The Best Brunch in Northcote — 2026 Edition

Updated 16 March 2026 | Dani reporting

Northcote brunch isn’t a meal — it’s a weekend ceremony. Somewhere between the Saturday morning hangover and the Sunday arvo plan-making, there’s a window where Northcote locals descend on High Street in search of eggs done interestingly, coffee that could restart a dead heart, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you forget you have a load of washing sitting in the machine.

The inner north does brunch better than anywhere else in Melbourne. That’s not a controversial statement — it’s basically accepted fact. But Northcote specifically has a brunch identity that distinguishes it from its neighbours. It’s less performative than Brunswick, less polished than Fitzroy North, and more community-driven than both. These are places where the staff know the regulars, where the menu changes with the seasons, and where a plate of eggs will cost you less than the tram fare to get here from the CBD.

1. Maling Room — The Corner Store That Outgrew Its Boots

Where: 389 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070 (corner of Maling Road) Best for: Classic brunch done exceptionally well Price: $18–$26 for brunch plates Vibe: Sun-drenched corner position, mismatched chairs, a chalkboard that changes weekly. Weekend energy without the pretension.

Maling Room is where Northcote brunch dreams go to be realised. Sitting at the southern end of High Street where Northcote bleeds into Fitzroy North, this corner cafe has been quietly serving one of the best brunch menus in the inner north for years.

The ricotta hotcakes are the headliner — fluffy, golden, served with seasonal fruit and a honeycomb butter that melts into every crevice. The breakfast burrito is a sleeper hit: scrambled eggs, black beans, pickled jalapeños, and a salsa verde wrapped in a tortilla that’s been griddled until it’s crispy in all the right places. If you’re the kind of person who orders “the big breakfast” everywhere you go, Maling Room’s version — with a proper poached egg, grilled halloumi, slow-roasted tomato, and sourdough — is the one to beat.

THE MOVE: Get there by 9am on a Saturday. By 10, there’s a 20-minute wait. If you can’t be bothered queuing, Tuesday mornings are blissfully quiet and they serve the full menu.

Insider tip: Ask for the seasonal specials board, even if the main menu looks good. They run a winter porridge with roasted figs and pepita praline that single-handedly justifies the cold months.

2. Dead Man Espresso — The Name Alone Is Worth the Visit

Where: 358A High Street, Northcote VIC 3070 Best for: Brunch with attitude. Big flavours, bigger portions. Price: $16–$24 for brunch plates Vibe: Dark timber, exposed brick, the faint smell of smoked meat. Not your mum’s brunch.

Dead Man Espresso sounds like it should be a metal bar. In reality, it’s a brunch spot that takes the meal seriously without taking itself too seriously. The fitout is moody — dark wood, Edison bulbs, a long communal table that usually has someone working on a laptop and someone else nursing a Bloody Mary. Both seem equally at home.

The menu leans savoury and substantial. The “Dead Man’s Breakfast” is a full English-style spread with free-range eggs, streaky bacon, chorizo, roasted mushrooms, sourdough, and a tomato relish that’s made in-house. It’s the kind of plate that either cures a hangover or creates one — depends on what you had the night before. The corn fritters with avocado, pickled red onion, and a chilli jam are lighter but still satisfying, and they nail the texture: crispy edges, fluffy centre, no sogginess.

The coffee here is strong. Proper strong. If you usually order a flat white, consider a piccolo instead — the espresso blend has a punch that can overwhelm a full milk-based drink.

Insider tip: Their weekend specials board is where the real magic happens. Last month they ran a Korean fried chicken waffle with gochujang butter that shouldn’t have worked but absolutely did. Ask what’s new when you arrive.

3. Mister Nice — The One That Breaks the Rules

Where: 206 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070 Best for: Sweet brunch. If you have a sweet tooth, stop reading and go here. Price: $15–$22 for brunch plates Vibe: Bright, pastel, Instagram-friendly without being obnoxious. The interior design equivalent of a good mood.

Mister Nice does what most brunch spots won’t: it commits fully to the sweet side. While other menus reluctantly offer pancakes as an afterthought, Mister Nice builds its entire identity around them. The fluffy Japanese-style soufflé pancakes are the main event — towering, wobbly, and served with a rotating cast of toppings that’s included matcha cream, yuzu curd, and salted caramel in recent months.

But the savoury options aren’t an afterthought either. The brioche French toast with bacon, maple, and a fried egg on top bridges the sweet-savoury divide in a way that feels both indulgent and somehow reasonable. The avocado toast — yes, that avocado toast — comes on house-baked sourdough with dukkah, pomegranate seeds, and a drizzle of good olive oil that makes the whole thing taste like an event rather than a cliché.

It’s on the smaller side, which means waits on weekends. There’s no bookings. It is what it is.

Insider tip: If you’re visiting in winter, the hot chocolate here is made with real melted chocolate and it’s thick enough to eat with a spoon. Pair it with the soufflé pancakes and you’ve got the most comforting brunch in the inner north.

4. Tuleli — The Italian Nonna Energy

Where: 515 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070 Best for: Italian-inspired brunch. Radicchio on your eggs? Yes. Price: $18–$28 for brunch plates Vibe: Warm terracotta tones, a deli counter with imported goods, the sense that someone’s nonna is in the back kitchen.

Tuleli is part cafe, part Italian deli, and the brunch menu reflects both sides. You can get a perfectly executed poached egg on sourdough, or you can get that same egg with prosciutto, burrata, and a fennel salad that makes you feel like you’re having brunch in Milan for $22.

The shakshuka — technically North African but with Italian tweaks — is one of the best we’ve had in Melbourne. A cast-iron pan of spiced tomato sauce with two eggs baked in, served with house-made focaccia for dipping. The polenta waffle with mascarpone and roasted stone fruit is the kind of dish that makes you wonder why every brunch menu in Melbourne isn’t doing polenta waffles.

The deli counter is worth browsing even if you’re not eating in. Import olive oils, proper Parmigiano, cured meats, and a selection of Italian wines that would make your local bottle shop nervous.

Insider tip: Sit in the back courtyard. It’s tiny — maybe six tables — but it gets the afternoon sun in winter and feels like a secret. Nobody goes back there on their first visit.

5. Wide Open Road — The Brunswick Border Crosser

Where: 296 Lygon Street, Brunswick VIC 3056 Best for: Vegetarian and plant-forward brunch. Northcote locals cross the creek for this. Price: $17–$25 for brunch plates Vibe: Spacious, light, communal. Feels like a well-designed community hall that happens to serve incredible food.

Wide Open Road is in Brunswick, but it’s so close to the Northcote border that it regularly appears on Northcote locals’ brunch rotation. The shakshuka here — yes, another shakshuka, the inner north loves a baked egg — is legitimately one of the best in Melbourne. The spice balance is perfect: warm, not aggressive, with a tomato base that’s been reduced until it’s almost jammy. Served with house-baked bread that’s worth the visit alone.

The vegan banana bread is famous for a reason. It’s dense, moist, and topped with a cashew cream that tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating something decadent. The seasonal grain bowls are consistently excellent — the March version with roasted pumpkin, puy lentils, and a tahini dressing was so good we went back three times.

Open Loop → Pair Wide Open Road with a stroll through Brunswick’s best brunch spots for a full inner-north brunch marathon.

Brunch by Budget — The Honest Breakdown

Because “brunch” can mean anything from a $12 toastie to a $45 eggs Benedict at a place with a wine list.

Budget tip: Most Northcote brunch spots do a solid coffee + toast combo for $12–$15 if you don’t want the full brunch experience. Maling Room’s $14 toast with house-made jam and a flat white is the weekday morning power move.

POLL: Sweet or savoury brunch?

• 🥞 Sweet — pancakes, waffles, French toast, bring it on
• 🥚 Savoury — eggs, bacon, halloumi, no debate
• 🤷 Both — I’ll have one of each, thanks
• ☕ Coffee only — the food is just an accessory

Vote and tag your brunch crew @melbzcomau with #NorthcoteBrunch

NEIGHBOURING SUBURBS: Extend the Brunch Crawl

Every inner-north suburb has its brunch champions. Here’s where to go next:

• 🍳 Best Brunch in Thornbury — “The sleeper hits just north of High Street”
• 🍳 Best Brunch in Fitzroy North — “Where the brunch scene started and never stopped”
• 🍳 Best Brunch in Brunswick — “Lygon Street’s brunch legacy lives on”

CONFESSION BOX 🗣️

We asked 30 Northcote brunchers: “What’s the brunch hill you’ll die on?”

The most passionate response: “Maling Room’s ricotta hotcakes are better than any brunch dish in Melbourne and I will fight anyone who disagrees. I’ve been going every Saturday for two years and they’ve never disappointed. The staff know my order before I open my mouth. That’s not sad — that’s commitment.”

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