The Heart of Carlton

The Heart of Carlton sits on Elgin Street in Carlton, one of Melbourne's most storied inner-city neighbourhoods, just north of the CBD and a stone's throw from Lygon Street's famous restaurant strip. In a suburb steeped in cafe culture, it's earned a loyal local following — which counts for a lot in this part of town.

The appeal is classic inner-Melbourne: a neighbourhood cafe that takes its coffee and its food seriously, in a relaxed setting that suits a leisurely weekend brunch or a quick weekday flat white. It's the kind of dependable local that becomes part of people's routines and earns its reputation by word of mouth.

With a 4.9 rating from more than 800 reviews, it's clearly nailing the fundamentals in one of the country's most competitive cafe markets. Menus, opening hours and offerings do change, and good inner-city cafes get busy on weekend mornings, so it's worth checking current details before a special trip — though for a coffee and a casual bite, it's usually just a matter of dropping in and finding a seat.