A Venn diagram of nerdiness and warmth, precision and enjoyment, Vietnam and Australia, Cham gracefully encapsulates the best of Melbourne cafe culture right now.
Good to know: Chef Tony Nguyen worked at key Melbourne restaurants Aru, Supernormal and Firebird before opening this.
25-31 Peel Street, West Melbourne, instagram.com/cham_melbourne
Aftermath
You need bacon-topped hotcakes. Your mate’s fanging a plate of huevos rancheros. Aftermath, a cafe run by footballers past and present, is that place. Sizzling away in the timeless urban hinterland of Chapel Street, it’s been described by co-owner Jordan Faulkner as “30 per cent Mexican flair, 30 per cent American diner, 30 per cent English greasy spoon”. The final 10 per cent? Straight Melbourne rizz: excellent Veneziano Coffee, burnt orange banquettes, deceptively laidback service.
Must order: Hangover-bustin’ braised beef tacos.
154B Greville Street, Prahran, instagram.com/aftermath_diner
Urbanstead
Perch at the communal table in this light-filled corner bakery long enough, and you’re bound to end up swapping gardening tips, catching up on neighbourhood news or trading recipes. Locals come for the community vibe but stay for the exceptional and ever-changing baked goods – from hand pies plump with silverbeet and ricotta and organic sourdough loaves to seasonal fruit danishes, a fleeting taste of peak produce captured in buttery pastry.
Good to know: Owners Michael and Pippa James offer regular classes sharing their biscuit, bread and pastry wisdom.
203 Langridge Street, Abbotsford, urbanstead.au
Roemah
Roemah means “home” and aims to provide a nostalgic sense of welcome for Indonesian Australians, and introduce Indonesian food to those less familiar with the cuisines of our northern neighbours. Co-owner Cindy Lomo is a qualified pastry chef, turning her attention to the country’s little-known desserts. Es pisang ijo sees plantain wrapped in pandan-green rice pancake served alongside coconut custard, shaved ice and banana syrup. It’s a fun and exuberant finale after one of the many variations of nasi goreng on offer.
Must-order: Beef cheek rendang, topped with kremes, a lacy cracker made from chicken stock and seasoned flour.
153 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, roemah.com.au
Breakfast Hola
Tofu brain. It’s not an insult, it’s a comforting Chinese breakfast food that dates back thousands of years: a soft island of silken tofu dressed in a savoury broth studded with mushrooms and coriander. Order it alongside baozi – yeasted buns stuffed with pork and pickled cabbage – and perhaps a bowl of fresh, warm soy milk known as doujiang served with savoury doughnuts (youtiao) for dunking. It’s fast, it’s cheap and, above all, it’s delicious breakfast fare.
Good to know: The meal deals are a real steal ($15.90 for a bowl of tofu brain, two baozi, one youtiao and one tea egg? Say less).
370 Queen Street, Melbourne, 0421 068 666
Daybaker
He worked at Tivoli Road Bakery, then spent five years at Small Batch coffee roastery. Now Charlie Duffy has a polished stage for his precisely formed pastries. Long-fermented dough drapes like fabric over the pork-and-fennel-seed filling of a sausage roll. Ham and cheese croissants are perked up with fermented green tomato, and a roasted broccolini sandwich gets a deli cabinet glow-up from fat green olives and capsicum-tomato pesto.
Must-order: Bomba Calabrese, a savoury pastry smeared with salty Italian chilli paste and finished with whipped ricotta.
66 Nicholson Street, Abbotsford, daybaker.com.au
Sett Coffee
Blink and you could miss this tiny hideaway. Beyond the understated street presence is a comprehensive drinks menu that offers more than your standard cappuccino. Code Black coffee gets paired with the unexpected – an iced latte that layers espresso with peanut cream and a house-made coconut milk blend is delightfully nutty. Classic coffee drinkers are covered too, with smooth brews and warm, considered service.
Must-order drink: Hallabong Bubbles – a bubbly citrus tea spritz bound to brighten your morning.
275 Adderley Street, West Melbourne, settcoffee.com.au
Butter Days
Helmed by chef and baker John Demetrios (ex-Vue de Monde, Omnia), Butter Days brings bright, Scandi-inspired energy to Malvern. The airy, open-plan space flows from a communal front table to a pastry showcase, straight back to a massive marble baking bench. Echoing its sunny logo, the signature sunshine bun − a sweet, round pastry with a golden custard centre – will put a smile on your dial.
Must-order dish: The BMO − “bolle med ost” (bun with cheese in Danish) − a sourdough roll filled with slices of gruyere and biteable butter.
209 Glenferrie Road, Malvern, butterdaysbakery.com.au
Cafe Effe
Coffee suprema girlfriend, gelato maestro boyfriend. A tale as old as time? Maybe not, but it’s a recipe for an excellent cafe (and a banging affogato). In the cabinet you’ll find darling tarts and galettes (often made with produce donated by locals), plus cookies filled with the likes of macadamia, white chocolate and the roasted green tea hojicha. At the counter: freshly spun gelato, six pots’ full. Ambient records line the walls, young families abound, Proud Mary coffee perfumes the air, and all is quaint in this lush corner of the world.
Good to know: A gelato flavour suggestion box is filled with community entries that are regularly churned to life.
1551 Burwood Highway, Tecoma, instagram.com/cafe_effe
Beautiful Jim Key
Serving comfort food with just enough finesse, this all-day spot will remind you why you go out for breakfast. The familiar combination of smoked trout and hash brown feels new thanks to a thatch of sorrel leaves, herby French-style fresh cheese, and a brick of golden fried potato. At lunch, find poached chicken with green beans, grapes and olives; gnocchi baked with mushrooms and bubbling taleggio cheese; maybe a fish burger. Plus, there’s room to sprawl, tables you can book, all-day breakfast, and water bowls for dogs.
Must-order: Avocado on toast with sesame, tomato, stracciatella and zaatar.
7 Wilson Avenue, Brunswick, beautifuljimkey.com.au
Wow Crepes
China’s canon of handheld breakfasts is immense; the jianbing is its feast de resistance. Batter is fanned out over a hotplate. An egg is cracked on top. It’s then fried, flipped and filled with a crisp wonton cracker, the sweet flour sauce known as tian mian jiang, spring onions and chilli. You might add a savoury doughnut, a sausage, pork floss, pickled vegetables – your imagination is the limit. Grab one on the fly at their shiny new location opposite Flinders Street Station.
Good to know: Got time? Take a seat at the original Bourke Street store and knock off a bowl of pumpkin millet congee.
276 Flinders Street, Melbourne, instagram.com/wowcrepeswow
Heebi
Named for the Japanese word hibi, meaning “daily life”, this cosy sibling to Japanese kissaten-inspired cafe Omo in the CBD acts as a third space for work-from-homers; a casual hang for uni students; and a destination for specialty coffee, matcha and baked goods. Warm, buttery shio pan, the Japanese salt bread, is baked fresh daily and best dunked in salty-sweet shio cold cream coffee. The fitout feels akin to a mid-century living room with dark timber furnishings, stained glass, and vintage furniture and light shades sourced across the city.
Must-order: Heebi Deep coffee with shio pan.
127 Pelham Street, Carlton, 127 Pelham Street, instagram.com/heebicafe
Elka
This sleek timber-and-concrete bakery is pure salvation for Heidelberg’s medical crowd. Arrive early – Elka’s pristine glass cases are quickly plundered of their contents, like house-baked focaccia loaded with mortadella, rocket, pistachio pesto and a kick of hot honey. Or classic, crunchy baguettes packed with ham, cheese and pickles. Wash it down with a San Pedro coffee for when you need a shot of caffeine, stat.
Must-order: Pillowy cinnamon scrolls feature mellow spicing and drippy vanilla and cream cheese icing.
120 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg, instagram.com/elkabakerymelb
Sabi Sounds
Plenty of cafes are turning into wine bars by night, but not many offer a sober space for evening coffees and chill hangs. Sabi Sounds is just that place. The Hawthorn listening cafe is the day-to-night counterpart to nearby Bar Selecta, serving Ona coffee, Japanese matcha and hojicha, alongside a selection of Japanese and Korean-inspired snacks – think salt bread, crepe cakes and garlic shokupan milk bread. By dark, lights are dimmed, mocktails are shaken and four listening booths open up. Book one free of charge and explore Sabi’s record library (also available to purchase), courtesy of Northcote’s Rathdowne Records – or bring your own vinyl. Chat, listen, play a game of chess and take in the calm.
Good to know: Community events are frequent – check the Sabi Sounds Instagram for live acoustic sessions, run clubs and more.
717 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, sabisounds.co
The 100 Essential Cafes and Bakeries of Melbourne 2026 launches on Friday, July 24. All venues are reviewed anonymously. The best way to experience the guide is the Good Food app, where you can search via a map or collections. It’s available as a standalone subscription and is included in premium digital Age subscriptions. Download it from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
The guide is published in the Good Food lift-outs in The Age on Friday, July 24, and Sunday, July 26, and the following week on Friday, July 31, and Sunday, August 2.
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