The Best Cafes in Fitzroy North
This is your verified guide to the best cafes in Fitzroy North for 2026.
A cafe and a coffee shop are not the same thing, and Fitzroy North knows the difference. A coffee shop is where you grab a flat white and keep moving. A cafe is where you sit down, open a book you’ll never finish, eat something you probably shouldn’t, and watch the suburb wake up through a window fogged by its own espresso steam. Fitzroy North is full of the second kind.
The cafe scene here has matured past the era of “how many ingredients can we fit on sourdough” and into something more settled and confident. The best spots in this suburb aren’t trying to reinvent breakfast — they’re trying to make your Tuesday morning slightly better than it would have been otherwise. And most of them succeed.
From the Brunswick Street spine to the pockets near Edinburgh Gardens and up towards Queens Parade, here’s where you should be eating your mornings.
1. Loretta’s
Address: 380 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North Best for: All-day café dining, beautiful space, consistent everything
Loretta’s is the Fitzroy North cafe that converted. Three years ago it was a perfectly fine neighbourhood spot; now it’s one of the best all-round cafes in the inner north. The fit-out got a refresh — high ceilings, warm timber, brass details, and enough natural light to make every meal look Instagram-ready without trying — and the kitchen elevated its game to match.
Breakfast is the main event. The corn fritters ($19) are golden, crisp-edged, and come with a smoky chilli jam that lingers on your palate. The eggs Benedict ($22) uses house-made hollandaise that’s properly yellow and properly good. And for something lighter, the bircher muesli ($14) with seasonal fruit and honeycomb is the kind of healthy choice that doesn’t feel like punishment.
The lunch menu holds its own: a rotating selection of seasonal plates, a solid toastie ($16) that’s better than any cafe toastie has a right to be, and a daily soup that’s genuinely worth ordering even when it’s not cold outside.
Drinks are excellent across the board. Coffee is well-made, the chai latte ($5.50) uses actual spice rather than syrup, and the fresh juice selection ($9) changes with the seasons.
Insider tip: Loretta’s does a “cafe and catch-up” special on weekday afternoons — any main + a coffee for $22. It’s perfect for that mid-afternoon catch-up with a friend where you need more than just a drink.
2. Lune Croissanterie (Brunswick Street)
Address: 111 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy (near Fitzroy North border) Best for: Croissants that will ruin all other croissants, pastry perfection
Lune is famous, and for once, the fame is warranted. The croissants here are not just good — they are categorically the best croissants in Melbourne, which makes them the best croissants in Australia, which (and I don’t say this lightly) puts them in serious global contention. The classic butter croissant ($5.50) is so precisely laminated that each layer shatters individually as you bite through. The almond croissant ($8) is a meal unto itself.
The Fitzroy location sits on the southern edge of Fitzroy North’s orbit, making it accessible from both suburbs. The café space inside the old converted building is industrial-chic with a glass viewing window where you can watch the bakers working — and “working” is the right word, because what they do is closer to engineering than cooking.
Beyond croissants, Lune does a solid coffee ($4.80) and a small selection of savoury options, but honestly, if you’re coming here for anything other than the pastries, you’re missing the point.
Insider tip: The croissants sell out, especially on weekends. Arrive before 9am or pre-order online. The ham and cheese croissant ($9) at 8:45am on a Saturday is one of Melbourne’s greatest food experiences.
3. Code Black Coffee
Address: 156 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North Best for: Minimalist café experience, serious coffee, light bites
Code Black is a café that knows exactly what it is: a place for excellent coffee in a considered space. The menu is deliberately narrow — pastries, toast, maybe a bagel — because the focus here is on the coffee program, which is genuinely exceptional.
The espresso-based drinks are consistently well-made, with the house blend offering a smooth, chocolate-forward profile that suits the dark, moody interior. Single-origin pour-overs ($6.50) rotate regularly and the baristas can guide you through flavour notes with genuine enthusiasm rather than scripted knowledge.
The food, what there is of it, is good. The sourdough toast with house-made jam ($12) is a simple pleasure done well. The pastries are sourced from a local bakery and always fresh. This isn’t a brunch destination — it’s a coffee destination that happens to keep you fed.
The space itself deserves mention: all dark walls, exposed concrete, and industrial lighting. It feels more like a design studio than a cafe, and there’s a particular pleasure in drinking a perfectly made flat white in a room that looks like it was designed to be photographed.
Insider tip: Code Black offers bean subscriptions — freshly roasted beans delivered to your door weekly or fortnightly. If you find yourself buying bags every visit, the subscription ($22/bag) saves money and ensures you never run out.
4. Industry Beans
Address: 47 Rose Street, Fitzroy Best for: Brunch that’s actually exciting, innovative dishes, space
Industry Beans straddles the Fitzroy/Fitzroy North line and has been a brunch destination for years. The Rose Street location is spacious, filled with light, and designed to handle crowds — which is good, because there are always crowds.
The food here is ambitious in the best way. The truffle scrambled eggs ($22) are legendary — creamy, properly seasoned, served on brioche toast with a scattering of shaved truffle that turns a simple dish into something you’ll think about days later. The Big Mex ($24) is a full Mexican-inspired breakfast with chorizo, avocado, chipotle, and eggs that sounds like a mess and tastes like genius. The coffee flight ($16) lets you try three different brew methods in one sitting.
For lighter options, the smashed avo ($19) is one of the better versions in Melbourne — good avocado, good bread, properly seasoned, and it’s been doing this long enough that the recipe is locked in.
Industry Beans does get busy. Very busy. Weekend waits of 20-30 minutes are common, and the queue out the door is part of the experience whether you like it or not.
Insider tip: If you don’t want to wait, Industry Beans does takeaway from a separate window. Same food, same coffee, no queue. Grab your order and walk five minutes to Edinburgh Gardens for a picnic brunch that’s better than most restaurant meals.
5. The Black Cat Café
Address: 256 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Best for: Vegetarian and vegan options, artsy vibe, cat-themed everything
The Black Cat has been a Brunswick Street fixture for years, catering to the plant-based crowd before it was trendy. The menu is fully vegetarian with extensive vegan options, and the kitchen takes the “vegan food should be delicious, not just ethical” approach seriously.
The tofu scramble ($17) is a standout — seasoned with turmeric, nutritional yeast, and enough flavour that you forget it’s not eggs. The vegan big breakfast ($23) covers all the bases: hash browns, mushrooms, avocado, sourdough, and a cashew-based hollandaise that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. For sweet tooth situations, the banana bread ($9) is thick, warm, and served with a coconut cream that melts into every crevice.
The coffee is good ($4.50-$5), with oat milk included in the standard price rather than charged as an add-on — a small but significant gesture that tells you this place understands its audience.
The space is eclectic: mismatched furniture, local art on the walls, bookshelves, and the kind of ambient noise that makes solo dining feel comfortable rather than lonely.
Insider tip: The Black Cat does a “Lunch Special” Mon-Fri — any main + a drink for $20. It’s one of the cheapest sit-down meals in the inner north and the quality doesn’t dip.
6. Delphi Café
Address: 379 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North Best for: Greek-influenced breakfast, neighbourhood warmth, generous portions
The Delphi brings something genuinely different to the Fitzroy North café scene: Greek-influenced breakfast that feels like it’s made by someone’s grandmother (in the best possible way). While most cafes in the area are fighting over who can make the most photogenic avo toast, the Delphi is quietly serving spanakopita for breakfast and it’s glorious.
The breakfast menu includes a classic Greek fry-up ($18) with eggs, halloumi, olives, tomato, and thick-cut bread. The breakfast gyro ($16) is exactly what it sounds like: a morning-appropriate wrap with scrambled eggs, feta, and herbs wrapped in warm pita. And the bougatsa ($12) — a warm, flaky pastry filled with custard and dusted with cinnamon — is the kind of breakfast that makes you question why you ever settled for cereal.
Coffee is solid and affordable ($4.50), and the Greek-style iced coffee ($7) in summer is a legitimate alternative to the standard cold brew.
The atmosphere is pure neighbourhood café: friendly, unhurried, and populated by regulars who’ve been coming for years. The staff greet half the room by name, and the other half by their second visit.
Insider tip: Sunday mornings at the Delphi have a particular energy — post-Edinburgh Gardens joggers mixing with families and hangover survivors. Arrive by 9:30am to beat the rush or wait until after 11:30 when it thins out.
7. Bababababababa
Address: 206 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy North Best for: Turkish-inspired brunch, something genuinely different, small space charm
Bababababababa (yes, that’s the name — five “babas”) is one of those small, passionate operations that Fitzroy North produces better than anywhere else in Melbourne. This Turkish-inspired café serves a brunch menu that’s a genuine departure from the avocado-toast-industrial complex.
The Turkish eggs ($17) — yogurt, chilli butter, soft eggs, and warm bread — are a breakfast revelation. The breakfast pide ($19) is a boat-shaped flatbread loaded with egg, cheese, and herbs that makes you wonder why every brunch menu doesn’t include pide. And the Turkish coffee ($5) is made the traditional way: strong, unfiltered, served in a small cup with a glass of water on the side.
The space is tiny — maybe 15 seats inside plus a small window bar. This is not a place for big groups or leisurely two-hour sessions. It’s a place for focused, delicious eating in a space that feels personal and handcrafted.
Insider tip: Bababababababa doesn’t take reservations for groups under four. Weekday mornings are your best bet for snagging a seat without a wait. Friday and Saturday involve queuing — worth it, but plan accordingly.
The Brunch Economics of Fitzroy North
Breakfast and brunch in Fitzroy North in 2026 will run you between $15 and $25 for a proper sit-down meal with a coffee. That’s consistent with the inner north generally and significantly cheaper than comparable quality in the CBD or South Yarra. The key value plays:
- Best value full breakfast: Delphi Café ($18 for a generous Greek breakfast)
- Best cheap eat that still counts as brunch: Bababababababa’s Turkish eggs ($17)
- Best “I can’t believe this is vegetarian”: The Black Cat’s vegan big breakfast ($23)
- Best splurge: Industry Beans’ truffle scrambled eggs ($22)
Coffee adds $4.50-$5.50 to any of these. Tip is not expected in Melbourne but rounding up is always appreciated.
Getting Around the Cafes
All of these cafes are within walking distance of each other — Fitzroy North is only about 2km from end to end. You could realistically do a coffee at Code Black, walk to Loretta’s for brunch, and finish with a Turkish coffee at Bababababababa in a single morning without breaking a sweat.
Tram: The 86 tram covers Brunswick Street. Get off at Johnston Street for Industry Beans, or Rose Street for Edinburgh Gardens.
Cycling: Brunswick Street has bike lanes and most cafes have racks out front. The café crawl by bike is a Melbourne weekend ritual for a reason.
Cross-Links
- See the full Fitzroy café ecosystem at Fitzroy’s best cafes
- Carlton North’s cafe scene has its own charm — Carlton North’s best cafes
- Over towards the north-west? Brunswick East has excellent options too
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