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The best Warrnambool cafes to try on your next visit

Jade Raykovski Jade Raykovski
From sleek coffee bars to laidback kiosks, cafe culture is alive and well in Warrnambool.

You might be over 250 kilometres from Melbourne, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on great coffee or brunch when you’re in Warrnambool. The regional city is serving up its fair share of top-tier cafes, with fantastic food, great vibes and coffee ranging from filter and pour over to batch and cold brew. We’ve rounded up our top picks to check out next time you’re in town, so you’ll have options ready for brekkie, lunch and anything in between.

The Shortlist

Best for vegan/vegetarian: Day Kitty
Best design: Beaches Cafe & Bar
Best views: Pavilion Cafe & Bar

Pavilion Cafe & Bar

alfresco dining at Pavilion Cafe & Bar, Warrnambool
Pavilion Cafe & Bar delivers uninterrupted views of Lady Bay. (Credit: Josh Robenstone)

If you like your coffee with an ocean backdrop, head to Pavilion Cafe & Bar, perched at the end of the foreshore next to Warrnambool Pier. Its floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious balcony show off its best asset: uninterrupted views overlooking Lady Bay. Once you tear your eyes away to look at the menu, you’ll find an elevated selection of brunch options, from wild rice porridge and bagels with avocado and whipped cream cheese, to their signature big breakfast, The Pavilion.

From 12–2pm they serve lunch; if the sea air is stirring up a seafood craving, opt for the salt and pepper squid or prawn spaghetti, and walk it off afterwards with a stroll on the pier. Here just for the vibes? Coffee and cocktails are available all day. Note: There is ramp access up to the cafe.

Cuisine: Modern Aussie
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Lively and friendly
Location: 50 Viaduct Rd, Warrnambool

The Nook on Hopkins

The Nook on Hopkins, Warrnambool
Pull up a seat in this relaxed cafe. (Credit: Ellen Moloney)

Formerly a milk bar, new owners Marife and James Moloney opened The Nook on Hopkins in 2025. This hidden gem of a cafe is located away from Warrnambool’s centre, close to the Hopkins River Bridge and not far from Logans Beach.

It’s quickly become a local favourite, with coffee by Seven Seeds, all day brekkie and lunch, and a welcoming atmosphere (plus access is step-free for those with mobility issues). Our pick is the pulled beef benny: 24-hour slow-cooked brisket, poached egg, chipotle hollandaise, crispy onion and saltbush on buttered sourdough. Yum.

Cuisine: Modern Aussie
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Quiet and welcoming
Location: 8 Hopkins Rd, Warrnambool

The Beach Kiosk Cafe

Located between the beach and Lake Pertobe, The Beach Kiosk Cafe’s cheerful white-and-grey weatherboard façade is easy to spot when you’re passing by. Pop in for brekkie or lunch, or try their renowned fish and chips – available dine in or takeaway, so you can feast in the park or on the beach. Coffee, smoothies, milkshakes and toasties are on the menu, along with favourite dishes like their lamb souvlaki and Korean benedict. The accessible family-run venue also boasts a “scoop station", home to 20+ ice cream flavours.

Cuisine: Modern Aussie, fish and chips
Average price: $$-$$$
Atmosphere: Cheery and laidback
Location: 65 Pertobe Rd, Warrnambool

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Beaches Cafe & Bar

Beaches Cafe & Bar balcony view
Sip on a cocktail while admiring the ocean views.

Stepping into Beaches Cafe & Bar feels like stepping into a Mediterranean seaside restaurant. The chic blue-and-white decor – complete with leafy greenery and palm trees on the walls – is only outshone by the fabulous views looking out over the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and lighthouse, towards Lady Bay.

The breakfast menu features the usual suspects, while lunch offers a broader range of dishes from fish and chips and a southern fried chicken burger, to prawn tacos and an Asian beef salad. On a sunny day, sit on the deck under one of the blue-and-white striped umbrellas with a cocktail as you soak in the view.

Cuisine: Modern Aussie
Average price: $$$-$$$$
Atmosphere: Sophisticated coastal
Location: 91 Merri St, Warrnambool

Allee Espresso

Allee Espresso, Warrnambool
Kickstart your day with a warm brew from Allee Espresso.

Tucked behind the industrial façade of a co-working hub, it’s easy to miss Allee Espresso. Once you’re inside, however, the entire experience feels thoughtful and curated, from the minimal yet cosy interior, to the warm service and small extra touches (why don’t all coffees come with a little biscuit, we ask?).

Pastries and gourmet toasties rule the menu here, with fillings like jalapeno, parmesan and cheddar, and honey-roasted pumpkin, goats cheese and rocket. Coffee is by Maker and includes batch brew and pour over; non-coffee drinkers are also taken care of with matcha and sticky chai lattes, Tea Drop teas and Grounded Pleasure hot chocolates.

Cuisine: Pastries and toasties
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Industrial-chic, relaxed
Location: 1 Dispensary La, Warrnambool

Day Kitty

For nourishing vegetarian food you’ll feel good about, look no further than Day Kitty. Choose from a colourful range of salads, savoury and acai bowls, smoothies, lattes and coffee; there are plenty of vegan options too, like the nourish bowl with green goddess pesto, and they use certified organic ingredients for the majority of their menu. Check out the display cabinet for any vegan treats, and browse their small selection of pantry staples and healthy snacks to take home with you.

Cuisine: Vegetarian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Homely
Location: 52B Kepler St, Warrnambool

Jude The Cafe

Jude The Cafe, Warrnambool
Pop into the bright and welcoming cafe for a delicious brekkie. (Credit: Jude The Cafe)

From the pink signage to the white and pink tones of its Instagrammable interior, Jude the Cafe is bright, welcoming and accessible. Run by locals Leah Habel and partner Mitch Warburton, it serves a curated all-day menu that focuses on local, seasonal produce. You’ll find classics done exceptionally well, like the eggs benedict with spinach and bacon, plus plenty of yummy treats in the cake cabinet (including gluten-free options). If you like their coffee from Coffee Supreme, you can purchase a bag of beans here – the staff will even grind it for you.

Cuisine: Modern Aussie
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Cute and inviting
Location: 52A Kepler St, Warrnambool

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Koko Avenue

the whitewashed interior of Koko Avenue, Warrnambool
The cafe interior is white and minimalistic. (Credit: Koko Avenue)

Nestled amongst large-format retailers off the Princes Highway, Koko Avenue makes for an unexpectedly chic pitstop on the way in or out of Warrnambool. Expect well-presented dishes in a bright, beachy space: their all-day breakfast menu includes panko-crumbed poached eggs and housemade corn fritters, while lunch ranges from bao buns and ricotta gnocchi to an extensive cabinet selection.

Their Brekky Combo offers great value; at $16 it includes an egg, bacon and tomato relish roll, crisp hash brown and coffee by Proud Mary. There’s plenty of parking and access is step-free.

Cuisine: Modern Aussie
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Bright and refined
Location: Shop 13/1-49 Raglan Parade, Warrnambool

Rough Diamond

Rough Diamond, Warrnambool
The 1970s office building has been transformed into a thriving cafe serving delicious toasties. (Credit: Rough Diamond)

Housed in a refurbished 1970s office building, Rough Diamond is all about quality, not quantity. Their focus is on coffee and sandwiches, with premium suppliers like Small Batch Roasting Co., Schulz Organic Dairy, Hunted + Gathered and Jane Dough (they also host specialty roasters from time to time). Everyone is here for the toasties, and you should be too; the ham, cheese and pickles – Smoked Virginia ham, tasty cheese, Dijonnaise, dill pickle and roquette salad on toasted Jane Dough sourdough – really hits the spot. On a nice day, sit outside in the cute grassy patio (pooches welcome).

Cuisine: Toasties, Modern Aussie
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Communal, industrial
Location: 203 Koroit St, Warrnambool

ToTo Town

Located on a prominent corner in the historic Western Hotel building, ToTo Town is known for their great coffee by Axil Coffee Roasters – filter, batch brew and cold brew are all on offer – and the consistent quality of their food. For something a little different, try the Cilbir (Turkish eggs served on a bed of house-made garlic yoghurt, finished with mince and burnt butter), or for a lighter lunch, go for the pan-fried barramundi. If you like a drink with your lunch, they also serve local and imported wines.

Cuisine: Modern Aussie
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Charming, vibrant
Location: Unit 1/49 Kepler St, Warrnambool

Tilly Divine Kitchen & Bar

the Tilly Divine Kitchen & Bar cafe interior
This cosy cafe is a lush oasis for all-day breakfast. (Credit: Tilly Divine Kitchen & Bar)

The decor is rather divine at this cute cafe, with cosy seating and leafy wallpaper complemented by real-life foliage. Their housemade cakes pair deliciously with St Ali coffee, while their all-day breakfast menu includes the likes of corn, zucchini and haloumi fritters, several eggs benedict variations, pancakes and waffles. Tacos and salads feature on the lunch menu, and the cafe is licensed, so you can enjoy a wine or cocktail over lunch (or brunch – we won’t judge). A step-free entrance makes it an option for those with mobility issues.

Cuisine: Modern Aussie
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Bright and fun
Location: 174 Liebig St, Warrnambool

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Jade Raykovski
Jade Raykovski is a freelance travel writer from Melbourne, Australia whose wanderlust began from immersing herself in the fantasy worlds of her favourite books as a kid. She started off her career as a graphic designer, before making the switch to copywriter, and now – in what you could say is the role she was always destined for – travel writer. Along with Australian Traveller, her bylines include National Geographic, BBC Travel, Escape and NZ Herald. And while she loves writing about home, she'll never pass up the chance to sip a spritz in Italy.
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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

    Megan Arkinstall Megan Arkinstall
    Continue
    The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

    It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

    inside the historic Bendigo Tram
    Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

    The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

    a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
    A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

    A new chapter for the city’s fleet

    the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
    The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

    a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
    The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

    During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

    the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
    Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

    Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.