In a city that loves coffee and good food, there’s never been a better time to discover the best Melbourne laneway cafes.
There’s nothing like discovering an epic food and coffee heaven as you stroll down Melbourne’s laneways. And with a city that buzzes off its coffee – you are never far away from a well-brewed cup.
The food scene in Melbourne is the envy of the rest of the country, and something that many other cities try to emulate. Behind every bar and cafe, you’ll find passionate people who want to bring the best produce, coffee and gourmet creations to the equally-passionate Melburnians.
If you are visiting Melbourne, we highly recommend trying the local food – and the coffee! – you won’t be disappointed. To save you strolling around Melbourne in hope of finding a hidden gem, here’s a list of Melbourne’s best laneway cafes. The only problem is how to find the time to try them all!
12 Best Melbourne Laneway Cafes
5 & Dime
16 Katherine Place, Melbourne
One of Melbourne’s best bagel houses, 5 & Dime is where you can load up on a bagel breakfast that will see you through a day of exploring the city sights. Try their crispy jalapeno and cheese bagel, or any of their other bagel creations and you’ll be recommending it to friends. The best part? It’s not going to break the bank.
Aix Cafe
24 Centre Place, Melbourne
Aix Cafe is Melbourne’s go-to crepe cafe. Whether you want their banana and Nutella crepe – a staple and favourite – or another marvellous flavour creation, you won’t be disappointed with this French treat. You can watch the crepes being created on the hot plates, or sit at the front and people watch as you eat.
Bar Americano
20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne
Bar Americano is standing room only – in the traditional Italian style of sip on your coffee and go. Down tow laneways, it is worth the effort to find. Fuel up on quality coffee and Italian treats during the day. Or visit at night when it transforms into a cocktail bar.
Chez Dre
Rear of 285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne
In a converted South Melbourne warehouse is where you’ll find Chez Dre, serving up delicious breakfast fare to the many hungry customers. The French influence shows on this cafe’s menu with pastries and baguettes top of the must-try list. If you don’t want to sit and eat, grab a takeaway coffee and snack and head out to explore this under-rated area of Melbourne.
Hardware Societe
120 Hardware Street, Melbourne
On Melbourne’s famous Hardware Lane, you’d be hard pressed to find a bad coffee. The laneway is a magnet for those in need of a caffeine hit, and is bustling with cafes and restaurants. Hardware Societe is down the end, if you can manage to bypass the other eateries you’ll find a busy cafe serving up French and European influenced food, with some excellent coffee to match.
Jungle Juice
20 Centre Place, Melbourne
This cafe is all about the juice. The popular cafe serves up freshly squeezed juices that will be a refreshing and energising start to your day. They do takeaway or eat-in, if you can find a seat, in the very small cafe space. It’s the perfect place to grab a quick brekkie – they also have a range of bagel sandwiches on their menu – and head out to explore the city.
League of Honest Coffee
8 Exploration Lane, Melbourne
If you are a coffee snob and proud to admit it, this is the cafe for you. You won’t be disappointed with the options on the menu at the League of Honest Coffee. In fact you might just have a hard time choosing what to drink. In addition to some of Melbourne’s best coffee, they serve up a range of noisette pastries that are the perfect accompaniment to your brew.
Little Mule
19 Somerset Place Melbourne
Little Mule is a bicycle shop turned cafe that’s making a name for itself serving up Proud Mary coffee, seasonal salads and nighttime jaffles. During the day you’ll find students and office workers grabbing a bite to eat. Then at night it transforms into a laneway bar with a great menu of beers, wines and cocktails.
Manchester Press
8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne
Once one of the city’s galleries, Manchester Press is now all about excellent coffee and bagel combos. While the menu has a range of items, it the bagels that bring customers in for breakfast and lunch. You’ll find this cafe is busy most of the day. So be prepared to try your luck on getting a seat, or grab a takeaway coffee and snack – you won’t regret it.
Rustica Canteen
33 Guildford Lane Melbourne
Follow the crowds to Rustica Canteen and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. This laid back cafe is in an old industrial area of the city centre and well worth the effort to find. The menu is made to please with cronuts and sourdough sandwiches top of the must-try list. Don’t be surprised if you have to wait for a table – its a popular lunch spot for Melburnians.
Shortstop
12 Sutherland Street, Melbourne
If donuts at any time of day sounds like a great idea to you – Shortstop is the place to visit. Though its a small cafe, the customers come in hoards and often spill out onto the street. With an ever changing menu you can try some of the popular sugary treats like Early Grey or a classic glazed – or try your luck on a new flavour like red velvet or peanut butter and banana.
Silo by Joost
123 Hardware Street, Melbourne
This no-waste cafe is the place to see exactly how an eco-friendly cafe can be run. It’s also the place to get quality food as well. With all kinds of waste saving initiative, don’t be surprised to see food scraps and napkins disappearing into the on-site dehydrator. Start the day with breakfast from the simple but tasty menu. Then come back for lunch or dinner and a drink at cocktail hour.
Take a City Tour with Go West
If you are planning a visit to Melbourne join us to discover what the city is all about. From coffee and food, to street art, shopping and more – this is a diverse city. On tour with Go West you can visit Melbourne’s iconic attractions all in a half day tour, in the comfort of our touring bus.
Learn more about Go West Tours
Who are we? We are a family-owned and operated tour business with 22 years in the industry. Today we are as committed to providing guests with an unforgettable experience as we were when our tours began back in 2000. We are the most highly-awarded tour operator in Melbourne and, in addition, we guarantee to provide you with an experience that is memorable for all the right reasons.
Written by: Leah Furey – Digital Content Coordinator @gowest.com.au
