Correction (1 October 2026): an earlier version of this page described meals first-hand, gave tips and prices we could not source, listed a Fitzroy restaurant and a music festival as Brunswick openings, and carried no dates we could check. It has been rewritten. Every opening below names its source and the date of that source, and nothing first reported more than about six months ago is counted as new.
The newest restaurants and cafes in Brunswick, as of 1 October 2026, are mostly bakeries: bougatsa shop Bougatsaki opened on Sydney Road on 19 September, a second Stefanino Panino on Glenlyon Road was reported open by Broadsheet on 23 September, gluten-free bakery Itera opened on Ballarat Street on 12 September, and Vandels, Simply Mike’s and Roll Bae arrived earlier in the year. Over the border in Brunswick East, Tenko Sake and Wine opened in the former Brunswick East Wine Store.
Each entry below has a status line, the source and its date, the opening date where one was announced, and what the site was before where the record says. Confirmed means the venue’s own website shows it trading at the address; Reported means a publication says so and we have not seen the venue confirm it.
The quick list
| Opening | Where | Source and date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bougatsaki | 403 Sydney Rd, Brunswick | Broadsheet, 19 Sep 2026 | Confirmed |
| Stefanino Panino (second shop) | 43 Glenlyon Rd, Brunswick | Broadsheet, 23 Sep 2026 | Confirmed |
| Itera | 4A Ballarat St, Brunswick | Melbourne Food and Wine, 10 Sep 2026 | Confirmed |
| Vandels Bakery | 446 Sydney Rd, Brunswick | Broadsheet, 25 Jun 2026 | Confirmed |
| Simply Mike’s | 871 Sydney Rd, Brunswick | Broadsheet, 24 Apr 2026 | Confirmed |
| Roll Bae | 99 Holmes St, Brunswick | Broadsheet, 17 Aug 2026 | Confirmed |
| Tenko Sake and Wine | 472 Lygon St, Brunswick East | Broadsheet, 27 Aug 2026 | Reported |
Bougatsaki — 403 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056
Status: Confirmed. The shop’s own site says “Now open” and gives 403 Sydney Road as its flagship store.
Source and date: Broadsheet, published 19 September 2026, reported that Kosta Kostidis and his mum, Martha Oplopiadis, would open at 11am that Saturday.
Opening date: Saturday 19 September 2026, as reported.
In the former: a corner tenancy inside Italiano’s Fresh Produce on Sydney Road, which Broadsheet says was formerly a LaManna fruit shop.
The shop sells bougatsa, a filo pie filled with semolina-vanilla custard, plus a savoury spinach-and-cheese version, according to Broadsheet. The business started as a pop-up at Northcote Festival. Its own site lists opening hours Wednesday to Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.
Stefanino Panino — 43 Glenlyon Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056
Status: Confirmed. Its own site lists the Glenlyon Road address under “Visit our new Brunswick store.”
Source and date: Broadsheet, published 23 September 2026, reported a second venue back in Brunswick. Broadsheet’s October roundup, published 30 September, notes the business left the suburb for Collingwood Yards in 2023.
Opening date: not announced in the sources we read.
In the former: a fish’n’chip shop, according to Broadsheet.
Stef Condello and his mum Diana Condello opened the original shop in Brunswick East in 2022. Broadsheet reports the new shop is takeaway focused, serves no alcohol, pours coffee from Genovese and runs the same sandwich menu as Collingwood. On the menu linked from its site, the caprese panino is $18, la cotoletta is $20 and a cannoli is $6.50.
Itera — 4A Ballarat St, Brunswick VIC 3056
Status: Confirmed. Its own site gives 4A Ballarat St, Brunswick, and says the bakery is dedicated gluten-free.
Source and date: Melbourne Food and Wine, dated 10 September 2026, and Broadsheet, published 3 September 2026.
Opening date: Saturday 12 September 2026, as stated by Melbourne Food and Wine.
In the former: the 300-square-metre former Hard Yakka factory, according to Broadsheet.
Itera is from Felix Goodwin and Elena Nguyen, the couple behind the gluten-free CBD bakery Kudo. Its own site lists a dine-in menu that may include congee pot pie, a tiger prawn burger and corn and gruyère rarebit with Vegemite butter. Broadsheet lists hours of Wednesday to Monday, 9am to 4pm.
Vandels Bakery — 446 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056
Status: Confirmed. Its own site calls it a family bakery at 446 Sydney Rd, Brunswick.
Source and date: Broadsheet, published 25 June 2026.
Opening date: Saturday 20 June 2026, as reported by Broadsheet.
In the former: not stated in the sources we read.
Vandels is owned by chef Shaun Quade, who left the fine diner Lume in 2018, and his partner Veronica Fil. The Sydney Road Brunswick Association lists pastries, pies, sausage rolls and bread made each morning on site. Broadsheet reports 20 seats and hours of Wednesday to Sunday, 7.30am to 3.30pm.
Simply Mike’s — 871 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056
Status: Confirmed. Its own site says “We’ve Moved to Brunswick!” and gives 871 Sydney Road.
Source and date: Broadsheet, published 24 April 2026.
Opening date: not announced in the sources we read; this is a relocation from Albion.
In the former: the business itself was formerly Cinnabuns in Albion. Broadsheet reports the name changed after a legal dispute with an American chain with a similar name.
Its own online shop lists a cinnamon scroll at $7 and takes pre-orders until 12pm the day before pickup. Broadsheet lists hours of Monday to Friday 7am to 2pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 3.30pm.
Roll Bae — 99 Holmes St, Brunswick VIC 3056
Status: Confirmed. Its own site gives 99 Holmes St, Brunswick VIC 3056.
Source and date: Broadsheet, published 17 August 2026, listed it among Melbourne’s new scroll shops of the year, and Broadsheet’s Brunswick roundup of 4 September 2026 lists it among openings since mid-year.
Opening date: not announced in the sources we read.
In the former: not stated in the sources we read.
Roll Bae is run by content creator Kristine Subagiyo, whose team bakes eight to nine flavours a day, according to Broadsheet.
Tenko Sake and Wine — 472 Lygon St, Brunswick East VIC 3057
Status: Reported. The bar’s own domain serves only its drink list, with no address on it; the Lygon Street address is Broadsheet’s.
Source and date: Broadsheet, published 27 August 2026.
Opening date: not announced in the sources we read.
In the former: Brunswick East Wine Store, the previous occupant of 12 years, according to Broadsheet.
Tenko is the first solo venture of sommelier Nicholas Oliveiro. Broadsheet reports a bottle shop inside the door, a 10-seat bar and Japanese-inspired plates such as udon carbonara. Its own drink list prices the “Women Who Make Cool Sake” flight at $50. Broadsheet lists hours of Monday 6pm to 10pm, Wednesday and Thursday 6pm to 10pm, and Friday and Saturday 4pm to 10pm.
Closing
Tiny Bar, Brunswick East. Status: Reported. Broadsheet, published 30 September 2026, reported that the five-square-metre bar is closing on 9 October as its lease comes to an end.
Also reported nearby
- Scroll Lab, 6 Grantham Street, Brunswick West: reported by Broadsheet on 28 August 2026 as just opened.
- Better Now, 130 Lygon Street, Brunswick East: a vegan bakery from pastry chef Jai Johns, in Broadsheet’s Brunswick roundup of 4 September 2026.
- Brunswick Eats, 120 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East: Zoe Pearce’s cafe in the former Milkwood site, in the same roundup.
Not counted as new
Patris, 140 Barkly Street, appears in recent roundups, but Broadsheet first reported it open on 18 March 2026, more than six months ago. The Brunswick Picture House on Sydney Road opened in November 2025, according to Brunswick Voice. Both are older than this page’s six-month window.
Quick answers
What new restaurants have opened in Brunswick?
As of 1 October 2026: Bougatsaki (403 Sydney Road, opened 19 September), a second Stefanino Panino (43 Glenlyon Road, reported 23 September), Itera (4A Ballarat Street, opened 12 September), Vandels Bakery (446 Sydney Road, opened 20 June), Simply Mike’s (871 Sydney Road, reported 24 April) and Roll Bae (99 Holmes Street, reported 17 August).
What has opened in Brunswick East?
Tenko Sake and Wine, 472 Lygon Street, reported by Broadsheet on 27 August 2026 in the former Brunswick East Wine Store. Better Now (130 Lygon Street) and Brunswick Eats (120 Nicholson Street) were in Broadsheet’s Brunswick roundup of 4 September 2026.
Is there a new bar in Brunswick?
Tenko Sake and Wine at 472 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, is a sake and wine bar with a bottle shop, reported by Broadsheet on 27 August 2026. Tiny Bar in Brunswick East is closing on 9 October, according to Broadsheet.
Are there new cafes or bakeries in Brunswick?
Yes, most of 2026’s openings are bakeries: Itera (gluten-free), Vandels, Bougatsaki, and the scroll shops Simply Mike’s and Roll Bae. Simply Mike’s lists a cinnamon scroll at $7 on its own online shop.
When did Itera open in Brunswick?
Saturday 12 September 2026, at 4A Ballarat Street, according to Melbourne Food and Wine. It is a dedicated gluten-free bakery from the team behind the CBD bakery Kudo.
How we checked
On 1 October 2026 we read each venue’s own website to confirm it trades at the address, then dated each opening from a published source: Broadsheet articles (dated in their bylines), Melbourne Food and Wine, and Brunswick Voice. Where a source gave an opening day we print it; where none did, we say “not announced”. Addresses were confirmed at a second source, including the Sydney Road Brunswick Association’s trader directory. Tenko Sake and Wine’s own domain shows only its drink list, so its address rests on Broadsheet and it is marked Reported. Prices come only from the venues’ own menus or online shops. An opening counts as new here only if its first dated report is from roughly the last six months. The photos are illustrative, from Unsplash: they show the kind of food, not the venue’s own.
Seen an opening or closure we have missed? Email [email protected] with the page link and a source, and we will check it.
Last checked: 1 October 2026.
Sources
- Bougatsaki: bougatsaki.com; Broadsheet, 19 Sep 2026
- Stefanino Panino: stefaninopanino.com and its menu; Broadsheet, 23 Sep 2026
- Itera: iterabakery.com; Melbourne Food and Wine, 10 Sep 2026; Broadsheet, 3 Sep 2026
- Vandels Bakery: vandelsbakery.com; Sydney Road Brunswick Association; Broadsheet, 25 Jun 2026
- Simply Mike’s: simplymikes.com.au; Sydney Road Brunswick Association; Broadsheet, 24 Apr 2026
- Roll Bae: rollbae.com.au; Broadsheet, 17 Aug 2026
- Tenko Sake and Wine: tenkosakeandwine.com.au; Broadsheet, 27 Aug 2026
- Tiny Bar closure and Stefanino’s return: Broadsheet October roundup, 30 Sep 2026
- Better Now, Brunswick Eats, Roll Bae: Broadsheet Brunswick roundup, 4 Sep 2026
- Scroll Lab: Broadsheet, 28 Aug 2026
- Patris: Broadsheet, 18 Mar 2026; Brunswick Picture House: Brunswick Voice, 26 Nov 2025
