The Best Cafes in Port Melbourne for a Coffee Catch-up

The lively bayside suburb of Port Melbourne is known for combining inner-city ease with a laid back beachy lifestyle. It’s also home to a thriving cafe scene that has locals and visitors spoilt for choice. You’ll find long-standing local favourites, acclaimed roasteries, and cosy bakeries among its many venues.

Gear up for the day with a morning at any of these gorgeous spots that we rank among our favourites of the area. 

Frontside Food & Wine

Frontside Food & Wine in Port Melbourne is the ultimate spot for cosy catch-ups. With warm, sun-dappled outdoor seating, it’s perfect for sipping coffee and indulging in mezze breakfast plates with onsen eggs, tomato, avocado, peppers, cucumber, hummus, and flatbread, or French toast. For lunch, there’s hearty fare like steak frites and fried chicken sandos. Inside, the inviting atmosphere is perfect for lingering over a delicious meal.

Newly led by the talented Chef James Cornwall—whose impressive resume includes London’s J Sheekey, Melbourne’s Cumulus Inc, Seville Estate, Young Hearts, and Bonny—the menu strikes a perfect balance of comfort and sophistication.

1A Fennell Street, Port Melbourne 

Lucky Cat

Lucky Cat Bubble Tea is Port Melbourne’s sweetest new treat, serving up refreshing, flavour-packed bubble teas with a twist. From lychee black tea to bubblegum milk with soft white pearls, every drink feels like a little spark to your day. It’s the perfect spot to relax, sip, and enjoy a moment. They also offer banh mi if you’re feeling a little peckish.

4/120 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Lilijana Eatery

Is Lilijana Eatery the best spot in Melbourne for a deli plate? This charming new cafe in Port Melbourne offers a beautiful fusion of Eastern European and Nordic flavours, celebrating heartwarming comfort foods. Named after the owners’ late Nonna, Lilijana’s menu showcases house-baked pastries, rustic sandwiches, and deli favourites, all crafted by Head Chef Chris, who learned Nordic techniques during his ice hockey days in Sweden and Finland. With a focus on pickling, fermenting, and hearty baking, Lilijana is a true homage to family, culture, and exceptional food.

169 Bay Street, Port Melbourne 

Adette

She’s called Adette…and she’s serving up some of the best brunch in Port Melbourne. The new kid on the Bay Street block is serving up excellent coffee, smoothies, breakfast and lunch all day everyday. Choose from a creative menu of flavour packed gems; Biscoff French toast and breakfast burgers through to maple glazed pumpkin salad, tacos and spaghetti arabiatta with chilli prawns. There are even espresso martinis, watermelon cosmopolitans and Aperol spritzes alongside to help ignite a fun little boozy brunch moment. Need we say more? 

321 Bay Street, Port Melbourne 

Baba’s Deli

Baba’s Deli in Port Melbourne is serving up serious deliciousness with its mouth-watering lineup of focaccia, pizza by the slice, pastries, and coffee. Favourites include a vodka chicken focaccia layered with stracciatella, and a smashed egg and avocado focaccia made for your next morning breakfast on the run. But wanna know a secret? Tayta’s Falafel—an unbeatable, top-secret family recipe loaded with pickled turnip, eggplant, cucumber, mint, and tahini—is hugely slept on. Or try Rother’s Prosciutto sandwich, packed with layers of prosciutto, creamy stracciatella, lemon-parmesan rocket, and a house-made mushroom truffle spread.

Baba’s is where flavour meets fun, and it’s a must-visit cafe in Port Melbourne for when you’re craving a sandwich fix. 

295 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Vertue Coffee Roasters

Rocking some serious curb appeal, this royal blue roastery is serving up full-bodied brews with fuss-free bites to match. If you find yourself portside, Vertue Coffee Roaster’s tidy rotation of house blends and single origin espresso lay the foundation for a cup that’s perfectly balanced and meant to be savoured. A popular takeaway coffee spot for morning commuters, the food has been designed with busy locals in mind – think grab and go cabinet goodies that pair perfectly with your latte.

425 Graham Street, Port Melbourne

Local Rules Coffee Roasters 

A local Port Melbourne cafe with great coffee and good food, Local Rules Coffee Roasters is one sweet little spot, not least because of the mouth-watering jam donuts and yoghurt-parfaits-on-the-go popular with regulars. Stop by for a coffee, a wrap or avocado on toast, or stick around for heartier breakfast fare of eggs benedict, pancakes or their epic range of burgers. The Local Rules (with double beef patty, lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese and sauce) and Dr Vegan burgers (with pulled mushrooms, slaw, mayonnaise and chilli jam) are must-tries, washed down with a Biscoff shake, iced coffee or green juice. 

23 Centre Avenue, Port Melbourne 

Coe & Coe

If you’ve been to one of Coe & Coe’s other locations, you know to expect four things: great coffee, banging paninis, sweet treats, and all-around good vibes thanks to their top-notch staff. The same goes for Port Melbourne. Where breakfast is concerned, the egg and bacon panini with sweet hickory BBQ sauce is a simple classic. Come lunchtime we’re ordering the Burger Life panini loaded with chicken, cheese, avocado and jalapeño aioli – pair it with a juice or smoothie and you have yourself a mighty fine meal.

1 Fennell Street, Port Melbourne

Hurricane Handsome

This bright and buzzy corner cafe takes a round-the-world approach to brunch. Spy everything from smashed pumpkin with grilled halloumi, semi-dried tomato pesto, and fried eggs on toast, their signature grilled sweet corn and zucchini fritters with smashed avocado and feta, Spanish-style scrambled eggs, whole-grain porridge with turmeric, honey, fresh berries and granola, and pulled salmon tacos.

It also sports an outdoor parklet dining area, making it a lovely spot to catch some morning rays.

329-331 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Grey and Bliss Cafe

This local favourite is a stylish spot for top-notch coffee with a smile. We love the quaint décor – think stained glass windows, a quirky mirror wall and hanging lights made from vintage knick-knacks – but not as much as their healthy staples and delicious indulgences. Treat yourself to their cauliflower and potato croquettes, eggs benedict or signature ricotta and blueberry buttermilk hotcakes which come with maple-glazed banana, whipped mascarpone and crispy kataifi pastry. Heaven.

197 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Zoux Bar

Nourish thy self. Coffee, toasties and toasts, açai bowls, smoothies, and porridge are the order of the day at this health-focused café in Port Melbourne. In a smoothie state of mind? They range in delectable flavours from berry bliss to matcha, mango and pineapple. In the mood for something a little more substantial? Build your own porridge or acai bowl, or tuck into a pesto and avocado toast or veggie patch toastie, with grilled eggplant, sundried tomato, vegan cheese and rocket. Your mind, body and soul will thank you. 

53 Nott Street, Port Melbourne 

Heart Bakes 

Be drawn in by the magically delicious scent of freshly baked cinnamon scrolls—and stay until your heart grows three sizes. That’s the kind of wholesome goodness delivered in spades at the sweet little corner shop, Heart Bakes. It’s one of the best cafes in Port Melbourne to settle into, with great coffee in one hand and the perfect sweet treat in the other. From fudge chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake to breakfast muffins, Earl Grey cream cheese cupcakes, and the aforementioned cinnamon scrolls, the hardest part will be limiting yourself to just one or two picks from the heaving front counter.

220 Bridge Street, Port Melbourne

Station Street Trading Co.

You’ll find some of the finest fare in town at this inviting neighbourhood cafe. During winter, they’ll keep you warm with heating and blankets and soup of the day, while in summer, their wide windows let the sunshine stream on in. Sit down for classic brunch dishes that you can customise with countless sides, plus excellent coffee, milkshakes, smoothies, and fresh juices.

166 Station Street, Port Melbourne

Rock Paper Scissors

After 15 years building cafes and restaurants for other people, former carpenter Zack decided to branch out and start his own. Rock Paper Scissors has a gorgeous fit-out, with woodwork tables and accents (no surprises there), plus pitch-perfect Toby’s Estate coffee. Their menu is full of healthy delights and all-day breakfasts, with everything from buttermilk pancakes and smashed avocado, to a haloumi, pumpkin and grain bliss bowl and housemade bircher with strawberry labneh, plus a swathe of salads.

Drinks wise, take a smoothie to-go or indulge in a fresh juice or milkshake. It’s the quintessential Australian cafe that Port Melbourne does so well. 

136/138 Rouse Street, Port Melbourne

Now that you’ve had your fill of the best cafes in Port Melbourne, continue your brekky-and-brew exploration of the city with our favourite gluten-free cafes and brunch spots, plus these must-try new cafes. If you’re looking for a boozy good time, why not book into one of these epic bottomless brunches?