The best restaurants and cafes in Collingwood
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18.05.2023

The best restaurants and cafes in Collingwood

cafe collingwood

Here are the best restaurants and cafes in Collingwood, perfect for your early morning pick-me-up, quality wines, live music, and nightlife.

When you think of Melbourne nightlife, there’s a lot that comes to mind. Live music, coffee, parties, festivals, and much more. We’ve also got some of the best restaurants this side of the equator, the world’s best coffee, and a great melting pot of many different cultures.

Collingwood is one of our most popular suburbs, full of many landmarks like Smith St, the Collingwood Yards, and home to Madman Entertainment Today we’re diving into Collingwood’s best restaurants and cafes. There’s a bit of everything, from American to Japanese cuisines, and everything in between. The capital is also considered as a bit of a foodie’s playground, with many original and interesting dining experiences for any person.

With our food offerings being as bountiful as they are, deciding where to eat out can be overwhelming in this city. So we thought it best to assemble a little guide for our trusty Beat readers, highlighting an array of haunts across Melbourne for you to sink your teeth into. From vegan-friendly pizza to Italian feasts and a barbeque-lovers dream, there are plenty of choice cuts in here for everyone. Dig in, folks.

If you’re looking to down a couple of bevs and a Parma instead, check out our lists of the best bars and pubs in the Docklands here and in Melbourne here.

The best cafes in Collingwood

Into Coffee

  • Address: 2A Robert St
  • Vibe: Trendy
  • Dedicated Menu: Toasted Sandwiches and Pastries

There’s no question why this café takes the top spot of this list, Into Coffee is a must-visit spot when it comes to your cup of joe needs. Into Coffee is a zero-waste café, so there’s no shame in splurging during a visit here. They’ve got Industry Bean coffee, Toasted Sandwiches, and pastries delivered fresh each and every day. 

Terror Twilight

Don’t let the name a fool you, a visit here is anything but a terror, there’s all the café favourites available, with interesting twists, stuff like anchovy toast, spiced Greek yoghurt, and spicy green eggs. There’s even merch available, if you feel like repping Terror Twilight around the town.  

Plug Nickel

  • Address: 7 Peel St
  • Vibe: Modern Melbourne
  • Dedicated Menu: Coffee and Sandwiches

If you consider yourself somewhat of a coffee connoisseur, look no further than Plug Nickel. There’s interesting types of coffee on offer here regularly, including the Cascara, a bean with a distinct cherry taste. More information can be found here.  

South of Johnston

  • Address: 46 Oxford St
  • Vibe: Modern Melbourne
  • Dedicated Menu: Coffee and Sandwiches

This location has been around since 2012, and has continued to be a staple of café life in Collingwood. It’s also got a beautiful interior, making it the perfect spot for all those freelance café workers that popular Melbourne’s cafes. 

Proud Mary

  • Address: 172 Oxford St
  • Vibe: Laid back
  • Dedicated Menu: Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

Very rarely is the coffee menu of a spot over two pages, but Proud Mary is unlike many other cafes out there. There’s many interesting selections available, including the Pacamara, the Heirloom, and the Geisha, check out more descriptions on the high quality coffees offered by Proud Mary here. 

Acoffee

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq6yOR_B6fX/

  • Address: 30 Sackville St
  • Vibe: Minimalistic and classy
  • Dedicated Menu: Coffee 

Acoffee is unlike many others out there, the minimalistic interior and laid back design is like you’re walking into a display home in an upper class suburb. While you’re here, enjoy delicious morning drinks. 

Oxford Larder

  • Address: 18 Peel St
  • Vibe: Family
  • Dedicated Menu: Breakfast

If you’re looking for a spot perfect for the family to grab a morning bite, look no further than the Oxford Larder, a spot full of mouthwatering meals, tasty drinks, and chill vibes. A selection of the highlighted meals include porridge, breakfast wraps, museli, and plenty more. 

Allpress Espresso Roastery and Coffee

  • Address: 80 Rupert St
  • Vibe: Hip and Trendy
  • Dedicated Menu: Coffee and Lunch

It’s always hard to stick out from the pack when it comes to café life in Melbourne, but Allpress Espresso manages to do that, with interesting additions to their café. If you’re keen to dive into the world behind Allpress, they offer Barista Training, Technical Workshops, and Roastery Tours, more information can be found here. 

Cromwell STREAT

  • Address: 66 Cromwell St
  • Vibe: Laid back
  • Dedicated Menu: Lunch at Hot Drinks

As the name suggests, Cromwell STREAT can be found on the popular Cromwell St, home to many of Collingwood’s nicest locations. Cromwell STREAT have a killer selection of food on offer, items like corn fritters, eggs on toast, and even potato gnocchi. 

Smith Street Alimentari

  • Address: 304 Smith St
  • Vibe: Trendy
  • Dedicated Menu: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern 

Alimentari has a couple of spots around Melbourne town, with a delicatessen in Fitzroy and kitchen/café in Collingwood, their fresh approach to food providing customers with high quality Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired foods. 

Cibi

  • Address: 33-39 Keele St
  • Vibe: Minimalistic and classy
  • Dedicated Menu: Japanese 

If the standard café fare doesn’t float your boat, Cibi’s Japanese inspired menu is a must visit spot when it comes to Collingwood’s food offerings. Open daily for breakfast and lunch, their highlighted meals include miso eggs, miso soup, among much more.  

Two Birds

  • Address: 31 Peel St
  • Vibe: Minimalistic and classy
  • Dedicated Menu: Coffee 

Two Birds has all the favourites when it comes to cafes – items like toast, porridge, eggs benedict, and plenty more that you can check out here. 

Lemon Middle and Orange

  • Address: 30 Sackville St
  • Vibe: Minimalistic and classy
  • Dedicated Menu: Irish inspired 

Coming to life in an old paint factory, this café / bakery features soda bread, black pudding, and much more, more information can be found here. 

To Be Frank

  • Address: ¼ Bedford St
  • Vibe: Minimalistic and classy
  • Dedicated Menu: Café bakery 

To be frank brings somewhat of a different vibe to Collingwood’s café life, To Be Frank slinging all things bakery. There’s all the favourites, make sure you give the spot a visit to check out their full offerings.

Papirica

  • Address: 22 Smith St
  • Vibe: Chill
  • Dedicated Menu: Japanese 

Paprica is a Japanese inspired cafe, featuring items such as scrambled eggs, Osaka-style okonomiyaki, teriyaki chicken, and plenty more.

The best restaurants in Collingwood: Smith St, Johnston St, and beyond

Maha North

  • Address: 86 Smith St
  • Vibe: Modern
  • Dedicated Menu: Middle Eastern 

If sharing meals is more up your alley, look no further than Maha North, a location that has quickly become one of Collingwood’s most popular establishments. There’s a killer menu on offer, for $75pp, you can chow into many mouth-watering meals. 

Ides

  • Address: 92 Smith St
  • Vibe: Modern
  • Dedicated Menu: Multicultural 

Ides features a bevy of high class fine dining options, a visit here will feel like you’ve just stepped into one of those fine dining shows on Netflix. You can check out images of the offerings here, just make sure you don’t drool on whatever device you’re reading this on. 

Le Bon Ton

  • Address: 51 Gipps St
  • Vibe: American inspired
  • Dedicated Menu: US Style 

Calling all meat lovers! Le Bon Ton brings all your favourite red meats under one roof, there’s items you really can’t find anywhere else, things like Brisket, Housemade Sausage, a half pound of pork, chicken, and lots more.

Hotel Jesus

  • Address: 174 Smith St
  • Vibe: Cool and Trendy
  • Dedicated Menu: Mexican 

Melbourne’s an awesome spot when it comes to different cultures, many backgrounds come together and make for an awesome world of nightlife. Hotel Jesus focuses on the world of Mexican food, their menu featuring items such as Flauta Con Cane De Res, Enchiladas, and plenty more. If you’re after food a little earlier, Hotel Jesus features a Bottomless Brunch, where you can grab bottomless cocktals and a brunch banquet, more info can be found here.

Jim’s Greek Tavern

After 40 years in business, the popular Greek spot still continues to service many visitors on a regular basis, there’s items like saganaki, tarama, eggplant and tzatziki, among much more. It’s a BYO location too, so you’re able to make the location your own. More information can be found here. 

The Horn African Café & Restaurant 

It’s not too often you find an Ethiopian inspired restaurant in Melbourne, so The Horn African Café and Restaurant is a must visit spot in Collingwood. They’ve got a stacked menu, featuring 6 pages of fish, vegetarian, lamb, beef and chicken meals, with their website also featuring a guide on how to best eat Ethiopian food, using Injera, more information on that can be found here. 

New Jaffa

  • Address: 32 Stanley St
  • Vibe: Trendy
  • Dedicated Menu: Middle Eastern, North African, and Southern European

Yet another restaurant inspired by locations not seen too often in dining, New Jaffa is a dining establishment that you must visit in Collingwood. You can grab a delectable display of dishes, including falafel pita, hummus with meat, and even eggplant tahini. On top of that, there’s an amazing array of desserts on offer – malabi, baklava, and chocolate mouse, among much more.

Aka Siro

  • Address: 106 Cambridge St
  • Vibe: Simplistic yet detailed
  • Dedicated Menu: Japanese

 There’s always something special about those spots that are simple in their layout – all the time is spent acing high quality Japanese fare. A quick gander on their Instagram here will show you the many yum items that you can grab during a visit here. 

The Gem Bar and Dining

Like all of Melbourne’s killer locations, The Gem Bar and Dining has everything you need out of a venue – live music, drinks specials, and massive meals for under a $20. They’re slinging burgers, snacks and fried chicken, the full menu can be checked out here. 

Easey’s

  • Address: 3/48 Easey St
  • Vibe: Fun and Interesting
  • Dedicated Menu: Burgers

If you’ve spent more than a day in Collingwood, there’s no doubt you’ve come across Easey’s in your travels. But if you haven’t, this restaurant is located in a converted train, where you’re able to chow into mouth-watering burgers. More information on Easey’s can be found over on their website. 

Thin Slizzy 

There’s nothing cooler than a modern pizza joint, offering Italian tomato bread with interesting toppings and items you never would’ve thought make their way into a pizza box. There’s the Four Cheeses of the Apocalypse Pizza, which features parmesan, blue cheese, taleggio, and mozzarella, or even the Excruciating Pine-Apple, which includes a base consisting of pineapple puree, topped with pancetta and jalapenos. 

Smith St Bistrot

  • Address: 300 Smith St
  • Vibe: Classy
  • Dedicated Menu: French 

Smith St Bistrot is arguably one of Melbourne’s classiest establishments, and a spot that definitely deserves a spot on this list. Delicious menu items available at Smith St Bistrot include Navarin D’Agneau (Lamb Rump), Filet De Barramundi, and Gnochhi a la Parisienne. 

Red Sparrow

In the perfect mix of modern times, Red Sparrow is a vegan pizza restaurant, with items being the same price as your ordinary pizza shop. Pizzas can be ordered for takeaway, and feature classics like pepperonis, ortolana, and even cheeseburger. 

Shimbashi Soba Collingwood 

  • Address: 140 Smith St
  • Vibe: Fun
  • Dedicated Menu: Japanese 

Food lovers unite! Shimbashi Soba Collingwood’s menu will definitely make your mouth water, there’s items like Karrage Chicken Bentos, Edamame, Salmon Sashimi, and plenty more. 

Wabi Sabi Salon

As seen throughout this list, a number of locations across Collingwood are Japanese inspired, with Wabi Sabi Salon being one of the most popular. 

Hope St Radio

  • Address: 35 Johnston St
  • Vibe: Music lovers hub
  • Dedicated Menu: Coffee 

If you’re a music fan in Melbourne, there’s no question that you’ve come across the incredible Hope St Radio in your travels. The menu is ever changing, this May the menu items include lamb carpaccio, snapper crudo and potato and onion tortillas. 

More information on Hope St Radio can be found over on their website here. 

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