At this all-day Parisian-style diner, you can stay right through from morning croissants to late-night cheese. For breakfast, the anchovy on toast is a rightful classic, but there are always plenty of interesting dishes on the changeable menu to discover.

Sustainability, simplicity and even transportability are the guiding principles of this Footscray cafe. On the menu you'll find Asian-inflected classic brunch dishes, with a strong roster of single origin coffees to choose from to drink.

The owner of this cafe trained directly under Yotam Ottolenghi, and the influence shows. There's a Middle Eastern influence in many dishes and the servings are hearty. Plus, at lunchtime there's a killer range of sandwiches.

A vibing cafe that puts plenty of effort into its food, with experimental – but very tasty – results. The inventiveness stretches through to the drinks as well. Try the salted cashew smoothie.

At this beachy brunch and lunch spot – from the duo that brought us Moby – you'll find a range of creative but approachable dishes. It's all set within a light-washed, coral-accented space with room for plenty of people.

This spot comes to us courtesy of a well-oiled cafe machine. And they've taken their tried-and-true classic formula to Elwood, with great success. Enter for inventive, generous brunches; great coffee; and an elegant fit-out that lets in plenty of light.

A bright and breezy daytime diner from the team behind Left Field, Plain Sailing and Tall Timber. You'll find light and bright interiors, terrazzo floors and plenty of timber. On the menu: a globe-trotting line-up of brunch favourites.

This is much more than a bakery. Sure, the bread's great and so are the sweets. But what you really want to do is stay here for a meal. The brunch menu – whose past dishes have included mascarpone pancakes and chicken-liver pâté on brioche – is just too good not to try.

This cafe and roasting house is one of Melbourne's most established brunch spots. But even after all these years, it's still at the very front of the pack. Dishes are still delicious and creative, the coffee's still great and the space is still slick.

The menu has two distinct styles: one indulges the sweet tooth, and the other creates nourishing, healthy meals. Both are highlighted in the breakfast board.

This buzzing, industrial-chic spot is one of the area's most popular spots for brunch, for good reason. The coffee's great and the dishes – which aren't as revolutionary as they were when Auction Rooms first opened – are well-executed.

Coffee roasted in a big warehouse with a wide-ranging breakfast menu – you've seen it before, but these brothers do it with notable flair. Although the Industry Beans empire has expanded to other parts of Melbourne and even interstate, the original is still our favourite.

Even though it opened back in 2009, this cafe and roastery is still one of the most popular cafes in Brunswick. The interiors are spacious, with comfortable chairs and cosy booths. And the food is adventurous, but it won't veer too far away from anyone's comfort zones. The coffee is, predictably, excellent.

A tiny brick cubby serving up breakfast, lunch and the occasional dinner. The menu here is completely vegetarian and no eggs are used, too. If you think it's not brunch without eggs, then think again – after a couple of bites of whatever you've ordered, you won't even know they're gone.

A casual cafe with three-cheese toasties and katsu sandos on house-made Japanese shokupan bread, plus pork belly and kimchi brown rice bowls. It all comes in a beautiful space. This large corner spot (which seats 100, with 40 outside) has floor-to-ceiling windows and a clean, sleek fit-out.