8 Must-Try Brunch Cafes in Eltham

When you get that craving for bacon and eggs one minute after the breakfast menu closes, the disappointment can really put a dampener on your day. Luckily, there’s a fix for that: Brunch! Many brunch menus typically run from 10 am to 12 pm or so, but some have that elusive all-day breakfast menu or brunch menu which means you can get your brunch fix any time! As well as filling you up with delicious sweet and savoury dishes, brunch is a great way to catch up with your loved ones or meet a date for a relaxed and chilled-out Saturday or Sunday morning date.

Whether you had a big night the night before, you’re travelling or visiting friends or family, or you’re a local just looking for your new go-to brunch café, Eltham has an impressive selection with something for every brunch fiend. From pancakes to avocado toast and teas and coffees to bottomless brunches, some of Melbourne’s best brunch cafes can be found right here on Eltham’s tree-lined, bustling streets.

Here we take you on a tour of Eltham’s best brunch cafes, serving everything from tea and toasties to big breakfast burgers. Whatever you’re in the mood for, you’ll find the perfect meal at one of Eltham’s tempting brunch cafes!

 Ready, Set, Brunch

1. Cornercaf

The aptly-titled Cornercaf is located on the corner of Arthur Street and Commercial Place, placing it right in the middle of the Eltham action. This family-owned café has been running for over 10 years, thanks to owners John and Mary’s dedication to exceptional food and coffee, as well as its loyal customer base who sing its praises. With such great passion, food, coffee, and the community vibe, it’s easy to see why Cornercaf stands the test of time!

This Eltham icon offers a broad range of Beraldo coffee, and both a light meal menu and a breakfast menu that will satisfy all your brunch cravings. An English breakfast is sure to hit the spot, as is the breakfast bruschetta or Mediterranean breakfast, while the sweet tooths are well-catered to with a whole menu just for pancakes. Yes, a pancake menu! Choose from Canadian pancakes (with eggs, bacon, and maple syrup), a traditional pancake stack, mixed berry, banana and walnut, strawberry and Nutella, or one of the other pancake options ready to tantalise your taste buds.

Not hungry enough for a stack of pancakes or a full big breakfast? No problem! Cornercaf will satisfy your bite-sized appetite with toasties, fruit toast, or a BLT sandwich, and they also have a wide range of focaccias. Whatever you’re in the mood for, Cornercaf has you covered.

2. Eltham Aromas Café Bar Beanery

Frank and Kevin from Café Aromas are local Eltham legends, known for their amazing food and even more spectacular customer service. With reviews raving about this café having the best food and pasties in town as well as the friendliest staff who make you feel part of the family, Café Aromas will be your second home in no time!

Located in Eltham Town Mall, Café Aromas is a beanery, café, and car all in one. As you would expect from a beanery, Café Aromas has an extensive coffee (and tea) menu with a wide range of milk and milk alternatives, giving everybody the chance to try their delectable drop. If you’re not a hot drinks person, however, your thirst will still be quenched! Exotic smoothies and juices, iced coffees, and milkshakes are all on the menu waiting for you to give them a try.

When it comes to food, it appears as though Aroma-goers have commended nearly everything on the menu as the best in the state, if not Australia! Foccacias and bruschettas are especially popular, but whatever you choose, you’ll enjoy them in a cosy and warm atmosphere that will make you feel at home. To make Café Aromas your home away from home, pop in and say hello to Frank and Kevin today!

3. Papa Bear

If you’re after scrumptious coffee paired with seasonal goodies that will warm you up (or cool you down, depending on the weather!), Papa Bear is the brunch café for you. These coffee lovers serve up a mean premium Axil Roasters drop, while the seasonal menu offers gourmet toasted sandwiches, toasties made on delicious Turkish bread, and breakfasts until 11 am.

The breakfast menu is sure to cheer you up as well as warm you up this winter, especially with its Chilli Scramble! Egg dishes, a spinach and fetta omelette, and porridge round out the winter warmers. The sandwiches, toasties, and treats are available all day and cater to vegetarians and those on gluten-free diets. For meat lovers, on the other hand, we can’t recommend the Asian Pork Roll enough! And when it comes to gluten-free treats, you need to see (and taste) their selection to believe it. Come on by and try them out today!

Papa Bear is in Eltham’s Midway Arcade and is open from 7 am until 2 pm Mondays to Fridays, and 8 am until 1 pm on Saturdays.

4. Third Chapter

Third Chapter is owner Kevin Cortesao’s third café— the third chapter of his story, you could say! A veteran of Melbourne’s hospitality industry, he holds Eltham close to his heart as this is where he met his wife Georgina, and he’s felt strongly connected to our community ever since.

Third Chapter welcomes you in with its warm, earthy tones and relaxed and friendly vibe. You can choose to sit inside or outside (or take away), but whatever option you choose, you’re in for a treat!

This contemporary café ties its menu to its name, titling the breakfast menu the ‘prologue’, snacks and sharing the ‘first chapter’, burgers the ‘second chapter’, lunch the ‘third chapter’, and of course, the cherry on top: Dessert as the ‘final chapter’. Literary buffs will feel right at home here!

Third Chapter boasts an all-day breakfast menu filled with all of your favourites, as well as some new favourites you haven’t discovered yet. If you haven’t tried kale, zucchini, and halloumi fritters yet, this dish will blow your mind in the best way possible! Vegetarians are well-catered for with the Veggie Chapter, a vegetarian version of The Main Chapter, and bacon lovers will be thrilled with the Bacon Benedict or the Breakfast Burger.

The Snacks and Sharing menu starts at 11 am while the breakfast menu runs until 3 pm, so if you time it right you could spend all day here— and why wouldn’t you?! Open from 7 am until late seven days a week, you can find Third Chapter at 26 Commercial Place in Eltham, just off Pryor Street.

5. Miss Pryor

Got that rumble in your stomach that says you need a breakfast burger, and you need it right now? We’ve all been there, and Miss Pryor understands the feeling all too well! Open from 7 am until 4 pm Mondays to Saturdays and from 8 am until 4 pm Sundays, this café on the corner of Pryor Street and Commercial Place will serve you up whatever your stomach tells you you need, whether it’s first thing in the morning or an afternoon brunch outing. Just make sure you get there before the kitchen closes at 3 pm, and you’re on your way to a meal like no other!

The all-day menu seems to go on forever, and everything is made with love and care. Dig into an Acai bowl, zucchini fritters, or veggie burger, or up your meat intake with a 24-hour pulled beef burger or the chipotle chicken burger— it’s all delicious, so we can’t blame you if you can’t choose!

When it comes to drinks, Miss Pryor has the brew for you. As well as coffee favourites like flat whites and cappuccinos, you can indulge in a matcha latte, turmeric latte, or even an iced chai. You can also wash your meal down with a French soda, available in a wide range of different flavours, or a smoothie— we highly recommend the Snickers Bar for your next visit!

6. The Main Café

The main way to start your day is at The Main Café, a café, restaurant, and bar on Eltham’s Main Road. Hearty breakfasts and brunches are standard fares here, and smaller stomachs will be happy with the lighter selections available. Whatever you choose, you’ll enjoy it in The Main Café’s stylish and warm surroundings where locals love to congregate.

Breakfast is served until 3 pm at The Main Café, so your brunch needs are well and truly catered for! Sweet tooths will love the French toast, served with mascarpone, fresh berries, and maple syrup, while veggie lovers will be tempted by the sauteed cauliflower with kale, marinated fetta, and poached eggs. They also have vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options and favourites including the steak sandwich and mustard chicken burger. Can’t decide? Go with a sharing plate! It’s an easy (and delicious) way to try a bit of everything.

Fruit juices and crushes will cool you down on warm days, while tea and coffee will warm you up and give you the energy you need to fuel the rest of your day. And for those looking to put a little extra pep in their step, why not make it a bottomless brunch with The Main Café’s selection of cocktails? Go on— you deserve it!

7. Platform 3095

Platform 3095 is a well-known and loved Eltham institution, frequented by locals for both its fantastic food and customer service. This charming and rustic brunch place will have your mouth watering as soon as you see the menu, what with its array of burgers, bruschettas, and bite-sized treats!

Conveniently located on Main Road near the Eltham train station, Platform 3095 is easy to get to and even easier to love. Its rustic exterior draws you in, and the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen will have you seated and placing an order before you know it! The breaky and brunch menu includes waffles, mushroom toast, salmon benedict, and the ‘avo goodness’, which gives smashed avo an edge by adding edamame and beetroot hummus.

For something heartier, the mains are available all day— we love the Farmer’s Parma, and you can never go wrong with a good steak sandwich! Top it off with a hot or cold drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and your weekend is off to a great start thanks to Platform 3095.

8. Pierross

Pierross has been an Eltham staple since 2011, bringing an Italian flair to every meal of the day. Located on a corner of Eltham Terrace, this authentic Italian brunch spot (and lunch spot, and dinner spot…) is brought to you by owner and chef Pier Barel. Here, he uses his pastry chef skills to whip up everything from pizza to wedding cakes— there’s nothing he can’t do when it comes to great food!

Italy is, of course, well-known for its pizzas, and Pierross has them in spades. But why stop at savoury pizza? A dessert pizza sounds like the perfect brunch meal! At Pierross you can try the majestic Unicorn Pizza, the Cookie and Cream Pizza, or the Smoore Pizza to make your next brunch one you’ll remember forever. Add an amazing Pierross coffee, a wine, or a cocktail, and Pierross will be your new Eltham favourite before you can even finish your meal. Check them out on Dudley Street— you’ll be glad you did!

Feeling The Hunger?

Whatever kind of brunch you’re in the mood for, you’ll find it at one of Eltham’s best brunch cafes! With so many to choose from you could try a new one every weekend and never get bored thanks to such varied menus and friendly staff who want you to have the best brunch ever. To get started on your Eltham brunch tour, pick your starter and get brunching!

EXPLORE ELTHAM’S BEST BRUNCH CAFES