Best cafes in St Leonards

Best cafes in St Leonards, ranked

1. #1Caffelato for early coffee and fresh tiramisu

   $🐕 Dogs insideOutdoor seating🌳 Hume Street Park Expansion, 2 min walk

   Caffelato is the first pick, and it earns that spot on coffee and cakes. Customers name the mocha as the drink to order, and the fresh tiramisu is the cake they come back for, with the espresso soaking into the biscuits as it sits. The room is calm and private, so it suits a quiet sit-down before an appointment. Early risers can be served from 5:30am daily, with Hume Street Park Expansion two minutes on foot.

   Best for: Early coffee and tiramisu

2. #2Aaliyah Mae's Cafe for banh mi and pho at weekday lunch

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Naremburn Park, 3 min walk

   Aaliyah Mae's Cafe is the place for a lunchtime banh mi. Regulars order the banh mi roll, loaded with meat and pate, and the beef pho, which has a rich broth and plenty of beef. Vermicelli salad and spring rolls are also on the list. Weekday lunch gets busy here, but the tables turn over quickly. It trades weekdays only, from 6:30am to 3pm, and Naremburn Park is three minutes away on foot.

   Best for: Banh mi and pho on a workday

3. #3Cafe Cube 112 for takeaway coffee and a sandwich

   $🌳 Hume Street Park Expansion, 4 min walk

   Cafe Cube 112 is a small takeaway coffee stop on Atchison Street, run by a husband and wife team. Customers describe the coffee as smooth and good value, and they take away the chicken burger, generously filled sandwiches and banana bread. Staff remember regular orders, which keeps the line moving. Weekday mornings start at 6am and weekends at 7am, and Hume Street Park Expansion is four minutes on foot.

   Best for: Takeaway coffee and a sandwich

4. #4Orchid Cafe 38 Atchison St St.Leonards for a cooked breakfast and pho

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Wadanggari Park, 4 min walk

   Orchid Cafe 38 Atchison St St.Leonards sits on Atchison Street and pairs a brunch menu with Vietnamese dishes in a compact, unfussy room. Diners order the big breakfast with chorizo, poached eggs and crisp bacon, or a beef pho with a good portion of meat. The chicken avocado wrap is the lunch choice on the menu. It is closed midweek and opens at 7:30am, and Wadanggari Park is four minutes away.

   Best for: Cooked breakfast and pho

5. #5Chandos cafe for a takeaway coffee and a brekkie roll

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Wadanggari Park, 4 min walk

   Chandos cafe is a relaxed, low-cost neighbourhood stop on Chandos Street. The brekkie roll is the item to order, with a double macchiato or a hot chocolate with marshmallow to go with it. The baristas remember each regular's order, and lattes arrive with neat art. Mains fall between $1 and $20. Hours start 6:30am on weekdays and 7:30am to 11:30am on Saturdays; Wadanggari Park is four minutes away.

   Best for: Brekkie rolls and regulars' coffee

6. #6Charlie + Franks for big breakfast plates on the plaza

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

   On the Pacific Highway, Charlie + Franks puts breakfast and lunch on shaded tables across the plaza. Portion size is the usual praise for the avocado toast with house labneh and the breakfast burrito. The kids' menu includes pancakes, and the iced latte comes with a double shot. Weekdays it closes at 2:30pm, while Saturdays finish at 2pm, and Wadanggari Park is three minutes away.

   Best for: Big breakfast plates and outdoor tables

7. #7SANÁ SOCIAL for a weekday breakfast and coffee run

   $🌳 Wadanggari Park, 2 min walk

   SANÁ SOCIAL sits at the back of an office building on the Pacific Highway and serves weekday breakfast and lunch only. Visitors order the scrambled eggs on sourdough with ham and avocado, or the burrito bowl, and they add an apple muffin from the cabinet. Buy enough coffees and every fifth one is on the house. Conversation carries well in the bright room, so friends linger over it. Weekdays it is open 7am until 3pm, with Wadanggari Park two minutes off.

   Best for: Office breakfast and a catch-up

8. #8The Wooden Whisk for weekend brunch and burgers at lunch

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Hume Street Park Expansion, 3 min walk

   The Wooden Whisk sits just below street level on Albany Street, and it is the weekend brunch pick on this list. Diners go for the Phoenix Eggs Benedict, the Breaky Stack and the brisket burger at lunch. Espresso drinks are reliably strong, and a layered mango matcha is the cold option. Sunday trading starts at 7am, other days open at 6:30am, and there is a kids' menu with banana milkshakes. Hume Street Park Expansion is three minutes away.

   Best for: Weekend brunch and burgers at lunch

Compare best cafes in St Leonards

The table below sets the picks side by side, so you can compare hours, price and what each is best for.

How we picked best cafes in St Leonards

Cafes were ordered by overall standing, giving more weight to places many visitors have written about, then checked against their own pages for what the food and coffee are known for. A cafe stayed on the list only when it did something the others did not. Opening times, dog access, outdoor tables and whether brunch is served came from each listing.