The Eight I Ate: 8 of my Favourite Brunch Spots in Melbourne, Australia
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If there ever was a hill to die on, it would be the Melbourne food scene. And what a delicious hill. Melbourne cafe culture is some of the best in the world - for that, you can thank the Italian community and their love of coffee - and extremely competitive, to boot. The best meal of the day in Melbourne is arguably brunch, which Melburnians have elevated into an art form: from ridiculously photogenic superfood platters heaving with berries, grains, and seeds; to experiments with international flavours (2017 was the year of Korean-flavoured everything), to the hangover-friendly classic comforts of smashed avo on toast. I spent 3 weeks attempting to eat my way across the city and the suburbs, and although I hardly made a dent in the culinary offerings of Melbourne (I did say it was a hill to happily die on...), I can confidently recommend these 8 Brunch Spots in Melbourne that you must try the next time you are in town.
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THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MY FAVOURITE CHINESE SAYING “THE EYES ARE BIGGER THAN THE STOMACH”. I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER HAD THESE MANY FOOD COMAS IN SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME...
1. KETTLE BLACK
SOUTH MELBOURNE
The Kettle Black is an airy space within the last traditional terrace house on Albert Road, encompassed by a modern building that dwarfs the cafe. Inside, bright interiors heighten the languid desire to while away a lazy afternoon over coffee and brunch classics with a local flavour (Chili Scrambled Eggs with Cured Flinders Island Wallaby). We felt uplifted both from the ambience and the coffee - espresso made using Five Senses’ house blend for him, a latte brewed from Small Batch beans for me - and then I promptly put myself into a blissful carb coma with their famous ricotta hotcakes (rumoured to be one of the world’s best).
MUST TRY: Hotcake with Ricotta, Blueberries, Pure Maple, Double Cream, & Seeds (below)
SOUTH MELBOURNE
The Kettle Black is an airy space within the last traditional terrace house on Albert Road, encompassed by a modern building that dwarfs the cafe. Inside, bright interiors heighten the languid desire to while away a lazy afternoon over coffee and brunch classics with a local flavour (Chili Scrambled Eggs with Cured Flinders Island Wallaby). We felt uplifted both from the ambience and the coffee - espresso made using Five Senses’ house blend for him, a latte brewed from Small Batch beans for me - and then I promptly put myself into a blissful carb coma with their famous ricotta hotcakes (rumoured to be one of the world’s best).
MUST TRY: Hotcake with Ricotta, Blueberries, Pure Maple, Double Cream, & Seeds (below)
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2. LUCKY PENNY
SOUTH YARRA
If you’re feeling lucky, drop some coin at this charming cafe. Lucky Penny has brunch offerings for both the health-conscious and the health-careless: there’s the Superfood Breakfast Bowl (a smoothie bowl of fruit and buckwheat served with chia seeds and nuts) and on the other side of the coin is the The Breakfast of Champions (bacon, poached eggs, smoky meatballs, rosemary mushrooms, and chorizo beans). Can you guess which route I went down? Perfect for an energy-fueled start to a day of shopping on Chapel Street.
MUST TRY: Waffles topped with walnuts, peach, peach syrup, and ice-cream (above)
3. HARDWARE SOCIETE
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
Hardware Societe is one of those unmissable Melbourne destinations - there’s always a long queue of hungry foodies, both local and visiting, waiting up to half an hour to nab a spot at this compact French-Spanish cafe. I was happy enough to dine al fresco from my spot on Hardware Lane - there’s nothing quite as gratifying as people-watching in the sunshine over a plate of Lobster Eggs Benedict and an iced coffee.
MUST TRY: The baked eggs with chorizo and pimento is one of the more popular choices of their hearty Spanish fare.
4. TINKER NORTHCOTE
NORTHCOTE
Tinker Northcote came highly recommended to me by a Malaysian-turned-Melburnian. This cute little cafe in the suburbs of Northcote is brought to you by “Mischievious Little Dreamers” and the food, as well as the perky staff, reflects just that: cute, delicious dishes (with vegan options for more popular dishes). My eggs benedict waffles with shawarma cauliflower was nothing short of inspiring: the dense, fluffy waffles held the perfectly runny yolk without getting soggy; and my turmeric coconut latte was as delicious as it was attractive to look at.
MUST TRY: Can all eggs benedict come with waffle options? This is a game-changer (below).
NORTHCOTE
Tinker Northcote came highly recommended to me by a Malaysian-turned-Melburnian. This cute little cafe in the suburbs of Northcote is brought to you by “Mischievious Little Dreamers” and the food, as well as the perky staff, reflects just that: cute, delicious dishes (with vegan options for more popular dishes). My eggs benedict waffles with shawarma cauliflower was nothing short of inspiring: the dense, fluffy waffles held the perfectly runny yolk without getting soggy; and my turmeric coconut latte was as delicious as it was attractive to look at.
MUST TRY: Can all eggs benedict come with waffle options? This is a game-changer (below).
5. MISS JACKSON
ST KILDA
Miss Jackson...if you’re nasty! This charming cafe in St Kilda is anything but. Miss Jackson is hailed as one of Melbourne’s best hidden cafes (indeed, it’s tucked away behind Grey Street, and even inside the cafe there are sitting nooks aplenty for that cozy and discreet vibe) and also one of the best caffeine spots in the area, with coffee from New Zealand roaster Allpress Espress. This former restaurant storage space-turned-eatery is just as conducive to a beer in the sunshine as it is to a meal of the most decadent eggs benedict you’ll eat on this side of town.
MUST TRY: Pulled pork eggs benedict with beetroot on a bed of portobello mushrooms (below). I’m salivating just recalling it...
6. MATCHA MYLKBAR
ST KILDA
It ain’t easy being green. But award-winning cafe Matcha Mylkbar has done just that - dispel the notion that plant-based food is boring (although the cafe does have a cheeky neon sign with the words “Eating here was a big missed steak”) with their colourful and creative vegan fare. I always come for the puns - When Daenerys Wears Lycra (dragonfruit, strawberry, banana, passionfruit, and coconut water smoothie) is a favourite - but I stay for the green-bunned Matcha Burger and Flight (barista’s choice of 4 lattes; my favourites being peanut butter, matcha, and charcoal)
MUST TRY: Matcha Made in Heaven Pancakes (below) - gluten-free matcha pancakes with Himalayan salted caramel ice cream, raw chocolate sauce, candied cacao nibs, fresh bananas, raspberries, and candied peanuts.
7. HOUSE OF LULU WHITE
SOUTH YARRA
House of Lulu White is filled with nods to its salacious past as a former brothel - the luscious neon lips on the wall, being named after its one-time Madame, its menu with both “naughty” and “nice” sections; to name a few. Of course all the action happens in the naughty section: with seductive offerings that will fill you up all day (smoky bacon breakfast ramen with pork belly and crackling, swimming in 3-day miso broth, anyone?) to 7-days a week bottomless brunch sessions of 90-minute non-stop cocktails. It’s as much fun as you can have with your clothes on.
MUST TRY: Breakfast tacos with chilli scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, whipped smoked cheddar, and Lulu’s salsa.
8. BANG BANG
ELSTERNWICK
Bang Bang, my baby shot me down...well, Bang Bang at Rifle Club definitely shot down my plans for a day of sight-seeing with their decadent French Indochine food. Not even a perky Seven Seeds espresso could keep me from drifting into a blissful midday nap after a first-meal-of-the-day of salt and pepper squid, ceviche of the day, and soft shell crab bao burger with french fries. Honestly, I should have just given up on post-brunch sightseeing and taken a sun-drenched nap in their sprawling courtyard.
MUST TRY: The bao burgers (below). All of them.
