12 Ballarat cafes for epic farm-fresh indulgence

Vegan, paleo, gluten-free, kid-friendly, creative – whatever your brunching needs, the best Ballarat cafes deliver with locally refined flair.

Sure, the Victorian Goldfields city of Ballarat promises beautiful streetscapes with storied, heritage buildings and a glut of cultural assets — but its local cafe scene is just as alluring. Serving up masterful technique, fresh seasonal ingredients, stellar caffeine fixes and endlessly endearing ambience, the best Ballarat cafes should be experienced one meal at a time. Here, a roundup of the finest.

The shortlist

Best coffee: Cobb’s Coffee
Best pastries: 1816 Bakehouse
Best for dietary restrictions: Hydrant Food Hall
Hidden gem: Shep St Sandos

1. Eclectic Tastes Cafe & Pantry

a spread of food at Eclectic Tastes Cafe & Pantry, Ballarat — Refuel with a hearty brunch filled with locally sourced ingredients. (Image: Eclectic Tastes Cafe & Pantry)

Perched near the shores of Lake Wendouree, Eclectic Tastes Cafe & Pantry has won local hearts with its range of patisseries since 2016, nailing everything from berry muffins, cheesecake and pecan tarts to vegan apple cake. Run by the team behind Eleanora, one of the best Ballarat restaurants, it does an excellent job of showcasing local produce and homemade goodies, such as handmade sourdough crumpets served with whipped ricotta, freeze-dried raspberries and honey from Backyard Beekeeping Ballarat. Once you’ve consumed as much as physically possible from the brunch and patisserie selection, pick up a few gourmet treats for the road from the Ballarat cafe’s retail section — pralines from chocolatier Koko Black and pantry staples from Melbourne’s From Basque With Love are always heavily stocked.

Cuisine: Modern Australian with strong Pan-Asian influences

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Inviting

Review: 4.5/5

Location: 2 Burnbank St, Ballarat

2. Nolans

having breakfast at Nolans cafe in Ballarat — Enjoy generous servings from the scrumptious menu at Nolans. (Image: Supplied)

Shining a light on native ingredients, while supporting local Victorian farmers and suppliers, the team at Nolans nail every meal of the day inside The Goods Shed, a sleek events venue. The coffee is silky-delicious, the fit out is sumptuous New York-bistro plush, and the menu excels creatively. Think a fried chicken Benedict with chipotle hollandaise, a fried pastrami and egg roll with burnt onion jam, a smoked salmon bagel with lemon myrtle cream cheese and a sourdough pizza with vodka nduja and hot honey.

Cuisine: Modern Australian with international influences

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Classy

Review: 4.5/5

Location: The Goods Shed, Lydiard St North, corner Nolan St, Ballarat

3. Fika Coffee Brewers

coffee and breakfast at Fika Coffee Brewers, Ballarat — The aptly named cafe translates to ‘coffee break’. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Located in a plum position in central Ballarat, this atmospheric little spot does a great line in brunch. With Tassie oak-inflected interiors rendered in clean lines that complement its Scandi name (which means coffee break in Swedish), Fika Coffee Brewers utilises St Ali beans to serve alongside imaginative menu items. Have fun choosing between the likes of Dr Marty’s Crumpets (with whipped ricotta, ruby grapefruit and pistachios), the Tradesman egg and bacon roll with special sauce, sardines on toast with dill, fennel and garlic aioli, and the crowd-pleasing pulled pork roll with slaw and cheddar.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Hipster

Review: 4.5/5

Location: 36a Doveton St Nth, Ballarat

4. Yellow Espresso

brunch at Yellow Espresso, Ballarat — Relaxed brunch offerings at Yellow Espresso. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Beloved by locals for its laidback ambience and reliable culinary chops, Yellow Espresso is a Ballarat cafe with plenty to offer. The staples are nailed, including pancakes stacked with blueberries and strawberries, homemade muffins, avocado on toast and corn fritters, but the gang often splices things up with clever additions such as the Biscoff smoothie bowl topped with one of those addictive golden cookies. Grab a spot by the window for a side of people watching, too.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Relaxed

Review: 3.5/5

Location: 13 Sturt St, Ballarat

5. Hydrant Food Hall

brunch at Hydrant Food Hall, Ballarat — Homemade hash brown topped with poached eggs. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The menu at Hydrant Food Hall , located in a quiet laneway off one of the CBD’s main stretches, changes seasonally, spanning inventive dishes beyond great avo on toast. Think a homemade ramen with pork bone broth, a calamari rice bowl with pickled cabbage, or a breakfast board dressed in granola, mini escargot, an array of fruit and more. The team is also able to cater to lots of different dietaries, from dairy-free to nut-free and gluten-free.

Kids aren’t left out of the equation here either. In fact, we’d be surprised if the grown-ups weren’t a bit partial to hot picks including rainbow-coloured pancakes with marshmallows and fruit, and the kids waffle with vanilla ice cream and sprinkles. For little ones hyped up by a sugar high, there’s also a children’s activity play bag ($2.50) available to keep them occupied.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Family-friendly

Review: 4/5

Location: 3 McKenzie St, Ballarat

6. 1816 Bakehouse

bread and pastries on display at 1816 Bakehouse, Ballarat — Get your fill of fresh sweets at 1816 Bakehouse. (Image: Visit Victoria)

An artisan bakery, patisserie and cafe next door to The Forge Pizzeria on Armstrong Street North, 1816 Bakehouse is a temple to all things dough. Take your pick of pumpkin loaves, semi-sourdough focaccia loaded with fetta, basil and olives, Nutella and pistachio cruffins, savoury and sweet pies and fresh sandwiches — all meticulously handcrafted daily.

Cuisine: Bakery

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Bustling

Review: 4/5

Location: 18 Armstrong St North, Ballarat

7. Shep St Sandos

lush greenery around Shep St Sandos cafe in Ballarat — The lush cafe is decorated with indoor plants. (Image: Shep St Sandos)

King of the humble toastie, Shep St Sandos has turned the practice of jamming cheese and other tasty morsels between two slices of sourdough bread into an art form. House favourites include the mushroom melt, katsu chicken, and Reuben.

Beyond toasties, the coffee shop’s limited menu changes almost daily. Find a range of sweets, plus your obligatory caffeine fix. The cafe roasts its own beans, and the baristas pour a mean brew, too.

Cuisine: Modern Australian, specialising in toasties

Average price: $

Atmosphere: Lively

Review: 4/5

Location: 8 Shepperd St, Ballarat

8. Websters Market & Cafe

people dining at Websters Market & Cafe, Ballarat — The casual diner on Webster St serves up a solid all-day brunch menu. (Image: Indie Lane Photography)

On Ballarat’s historic Webster Street, housed within a heritage corner store, lies Websters Market & Cafe . Having built up a loyal following of regulars, this Ballarat cafe serves up a solid all-day brunch menu with all the classics, alongside coffee from famed Melbourne roastery Industry Beans. The indecisive bruncher can have it all with the breakfast board (including honey and vanilla yoghurt with nuts, seeds and seasonal fruit, plus smashed avo and goat’s cheese on sourdough, a poached egg and more), or you can keep it simple with a panini or bagel.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Casual

Review: 4/5

Location: 61 Webster St, Ballarat

9. Clothesline Cafe

a food spread at Clothesline Cafe, Ballarat — The menu at Clothesline Cafe is an inviting ode to the unconventional. (Image: Visit Victoria)

There’s something a bit visionary about the set-up at Clothesline Cafe . A renovated old weatherboard home on a corner block among residential streets, this aesthetically pleasing and impossibly cool venue belongs among the pages of a design magazine. There’s caramel leather banquette seating, walls painted in a smoky grey, angular ceiling lights, and an impeccably landscaped courtyard. The menu too is an inviting ode to the unconventional: an Asian chilli scramble with house made sauce, gyros with house made tzatziki and more. You’ll find coffee from Melbourne roastery Code Black here, too.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Cosy

Review: 3.5.5

Location: 202 Humffray St South, Bakery Hill

10. Cobb’s Coffee

three cups of coffee at Cobb’s Coffee, Ballarat — Cobb’s Coffee works in collaboration with Melbourne’s Rumble Coffee. (Image: Cobb’s Coffee)

Showcasing the handiwork of Melbourne coffee roasters Rumble Coffee, Cobb’s Coffee works in partnership with the caffeine aficionados to deliver excellent AM stomach lining. While that liquid gold is undoubtedly a star attraction, there’s also a high-quality range of fresh sandwiches to tempt you. We recommend sinking your teeth into the HCT, consisting of ham, cheddar, mozzarella and homemade tomato relish, or perhaps the leek and cheddar variety with added mozzarella and Dijon mustard. Whatever takes your fancy, fluffy Rustica sourdough utterly melts in your mouth with every bite.

Cuisine: Sandwiches

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Slick

Review: 4/5

Location: 2 Lydiard St South, Ballarat

11. The Turret Cafe

breakfast plates at The Turret Cafe, Ballarat — Pick from a range of delectable all-day breakfast options. (Image: The Turret Cafe)

Step inside one of Ballarat’s prettiest heritage buildings to sample the delights of The Turret Cafe . Filling the bones of a restored 1890s home, this Ballarat cafe is a lovely pick for all-day breakfast classics delivered in a stately yet welcoming environment. Pick your poison out of mushroom bruschetta, zucchini and corn fritters, a beautiful Farmers Garden of seasonal produce and smashed avocado, and even The Turret itself: a potato rosti with chorizo, veg, a poached egg and hollandaise.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Refined

Review: 4/5

Location: 802 Sturt St, Ballarat

12. Earl’s Deli

a sandwich plate at Earl’s Deli, Ballarat — Earl’s Deli makes homemade spins on McMuffins. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Craving a jumbo sandwich? The team at Earl’s Deli , doing their thing down a totally unassuming laneway, feel you. Whipping up jam-packed sandos that demand full mouth extension to devour, the Ballarat cafe works with peak local produce to evolve its menu regularly. From a buttery egg mayo and lettuce mix, to gourmet grilled cheese and homemade spins on McMuffins, the menu is flavour-crammed and also dotted with sensational roastery. Grab a perfectly blended Inglewood Coffee Roasters’ concoction to help wash down all the culinary goodness.

Cuisine: Sandwiches

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Trendy

Review: 4/5

Location: 11 Davey St, Ballarat

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Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.

Geelong cellar door wine bar — Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.

Paddock Bakery andPatisserie — Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

At Paddock , one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand.

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

“A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.

And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.

As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.

The rise of a food and wine destination

Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915 . Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco.

The Woolstore , one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.

Woolstore menu — Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

Breathing new life into historic spaces

On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.

“We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.”

Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.

handcrafted pieces — Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”

A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”

12 Ballarat cafes for epic farm-fresh indulgence

Vegan, paleo, gluten-free, kid-friendly, creative – whatever your brunching needs, the best Ballarat cafes deliver with locally refined flair.

The shortlist

1. Eclectic Tastes Cafe & Pantry

2. Nolans

3. Fika Coffee Brewers

4. Yellow Espresso

5. Hydrant Food Hall

6. 1816 Bakehouse

7. Shep St Sandos

8. Websters Market & Cafe

9. Clothesline Cafe

10. Cobb’s Coffee

11. The Turret Cafe

12. Earl’s Deli

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Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

The rise of a food and wine destination

Breathing new life into historic spaces