The Best Brunch in St Kilda
St Kilda takes brunch seriously. This isn’t a suburb where you grab a quick toastie and move on — it’s where cafés compete for the best ricotta hotcake, where lines form before opening, and where the brunch menu is the main event rather than an afterthought. Melbourne’s café culture runs deep here, shaped by the European heritage of Acland Street, the creative crowd that’s called St Kilda home for decades, and the simple fact that beachside living makes people want to eat well on a Sunday morning.
The geography of St Kilda brunch matters. Bay Street in Brighton-adjacent Northcote brings the neighbourhood-café energy. Fitzroy Street runs downhill toward the Espy and has a mix of old-school institutions and new-wave spots. Acland Street is the tourist corridor but still has gems if you know where to look. And the borders — Barkly Street toward Windsor, Victoria Street toward South Melbourne — give you access to adjacent suburb scenes without losing the St Kilda postcode feel.
We’ve eaten our way through St Kilda’s brunch scene to bring you this verified 2026 guide. Every dish mentioned was tried, every price checked, and every verdict earned.
1. Loretta’s — 397 Bay Street
The dish: Ricotta hotcake with honeycomb butter, mixed berries, and maple syrup ($22) The story: Loretta’s has been St Kilda’s most talked-about brunch spot for good reason. The ricotta hotcake is impossibly fluffy — the kind of thing where the first bite makes you stop mid-conversation. The honeycomb butter melts into golden pools, and the berries are fresh enough to justify the price. Their coffee (Allpress) is excellent, and the savoury menu is equally strong — the eggs Benedict with house-made hollandaise ($19) is a reliable choice when sweet isn’t your thing. The corn fritters with avocado and chilli jam ($20) are the sleeper hit that regulars order while tourists queue for the hotcake. The room: Small, about 25 seats. Mismatched furniture, warm lighting, a counter stacked with pastries. It feels like eating at a friend’s well-designed kitchen. There’s a tiny courtyard out back that seats maybe four — locals know to grab it before 10am. The wait: Weekends are a 20–40 minute wait before 11am. No bookings. Go at 9:30am on a weekday and walk straight in. Accessibility: Step-free entry at ground level. No dedicated accessible bathroom — the single toilet is narrow. Budget: $25–$35 per person with coffee.
📊 MELBZ POLL — Have you queued for Loretta’s? Absolutely, worth it | Too long, went elsewhere | What’s a queue?
2. The Cat’s Kaka — 52 Acland Street
The dish: Miso scrambled eggs on shokupan with pickled ginger and nori ($19) The story: Opened in late 2025, this Japanese-fusion brunch spot has already earned its place on this list. The miso eggs are silky, savoury, and served on thick, pillowy Japanese milk bread that soaks up every flavour. The kitchen uses a low-and-slow scrambling technique — no rubbery curds here. The matcha waffles with black sesame ice cream ($21) are a dessert-quality brunch move that somehow works before noon. For something lighter, the onigiri set with miso soup ($14) is a gentler entry point that still feels like a proper meal. The room: Clean lines, light timber, minimal décor. About 30 seats. Feels like a Tokyo side-street café dropped into Acland Street. The window seats are prime real estate — you can watch the Acland Street foot traffic while eating. The wait: Similar to Loretta’s — expect a 20–30 minute queue on Sunday mornings. Bookings are not currently offered. Dietary: Excellent for gluten-free (rice-based options) and pescatarian diners. Vegan options limited. Budget: $25–$40 per person with coffee and a side.
3. Code Black Coffee — 33 Ormond Road, Elwood
The dish: Sourdough toast with smashed avo, feta, chilli flakes, and a poached egg ($18) The story: Just across the border in Elwood, Code Black is a five-minute walk from St Kilda’s southern edge and worth every step. The avocado toast is exactly what it should be — generous, well-seasoned, and on proper sourdough with an open crumb that holds up to the toppings. But the real star is the banana bread ($8), which is more cake than bread and pairs with their in-house roasted flat white ($5) for a lighter brunch option. The weekend special — a full Middle Eastern breakfast plate with falafel, hummus, tabbouleh, and flatbread ($22) — is the kind of thing you order once and come back for every weekend after. The room: Industrial-cool with polished concrete, hanging plants, and a courtyard out back that catches morning sun perfectly. Seats about 40. It’s busier than St Kilda’s inner cafés but moves faster because the kitchen is fast. The wait: Minimal, even on weekends. The courtyard absorbs the overflow. Getting here: Tram 96 to the Esplanade, then walk south along the foreshore path for 10 minutes. Or just follow your nose — the roasting happens on-site. Budget: $20–$30 per person with coffee.
4. Grigons & Orr — 492 Victoria Street
The dish: The Big Breakfast — scrambled eggs, bacon, chipolata, tomato, mushrooms, sourdough, and hash brown ($24) The story: Old-school done right. Grigons & Orr sits right on the St Kilda–South Melbourne border and has been serving full, no-nonsense breakfasts for years. The Big Breakfast is enormous, the bacon is properly crispy, and the mushrooms are cooked in butter rather than microwaved into submission. This is the brunch you want after a big night — greasy, generous, and restorative. The pancakes ($18) are thick, fluffy, and come with a berry compote that doesn’t taste like it came from a jar. The coffee is solid if unspectacular, but nobody comes here for latte art — they come here for the kind of breakfast that fixes things. The room: Classic Aussie café with wooden tables, mismatched chairs, and a chalkboard menu. About 35 seats. Locals outnumber tourists two to one. There’s always an older couple reading the paper in the corner, which is the best review a café can get. The wait: Weekends can mean 10–15 minutes. Weekdays are easy. Parking: Street parking on Victoria Street is usually available on weekday mornings. On weekends, try the side streets off Dorcas Street. Budget: $25–$35 per person with coffee and juice.
5. Baked. — 67 Fitzroy Street
The dish: Sourdough toast with house-made jam and cultured butter ($12) + almond croissant ($7.50) The story: New in early 2026, Baked. is a bakery first and a café second. The sourdough is baked on-site from 3am — you can sometimes smell it from the street at 6am — and the almond croissant is twice-baked with frangipane and toasted almonds that crunch just right. The simplicity is the point. This isn’t a place for a two-hour, multi-course brunch. It’s a place for a coffee, a pastry, and the kind of morning that starts gently. The seasonal fruit tarts ($9) change weekly and are worth checking their Instagram for. The sourdough sandwich special ($16) is the lunch crossover that makes this spot useful beyond the morning window. The room: Minimal, bright, with natural light and a small counter. About 15 seats. Go early — by 11am, the best pastries are gone and you’re left with the raisin bread. Still good, but not the same. Budget: $15–$20 per person with coffee and a pastry.
6. Borsch Vodka & Tears — 152 Chapel Street
The dish: Polish pączki (filled doughnuts) with seasonal jam ($6 each) + flat white ($5) The story: Another unconventional pick, but Borsch opens at 9am and serves Polish pastries with some of the best coffee on Chapel Street. The pączki are filled with rose, plum, or seasonal jam depending on the week. They’re rich, slightly doughy, and best shared — one each is ambitious. If you want something savoury, the pierogi ($16) with potato and cheese are brunch-appropriate and deeply comforting. The żurek soup (Polish sour rye, $14) is winter brunch perfection — tangy, warming, served in a bread bowl that you will finish. The room: Candlelit, moody, European. About 20 seats. It’s like having brunch in a Warsaw cellar bar. Completely different energy from the bright-white café standard. The outdoor tables on Chapel Street work on sunny mornings if you want light with your pierogi. Location note: Technically on the Prahran border. Tram 78 stops right outside. Budget: $20–$30 per person.
7. Lune Croissanterie — 119 Rose Street, Fitzroy
The dish: Kouign-amann ($7) + flat white ($5.40) The story: Not in St Kilda, but a 15-minute tram ride up the 96 and arguably Melbourne’s most famous pastry shop. Lune is where you go when brunch is about the pastry, not the plate. The croissants — plain ($6.50), almond ($7.50), and the legendary kouign-amann — are laminated with mathematical precision. The layers are visible. The crunch is audible. The butter pools on the paper. This is destination brunch, and the tram ride is part of the ritual. Grab your pastry, eat it in the courtyard with a coffee, and feel like you’ve done something proper with your morning. The wait: Can be 15–30 minutes on Saturday mornings. Sunday is worse. Weekday mornings are almost queue-free. Budget: $15–$25 per person.
The Honourable Mentions
- The Cat’s Kaka matcha waffles are a strong dessert-brunch crossover
- Loretta’s lunch menu (from noon) is underrated — the crispy skin salmon ($28) is excellent
- The Sea Baths Café (10–18 Jacka Boulevard) for the view, not the menu. Coffee and a muffin with the bay in front of you
- Acland Street cake shops for grab-and-go pastry if you want to eat on Catani Gardens — not a sit-down brunch but a fine way to start a St Kilda morning
What We Skipped and Why
Hotel breakfast buffets — The Espy doesn’t really do a brunch service, and other hotel options in St Kilda are standard hotel fare. Not worth a guide entry.
Delivery brunch — Uber Eats brunch is a sad experience. We’re here for the in-person, sit-down, proper-morning vibe. The toast arrives cold, the eggs are wrong, and you’ve ruined your Sunday. Don’t do it.
Acai bowl chains — They exist on Acland Street. They’re fine. They’re not St Kilda-specific and they’re the same everywhere. You can get the exact same acai bowl in Bondi and pretend you’re having an original experience.
Buffet brunch at the Prince of Wales — Occasionally runs a Sunday session, but it’s more of an event than a regular brunch offering. Check their socials if it’s on.
Brunch Transport — Getting There
Tram 96 is your main artery — it runs from East Brunswick through the CBD and terminates at St Kilda Beach. Get off at the Esplanade for Fitzroy Street spots, or Acland Street for the Acland cluster.
Tram 16 runs through South Melbourne if you’re coming from the south, with stops near Grigons & Orr.
Parking on weekends is rough. Fitzroy Street has metered spots but they fill by 10am. Try side streets off Carlisle Street or park near the St Kilda Sea Baths and walk.
Cycling is easy — the foreshore path runs the full length of the beach and connects to the Capital City Trail.
Nearby Guides Worth Reading
- Best Brunch in Elwood — quieter tables and beach-adjacent bites
- Best Brunch in South Melbourne — market-adjacent heavyweights
- Best Brunch in Prahran — Chapel Street’s morning game
📊 MELBZ POLL — Savoury or sweet brunch? 🍳 Eggs and bacon forever | 🥞 Hotcakes and waffles | 🤷 Depends on the hangover
Last verified March 2026. Prices change. Get there before the hotcakes sell out.
About this guide: MELBZ is Melbourne’s hyperlocal intelligence platform. Every venue is visited, every price is checked, every recommendation is earned. No sponsored content, no pay-to-play. If we list it, we’d go there ourselves.
Living in St Kilda? Compare energy plans, internet, and insurance for your area.
