We eat at restaurants, but we live in cafes. They get us going in the morning, act as settings for catch-ups and consistently soothe and surprise us. Cavernous or cosy, hole-in-the-wall or hybrid wine bar, the best cafes are reliable, welcoming and always cheery.

City

Kudo

Gluten be gone

Kudos to this gluten-free idyll where coeliacs can roam freely across an artistic array of baked goods from former Sunda pastry chef Felix Goodwin and his wife Elena Nguyen. The cute hole-in-the-wall outfit has gallery-worthy displays of crusty loaves going the extra flavour mile (case in point: beetroot and black sesame sourdough). Look out for limited-edition creations such as rum-spiked caneles with Filipino coconut and palm sugar, and take care of the office lunch with extravagantly gooey tuna melts.

8 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, kudobakery.com.au

Kumo

Sweet and fluffy

The higher the pancake the closer to God at this city laneway joint specialising in Japanese souffle pancakes. Queues form outside the Scandi-cool space for the impossibly light, fluffy and buttery pancakes, all caramelised exterior and creme anglaise innards, customised with Nutella and strawberries, the funk of durian or sweet mango. The drinks list (all non-alcoholic) holds plenty of interest too, whether that’s hojicha (nutty roasted Japanese green tea) capped with a layer of cream foam, or a lychee, watermelon and mint mocktail with a lychee-threaded swizzle stick.

198 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, kumodesserts.com

Operator Diner

Nostalgic Americana

Tapping into Americana nostalgia most likely to have been absorbed from movies and music clips, this retro-swanky diner dishes up a canny menu of classics with Melbourne polish and a hip-hop soundtrack. Buttermilk pancakes are served with maple syrup butter, French toast is fluffy and cinnamon-scented, and an English muffin is the base for the breakfast roll, stacked with sausage patty, American cheese, a soft scramble and bacon chutney. Bottomless coffee is poured into chunky mugs and maple syrup is on hand for sweet, sweet comfort, proving every day that there’s beauty in basic.

Shop 2, 130 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, operatordiner.com.au

Square One Rialto

Concept cafe with a conscience

Want to eat at 10 restaurants at once? The menu at this soaring city atrium showcases 10 dishes from different chefs − anyone from local favourite Victor Liong to London-based Skye Gyngell − with a changeover every three months. Produce comes from associated social enterprise farm Common Ground Project; 10 per cent of proceeds return to the farm to fund inclusion projects. It’s worthy, but is it tasty too? Luckily, yes. Launch dishes include a hearty borek from Tom Sarafian and a purple yam waffle from Sydney’s Mitch Orr. Coffee is excellent, and ethical too.

525 Collins Street, Melbourne, squareonecoffee.com.au

Warkop

Indon on bread

Indonesian expats Barry Susanto (ex-Navi) and barista Erwin Chandra put their longing for the flavours of home into this buzzy sandwich shop at the top end of the CBD. The retro cork and rattan-decorated space is the stage for Indo-leaning sangas such as beef brisket rendang (multi-layered pastrami doused in rendang sauce with American cheese) or charry pork in shokupan with tangy pickles and black garlic. Unlike the OG Richmond cafe, the city location also has breakfast sewn up with the likes of sausage and egg muffin with chilli-spiked “bazzinga” sauce.

13 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, warkop.com.au

North

Chiaki

Coffee geek central

It’s hard to overstate the seriousness of the approach to coffee here: this is the place to have a squiz at a Bluetooth-controlled contraption for making drip coffee, or buy Brazilian-grown Japanese-roasted beans for $380 a kilo. But you can also land for a low-key latte, miso brownie and jazzy interlude in the calm, elegant space. The main food offering is ochazuke, rice with toppings such as wagyu or salted plum that’s then doused with dashi to create a comforting meal. The night-time mood is more izakaya with snacks and sake.

49 Peel Street, Collingwood, chiaki.com.au

Fenton Food & Wine

Community love-in

Drawing menu inspiration from its sibling organic farm on Melbourne’s north-western outskirts, this convivial hub displays subtle African influences, thanks to co-owner Nesbert Kagonda’s Zimbabwean heritage. That might mean fried eggs with chakalaka (spicy beans) and labne on focaccia, or a lentil and vegetable bobotie (think of a South African take on moussaka) with a creamy cap of egg custard. A cafe with a strong civic heart, Fenton has even spawned its own running club (sign up on socials), and if you fancy going deeper, farmhouse dinners on Friday nights are hearty, communal affairs.

158 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, fenton-farmhouse.com

Heide Cafe

Serene gallery pitstop

The cafe at this art museum park has the dappled shade of an impressionist painting, the clean lines of a modernist work and food to inspire a still life in oil − extra virgin olive, of course. Make lunch as simple as a sandwich and a park bench, or as composed as a crumpet piled with smoked kingfish. Both ploughman’s platter and vegetable risotto make the most of the garden: your rice may be stirred with bold beetroot or rampant nasturtium. The chocolate-cheesecake brownie is a key Melbourne snack, served at the owners’ first cafe more than 15 years ago.

7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen, heide.com.au

Ima Asa Yoru

Tokyo class, northside vibes

One of the city’s standout Japanese cafes has graduated to impressive Brunswick digs at the eco-conscious Nightingale complex, where ex-Supernormal chef James Spinks and interior designer Asako Miura ply the symbiosis between Japanese food and aesthetics. Elegant pots of matcha tea counterpoint rice porridge, kingfish sashimi on rice, or dry ramen with spicy pork mince, with add-ons like onsen eggs adding gooey-centred lusciousness. Look out for an evening izakaya menu, coming soon.

1 Duckett Street, Brunswick, imaproject.co

I Pugliesi

A bit of everything

This tiny cafe-restaurant-grocery store, selling everything from Italian cleaning products to moist fig cake, is straight from a side street in Puglia. Regular customers devour pesto orecchiette smothered in stracciatella, fragrant with summer basil preserved by owner Clara Mongelluzzi and her family. The espressos are excellent, Aperol spritzes boozy and the counter is full of takeaway deli meat sandwiches.

134 Elizabeth Street, Coburg North, ipugliesi.com

Mali Bakes

Cake catwalk

The towering cake creations of pastry chef Patchanida Chimkire are too pretty to eat without first posting an image to socials. Her original Thornbury shopfront has now been joined by a button-cute Fitzroy hole-in-the-wall with just six kerbside seats. Multi-tiered combinations of sour cream chocolate cake with peanut butter cheesecake and white choc buttercream, or vanilla cake with brown butter custard, are waiting for their close-up. Chocolate and prune cookies are less look-at-me but equally delicious.

627 High Street, Thornbury; 195 Moor Street, Fitzroy, malibakes.com

Quiet Time

Hip office caf

The homey vibe is like hanging in your best mate’s kitchen, while the on-site digital studio SkyLab Radio adds a dose of hipster cred. A favourite of the WFH crew, the laid-back Clifton Hill hang keeps KPIs up thanks to Proud Mary coffee and a vegan-allied menu. Well-balanced brunching swings from mushrooms on toast with sunflower-seed feta and chilli sauce, or overnight oats with stewed fruit and coconut yoghurt, to pickle-stuffed ham and cheese toasties and smoked trout and fennel potato salad.

656 Smith Street, Clifton Hill, quiettime.cafe

Rat the Cafe

Indie community space

This rat wears its heart on its sleeve, aiming to be an ethical and supportive employer, a sustainability champion and a community pitstop. The coffee is excellent and the food is always an adventure, using scraps and offcuts in creative and delicious brunch dishes. Purple carrots are baked in spent coffee grounds then served with poached eggs in chilli butter; pumpkin trimmings are fried to make a crisp toast topping; apples are even canned in-house to dollop over bircher muesli.

72 Wales Street, Thornbury, ratthecafe.com.au

Smith & Deli

Vegan game-changer

The poster chef for plant-based eating, Shannon Martinez, dazzles with her mastery of faux meats at her vast American-style deli. Grab a seat for buttery croissant, a big breakfast bursting with eggs, bacon and all the trimmings or a satisfyingly crunchy chicken schnitzel (spoiler alert: it’s actually seitan). Tap wine and beer amp up a sense of occasion, and make sure to pack your shopping bag for salumi, cheese and a huge array of products that will rev up your at-home vegan game.

107 Cambridge Street, Collingwood, smithanddeli.com

Sunhands

Sweet, simple, sunny

This new kid on the Carlton block is a triple threat: cafe, grocer and wine shop. In the corner Victorian formerly occupied by Ima Project Cafe (see Ima Asa Yoru, above), the offering is simple but assured. Dippy eggs are pure breakfast comfort, the day segueing to vibrant composed salads, fat deli sandwiches and cockle-warming mains such as osso bucco with braised beans and gremolata. Grab a sunny table along Drummond Street to celebrate aperitivo hour with Victorian wine or a Vesper martini, along with freshly shucked oysters.

169 Elgin Street, Carlton, sunhands.com.au

Tinker

Pro people pleaser

Complimentary sparkling water and pastries displayed like artworks under a glass counter ensure this member of the cafe group including Collingwood’s Terror Twilight and HiFi stands out from the crowd. There’s a slick feel to the whitewashed, minimalist interiors – all the better to let the good looks of the black forest pancakes with salted chocolate sauce and cherry cream cheese, or vibrant smashed peas (not avo!) with citrusy labne shine through. A wellness bent makes a vibrant hero of superfood smoothies, but there’s no shame in getting your vitamin C from a Bloody Mary.

235 High Street, Northcote, tinkernorthcote.com.au

Walrus

Peak Twin Peaks

A very cute West Coast diner has dropped on the east side of Sydney Road, next to Brunswick Ballroom. The only thing missing is Chevrolets parked outside. The impeccable design detail displayed in the timber booths and laminated tabletops is followed through in the menu: settle in for bottomless filter coffee (don’t worry, there’s good espresso, too), fluffy pancakes with whipped butter, and omelettes: try the Walrus with chorizo, zucchini and onion.

312 Sydney Road, Brunswick, instagram.com/walrusmelbourne

East

All Are Welcome

Winning at baking

East Ivanhoe is the latest lucky suburb to be adopted by baker and patissiere Boris Portnoy, after Northcote and Thornbury, and the emerging foodie strip is buzzing for his babka and baguettes. The organic loaves are a grab-and-go mainstay, but take a seat in the minimalist cafe for supersized sausage rolls in buttery flaky pastry, smoked chicken sandwiches with the fresh crunch of celery and green apple slaw, and a Wonka-esque selection of pastries chased by an Everyday Coffee espresso.

255 Lower Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe East, all-are-welcome.com

Hamlet

Backstreet beauty

With three outdoor areas spanning a quiet corner, it’s almost a shame to sit inside. But it’s nice there too, with stay-awhile rattan chairs and earth tones that offer muted contrast to colourful all-day dishes. Eggs and extras make bespoke brunching easy, but it’s fun to lean towards Asian flavours in dishes such as peanut butter noodles with wombok and coriander, or a green chilli larb bowl that works all angles by including smashed avocado. Bookings are accepted online and not a bad idea on weekends.

47 Marianne Way, Mount Waverley, hamletmountwaverley.com.au

The Hatter And The Hare

Destination brunching

There is no other cafe like this bustling Wonderland-themed destination in the far outer east, which has frequently changing decor and an expansive food and drink offering. The coffee menu buzzes from lattes to alluring coffee flights and cream-swirled Viennese Einspanner. The gateaux are glossy and elaborate, made in a dedicated pastry kitchen. The brunch menu is full of showstoppers − baked eggs share a ramekin with meatballs, smashed spuds and bacon crumb − and you can book in for high tea any time of day. Hatter is the big sister to cult bakery Drom, which is just next door.

Shop 1, 21 Scoresby Road, Bayswater, hhcafe.com.au

Hector’s Deli

Epic toasties and sangers

This cult-worthy backstreet Richmond haunt elevates the sandwich to an art form. Beef brisket with mustard pickles and kraut on light rye will whisk you to Brooklyn, while the chicken schnitzel with tarragon butter and pickle mayo flaps satisfyingly over the edges of its steamed potato bun. Owner Dom Wilton’s strong sandwich game has now spread its ambit to Fitzroy and South Melbourne, with both newcomers rocking the same sense of retro style.

94 Buckingham Street, Richmond, hectorsdeli.com.au

Kissaten

Japanese crossover

Start your day in Japanese style with an okonomiyaki pancake or a hearty ramen (pork sausage, roast tomato, mushrooms and a fried egg with noodles in broth is a cheeky play on the Western breakfast). Inspired by owner Adam Wright’s Japanese in-laws, the menu swings onto karaage tofu and edamame for lunch, but this convivial spot on a leafy Alphington street also packs excellent BLATs. For bonus points, the leafy covered courtyard out back is heated and pet-friendly.

538-540 Heidelberg Road, Alphington, kissatenalphington.com.au

Matilda

Cute and continental

Is it the croque monsieur, rattan chairs, striped umbrellas or shelves stocked with croissants? Matilda is a piece of Paris in the leafy east. Making the most of its quiet plaza location, there are picnic blankets to spread out on a patch of lawn and sloping benches on a hillside pavement. The dog menu is as long as the kids’ menu and includes “toasted scraps”, a pup-pleasing way of dealing with food waste. For people, how about overnight oats with roasted rhubarb, or savoury scones, nice with a cuppa or for a snack on the go?

15 Arcade Road, Mont Albert North, matildamontalbert.com.au

Matta

Suburban fusion

You know Melbourne really is the best place in space when you can sit with a dog or a pal at a footpath table in the eastern ’burbs and have single-origin filter coffee followed by bingsu (shaved ice dessert). Sweet, friendly Matta serves Japanese fusion with local smarts. Curry “omurice” (omelette rice) comes with “tornado” eggs swirled into a fluffy peak. Have them with crumbed prawns, or get your shellfish in a sando with crab meat and Thousand Island mayo.

55 Katrina Street, Blackburn North (also in Balwyn North), instagram.com/matta.melbourne

Ondo

Korean soul food

Both Australian brunching and diaspora Korean cuisine are refashioned in this calm split-level room. Come for a latte or lean into specialty K-drinks such as black sesame latte and sujenggwa, a cinnamon punch. The concise menu offers dishes either as meal or set − go the latter and you’ll get side dishes such as kimchi and rolled omelette, along with hero centrepieces such as tteok galbi, a simple but sublime pork patty, and gogi guksu, a famous noodle soup. There’s joy in sharing culture threaded through the entire offering.

48 Wattletree Road, Armadale (also in the city), instagram.com/ondo_melb

Riddik

Banking on brunch

If you like to brunch with a side of bling, look no further than this former bank building where a polished fitout attracts a like-minded crowd. It’s a place celebrating the brunch cocktail and with a coffee menu that ticks every box from espresso to pour-over, while the kids go for extravagant chocolate milkshakes. Solid food credentials see Melbourne brunch favourites get a glow-up: expect eggs Benedict with fried soft-shell crab and Sriracha, and smashed avo with poached eggs and crumbed mozzarella.

1-3 The Mall, Templestowe Lower, riddik.com.au

South

All Things Equal

Inclusive and warm-hearted

While most cafes are hiring, All Things Equal has a long waiting list of workers who are keen for shifts. The social enterprise specialises in employing people with disability, supporting them, training them and then sending them out into the broader community with skills and experience. The ethics are worthy, but you don’t stay busy in Balaclava unless the offering is on the mark. Hits on the pescatarian menu include the avo green Benny with tarragon hollandaise and potato roesti, and the nourish bowl with cauliflower rice and eggplant kasundi.

263-265 Carlisle Street, Balaclava, allthingsequal.com.au

Carter Lovett

Classy daytime dining

Always finding a balance between consistency and innovation, this highly professional cafe hits the mark for a classic breakfast (the pancakes and poached eggs are always on point) and the bold offering of French press coffee alongside espresso. Excellent service is a focus, with well-trained staff expertly navigating the indoor-outdoor space, fleets of prams and oodles of labradoodles. Weekend dinners are a neighbourhood favourite, offering sparkling bistro fare, great cocktails and smart kids’ menus.

329 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, carterlovett.com.au

Clementine

Smart and sophisticated

Clementine is hidden in a backstreet with an unassuming frontage, but the bells and whistles start chiming and trilling as soon as you enter. A glamorous fitout is the setting for amped-up brunch dishes that sound like they might be made for TikTok but are also built for diner enjoyment. Restaurant-quality options include tom yum fried rice with tempura prawns and pomelo, and the ridiculously indulgent wagyu mince Scotch egg served over boeuf bourguignon. Come back at night for the cellar supper bar.

67-69 Palmerston Crescent, South Melbourne, clementine3205.com.au

Juniper

Market-inspired eats

A minute from South Melbourne Market, tiny Juniper is the south-side sibling to Carlton North’s Florian and finds similar joy in community. The small menu is boosted by a laden cabinet of rolls and veg dishes to eat in or take away. The market breakfast sets the tone: continental and celebrating produce, it’s an arrangement of boiled egg, pickles, cheese and sliced meats. The daily roster of salads celebrates nearby stallholders too. Kale might be tossed with croutons and caper dressing; cumin-roasted carrots are dolloped with zhough-laced yoghurt.

269 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, instagram.com/juniper.eatery

Pique Nique

So Frenchy, so chic

Tucked in a backstreet near a pretty park and a popular tennis club, Pique Nique is a humble little gem, whether you’re seeking an urgent coffee hit from the kiosk window or sitting in the cute and cosy space for friendly service and neighbourly vibes. There’s Vietnamese talent onsite: spring rolls are handmade and served hot and crunchy with nuoc cham dipping sauce. Hoisin sauce is also made here and served with fluffy bao buns.

43 Union Street, Armadale, instagram.com/pique.nique.armadale

Terrace Cafe

Manic Botanic

Sitting pretty by the ornamental lake deep inside the Royal Botanic Gardens, this garden party on steroids comes with a battalion of can-do staff. Fight the crowds in sunny weather for an umbrella-shaded table and aesthetically on-point breakfasts such as poached pears and granola scattered with flower petals and mint leaves − or lean into lunch with a chipotle mayo-spiked fried chicken burger and a lime-driven spritz.

Gate A, Royal Botanic Gardens, corner Alexandra Avenue and Anderson Street, South Yarra, theterrace.melbourne

Willim

Neighbourhood magnet

An old milk bar is now a chic cafe with plenty of room for dogs and kids, and a menu that runs all the way from quick brekkie stop (overnight oats with coconut almond crunch) to languorous lunch options (gnocchi with fennel cream and mushrooms). There’s plenty for those with a vegan bent, including the epic eggplant schnitzel, crumbed slabs of goodness laid over soba noodles, turmeric-spiked hummus, a splodge of maple harissa and cashew dressing. Sounds busy, eats like a dream.

83 McKinnon Road, McKinnon, willimmckinnon.com.au

West

Cassette

Zero-waste taste

In the base of an eco-aware apartment building, Cassette is all about reducing food waste and engaging community: it was even named by the residents. A mix of loungy and laptoppy zones is bathed in natural light streaming through factory windows. The open kitchen is framed by jars of ferments, a signal to efforts to keep food out of the bin. Leftover milk is transformed into yoghurt. Peelings are dehydrated for vegetable seasoning. Orange pith is steeped in vinegar to use as cleaning spray. Cassette is creative and meaningful; the brunching is also delicious.

399 Macaulay Road, Kensington, cassettekensington.com

Dumbo

Multi-cuisine hideout

This WeFo winner has one of Melbourne’s coolest menus, darting from Filipino arroz caldo (rice porridge) to Moroccan zaalouk (a tomato and eggplant melange, served here with poached eggs) and Egyptian ful medames (a bean braise with hummus). The border-hopping approach is backed by strong cooking and informed service in a comfortable space with a large communal table, astroturfed parklet and window bench perfect for laptop tapping. Coffee and tea are approached with due seriousness: look out for the focus coffee highlighting seasonal beans.

11 Argyle Street, West Footscray, dumbomelbourne.com.au

Glory-Us

Local lovely

What happens when a fine dining pro (Mike Byard from hatted Pretty Little in Balaclava) and a chef with huge cafe cred (Tori Bicknell, ex-Mulberry Group, owners of Heide Cafe and Square One on this list) open a daytime hangout in an underserved suburb? Locals flock for ethical coffee, French toast topped with bruleed bananas, and jaunty chopped salad with green goddess dressing. Psst: there’s also a naughty but oh-so-nice chip butty with heaps of butter and an apple-laden spin on HP sauce.

62-64 Woodland Street, Strathmore, instagram.com/glory_us_

Lumen People

A happy hangout

Lumen People is a daytime draw and evening lure for simple, creative eating and drinking that speaks to the seasons. Coffee is ethical and meticulous; the food is spirited and joyful. Smiley wedges of pumpkin are roasted and laid over ricotta stained with ’nduja butter; sardines are piled on toast with sweet-sour onions and tea-soaked currants. The night-time idea is drop-in, low-commitment, not-too-spendy snacks and beverages. Everything edible or sippable is here for a reason, humble and respectful in a space that’s cheery and welcoming.

520 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, instagram.com/lumenpeople

Moon Mart

Quick smart Korean

Showing Melbourne how to do a convenience store, Japanese style, this button-cute spot is a place to stock up on pantry items like burnt honey teriyaki sauce, chilli oil and Chongqing popcorn. But it’s hard to resist the gravitational pull of the cafe where kimchi jaffles are funky with fermented garlic honey, and breakfast sets of milky spanner crab congee and corn represent the food pyramid. And if you’re a fruit sando fan, theirs is irresistibly made with sponge cake and whipped white chocolate.

11-13 Stawell Street, West Melbourne, moonmart.com.au

Roslyn Thai Cafe

New-style Melbourne-Asian

Start your day the Thai way at this already cult-worthy spot getting synapses zapping with bright aromatics, chilli and herbs. Pork congee harbouring an oozing soft-boiled egg and a fried doughnut will cure whatever ails you, while fried chicken green curry on rice combines two of Melbourne’s favourite things. Drinks and desserts are a standout. Iced coffee acts as a bridge between the two, thanks to thick coconut ice-cream and caramelised popcorn, while towering, brightly coloured cakes rock artfully delicious combinations like rose and lychee.

477 King Street, West Melbourne, roslynthaicafe.com

Sucree Dessert and Wine Bar

Sweet surprises

The name gives away the sweet focus, but this sleek cafe is as much about brunch and great coffee as it is about fancy desserts. Turkish ingredients reflect owner and pastry chef Elisha Kesici’s heritage: there’s sucuk sausage with scrambled eggs, and a kunefe sweet cheese pastry comes with stretchy dondurma ice-cream. Macarons are a signature: perfectly shaped, airy and crunchy in all the right places. Turkish brewed coffee is available alongside espresso, but you can also live large with classic cocktails or gather a group for weekend high tea.

20 Leake Street, Essendon, sucreedessertwinebar.com

The winners of The Age Good Food Guide 2024 Awards will be announced on October 30, presented by Vittoria Coffee and Oceania Cruises. The Age Good Food Guide 2024 will be on sale from October 31, featuring more than 450 Victorian venues, from three-hatted fine-diners, to suburban wine bars, regional chicken shops and food-court icons. Venues listed in the Guide are visited anonymously by professional restaurant critics, who review independently. Venues are chosen at our discretion.