There’s a special place in heaven for venues that serve exceptional food in digs that ask nothing of their clientele. Where the likes of, say, salmon ochazuke are served with a side of comfort and an atmosphere done over-easy.

These are Melbourne’s best cafes for food, and forms part of Good Food’s Essential Melbourne Cafes and Bakeries of 2025. Presented by T2, the guide celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 10 categories, including icons, those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city’s best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. (These reviews also live on the Good Food app, and are discoverable on the map.)

Amara Coffee

Vietnam meets your local cafe at this west-side newcomer run by a super friendly couple. Coconut milk adds a tropical splash to Vietnamese iced coffee and appears again as a cooling scoop of ice-cream on toasted Publique shokupan. Brunch classics such as smashed avocado and granola are kept simple, much like the clean and calming fit-out.

Must order: Saigon pan – fried eggs, pâté and Vietnamese stir-fried beef, with a fluffy baguette for dipping (pictured above).

1/140 Victoria Street, Seddon, theamara.com.au

Arlo

There are all the things you’d expect from a cafe aiming to nurture regulars in a competitive bayside area: a friendly welcome, good coffee, eggs to spec. And then there are a few surprises. The menu leans a little Mexican, with charred corn on the avo toast, habanero dressing on the brekkie bowl and guacamole on the savoury waffles, all served in a glowing room with flexible seating.

Must order: It’s the last dish on an appealing menu, but don’t get distracted on your way to the chimichurri crispy spud, like loaded fries with a fresh makeover.

133 Ormond Road, Elwood, arlocafe.com.au

HK Cafe

Cha chaan tengs are Hong Kong’s beloved cafes where Cantonese and Western cuisine meet, and this modern example delivers the same trademark comfort food. Slide into a booth and tuck in to rice hidden under gooey scrambled egg flecked with shallots and slices of silky beef, with curried fish balls the perfect snack to order while you wait.

Must order: Decadent Hong Kong-style French toast, filled with peanut butter and dripping with condensed milk.

171 Russell Street, Melbourne, hkcafe.com.au

Athos

It looks like any other suburban cafe in Melbourne: tables and chairs sit outside, people in activewear come and go, and a glass cabinet holds large trays of salads and pastries. But beneath all that, Athos has an unwavering dedication to old-school Greek recipes and ultra-fresh produce – and the humble surroundings only amplify the feeling of striking gold.

Best for: Spanakopita from the former owners of Moonee Ponds Greek institution Philhellene.

8 Lloyd Street, Strathmore, instagram.com/athoscafedeli

Chiaki

Japanese ochazuke is a bowl that heals all: rice is topped with anything from pickles to fish, then covered with warm tea to bring it all together. Slurp it, pick at it, add wasabi: it’s your creation. Chiaki’s menu is devoted to ochazuke, with toppings such as grilled salmon and peppercorn wagyu. Also find Swiss rolls, bundt cakes and excellent coffee.

Must order: Lunchtime ochazuke “sets” include karaage chicken, an onsen egg and more.

49 Peel Street, Collingwood, chiaki.com.au

Little Z

Tucked between the hustle of Bentleigh and Moorabbin’s high streets, this warm-toned cafe feels like part of the furniture in the area. A focus on the basics helps – bacon-and-egg rolls, bircher muesli and French toast for the kids – as do seriously stacked toasties, including tuna melts, feta with greens, and chicken with aji verde (the Peruvian chilli-coriander sauce).

Best for: Brunch with the whole fam, now that a courtyard with play equipment is open.

73 Patterson Road, Bentleigh, littlez.com.au

Maria

This cute Mexican-inspired spot at the foot of the Dandenongs is the perfect reward for conquering the nearby 1000 Steps. Refuel in the sun-drenched courtyard with a burrito bowl topped with crunchy chicken-skin, or a peanut butter smoothie bowl bedazzled with raspberry jelly and granola chunks. Sip single-origin cold brew or go big with Mexican hot chocolate – it comes with a waffle-shaped churro for dipping.

Good to know: The kitchen excels at impressive vegan options, including the veggie-packed “benny” of roasted mushrooms, grilled tomato and cashew hollandaise.

56-58 Main Street, Upwey, mariamelbourne.com.au

Moon Mart

Unassuming, homey and brilliantly creative, the beloved Korean-with-a-twist cafe has been embraced by its new neighbourhood after decamping from West to South Melbourne. Breakfast might be house-made rye shokupan with char siu bacon, lunch could be an eel katsu sando on the go, or – even better – a rice bowl with hearty sides, eaten at the broad window bench. Moon Mart was awarded cafe of the year at the 2025 Good Food Guide awards.

Good to know: Look out for occasional dinners, where the team serves hanjeongsik, Korean set menus.

315 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, moonmart.com.au

Operator San

This well-oiled machine has brunch down to a science. The menu gives the typical Melbourne format a Japanese twist – think katsu curry meets eggs Benedict, and waffles with mochi-like stretch. More classically Japanese choices include salmon onigiri sets, ceremonial‑grade matcha and neon-green melon soda, a kissaten (coffee house) staple served here with a double shot of espresso.

Must order: Onigiri set, including furikake-seasoned rice balls, miso-marinated salmon, sesame-dressed spinach, tamagoyaki omelette, pickles and miso soup.

121 Therry Street, Melbourne, instagram.com/operator.san

Ophelia

The canny crew from cafe group Yolk (Terror Twilight, Convoy) has crafted a daytime restaurant on a lush corner site, with music on vinyl and all the brunchy stuff served with expertise and aplomb. Have your coffee as a cold brew spritz, dig into a buckwheat galette with rocket pesto, or wrap your hands around a vegan cauliflower sanger with fried chickpeas.

Good to know: Those cakes you’re loving by the slice? Also available to order whole.

85 High Street, Northcote, opheliawestgarth.com.au

Roslyn Thai

Don’t be fooled by the pokey front room. Whip around to the undercover courtyard and find tables of in-the-know diners tucking into fragrant bowls of caramelised pork belly on rice, creamy scrambled eggs with garlic soy prawns, and pork congee with silky-soft egg. But half the fun is the layered drinks, including iced espresso with coconut foam and a bittersweet mango-coconut espresso.

Good to know: Most of the savoury dishes sit below $20, enough justification to add a giant wedge of chiffon cake to your order.

477 King Street, West Melbourne, instagram.com/roslyn.thaicafe

Sana Coffee

In the backstreets of Cheltenham, new neighbourhood cafe Sana is starting to make waves. It’s light, bright and red-bricked, with a playful menu punctuated by Japanese flourishes. Some locals catch rays and sip strawberry-matcha lattes in the dog-friendly outdoor area, while others go with an appetite, digging into two-hands-necessary wagyu katsu sandos.

Must order: Udon carbonara, a Japanese-Italian hybrid that uses three cheeses. It comes with charred kaiserfleisch, smoked dashi, a soft egg and heaps of black pepper.

31 Ambrose Avenue, Cheltenham, instagram.com/sana.melbourne

Shamiat

After a year-long closure following a fire, this friendly family-run spot is back serving its Syrian specialties, from pillowy halloumi foldovers and crisp manoush (available dine-in or takeaway) to all-in Syrian breakfasts. A platter of light, fluffy falafel with fried eggs, stuffed eggplant and tangy labne requires a serious appetite, as does its vegan counterpart featuring vine leaves, cabbage rolls and silky hummus.

Good to know: Whatever you choose, be sure to add a pot of fragrant, cardamom-spiced coffee.

64 Victoria Road, Northcote, instagram.com/shamiat_northcote

Suupaa

From the team behind Richmond’s Future Future, Suupaa brings a taste of Japan’s konbini (convenience store) culture to Melbourne. The result? Deliciously thrilling. Go handheld with an egg sando all about floofy crumbed omelette and curry ketchup (pictured), or go big with tonkatsu, accompanied by a Vegemite and red miso sauce that might ruin the regular stuff for you.

Good to know: Takeaway options are abundant, from onigiri to self-serve banana cold brew.

1/65 Dover Street, Cremorne, suupaa.au

Terror Twilight

Let’s clear up misconceptions about the name first. It’s borrowed from an album title, not a mission statement for the daytime cafe, whose menu leans feel-good and wholesome. Options include bone broth, porridge made with steel-cut oats, and build-your-own grain bowls with toppings such as zaatar-roasted zucchini, grilled halloumi and house pickles. But no one will judge if you order bacon, pastries or a breakfast martini.

Must order: Spicy green eggs with spring onion and green chilli relish.

11-13 Johnston Street, Collingwood, terrortwilight.com.au

Good Food’s Essential Melbourne Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2, celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 10 categories, including icons, those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city’s best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. Download the Good Food app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to discover what’s near you.