A chicken congee pot pie, mortadella-stuffed French toast and Filipino-inspired iced coffee—Melbourne’s spring café openings give you plenty of reasons to change your usual order.
If you’re looking for new cafés in Melbourne, this September–October 2026 guide brings together six openings across Brunswick, Northcote, Abbotsford and the CBD.
The selection includes daytime brunch spots, bakery-cafés and a late-night dessert café. Choose according to the outing you want: breakfast with friends, pastries and coffee, a substantial lunch or something sweet after dinner.
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Address: 4A Ballarat St, Brunswick VIC 3056, Australia
Opening Hours: Wednesday - Monday, 9 am–4 pm | Tuesday, Closed
Opening: 12 September 2026
Itera is the new bakery-café from Felix Goodwin and Elena Nguyen, the duo behind Kudo. Melbourne Food & Wine announced its opening for 12 September, bringing a larger dine-in setting to the team’s gluten-free baking.
The menu goes beyond a pastry cabinet. Opening dishes included a chicken congee pot pie and a tiger prawn burger with cod roe mayonnaise, alongside rotating canelé flavours such as pandan and taro custard.
Consider Itera when you want a café meal as well as something baked. For a first visit, decide whether breakfast or pastries are the priority before adding extras.
Visit for: a Brunswick bakery-café outing with both sweet and savoury possibilities.
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Address: 4 Separation St, Northcote VIC 3070, Australia
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am–3 pm | Saturday - Sunday, 8 am–3 pm
Opening: 28 September 2026
Rogue Rabbit comes from the team behind Templestowe’s Down the Rabbit Hole. Its reported opening date was 28 September.
The menu includes a bronut, a brioche-and-doughnut hybrid that takes approximately four days to produce. For a savoury breakfast, there is French toast stuffed with mortadella, stracciatella and pistachio.
This is a candidate for a proper brunch rather than a quick coffee stop. If the stuffed French toast is what draws you in, check the current menu before travelling for that specific dish.
Visit for: a new Northcote brunch spot with distinctive pastry and breakfast options.
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Address: 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford VIC 3067, Australia
Opening Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 8 am–3 pm | Monday - Tuesday, Closed
Opening evidence: reported as open on 17 September 2026
Bar Familiar occupies the former Cam’s Kiosk space at Abbotsford Convent. Co-owners Alessia Augello and Stephanie Lane previously worked within the precinct, while former Cam’s head chef Alisha Grant returned to lead the kitchen.
Opening coverage highlighted sesame bagels with Brillat-Savarin cheese and soft egg, sandwiches on Baker Bleu bread and pastries from Austro Bakery.
Choose this one when the setting matters as much as the menu. Leave some time around breakfast to enjoy the Convent precinct rather than squeezing the café between appointments.
Visit for: a café morning in a historic setting, with breakfast and lunch options.
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Address: Ground/29 Hardware Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Opening Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 8 am–3 pm | Sunday, 11 am–3 pm | Monday - Tuesday, Closed
Opening evidence: reported as newly open on 23 September 2026; exact first trading date remains unconfirmed
Panaderia Serai brings the Serai team’s Filipino food to a bakery-and-sandwich format. Its official website confirms the Hardware Lane address.
Opening coverage featured pandesal sandwiches, including pork belly lechon with smoked pineapple palapa. Drinks included turon iced coffee with banana and caramel and a calamansi Mont Blanc.
Put this on your list for a city lunch or a coffee stop with a sandwich. Choose a drink according to whether you want a straightforward coffee or one of the signature flavour combinations.
Visit for: Filipino-inspired sandwiches and coffee on Hardware Lane.
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Address: 16 Timothy Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Opening Hours: Sunday - Wednesday, 3 pm–1:30 am | Thursday, 3 pm–2 am | Friday - Saturday, 3 pm–2:30 am | Monday, Closed
Opening: reported as 23 September 2026
Yonaka takes this new-café guide into the evening. Opening coverage identifies it as a late-night dessert café serving shokupan toast, mochi croffles and Japanese-style parfaits.
Its reported opening date was 23 September, with flavours including kinako, black sesame, matcha and strawberry appearing across the offering.
Choose Yonaka when your café outing happens after dinner. Look at the available menu and portions before ordering several desserts, especially if you’re already coming from a substantial meal.
Visit for: a new CBD dessert destination beyond the usual daytime café schedule.
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Address: 495 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Opening Hours: Wednesday - Friday, 7 am–10 pm | Saturday, 10 am–10 pm | Sunday - Tuesday, Closed
Opening: late October 2026
Dominique Crenn’s first Australian venue brings a French-inspired all-day offering to InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto. The hotel describes a venue that moves from coffee through to evening aperitifs.
Late-October opening coverage described a pastry counter and lunch options including ficelle filled with comté, jambon and cornichons. Reports differ on the precise opening day, so late October is the clearest description for this guide.
Consider Petit Crenn for coffee and pastries or a longer city lunch. Check the menu for the service period you intend to visit.
Visit for: a French-inspired café and all-day dining option on Collins Street.
| Your next outing | Café to consider |
|---|---|
| Bakery breakfast in Brunswick | Itera |
| A substantial Northcote brunch | Rogue Rabbit |
| Breakfast in a historic precinct | Bar Familiar |
| Filipino sandwiches and signature coffee | Panaderia Serai |
| Dessert after dinner | Yonaka |
| French pastries or a city lunch | Petit Crenn |
Start with the café that fits your neighbourhood and appetite. A pastry-led visit, a full brunch and a late-night dessert stop each deserve their own outing.
These September–October 2026 Melbourne café openings offer a starting point for exploring something new, with individual guides to follow throughout the series.
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