Best brunch cafes in Carlton

Best brunch cafes in Carlton, ranked

1. #1Stevies Little Shop for a takeaway brunch with sourdough sandwiches

   $$Outdoor seating🌳 Barwell Park, 2 min walk

   Stevies Little Shop is a small corner store on Willison Road that sells brunch to take away. Order the BLT with bacon and spinach on sourdough, or the chicken salad from the fridge, which is the dish visitors bring up most. Hours run from 6am to 2pm on all seven days, so a weekend pickup fits before a walk. Barwell Park is a two-minute walk, although it sits in Bexley. Coffee drinkers rate the cappuccino well, so pair it with a pastry from the front display.

   Best for: Takeaway brunch and sourdough sandwiches

2. #2Unfiltered for a fusion brunch on a Sunday

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Stell Reserve, 2 min walk

   Unfiltered is a bright cafe on Railway Parade that blends styles on one menu. The beef brisket tostadas are the plate to order, and the katsu poke bowl and avocado charcoal toast also come up in visitor orders. It opens at 7am on Sundays and closes at 3pm, so a late weekend brunch works. The outdoor tables take dogs, and the room inside is calm enough for a laptop after the meal. Stell Reserve sits two minutes off, and a children's menu is on offer for families.

   Best for: Fusion brunch on a Sunday

3. #3The Fork on Bellevue for a Saturday brunch with kids

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 West Street Reserve, 2 min walk

   The Fork on Bellevue, on Bellevue Parade, has a covered outdoor deck beside its indoor tables. The forked bacon and egg roll and the hangover brekky burger are the orders diners name most, and the portions are big for the price. It is open Monday to Friday from 5:30am to 3pm and on Saturdays from 7am to 1pm, with no Sunday hours listed, so plan a weekday or Saturday morning. West Street Reserve is a two-minute walk, and the children's menu includes a non-spicy chicken wrap.

   Best for: Saturday brunch with kids

4. #4Sweet Marie's Cafe for a cheap, big breakfast

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Stell Reserve, 1 min walk

   Sweet Marie's Cafe is a low-key neighbourhood cafe on Carlton Parade, and one of the cheapest places on this page. The big breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages and toast suits a hungry morning, and the chicken banh mi is the lunch dish visitors keep returning to. It opens at 6am on Sundays and 5:30am on weekdays, and closes at 3:30pm on Saturdays. Stell Reserve is a one-minute walk, so eat first and then head across.

   Best for: Cheap, big breakfasts

5. #5Pantry eleveneleven for salmon on sourdough and latte art

   $$Outdoor seating🌳 Stell Reserve, 2 min walk

   Pantry eleveneleven is a bright cafe on Carlton Parade with Mediterranean-style brunch plates. The salmon on sourdough with soft-boiled eggs, pickled red onion and capers is a typical order, and the lamb and egg dish is another. It opens at 7am every day and closes at 3pm, so it suits a weekend brunch with friends. Coffee drinkers come in for the latte art. The room is compact and fills at busy times, and Stell Reserve is a two-minute walk.

   Best for: Latte art and salmon brunch

6. #6flourbomb for a weekday vegetarian brunch

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 West Street Reserve, 3 min walk

   flourbomb, a bakehouse on Planthurst Road, leans Middle Eastern, with wraps made to order and manoush on the menu. A vegetarian wrap is available, and a plate of grilled chicken skewers, haloumi and labneh comes with warm pita. The bakehouse case holds croissants, slices and a row of macarons. Its hours run Monday to Friday, 5:30am to 3:30pm, so skip it for a weekend brunch. Dogs are kept to the outside tables here, and West Street Reserve is three minutes away on foot.

   Best for: Weekday vegetarian brunch

7. #7LOB Cafe for a filling, low-cost brunch near Carlton station

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Stell Reserve, 1 min walk

   LOB Cafe is a friendly cafe on Jubilee Avenue, a short walk from Carlton station. It opens at 5am on weekdays and 6am on Saturdays, and closes at 2pm every day. Visitors describe the food as filling and fairly priced, and vegetarian options sit on the menu. Coffee is the main draw, with regulars praising its good finish and pleasing aroma. Stell Reserve is a one-minute walk, so a takeaway coffee fits neatly before a stroll.

   Best for: Filling, low-cost brunch near the station

8. #8Dilly's Cafe for an acai bowl in a sunny room

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Stell Reserve, 2 min walk

   Dilly's Cafe is a sunny cafe on Railway Parade, and its room catches the afternoon light. The acai bowl is the brunch order visitors single out, and the meals are fresh and nicely plated at fair prices. Lunch is served alongside breakfast, and younger diners get their own menu. It opens at 5am on weekdays, 6am on Saturdays and 7am on Sundays, and closes at 2pm at weekends. Coffee drinkers say the lattes come in big sizes, and Stell Reserve is a two-minute walk.

   Best for: Acai bowls in a sunny room

Compare best brunch cafes in Carlton

Price, brunch, outdoor tables, dogs and weekend opening sit side by side in the table below.

How we picked best brunch cafes in Carlton

Cafes are ordered by overall praise, weighted by how many people have weighed in, so a cafe with a long record of visits counts for more than one with a handful. Past that praise, each place was judged on its brunch dishes, weekend opening, dog access and outdoor seats. The write-ups draw on each cafe's own food and coffee notes and on the themes from recent visits.