Best Cafes in Hawthorn 2026: Glenferrie & Burwood Road
Hawthorn doesn’t mess around when it comes to coffee. Tucked between Swinburne University and the leafy avenues of the inner east, this suburb punches well above its weight with two world-class roasters, a Tokyo-inspired listening café, and enough brunch spots to keep your Sunday mornings occupied for months. We walked the length of Glenferrie and Burwood roads to find the places actually worth your time (and your $22 smashed avo).
Updated 16 March 2026 | 6 places tested | Eli Chen reporting
1. Axil Coffee Roasters — The Reigning King
Address: 322 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Hours: Mon–Fri 7am–4pm, Sat–Sun 8am–3pm Prices: Flat white $4.50, brunch dishes $18–$28 Must order: Red velvet pancakes, zucchini and haloumi fritters, or a batch brew from the rotating single-origin menu
There’s a reason Axil has been called Melbourne’s best coffee experience by outlets from Condé Nast Traveler to Broadsheet. Founded by two-time Australian Barista Champion Dave Makin and his partner Zoe, this is a full-blown coffee operation — not just a café. The 75-seat space houses an on-site roastery, a cupping room, and a retail shop stocked with beans and brewing gear. The espresso is impeccable (they compete on the world stage, literally), but don’t sleep on the food. The baked eggs are a weekend staple, and the pork belly ciabatta with waldorf salad is the kind of thing you think about at your desk on a Tuesday.
The vibe is theatrical and buzzing, but the room is large enough that you can usually find a seat, even at 9am on a Saturday. If you only visit one café in Hawthorn, this is the one — and it’s not particularly close.
MELBZ tip: Their retail beans make an excellent gift. Grab a bag of the Boundless blend on your way out.
2. Sabi Sounds — The New Guard
Address: 717 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Hours: Mon–Thu 7:30am–5pm, Fri 7:30am–10:30pm, Sat–Sun 8am–10:30pm Prices: Coffee from $5, sandos $14–$18, highballs $16–$20 Must order: Fried chicken katsu sando on milk bun with wasabi mayo, specialty matcha latte, or a highball at the evening record lounge
Sabi Sounds is the newest entrant on this list, having opened in late 2025 — and it’s already reshaping what a Hawthorn café can be. Born from the minds behind Bar Selecta (one of Melbourne’s best small bars), this Tokyo-Seoul-inspired listening café blends specialty coffee, a vinyl record store, and a night-time bar into one seamless experience.
By day, it’s a gorgeous, intimate space serving Ona coffee and specialty matcha. The food menu leans into “cheffy-style sandos” — think fried chicken katsu on pillowy milk buns. By night (Thursday through Sunday), it transforms into a vinyl listening lounge with highballs, dessert, and curated records spinning on the turntable. Private listening booths are available for groups.
This is the most exciting thing to happen to Glenferrie Road in years.
MELBZ tip: Book a private booth for Friday night. Bring friends who appreciate good sound.
3. Short Straw — The Instagram-Ready Brunch Spot
Address: 743B Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Hours: Mon–Fri 7am–4:30pm, Sat–Sun 8am–4:30pm Prices: Flat white $4.50, brunch dishes $17–$26 Must order: House-made granola bowl, corn and zucchini fritters, or the big breakfast
Tucked away off the main Glenferrie Road drag down leafy Mary Street (though the address says Glenferrie), Short Straw is a design-forward café that takes its brunch game as seriously as its interiors. Designer CJ Wright from KNOW SHOW Studio created a two-room space bathed in natural light, full of warm timber, hanging greenery, and the kind of aesthetic that makes you reach for your phone before your fork.
The menu is all house-made — nothing comes out of a box here. The granola is made in-house, the bread is baked on-site, and the dishes are consistently solid without being showy. It’s a locals’ favourite with a genuine community feel, helped along by friendly staff who remember your order.
Dog-friendly outdoor seating out front. Full bar with cocktails available for the “it’s 11am on a Saturday and I don’t care” crowd.
MELBZ tip: Arrive before 9am on weekends or expect a 20-minute wait. No bookings for groups under 6.
4. Aokuma Café — The Japanese Hidden Gem
Address: 97 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Hours: Tue–Sun 10am–4pm (closed Mondays) Prices: Lunch sets from $18, onigiri from $6, ceremonial matcha $10 Must order: Salmon ochazuke set, grilled pork belly with sweet soy glaze, or the canelé (best in Melbourne according to TikTok — and they might be right)
Aokuma is a small, unassuming spot on Burwood Road that’s built a cult following the old-fashioned way: by serving legitimately great Japanese café food at prices that won’t make your eyes water. Everything is made in-house — from the sauces to the pastries — and the portions are generous.
The salmon ochazuke ($25) is a warm hug in a bowl: seared salmon over rice with dashi broth, served with potato salad and egg salad on the side. The grilled pork belly, glazed in sweet soy, is caramelised perfection. And the canelé — crisp on the outside, custardy inside — is genuinely the best we’ve had in the inner east.
If your only experience with “Japanese café” is another matcha latte spot, Aokuma will recalibrate your expectations entirely.
MELBZ tip: The sake salmon onigiri ($6) is the best-value lunch item in Hawthorn. Full stop.
5. Bawa Café — The Greenhouse on Burwood Road
Address: 248 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 (right next to Bunnings) Hours: Mon–Fri 7am–3pm, Sat–Sun & public holidays 8am–3pm Prices: Flat white $4.80, brunch dishes $19–$28 Must order: Mediterranean eggs, chilli crab scrambled eggs, or the prawn toast
Bawa is the café you send people to when they say “but where should I actually go?” Located next to Bunnings on Burwood Road (yes, really), the fit-out is stunning — floor-to-ceiling windows that open completely, lush greenery everywhere, jungle prints on the walls, and private booths for those who want to brunch in comfort.
The all-day menu is broad and consistently good. The chilli crab scrambled eggs are rich and indulgent. The prawn toast nods to Bawa’s Southeast Asian influences. They’ve also got strong vegan and gluten-free options — this isn’t an afterthought menu, it’s properly thought through.
Open 365 days a year. On Christmas Day, Bawa is your friend.
MELBZ tip: Book ahead on weekends via OpenTable. The window seats are the best in the house.
6. Le Clec — The French-Asian Fusion Brunch Bar
Address: 727 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Hours: Mon–Fri 7am–3pm, Sat–Sun 8am–3pm Prices: Flat white $4.50, brunch dishes $18–$26 Must order: The fusion breakfast plate, hotcakes, or anything from the French-Asian menu
Le Clec occupies a beautiful 19th-century building on Glenferrie Road with blonde timber interiors, sparkling water on tap, and a plant-studded open-air courtyard out the back that’s perfect for long weekend lunches. The menu is a genuinely interesting blend of French technique and Asian flavours — think croque madame meets congee, without the gimmick.
It’s dog-friendly, there are multiple dining rooms (including quieter spaces out the back), and the latte art is consistently some of the best on Glenferrie Road. The coffee itself is solid if not transcendent — it’s the food and the space that bring people back.
A genuine neighbourhood spot that rewards repeat visits.
MELBZ tip: The courtyard is the move in warmer months. Grab a table out there and don’t rush.
Honourable Mentions
Methodist Coffee Roasters (408 Burwood Road) — The other great Hawthorn roaster, operating out of a gorgeous heritage-listed building. Their Einstein blend is excellent, and the filter coffee selection (seven different coffees on offer at any time) is unmatched in the suburb. Less of a brunch destination and more of a purist coffee experience — go here for the beans, not the benedict.
Four Kilo Fish (Glenferrie Road) — A tiny hidden gem specialising in single-origin Yunnan coffee and vintage Pu’er tea, with a uniquely designed food menu. Worth seeking out if you’re after something completely different.
What We Skipped and Why
Chain cafés and food court spots — If it has a drive-through, it’s not on this list. Hawthorn deserves better than reheated muffins from a national franchise.
Pure bakeries without dine-in menus — Places like Depot de Pain do excellent French bread and patisserie, but they’re grab-and-go operations rather than proper café experiences. We stuck to spots where you can sit down, order a meal, and make a morning of it.
Cafés we couldn’t verify are still operating — Oscar Mike on Glenferrie Road appears to be in a “coming soon” phase on their website. Several other spots from older “best of” lists have quietly closed. We only included places we can confirm are open and serving as of March 2026.
How This List Works
We visited six cafés across Glenferrie Road and Burwood Road, ordered multiple dishes and coffees at each, and assessed them on food quality, coffee, value, atmosphere, and consistency. We prioritised independent, owner-operated cafés over chains. Prices reflect what we paid in March 2026 and may change.
No venue paid to be on this list. No venue knew we were coming.
Related Reads
- Best Cafes in Richmond 2026 — Just across the Yarra, Richmond’s Bridge Road strip is having its own coffee moment
- Best Cafes in Kew 2026 — Kew’s café scene is quieter but punches above its weight
- Best Cafes in Camberwell 2026 — Camberwell’s Burke Road corridor is the understated brunch capital of the inner east
Have we missed your favourite Hawthorn café? Tell us about it at hello@melbz.com.au. We revisit this list every quarter.