Melbourne’s Best Cafe Openings of 2023 (So Far)

A few years ago, Broadsheet Melbourne published a story asking if our cafes – which had been groundbreaking and genre-defining for so long – were running out of ideas.

2023 proves that our cafe scene is as interesting and diverse as ever. We’ve seen businesses built out of pandemic-induced necessity come into their own, coffee innovators continue to thrive, and breakfast and lunch spots, many celebrating regional cuisines and dishes, which demand repeat visits.

Here are nine of our favourite new cafes from the first half of the year – which you can also listen to us discuss on our short-form podcast, Around Town.

(Also, don’t miss our recap of the best restaurant openings and best bar openings of the year (so far).)

Core Roasters, Brunswick East
Core Roasters is classic Melbourne – small street, small warehouse, small signage. Yet owners Michael Allen (ex-Small Batch) and Dani Sunario ensure it isn’t your standard coffee and croissant joint. Here you’ll find kaya (coconut and pandan jam) toast, char siu pork tarts and mushroom rendang pasties. Then there’s the coffee situation. Core has three machines from Decent Espresso – an exacting manufacturer founded by a software developer – and makes lungo-style long blacks. That house-made kaya is turned into a latte and topped with toasted coconut and gula melaka (palm sugar). Teas from India and Taiwan are brewed, iced and lightly gassed, then sweetened with fermented fruit syrups. And hot chocolate is house-made, from raw bean to final powder.

Disciple Roasters, Brunswick
Marwin Shaw has a rock-solid reputation in Melbourne’s cafe industry, having founded influential spots including Monk Bodhi Dharma and now-closed Admiral Cheng Ho. His coffee-roasting project, Disciple, always held a special place in his heart. So, it made sense that his next career move would be to sell the cafes and focus on roasting full-time. He likens this latest venue, the company’s tiny warehouse, to a “coffee cellar door”. The menu features eight to 10 different espressos every day, plus pour over options priced anywhere from $5 to $200 or more. Every cup is served black to let the beans’ characteristics really shine. There’s no dairy or plant milk at all – if you’re after a latte or flat white, you’ll have to go elsewhere. There are a few light snacks too, all made in-house, which have included curried-egg-inspired heart-of-palm rolls, spicy ginger-macadamia biscuits, and “peace cookies” made using a ’60s-era recipe passed down from Shaw’s mentor.

Good Days Hot Bread, Brunswick
It’s only just opened, but it’s a belter. Nam Nguyen, the man behind the excellent Good Days, started selling banh mi during lockdown – the rolls were so popular they’d often sell out via online orders before the doors opened. Nguyen has made them a permanent fixture at Good Days Hot Bread, which blends the core tenets of the French-Vietnamese rolls – pate, mayo, coriander, pickled carrot, cucumber and a protein in a crusty baguette – with next-level interpretations. The crunchy porchetta is difficult to go past here (with its five-spice rubbed and roasted pork belly, crackling, xo mince and coriander gremolata) but the vegan version is equally delicious.

Juniper, South Melbourne
When Dom Gattermayr and Rose Richards announced a sibling venue for their north-side favourite, Florian, the biggest surprise was that it would be south of the river. The duo’s gorgeous new all-day eatery is inspired by European espresso bars, with large windows, mirrors and warm timber furnishings. The menu features Asian flavours in dishes like mushroom congee with pickled mushroom and ginger, morning glory, soft egg and chilli oil. Juniper’s fresh, no-fuss takeaway options are also coveted, and its chicken sandwiches – freshly baked sourdough rolls with garlic mayonnaise, salsa verde, mixed leaves and crisp chicken skin – have been known to sell out well before the lunch rush ends.

Lumen People, North Melbourne
A lumen is a unit for measuring light, but for Emma Sheahan and Marichi Clarke, it’s the name of their light and bright North Melbourne cafe. Clarke returns to his chef roots with a simple menu – perhaps a Sot by Mork caramel bundt cake or Swedish cinnamon bun with Seven Seeds coffee or a key-lime-pie shake. For a savoury feed there’s Pepus tinned octopus with squid ink and guindilla peppers, and a hot-pressed sando with smoked caciotta (a soft, fresh Italian cheese), cheddar and quince. The menu expands on weekends with additions like the breakfast milk bun, which comes stuffed with pillowy omelette, cheddar and chives and – if you ask for it – sobrassada (a spreadable cured salami).

Mali Bakes, Fitzroy
In 2020, Patchanida Chimkire caused a sensation on Instagram, her account a welcome bright spot in an otherwise dark time. The formally trained pastry chef started baking and delivering treats around Melbourne, becoming known for her vibrant vintage-style cakes. In mid-June, Chimkire opened this cake window on Moor Street in Fitzroy, trading elaborately decorated celebration cakes for single-serve bakes that explore exciting flavour combinations and seasonal ingredients. The menu changes monthly, but the debut offering included a matcha chiffon roll filled with sake-soaked cherries and white chocolate cream; a Thai tea custard tart; a small brioche treat filled with chocolate custard; and a ginger layer cake with lemon curd, cream-cheese buttercream and Kissabel apple jam – all sold by the slice.

Moon Mart, West Melbourne
At this citrine-coloured gem, Eun Hee An of Sydney’s exceptional (but now-closed) Moon Park and Paper Bird serves stellar katsu sandos, char siu bacon and egg rolls, and the Japanese lunch set of our dreams. Moon Mart, which technically opened at the tail end of 2022, is a charming, unassuming convenience store with a small dine-in cafe. You’ll also find exceptional condiments and sauces, including burnt honey teriyaki, homemade gochujang and green chilli, and anchovy paste. They’re so good you’ll want to take them home to put on everything.

Quiet Time, Clifton Hill
This all-day to late-night cafe is where comfort food, music and art collide. It’s the first joint venture from couple Jack Burton and Jo Crago. By day, it’s a great spot to read or work with a pastry and a hot chocolate on hand. Breakfast might include overnight oats topped with stewed fruits, or a triple-smoked ham and gruyere croissant. Come lunchtime, it’s rotating soups and salads. And from the afternoon, it’s mostly bar snacks like dips and crispy flatbread, cheese and antipasto plates. Whether you’re there at 8am or 10pm, there will likely be cheese toasties loaded with extras like marinated eggplant and tomato, or triple-smoked ham with bread with butter pickles. By night, it feels like you’re at a friend’s house party.

Sunhands, Carlton
Heartattack and Vine duo Matt Roberts and Nathen Doyle join first-time owner Ishella Butler at this sun-drenched corner shop (the former Ima Project space) combining cafe, wine shop, deli and general store. Enjoy all-day dishes like the morning plate, which includes a soft-boiled egg, a slice of Akimbo sourdough, cheese, a protein and a daily selection of vegetables and ferments. There are also eight tables along the Drummond Street footpath where patrons can sit and discover a local vino. A range of Victorian wines – including Doyle’s own Upside Wine – are on pour and available for purchase, alongside other small-scale interstate drops.

Honourable mentions
The team behind Richmond’s Warkop opened its first CBD location, serving Indonesian-inspired sandwiches like the sambal-spiked Filet-o-Fish; Leaps and Bounds started up its coffee machine in Albert Park; and a Melbourne favourite, Ima Project Cafe, has finally relaunched as Ima Asa Yoru in Brunswick this month (our story on the new venue is coming soon).

We were also excited by the opening of Pawa Cafe & Bar in Southbank, where lilly pilly danishes and quandong croissants are just some of the pastries you’ll find at this Indigenous-owned venue that highlights native ingredients in new ways. Plus, soufflé pancake haven Kumo Desserts opened in the CBD, A1 Bakery got a Fitzroy store.

Audience picks

Additional reporting by Claire Adey, Nick Connellan, Daniela Frangos, Michael Harry, Sasha Murray, Jo Rittey, Katya Wachtel and James Williams