Best cafes in Paddington

Best cafes in Paddington, ranked

1. #1Lil Garden Cafe for a slow weekend brunch

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Paddington Reservoir Gardens, 1 min walk

   Lil Garden Cafe is a small room down a laneway off Oxford Street. The smashed avocado on toast is the dish to order, and it turns up with salmon or with chorizo. Corn fritters, a berry pancake and several vegetarian plates round out the menu. The coffee is strong, and matcha is a feature. Weekend trading runs until 5pm, and the terrace allows dogs. Paddington Reservoir Gardens is only a minute away on foot.

   Best for: Slow brunch with a coffee

2. #2Arthouse Kitchen for a big breakfast plate

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Napier Street Open Space, 1 min walk

   Arthouse Kitchen runs an Italian-themed menu on Greens Road. The breakfast plate brings fried eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms and toast, while the B&E roll with hash brown and chilli sauce suits a lighter order. Pizza, pasta and panini sit beside the breakfasts, and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free eating is catered for. Weekday trading starts at 7am and finishes at 4pm; Saturdays close an hour earlier. Outdoor tables make a casual lunch easy.

   Best for: Big breakfasts and vegan options

3. #3Wolf Cafe for a flat white and a pear rhubarb muffin

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Strong Memorial Reserve, 1 min walk

   Wolf Cafe is a small neighbourhood spot on Elizabeth Street where the coffee does the talking. Flat whites and lattes lead the order sheet, and the baristas will often draw latte art. Sweet baking is the second draw, and one customer picks out the pear rhubarb muffin. The kitchen keeps to a short list of breakfast, brunch and lunch plates. Sunday trade wraps up at noon, and Strong Memorial Reserve is right around the corner.

   Best for: Coffee lovers with a sweet pastry

4. #4Mecca Coffee Glenmore Road for an iced latte

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Napier Street Open Space, 2 min walk

   Mecca Coffee Glenmore Road keeps the same hours every day of the week. The iced latte is the drink most often named by its customers. One visitor found a vanilla version more chocolatey than espresso-led, and another rates the piccolo highly. Food is limited to small pastries, with brownies and feta croissants the standouts. Bags of Mecca beans are for sale at the counter. Napier Street Open Space is a short stroll away.

   Best for: Iced lattes and beans to take home

5. #5Paddington Grind for a serious coffee and a salmon bagel

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Regent Street Reserve, 1 min walk

   Paddington Grind sits on Oxford Street and is one of the earliest openers on this list, starting at 5:30am on weekdays. The beans come from Toby's Estate, with the Woolloomooloo Espresso Blend as the house coffee. The kitchen's salmon bagel, brekkie roll and scrambled-egg avocado toast are the orders to make. Footpath tables suit a long, unhurried coffee. Regent Street Reserve is the nearest green space.

   Best for: Breakfast with a strong coffee

6. #6Apache Salute for scrambled eggs and minestrone

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Lacrozia Playground, 3 min walk

   Apache Salute is a local spot on Boundary Street that leans on its kitchen. Scrambled eggs and minestrone soup are the dishes diners mention most, and the sandwiches come up as well. Coffee is secondary here, and service is quick when you only want a cup. The room is clean and relaxed, and it suits a meal with children. Lacrozia Playground is a three-minute walk, a handy stop for families.

   Best for: Breakfast and soup with children

7. #7The Hood for excellent coffee and a chicken wrap

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Regent Street Reserve, 1 min walk

   The Hood is a compact cafe on William Street, with a few tables outside. Coffee gets high praise, and one visitor singled out the mocha. The chicken wrap with shaved parmesan comes served in a paper bowl, and a savoury egg and chicken muffin is a cupcake-sized frittata. Staff know many of the regulars by name. Regent Street Reserve is the closest park.

   Best for: Morning coffee and a quick lunch

8. #8Padre Coffee for a well-made coffee in the courtyard

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Gugara Park, 3 min walk

   Padre Coffee sits at Five Ways on Glenmore Road. The coffee is the reason to visit, and the beans are from Padre, a Melbourne roaster. Filter and espresso are both on offer, and self-serve taps pour hot filter and cold brew. Food is light, centred on bagels and pastries, so it pairs best with a coffee. The courtyard welcomes dogs, and Gugara Park is about three minutes away.

   Best for: Coffee lovers and a courtyard catch-up

Compare best cafes in Paddington

The table below sets out price, brunch, outdoor tables, dogs and weekend hours side by side.

How we picked best cafes in Paddington

Each cafe's overall reputation with visitors is weighted so a few glowing comments count for less than a long run of good feedback. Next, the menu, the coffee, weekend trading, dog access and outdoor seating were checked against what each cafe's own page says. Ties go to the cafe with more of those details on its page.