The Best Cafés In Geelong For Brunching in Style

Victoria’s second largest city has firmly established itself as a top tier place to eat and drink (have you checked out the best restaurants in Geelong yet?) and their café scene is no different. Locals and visitors are spoiled for choice with acclaimed brew bars, trendy bagel shops, family-friendly cafés and healthy havens all at their front door. Pick up a coffee on your way to the beach or refuel with a sit down brunch after your swim – you can’t go wrong with the best cafes in Geelong.

Blank Space 

Located at the River End of Pakington Street, Blank Space is a Newtown cafe with a passion for its tight knit community and for serving up some of the best brunch in Geelong. Owners Josh and Katie Armstrong have created a funky NYC vibe, providing exceptional Industry Beans Coffee, a season inclusive menu that caters for all....including cheeky cocktails! From Turkish eggs to a salmon deli plate, each brunch dish bursts with freshness and flavour. One of the best cafes in Geelong. 

4/343 Pakington Street, Newtown

Oh Honey

This dreamy, pink, plant-filled cafe boasts incredible coffee, a delicious and wholesome menu, friendly vibes and all the tasty pastries. Sangas, smoothies and frittatas are the perfect fuel at Oh Honey, alongside the colourful and leafy surrounds that await. 

Escape to this oasis to refuel, recharge, even to recreate your very own jungle back at home afterwards.

65 Myers Street, Geelong 

Tonton 

One of Geelong's best new cafes is the striking Tonton, where truly scrumptious, honest dishes are being crafted up to please locals and travellers alike. The venue is stunning, with the elegance of its design reflected in a menu focusing on seasonality and local produce. The menu changes regularly, and includes usual brunch suspects albeit with the cafes own unique spin. Go for the benedict on sourdough with bacon, poached eggs, zucchini pickle chip, hash brown and hollandaise, stay for the brioche French toast with pear, strawberries, salted chocolate ganache, hazelnuts and honeycomb. 

If you prefer your brunch more lunch-ified, expect to be won over by their flavour-bomb sticky palm pork belly, lamb shoulder with ancient grain salad and a cauliflower and carrot top pesto, or orange and beet cured trout. Delish! 

Sitchu Tip: There are private nooks, bar seating and tables abundant, ideal for both group brunching or sweet morning dates.

Unit 9/65-71 Barrabool Road, Highton 

Café Go 

An absolute charmer, this blue weatherboard café with a big leafy courtyard and a quirky vibe whips up creative meals six days a week. It's a truly wholesome affair, where comforting dishes like cinnamon porridge sits pretty alongside Persian eggs or Moroccan nourish bowls. Curl up and enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat in the warmth of their fireplace or head out back to the gorgeous, hidden leafy green garden space. There’s nothing else like it in Geelong! In short, you must go to Café Go; it really is one of the best cafes in Geelong. 

37 Bellerine Street, Geelong 

63 Degrees

Take a seat at one of the recycled timber tables at the laid-back 63 Degrees and get ready for a tasty brunch of creative global dishes. There's also a full vegan menu and plenty of GF options, room for 50 people in the heated courtyard and everything is served up with a smile - what's not to love? Oh, did we mention they're also fully licenced? Bring on a Sunday boozy brunch session with all of your favourite people! 

140 Pakington Street, Geelong West

Brother Lawrence

Brother Lawrence may be one of Geelong’s newest cafés, but they’ve quickly risen to the top of the pile. They’re making waves brewing rich ONA Coffee and slicing bouncy bagels from local artisan bakery Loaves by Lobbe, filling them with everything from smashed avo and hashbrowns to citrus cured salmon and lemony dill schmear. Feel like dessert for breakfast? They’ve got an irresistible spin on an Eton Mess available that layers berry labne with marshmallow, meringue, espresso brittle and fresh berries. Visit seven days a week at their location inside Boom Gallery.

11 Rutland Street, Newtown

Sodi 

The most dog-friendly café in Geelong has to have a place on our best café in Geelong list - but it's so much more than just pooch-perfect. Pakington Street's Sodi is an all-round gem, a fully-licensed venue crafting tasty cocktails alongside a menu designed to accommodate both humans and pooches. The food is incredible here - think everything from Mexican style zucchini and corn fritters to buttermilk cinnamon scroll pancakes, and a mushroom bruschetta with pico de gallo, parmesan, pinenuts and poached eggs. Delicious! 

149 Pakington Street, Geelong West 

Neck of the Woods

For specialty coffee and divine baked goods, look no further than Geelong's own Neck of the Woods! A humble husband and wife duo are behind the wheel here, serving up Campos coffee, tasty treats, and freshly prepared, light café fare. From classic brekky toasties to fresh berries, granola and yoghurt, and salted chocolate chip cookies paired perfectly with your coffee order, there really isn't a better way to start the day than with a visit to this charming spot. 

136 Myers Street, Geelong

The Local Geelong

Serving up a delicious array of hand rolled pastries and multi-day baked sourdough everyday from 7.30am, The Local Geelong is the Geelong café and bakery by day, wine by night we also wish was in our local neighbourhood. By sourcing the best quality local produce, their team of bakers are crafting out an impeccable range that changes daily according to seasonality. Think sweet and savoury croissants, pork sausage and folded egg brioche burgers and corned beef, coleslaw and cheese sandwiches, salted chocolate cookies and melting moments, even a potato and leek gratin Danish! They're also slinging up some of the finest coffee in town, thanks to the lethal combination of beans from Everyday Coffee and their team of very talented baristas. 

175 McKillop Street, Geelong 

Pavilion

Brunch heaven with a side of bayside views, don't mind if we do! Did you know that the storied Pavilion is serving up some of the best brunch vibes in Geelong? Developed in 1927, the boardwalk, kiosk, bathers pavilion, dive tower and swimming enclosure were built in the art deco style and have been refreshed and revitalised over recent years, bringing you a unique and versatile space. Nowadays you can enjoy a range of breakfast and lunch options available on their seriously fresh and crowd-pleasing all day menu. Favourite dishes include smashed avocado with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, black sesame, lime, feta, pomegranates and chilli, French Toast with roasted macadamia, orange blossom, white chocolate milk crumb, raspberry curd, vanilla ice cream and fresh berries, gorgeous Acai bowls, and their signature Eggs Benedict. Served with pulled beef brisket and chipotle hollandaise, it's going on our must-brunch list, pronto. 

95 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong

King of the Castle

You’ll feel like a king after recharging at one of the best cafés in Geelong that’s slinging coffee and brekky worth rising for. In a refurbished repair garage spruced with hanging plants, a sleek kitchen and a cabinet displaying irresistible sweet treats can be found at King of the Castle. There’s plenty of space for the hordes of hungry punters that come by each weekend, and their globe-trotting menu has something for everyone, from brekky tacos topped with buttery scramble to their ‘Thai poached eggs’, which layer herbs and chilli jam on crispy grilled roti. Vegans are also well looked after with a separate plant-based menu.

24 Pakington Street, Geelong West

Winter’s Cafe

This spacious and friendly gem on Pakington Street is a perennial brunch favourite. Winter's Café diverse, all-day menu remixes café classics, for example by adding pulled pork hash, corn, beans and chipotle crema for a Mexican spin on eggs benny – perfectly paired with one of their quenching breakfast sangrias. If it’s closer to lunch hour you might go for fresh, wholesome dishes like chilli calamari or a vegan green falafel bowl, or bust hunger with a crispy chicken burger and beer battered fries. They’re open from early morning seven days a week, and are great for families with room for prams both indoors and out.

330 Pakington Street, Newtown

Kilgour St Grocer

In an old corner store that’s been around since the 1960s, Kilgour St Grocer is a modern milk bar - and one of the best cafes in Geelong. They serve specialty coffee and classic sandwiches alongside sweet treats, fancy groceries...and waffles on the weekends! You'll also love shopping their curated hampers online, but visit in person and you get to build your own. 

164 Kilgour Street, Geelong

Kyosk

Start the day right with healthy, Asian-inspired breakfasts from this Ocean Grove mainstay. Any café can serve corn fritters and banana pancakes (and Kyosk certainly does killer renditions of both), but where else also does corn okonomiyaki and Korean-style enoki carrot pancakes? If you’re on your way to the beach grab a Proud Mary coffee to go from the walk-up window, but if you’ve got time to spare you’ll love sitting in the sunny courtyard reviving yourself over pots of chai with honey or hot ginger, pear and lime tonics.

91 The Parade, Ocean Grove

Coffee Cartel Brew Bar

If you’re serious about your coffee you’ll find the Geelong’s best at Coffee Cartel, a specialty roaster and brew bar in the city centre. Nab a spot at the communal table or people watch from the coveted window seats while sipping high grade coffees from around the world. Each brew can be traced from crop to cup, with beans grown sustainably and processed with utmost care. Try rare varieties before buying some for home, and we can attest that they make great gifts for the coffee lovers in your life.

1/80 Little Malop Street Geelong

Skinny Dippers

Skinny Dippers is one of the best cafes in Geelong for the quality of the dishes being served up day in, day out. They use fresh fruits and veggies, raw nuts and seeds, quality meats and try as much as possible to use the best locally sourced ingredients; the oh-so-healthy menu is carefully constructed to give you the best each season has to offer. Their are plenty of vegetarian and vegan-friendly options too, with an entirely separate plant based menu, as well as no-gluten fare that tastes really, really good. Go for their superfood smoothies, and seasonal greens plate, served up with vegan cheese, hummus, dukkah, lemon, pepitas and sunflower seeds on toast. Delish!

2 Lambert Avenue, Newtown

261 Myers Street, East Geelong

House Iberia

House Iberia’s satisfying breakfasts are worth taking your time over, so arrive unhurried and stay a while. They’re all about using quality local produce and treating it well, resulting in gratifying dishes you’ll want to have again and again. There’s open bagels layered with avocado and whipped feta or house smoked salmon and horseradish cream cheese; juicy cheeseburgers with freshly ground beef chuck and spritzy ice teas to wash it all down. If you’re after a cheeky breakfast cocktail they’ll do that too, serving up quenching Bloody Marys and sparkling mimosas to say ‘hello, weekend!’

137 Shannon Avenue, Manifold Heights

Born & Bread Bakehouse

There’s three generations of baking wisdom working the ovens at Born & Bread, which has become one of Geelong’s most treasured small businesses. Come for flavourful sourdough, pillowy focaccia and buttery brioche loaves, but stay for a hot coffee and pastry before you head back. The former mechanics garage is a warm haven of fresh bread smells and whirring coffee machines, and you’ll enjoy peeking into the production area where bakers are hard at work. There’s all manner of delightful savoury and sweet treats to brighten your morning, from cheesy scones and spicy nduja fougasse to delicate danishes and moreish cakes.

2/364 Pakington Street, Newtown

Geelong West Social Club

All you need for entry into this particular club is an appreciation for good coffee, music and a little banter. GWSC is a light and bright café emanating calming Scandi vibes and sharing the best of what the region has to offer. There’s flaky croissants and cinnamon-y morning buns from Local Bakery to enjoy with your toasty Supreme coffee, while more substantial bites come via chewy bagel sandwiches. Perch outside on a sunny day to enjoy the morning rays, or hide out indoors for extra warmth during winter.

1B Yuille Street, Geelong West 

Travelling through the area and keen to explore post delicious brunch at one of the best cafes in Geelong? Check out these gorgeous places to stay in Lorne or all along the Great Ocean Road. En route, surf your way across our road-tripper’s guide to the best beaches in Victoria.