Melbourne has a world-famous cafe scene but most CBD cafes are set up for office workers and laptop regulars. Narrow laneways, communal benches, no high chairs, corridors that won’t fit a pram sideways — that’s the reality facing most families needing a coffee and a break in the city.
The places below have been chosen because they have at least one thing we know matters when you’re out with kids: space to park a pram or spread out, good coffee, food children will eat, or a location that makes them useful on a CBD outing with kids. A few have all of those things.
This list covers coffee-forward daytime eateries offering breakfast, brunch and lunch. For restaurants, see our guide to Best Family Friendly Restaurants in Melbourne CBD.
Things to Do in Melbourne CBD with Kids
CBD North of the River
1. Higher Ground
Higher Ground at 650 Little Bourke Street is one of the few Melbourne CBD cafes that works with a pram. A heritage-listed power station has been converted into a soaring brunch space with enough room to move through without apology. High chairs are available.
The menu is Modern Australian brunch with strong vegetarian options, eggs, toast, and seasonal plates but there’s no dedicated ‘kids menu’ (and most CBD cafes won’t offer a separate kids menu).
Weekend mornings get hectic and queues for tables are common, so weekdays are a noticeably different experience. Book ahead on weekends.
Higher Ground, 650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, +61 3 8899 6219
2. Krimper
Inside a 19th-century warehouse is Krimper, a café with soaring ceilings, exposed brick, timber beams, and floor space for prams. The menu covers waffles, eggs, wagyu burgers, barramundi, and avocado toast alongside solid coffee. On weekdays get there after the morning rush, and on weekends get there as early as you can as it fills fast.
Krimper, 20 Guildford Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000, +61 3 9043 8844
3. Hardware Société
Hardware Société has two CBD locations. The one to go to with kids is at Katherine Place — 250 square metres, 110 seats, booth seating, and a kitchen four times the size of the original Hardware Street location.
The food is a standout, with a French and Spanish flair. Think baked eggs, croque madame, pork belly, and weekly specials, all with Market Lane coffee. High chairs are available.
They don’t take reservations so arrive before 8.30am on weekends or expect a queue.
Hardware Société, 10 Katherine Place, Melbourne VIC 3000, +61 3 9078 5992
4. Manchester Press
A former printing press in a Bourke Street laneway is now the bagel and coffee institution Manchester Press. Inside expect large communal tables, high ceilings, and some of the best bagels in the city with fillings such as smoked salmon, pulled pork, bacon and maple, eggs Benedict.
Note there are no dedicated high chairs and shared communal seating, so it suits families with older kids who can sit at a bench and hold their own. It’s open Monday to Friday only.
Manchester Press, 8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000, +61 3 9600 4054
5. Operator 25
Operator 25 on Wills Street is our go-to café in the northern CBD as it’s ten minutes’ walk to Queen Victoria Market and Flagstaff Gardens.
Inside a heritage-listed telephone exchange building you’ll discover an Asian-influenced brunch menu that covers ube waffles, smashed avo, eggs, and excellent coffee. High chairs are available and pram access via the disabled access ramp at the side entrance. Go for one of the two large round tables — everything else is bar stools and high benches. Walk-ins only on weekends; weekday bookings are available for groups of six or more.
Operator 25, 25 Wills Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
6. Brunetti Oro
Brunetti Oro on Flinders Lane is the Italian cafe and pasticceria Melbourne families have relied on for decades.
On the menu: free babycinos, a gelato bar, cannoli, pizza by the slice, and pasta. The glass cabinet full of cakes is tempting too!
It’s open seven days from 7am, making it a good all-day stop on any CBD visit, especially after ACMI or the Federation Square. A second, smaller Brunetti Oro is open on Swanston Street near the Town Hall.
Brunetti Oro, 250 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000, +61 3 9654 1982
7. The Grain Store
The Grain Store on Flinders Lane is one of the most consistently recommended pram and family-friendly cafes in the CBD. Large space, a menu that works for adults and younger palates, and a relaxed pace that doesn’t make you feel rushed. The grain bowls are the standout, or go for eggs, avocado toast, salads and sandwiches. The cafe is easy to pair with a morning at SEA Life Melbourne Aquarium. Open weekdays 7am–4pm.
The Grain Store, 517 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000, +61 3 9972 6993
8. Journal
We’re including Journal at City Library for one reason: it’s directly next to the City Library on Flinders Lane, which makes it a natural stop before or after a children’s storytime session.
Note that there are few stairs on entry, no high chairs and the space around the communal tables are pretty tight. As such, we’d say it’s good for kids aged 4 and up who can manage stairs and a bench. The café is warm and unhurried, which is rare on Flinders Lane.
Journal, Shop 1, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Near the State Library
9. Guild at State Library Victoria
Guild is a compact espresso bar in the State Library’s Russell Street Welcome Zone. It’s not a destination café, but a natural coffee stop on a Children’s Quarter visit and open on weekdays and weekends for good coffee and light snacks.
Guild, Russell Street Welcome Zone, State Library Victoria, 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Near Queen Victoria Market
10. Operator San
Operator San on Therry Street is the sibling venue to Operator 25 offering Japanese-inspired brunch with a Melbourne café sensibility. The outdoor patio seating and proximity to narrm ngarrgu library is why we think it’s good for families with food-adventurous older kids. Try their katsu curry Benedict, mentaiko udon, matcha drinks and pastries from AM Bakehouse.
Operator San, 121 Therry Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
11: Majesty Coffee
Majesty Coffee in the Munro Development has plenty of outdoor tables on Therry Street where a pram parks easily alongside. St Ali is one of Melbourne’s most respected specialty roasters and a takeaway window means you can make a quick order without going inside. Best as a coffee stop when you’re visiting Queen Victoria Market or narrm ngarrgu library rather than a full sit-down visit.
Majesty Coffee, 1 Dhanga Djeembana Walk, Melbourne VIC 3000
Arts Precinct and Southbank
Southbank runs primarily to restaurants rather than cafes and if you’re after a full sit-down lunch with river views, the Tot guide to family restaurants in Southbank covers that in detail. For a coffee stop or a casual bite during a Southbank visit, these are the picks.
12: Gallery Kitchen, NGV International
Gallery Kitchen is the casual café inside NGV International on St Kilda Road and it is the most practical food stop in the Arts Precinct for families. Light meals, snacks, sandwiches, and coffee, all fully pram-accessible throughout the gallery.
The significant bonus for families: NGV International has a dedicated parents room on the ground level with a private feeding space, baby change tables, and a microwave, making it one of the better parents facilities in the Southbank zone.
Gallery Kitchen, Ground Level, NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Southbank VIC 3006, +61 3 8620 2222
13: Protagonist
Protagonist is an outdoor café sitting between the NGV and the Arts Centre Theatres Building. The relaxed outdoor setting and convenient location between two of Southbank’s biggest family destinations means that it’s a natural stop for families. It offers coffee, pastries, toasties, and light snacks using native ingredients. Open 7 days.
Protagonist, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Southbank VIC 3006
Before you go
High chairs are not standard at CBD cafes, so if you’re concerned call ahead. Otherwise many cafes will suit kids who can manage a bench independently.
Baby change facilities nearby: City Library at 253 Flinders Lane has accessible bathrooms, Myer Melbourne and Melbourne Central have parents rooms but Emporium Melbourne on Lonsdale Street has the best parent room in the CBD, on Level 3.
All five Metro Tunnel stations (Town Hall and State Library stations in the CBD) have accessible toilets, ambulant cubicles and parents’ rooms.
Timing: Cafes in the CBD often have significant weekend waits from 9am. Weekdays after the morning rush (after 9-9:30am) are the quietest times.
Read our guide: Family restaurants in Melbourne CBD
Read our guide: Free things to do in Melbourne CBD with kids
