Oh, brunch… arguably the best meal of the day due to its late morning time slot and overall selection of foods. There’s something about having an omelette at noon and sipping on a mimosa that just makes your day a little better. The overall food atmosphere of a city has a lot to do with the success of a brunch outing.
From my view there were many places in the world that better known for their cuisine, and I went to Melbourne with no food expectations. BOY, WAS I PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. The cafe culture in Melbourne is on another level and as a self-proclaimed foodie, I loved every second of it. Melbourne brunch options were like American food’s cool, hip, and healthier older cousin. This is next level kind of brunch.
After my first Melbourne brunch experience I spent a good chunk of time researching (Broadsheet and Urban List to find the clear front runners for food as well as upcoming events around the city) and spent time exploring new restaurants. My findings were nothing less than spectacular. If you find yourself jonesing for a good, no, great, brunch experience venture out to one of these cafes. In no particular order, here are my Top 5 brunch spots.
Breakfast Thieves
420 Gore St, Fitzroy
The baked eggs here are to die for. It is hands down one of the best meals I’ve had in my life. Pair it with some chai tea and enjoy! Warning – This one is a bit hard to find because its in the middle of a neighborhood.
Hardware Societé
120 Hardware Street, Melbourne
There is almost always a long wait for this place, but for good reason. The food options has a slight french inspiration with plating that begs for an Instagram post. Also, the brunch menu is an all day experience on Saturdays and Sundays!
cc license, free range jaceSeven Seeds
106-114 Berkeley St, Carlton
Seven Seeds was my neighbor during my stay in Melbourne (I legitimately could see it from my window). The menu is filled with fresh food options and they are a micro roaster of their own coffee. Grab a flat white here and relax for a bit in the very industrial chic open space they have.
cc license, The Integer ClubGlass Merchants
3183 280 Carlisle Street, Balaclava
This spot is in one of the suburbs but is an easy tram ride away. A perfect spot to kick-off a day trip to St. Kilda.
Grace
76 Rose Street, Fitzroy
Extremely easy to never find because its on a random street in Fitzroy and the entrance just looks like a wall with street art on it but its worth going a bit out of the way for. The outdoor seating is accompanied with giant shipping crate you can eat in and a mural of a blue haired goddess. I would skip the coffee at this place because the chai tea is served on a photo frame in a teapot and comes with a cool honey spoon. Also the banana bread is amazing beyond words.
Other noteworthy spots:
Manchester Press 8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne
Stovetop 100 Leicester Street, Carlton
Penny Farthing Espresso 206 High St, Northcote
Grub Food Van 87-89 Moor St, Fitzroy
Industry Beans 3/62 Rose Street Fitzroy
Stevie Baray-Forgét is a TEAN program alum and graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans. She studied abroad with TEAN in Melbourne, Australia.
