Melbourne

Patricia Coffee Brewers

Trendy, bare-bones, standing-room-only spot for artisanal coffee ground on-site, and small treats.

Mon-Fri 7AM–4PM · Takeaway · Outdoor seating · Wheelchair accessible

Madame Brussels

This English Garden party themed bar is on the roof and serves up excellent cocktails by staff in Tennis outfits. Cocktail jugs $30 and $50, 2+ and 4+ serves respectively

We,Th 16:00-23:00, Fr 16:00-01:00, Sa 12:00-01:00, Su 12:00-23:00 · Outdoor seating · Wheelchair accessible

Crossways

Tasty lunch cafe with a 2-course vegetarian all-you-can-eat meal. May be possible to work 30 minutes for your meal.

Mon-Sat 11:30AM-2:30PM · $9 · Fully vegetarian

Marios

With white tablecloths and old fashioned waiters, Marios is still serving good Italian-Australian cuisine and satisfying coffee.

Su-Th 08:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-22:30 · Outdoor seating

Bar Josephine

Casual, cosy, tucked-away bar with interesting beers (including a beer lucky dip!) with board games and repurposed bus seats.

daily 1PM-1AM

Brother Baba Budan

Speciality coffee shop serving cakes in a quirky space with wood panelling and bar stools.

Mon-Sat 7AM–5PM, Sun 9AM–5PM

CERES Community Environment Park

A place for community-based learning and action for environmental benefit, social justice, economic satisfaction, cultural enrichment and spiritual nurturing. Some of its facilities include an organic grocery open 9-5 every day with free live music on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, a permaculture nursery and an organic cafe. There's a visitor centre and regular workshops, a nature play area and an energy park displaying ways of harnessing natural power. There's much more: download CERES' "Chook" app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, or visit their website for much more info.

Park open during daylight hours, check website for hours of different sections · No entry fee, donations accepted · Free entry

Manchester Press

Specialty coffee, brekkie and bagels served in a light, vintage-chic cafe with eclectic decor.

Mon-Fri 7AM–5PM, Sat Sun 9AM–5PM

Mister Nice Guys Bakeshop

Vegan, egg-free, dairy-free bakery with gluten-free (and many more) options. Five choices of non-dairy milks for coffee and shakes.

Mon-Fri 9AM-5:30PM, Sat Sun 8AM-5PM · $11 dogs, baguettes and rolls, doughnuts, etc. $5.50, non-dairy cheesecake $8

Ollie's Deli

If you're ever in Footscray and feel like a gourmet sandwich that isn't a Banh Mi, this place is for you. They're so big you can easily share them, particularly the chicken schnitty and reuben sangers.

Mon-Fri 8AM-3PM, Sat Sun 9:30AM-3PM · Huge sandwiches $17

Banff Cafe

The Banff Cafe does delicious, generously-sized pizzas for $5.50 all day on Mondays and Tuesdays, and until 5:30PM the rest of the week. It is also good for happy hour from 3 to 6PM. A great place to sit outside on a warm afternoon. The building was once commandeered by the Americans as barracks for soldiers during World War II. It's an institution and the setting is nice, but the coffee is average.

8AM-10PM

7 grams

For a 'best in show' coffee (check out the shelves housing their trophies). Despite these grand accolades, the cafe is unpretentious, with an understated decor and a row of black-topped, chrome-legged stools along a mirror bar. It's an all Greek family affair, with the three Haralambopoulos brothers running the cafe, while their mother Georgia helps out behind the scenes.

Cafe Lalibela

Probably the best Ethiopian cuisine in the area, and not a main course over $12. Served in the traditional custom of sharing, the food is poured on layers of injera (flat, sour bread) covering one big plate to be shared by all at the table.

Daily 11AM-10PM

Queens Park

A place to spend a relaxing day. There's a rose garden, a sunken garden, a lake, a cafe, and a 50-m pool open from November to March ($5.70 pool entry). Monuments include a cenotaph remembering Australia's dead in World War One, and a cairn marking the spot where the doomed Burke and Wills expedition camped on its first night heading out of Melbourne in 1860. There's a children's playground and an island rotunda, and if you follow the website link there's a brochure for a free self-guided local heritage walk starting and ending at the park.

Warung Coffee

Great coffee and Indonesian-Australian fusion lunches. Try the beef rendang sandwich.

Wed-Sun 7AM-3PM

Block Arcade

A historic shopping arcade built in 1891, lined with boutiques and cafés, housed within carved stone and wood walls with a glass canopy above.

Mon-Sat 8AM-5:30PM, Sun 9AM-5PM · Built 1891 · Wheelchair accessible

Brunetti Oro Flinders Lane

A large Italian café, bar and restaurant serving a range of sweet and savoury food and drinks with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. One of two Brunetti Oro cafes in the city, the other being on Little Collins Street at Swanston Street.

Dukes Coffee Roasters

Speciality outpost crafting home-grown coffee in a stylish interior with light, wood-panelled walls.

Mon-Fri 7AM–4:30PM, Sat 9AM-5PM, Sun closed · Takeaway · Wheelchair accessible

African Town Cafe

More Ethiopian cuisine, while local regulars pop in and out for a chat over excellent $2 Ethiopian coffee. All main courses $10.

Queens Park

A place to spend a relaxing day. There's a rose garden, a sunken garden, a lake, a cafe, and a 50-m pool open from November to March ($5.70 pool entry). Monuments include a cenotaph remembering Australia's dead in World War One, and a cairn marking the spot where the doomed Burke and Wills expedition camped on its first night heading out of Melbourne in 1860. There's a children's playground and an island rotunda, and if you follow the website link there's a brochure for a free self-guided local heritage walk starting and ending at the park.

65 Degrees

The owners have a long history of accolades. Champion barista, world latte artist and award winning coffee blend, gridlock coffee. Fast, friendly service and some of the finest coffee around.

Naked Espresso Bar

They claim to specialise in serving and educating their customers all about speciality coffee. Their premium house blend, “Mega Choc” is always on offer, along with a rotating single origin of the day. Also on order are alternative brewing methods such as Aeropress, V60, Syphon and Cold Drip.

Brunetti

A large Italian cafe that does cake and coffee on a huge scale, with multiple counters and a ticket system to ferry you around. The Italian hot chocolate is worth the fuss. They also sell sweets and gelato. The cafe also pioneered the now ubiquitous use of environmentally precarious gas heaters to let customers sit outside, even in the winter months.

Mo-Su 06:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 06:00-24:00 · Wheelchair accessible

Sugardough

Quaint and lovely cafe. Another place that does a great breakfast. Egg and bacon panini or breakfast pie to start the day off, pies, panini and tarts for lunch and dinner. Cakes for dessert and a range of specialty bread to eat at home, including an olive sourdough loaf, and spelt bread.

Tue-Fri 7:30AM-5PM, Sat 7:30AM-4PM, Sun 8AM-4PM · Mostly between $5 and $10 · Outdoor seating

The Station Hotel

Footscray - Opposite the Town Hall. Casual bar, indoor and outdoor seating, coffee. One of the "Top five places to eat steak" as judged by The Age Good Food Guide Dining Companion 2010.

Daily 11AM to late · Outdoor seating

Axil

Shop with barista who won 'Best Barista in the World' award in 2022, serving coffee, brekkie and light meals. Multiple locations across the CBD and Melbourne.

Mon-Fri 7AM–4PM, Sat Sun 8AM–4PM · Takeaway · Wheelchair accessible

Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder

An established cafe with a wide selection of cured meats and cheeses.

7AM-5PM

Tiba's Restaurant

Tiba's Quality Lebanese food at very cheap prices. You can order a Shwarma plate for $14.80, and you will get rice, salad, bread, dips and meat. Again, this restaurant has large servings. They also have very nice Baklava and do great coffee. The front end of the restaurant is for take-aways, as they also do kebabs. The restaurant is 100% halal and alcohol free, however you can do take away on the food if you really need a beer.

Wed-Mon 8AM-10PM

Konjo African Craft

Store selling Ethiopian food and crafts: spices, flours, raw and roasted coffee, pots, wood craft, clothing and jewellery. Also has a cafe.

Chestnut Tree Bookshop

A new bookshop and hangout space with all the trimmings, including coffee and vinyl.

Tue-Sat 9AM-6PM, Sun Mon 9AM-4PM