Breakfast in Melbourne CBD – Our Favourite Spots (2026 Update)
Last updated: 17 September 2026
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. At least one of our favourites. So much so that we’ll often have it for lunch and dinner, too. In this series, we explore some of our favourite breakfast bites across Melbourne’s CBD. This list has just been refreshed with a few new 2026 favourites.
When you think about Melbourne, you might think about food. We go for the theatre, the beer, the shopping (and not necessarily in that order). There’s one constant though: no matter what, we always wake up hungry for breakfast. We know, we know: Higher Ground is a big one. It’s beautiful, it’s buzzy, and yes, it’s probably got a queue halfway down Little Bourke Street by the time you’ve finished this sentence. But if you can’t get in (or can’t face the wait), these are some of the spots we love just as much, and often with a shorter line.
We often stay near Southern Cross Station for ease of access when we’re hauling suitcases. While there are amazing breakfast spots in Brunswick, Collingwood (think: Smith + Daughters), Fitzroy (think: Archie’s All Day) and South Yarra, sometimes it’s nice to just pad out of our hotel and find something reliably delicious right in the CBD.
Look out for the NEWLY ADDED 🆕 tags for our 2026 favourites.
Hardware Societe
While the original store in Hardware Lane might have been temporarily closed, the location tucked away in the laneway stylings of Katherine Place in the southern CBD is one of our favourite spots. A light-filled and welcoming space, we love it for the many vegetarian and vegan options. When we last went, it was baked tofu, an impossibly light souffle, a rich spinach dish and piping hot cups of tea served from pots covered in knitted cosies. We could eat those little donut balls that come with tea and coffee by the barrel load.
📍10 Katherine Place, Melbourne | Website
Grain Store
Just around the corner from Hardware Societe is where you can find an even more elevated breakfast or brunch, but still with a casual and friendly attitude. With breakfast served until noon, chef Ingo Meissner’s healthy, hearty and impeccably plated dishes include a classic smashed avo, a morning brioche with eggs, a bircher muesli for the health conscious or ricotta pancakes for the sweet teeth. (If you do eat seafood, why not go fully indulgent with a Lobster Eggs Florentine?) Lines start early, so make sure you book or plan to wait a few minutes.
📍517 Flinders Lane, Melbourne | Website
Bowery to Williamsburg
Up at the other end of town, this New York inspired diner locale was one of the first we fell in love with. In addition to the New York style bagels and broad range of schmears, there’s stacks for vegetarians. The corn and sweet potato hash and the Shakshuka eggs with zaatar challah are perennial favourites. (Pro tip: get the latter with halloumi – or better yet, get a whole side of potato latkes, cornbread or mac and cheese. Don’t forget the pickles). With communal tables indoors and outside, you might even strike up a conversation with a fellow foodie. Great spot if you’re looking for a bite before or after a trip to ACMI or Federation Square.
📍16 Oliver Lane, Melbourne | Website
Liminal
In the very heart of the CBD, sitting in the actual foyer of the T&G Building, this upscale eatery suits a casual breakfast, a business brunch or a quick dine if you’ve just stepped off a plane (as we very much did on our last trip). The crisp decor and various seating options are only matched by the lovely all-day breakfast menus. You’ll find your egg options naturally, and the obligatory avo toast, but also coconut and chia puddings, Corn Fritter Stacks and a whole lot of toasties. On our last trip, the Mushroom Toastie – with its vegan mozzarella, greens and truffle vegan aioli – scratched an itch.
📍161 Collins Street, Melbourne | Website
Captains of Industry
An all-day breakfast joint that’s part bar, part café, and shares its space with a barbershop, a tattoo remover, and a cobbler? Quintessential Melbourne. Go through the nondescript door on Somerset Place (just off Little Bourke Street) and head up the stairs to another unmarked black door. Don’t be put off by the rack of shoe forms — you’re in the right place. Expect great coffee and tea, fresh sandwiches, toasties, some tasty mains, and friendly service. Grab a seat by the windows and watch the world go by on Elizabeth Street. We went for the halloumi brioche bun and the Magic Mushrooms — a savoury mix of miso butter, mixed 'shrooms, kale, and feta on sourdough. (It can even be made vegan.)
📍 1/2 Somerset Pl, Melbourne | Instagram
Avocado Moment
While the menu of this fan-favourite seems to have undergone some changes over the last few years (wither the avo nuggets, sadly), avocado is still the hero. The beautifully displayed dishes are mostly variations of avocado on toast, with a few healthy bowls for good measure, but sometimes a single thing done well can be all you need. There’s about half a dozen vegetarian or vegan options, and we can recommend the Beet Power — who can turn down the beetroot hummus and feta cheese combo? — and the Morning Glory, which puts its avo and poached or scrambled eggs on a belgian waffle. The space is combined with a board game cafe, so you can play something nerdy while sipping coffee and tea.
📍 69 A'Beckett St, Melbourne | Website
Manchester Press
Named for the former printing press that once occupied the space, this busy laneway spot puts the spotlight on bagels — just in case you were in short supply after working through this list. There are also bowls and other bites to go with their famous love of good coffee and tea. Grab a seat at one of the heavy wooden tables and admire the murals covering the walls of this big, bright, and open interior as conversations swirl around you. It’s always busy, but we’ve never had to wait long.
📍 8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne | Instagram
Brick Lane Melbourne
This one might need no introduction. In fact, when we turned up twenty minutes after opening on a Sunday morning, we snagged the second-last seats in the place. By the time we left, there was a queue snaking into the verdantly covered Guildford Lane. The vegetarian options were plentiful — from a sweet potato smash to vanilla yoghurt panna cotta — but some of the standout dishes for us were the baba ganoush and halloumi on toast, and the corn and chilli waffles. (Yes, that’s basically a giant corn fritter cooked in a waffle press — and it was amazing).
📍 33 Guildford Ln, Melbourne | Website
Square One Rialto — NEWLY ADDED 🆕 2026
Sitting right there in the CBD, you might find yourself surrounded by business people talking business. But you’ll also find a sleek, multi-level restaurant with brunch and breakfast foods that extend deep into the working day. From standards like avocado on toast to potato and leak omelettes, you’ll find plenty of vegetarian options. We especially enjoyed the chilli eggs with whipped lemon feta, which had a little crunch thanks to crispy shallots, and the hearty gochujang braised beans on toast.
📍Ground Floor/525 Collins St, Melbourne | Website
Tomo Little Collins — NEWLY ADDED 🆕 2026
You may have to squeeze into the compact space on Little Collins Street, but this welcoming Japanese café packs a lot into a small room. From light breakfasts to comfort classics and gourmet toasties, we found ourselves spoiled for choice after randomly choosing Tomo off a map. There’s a little Japanese spin on most classics too, like the shichimi spicies on the avo eggs tartine.
📍382 Little Collins St, Melbourne | Website
The Journal Cafe — NEWLY ADDED 🆕 2026
An oldie but still a goodie. What could be more Travel While Nerdy than a breakfast cafe filled with bookshelves? Attached to the Melbourne City Library, this sits right on the bustling Flinders Lane. Sit down for a meal, a coffee or be like us on our last trip and grab a couple of pastries before hitting the SkyBus on the way to the airport.
Note: The City of Melbourne is moving the City Library to the City Village on Bourke St as part of their 2027-2028 CBD civic precinct revival. Here's hoping this cafe goes with it.
📍253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne | Website
Schmuck’s Bagels
Bear with us on this one. At first glance, this two-location bagel joint may be easy to walk past. Yet beneath the cutesy pop culture decor there’s some really good bagels for breakfast. Whether you’re feeling like a quick PB & J, a more indulgent strudel-inspired Stru Blue or a classic Avo Our Way (my favourite), this is a great option for a decent bite with limited time. It’s also right near Southern Cross, so you can easily make your way there between land and sea ports.
📍Guests Lane off Little Bourke Street & 567 Collins Street, Melbourne | Website
