Best cafes in Croydon

Best cafes in Croydon, ranked

1. #1SUIAI Cafe for coffee and a light lunch

   $🌳 Reed Reserve, 2 min walk

   SUIAI Cafe is a small Japanese-style cafe on Hennessy Street, open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm and on Saturday until 1pm. Order the onigiri, with karaage chicken or tuna mayo, and pair it with a matcha or hojicha latte. Regulars call the coffee excellent and made to order. The homemade Japanese-style cookies are worth taking home, and the entrance is step-free.

2. #2Baked & Brewed Lebanese bakery for an early breakfast and fresh bread

   $🌳 Reed Reserve, 2 min walk

   Baked & Brewed Lebanese bakery is on The Strand, with a 6am start seven days a week. Ask for the manoush, and look for the bread, which comes out golden and fresh. The menu runs from breakfast through to afternoon tea, eaten in or taken away. Snacks and baked goods are made on site, and the bakery takes catering orders for events. Parking is listed, and the staff are welcoming.

3. #3Double Dose for a family breakfast with a kids' menu

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 J G McCartney Reserve, 3 min walk

   Double Dose is a corner cafe on Croydon Road, open from 7am daily and closing at 3pm on weekends and 3:30pm on weekdays. Order the fresh, tasty breakfast or lunch plates, or go vegetarian, and finish with the caramel cookie from the counter. Coffee is well liked, and takeaway coffee is available. The kids' menu, toilets and step-free entry make it simple with children, and dogs can sit outside. Some diners find the portions small for the price.

4. #4The Peaberry Cafe for a quick morning coffee and an acai bowl

   $🐕 Dogs outside🌳 Anthony Street Reserve, 2 min walk

   The Peaberry Cafe is a small cafe on Elizabeth Street that opens at 5:30am on weekdays, so it suits a coffee before work. Order an acai bowl or the toasted banana bread, and try an iced chai on a warm day. Coffee drinkers describe the brew as professionally made and good. The owner is friendly, and dogs are welcome outside. Anthony Street Reserve is nearby.

5. #5Croydon Brew for a footpath coffee and a casual weekday lunch

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Reed Reserve, 3 min walk

   Croydon Brew sits on Edwin Street, and its tables spill onto the footpath. It is open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 2:30pm and on Saturday until 1:30pm. Coffee drinkers name the cappuccino and iced mocha as favourites, and the coffee is fresh and well brewed. The menu covers breakfast and lunch with vegetarian options, including a roll on a sesame bun with meat and a fried egg. Staff take care with each order, and the footpath seats take dogs too.

6. #6Stranded Deli Cafe for a deli breakfast and a family lunch

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

   Stranded Deli Cafe is on The Strand and opens at 6am on weekdays and 7am at weekends. Start with the bacon and egg roll, a breakfast burrito, or the poached eggs plate with smoked salmon. A burger or a schnitzel sandwich has cost about $20 to $25. Prices are reasonable for the food, and service is prompt and friendly. It gets busy and noisy inside at peak times, so the outside tables are worth asking for. Table service, a kids' menu and dogs outside suit families.

7. #7Strandello for pies, a Reuben and a takeaway picnic

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

   Strandello is a bakery cafe on The Strand, open from 7am most days. Lead with the Reuben on brown bread, filled with house-made corned beef, sauerkraut and Gruyere, or pick a beef rendang pie. Regulars say the coffee is strong, and the cold brew is worth trying. A sweet finish could be the filo tart or the honey cake. Popular pies and sandwiches can sell out, so earlier in the day is safer. Dogs can sit at the outdoor tables.

8. #8Cafe on Strand for eggs Benedict and a long breakfast

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

   Cafe on Strand is at number 2 The Strand, open from 6am on weekdays and 7am at weekends. Order the eggs Benedict, which arrive cooked to order. Gluten-free dishes are kept under glass cloches at the counter. A kids' menu and outdoor seating make it a family stop, and diners describe the staff as friendly and attentive.

Compare best cafes in Croydon

The comparison table below lines up price, weekend brunch, outdoor seating and dogs for every cafe on the list.

How we picked best cafes in Croydon

Cafes are ordered by how well customers like them, with the feedback weighted so a cafe with more of it counts for more. Each one is then checked against this page's topic: the food and coffee on the menu, opening times across the week, and what its own page says about the food. Cafes that do one thing better than the rest keep their place in the order.