What's catching on in Melbourne cafes

Every trend we follow, what it costs and where to get it.

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  • 8,479 cafes read
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Melbourne right now

Cooling offsearches vs a year ago

FeaturedRising drink

Mont Blanc coffee

Iced cold brew under a thick cap of sweet citrus cream, finished with lemon or yuzu zest, so the bitter coffee is sipped through a cool, tangy cream.

+84%Melbourne searches vs a year ago
Where to get oneSee the full story

Out with the dog?80 cafes in Melbourne with something for dogs on the menu

46 ones to watch

Melbourne cafe trends with the strongest early signals, scored out of 100.

A new, unproven score, not a prediction.

“Up from” compares the same cafes with the 90 days before.

  1. Chilli crispRising

    36 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 71 out of 100
  2. Mont Blanc coffeeRising

    117 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 70 out of 100
  3. UbeRising

    36 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 70 out of 100
  4. Cold foamRising

    99 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 68 out of 100
  5. Katsu sandoEmerging

    26 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 64 out of 100
  6. Smash burgerEmerging

    30 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 62 out of 100

Early signal score, out of 100

Ones to watch in Melbourne

New and unproven: not a prediction. Figures to 14 Nov 2026.

The radar

Pick a drawing to see the trend.

Right: more cafes have it. Up: more of the same cafes than in the 90 days before.

Ones to watchAlready
bigSlowingMore cafes Growing
  1. Chilli crisp
  2. Mont Blanc coffee
  3. Ube

Chilli crisp

Rising

Early signal score: 71 out of 100

36 cafes · 3 of the same cafes, up from 2

Ranked by early signal

46 trends shown

  1. Chilli crispRising

    36 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 71 out of 100
  2. Mont Blanc coffeeRising

    117 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 70 out of 100
  3. UbeRising

    36 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 70 out of 100
  4. Cold foamRising

    99 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 68 out of 100
  5. Katsu sandoEmerging

    26 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 64 out of 100
  6. Smash burgerEmerging

    30 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 62 out of 100
  7. Coconut matcha cloudRising

    28 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 61 out of 100
  8. Mango matchaEmerging

    48 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 61 out of 100
  9. ShokupanEmerging

    28 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 61 out of 100
  10. Salt breadRisingMicro

    Searches up 128% vs Aug to Oct 2025

    Early signal score: 60 out of 100
Show all 46 trendsShow fewer trends
  1. BirriaEmerging

    17 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 59 out of 100
  2. YuzuRising

    63 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 58 out of 100
  3. Basque cheesecakeEmerging

    94 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 57 out of 100
  4. MortadellaRising

    46 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 56 out of 100
  5. Hot honeyRising

    73 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 54 out of 100
  6. Matcha cloudRising

    48 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 53 out of 100
  7. Earl grey matchaEmerging

    18 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 53 out of 100
  8. Souffle pancakeEmergingMicro

    5 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 51 out of 100
  9. BiscoffRising

    76 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 49 out of 100
  10. Breakfast burritoEmerging

    51 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 49 out of 100
  11. PistachioEmerging

    66 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 49 out of 100
  12. TiramisuRising

    73 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 49 out of 100
  13. Black sesameEmerging

    28 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 49 out of 100
  14. Milk bunEmerging

    14 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 49 out of 100
  15. Turkish eggsEmerging

    87 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 48 out of 100
  16. HojichaEmerging

    83 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 47 out of 100
  17. Salted mapleRising

    8 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 46 out of 100
  18. TaroEmerging

    33 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 44 out of 100
  19. HibiscusRising

    17 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 43 out of 100
  20. Coconut cloudEmerging

    9 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 42 out of 100
  21. NdujaEmerging

    17 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 41 out of 100
  22. LavenderEmerging

    14 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 40 out of 100
  23. EinspannerEmerging

    6 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 38 out of 100
  24. Kaya toastEmergingMicro

    5 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 38 out of 100
  25. PandanEmerging

    15 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 38 out of 100
  26. CroffleEmergingMicro

    5 kinds of evidence

    Early signal score: 37 out of 100
  27. Blueberry matchaEmergingMicro

    7 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 34 out of 100
  28. CruffinEmerging

    23 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 33 out of 100
  29. ElderflowerEmergingMicro

    3 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 32 out of 100
  30. HoneycombEmerging

    5 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 30 out of 100
  31. Coconut water espressoEmergingMicro

    3 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 30 out of 100
  32. Iced turmeric latteEmergingMicro

    6 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 26 out of 100
  33. Protein coffeeEmergingMicro

    Searches up 39% vs Aug to Oct 2025

    Early signal score: 25 out of 100
  34. Jasmine matcha cloudEmergingMicro

    Searches up 113% vs Aug to Oct 2025

    Early signal score: 25 out of 100
  35. Brown butterEmergingMicro

    3 cafes in the last 90 days

    Early signal score: 21 out of 100
  36. Coconut water cold brewEmergingMicro

    First seen 20 Oct 2026

    Early signal score: 21 out of 100

Already big, so not ranked

Facts to quote
  • 46 trends are on The Froth's Melbourne Emerging board as of 14 Nov 2026, each in its Emerging or Rising stage; 12 are tagged Micro (fewer than 10 cafes in the last 90 days in every city).
  • Chilli crisp has the strongest early signals, with a score of 71 out of 100 (36 cafes in the last 90 days).
  • Of the Micro trends, Salt bread scores highest at 60 out of 100.
  • Iced latte (1 in 3 cafes), Cold brew (1 in 7 cafes), Strawberry matcha (1 in 9 cafes) are already on more than 1 in 10 Melbourne cafes, so they are listed apart rather than ranked.
  • The early signal score (version 0.1, set 12 Nov 2026) is built from eight parts and is not a prediction: it is new and has not been tested against outcomes yet.
  • A trend seen at fewer than 3 Melbourne cafes is held at 25 or under, whatever its searches say.

Updated

How the score works

A number from 0 to 100 for how strong a trend's early signals are today. It is new and unproven. It is not a prediction and not a chance of anything: we do not have enough history yet to test one.

Spread 22% of the score
How many unrelated cafes posted it, and across how many suburbs.
Momentum 22% of the score
Whether more of the same cafes post it now than before, or more cafes and creators than its own history predicts.
Search 16% of the score
How many people in Melbourne search for it, and whether that is growing.
Creators 10% of the score
How many independent food creators posted it.
Confirmation 10% of the score
How many different kinds of evidence agree: cafe posts, creators, menus, reviews, press, searches.
Engagement 8% of the score
Whether posts about it get more likes than the cafe's usual post.
Names 7% of the score
Whether cafes are giving it their own names.
Freshness 5% of the score
Whether we first saw it recently and it is still being posted.

A part with too little behind it is left out and marked "not enough yet", so missing data never counts against a trend. Anything seen at fewer than 3 cafes is held at 25 or under, and anything no cafe has posted yet at 10.

Growth is only ever measured on the same cafes in both periods, so reading more cafes never looks like a trend taking off. A breakout in searches is scaled by the searches behind it: a jump from almost nothing adds almost nothing.

The tag beside a score says how much it rests on: good evidence is six or more parts with a reading and at least 10 cafes; some evidence is four parts and 3 cafes; anything less is thin.

Every day we record each score and the figures behind it, for the trends that go nowhere too, so the score can be checked against what happens and corrected.

Version 0.1, set on 12 Nov 2026.

How we track trends, in full

Most and least trendy suburbs

  • More cafes on rising trends than Melbourne overall
  • Fewer

Suburb by suburb

Cafes on a rising trend, last 90 days, most first

72 smaller suburbs have too few cafes to rank

16 trends

Rising

More cafes each quarter, or searches climbing.

Show all 16 rising trendsShow fewer

2 trends

Peaking

Widespread, but demand is easing off its high.

33 trends

Emerging

A few cafes have it, or creators have started posting it.

Show all 33 emerging trendsShow fewer

1 trend

Mainstream

On a big share of cafes, holding steady.

3 trends

Fading

Cafes or searches dropping away.

Not staged yet, too little to go on so far: Coconut matcha slushie, Matcha donut.

How these are counted

A cafe counts from the first public post or customer review we found about a trend, by the cafe or a customer, and while it is on its current menu. Cafes and suburbs are counted so far.

Shares are of cafes with an Instagram post or a current menu in the last 90 days, a chain counting once, to 14 Nov 2026. Change in how many of the same cafes had it: the last 90 days against the 90 before, among the 1,224 cafes we have read through both.

Read how we track cafe trends

The figures in full

Rising

Iced latte
649 Melbourne cafes in 247 suburbs so far; 29% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (567 of 1,955); 44 of the same cafes had it, against 18 in the 90 days before (up 144%). Up by a quarter or more on the previous 90 days, among the same cafes.
Cold brew
347 Melbourne cafes in 153 suburbs so far; 15% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (300 of 1,955); 26 of the same cafes had it, against 15 in the 90 days before (up 73%). Up by a quarter or more on the previous 90 days, among the same cafes.
Mont Blanc coffee
145 Melbourne cafes in 98 suburbs so far; 6% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (117 of 1,955); 16 of the same cafes had it, against 12 in the 90 days before (up 33%). Up by a quarter or more on the previous 90 days, among the same cafes.
Cold foam
115 Melbourne cafes in 105 suburbs so far; 5.1% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (99 of 1,955); 22 of the same cafes had it, against 16 in the 90 days before (up 38%). Up by a quarter or more on the previous 90 days, among the same cafes.
Biscoff
86 Melbourne cafes in 96 suburbs so far; 3.9% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (76 of 1,955); 6 of the same cafes had it, against 5 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Tiramisu
94 Melbourne cafes in 66 suburbs so far; 3.7% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (73 of 1,955); 6 of the same cafes had it, against 7 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Hot honey
86 Melbourne cafes in 71 suburbs so far; 3.7% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (73 of 1,955); 7 of the same cafes had it, against 8 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Yuzu
77 Melbourne cafes in 52 suburbs so far; 3.2% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (63 of 1,955); 5 of the same cafes had it, against none in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Matcha cloud
56 Melbourne cafes in 42 suburbs so far; 2.5% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (48 of 1,955); 5 of the same cafes had it, against 4 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Mortadella
62 Melbourne cafes in 51 suburbs so far; 2.4% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (46 of 1,955); 9 of the same cafes had it, against 7 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Ube
45 Melbourne cafes in 43 suburbs so far; 1.8% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (36 of 1,955); 5 of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Chilli crisp
41 Melbourne cafes in 37 suburbs so far; 1.8% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (36 of 1,955); 3 of the same cafes had it, against 2 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Coconut matcha cloud
32 Melbourne cafes in 35 suburbs so far; 1.4% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (28 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Hibiscus
19 Melbourne cafes in 17 suburbs so far; 0.9% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (17 of 1,955). Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Salt bread
13 Melbourne cafes in 11 suburbs so far; 0.5% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (9 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against 4 in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.
Salted maple
10 Melbourne cafes in 8 suburbs so far; 0.4% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (8 of 1,955); 2 of the same cafes had it, against none in the 90 days before. Search up by a quarter or more while cafes hold steady.

Peaking

Chilli scramble
414 Melbourne cafes in 186 suburbs so far; 15% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (301 of 1,955); 27 of the same cafes had it, against 34 in the 90 days before (down 21%). Fewer of the same cafes have it while search holds.
Canele
36 Melbourne cafes in 25 suburbs so far; 1.1% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (21 of 1,955); 4 of the same cafes had it, against 10 in the 90 days before (down 60%). Fewer of the same cafes have it while search holds.

Emerging

Strawberry matcha
269 Melbourne cafes in 170 suburbs so far; 11% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (215 of 1,955); 20 of the same cafes had it, against 17 in the 90 days before (up 18%). At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Basque cheesecake
125 Melbourne cafes in 83 suburbs so far; 4.8% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (94 of 1,955); 19 of the same cafes had it, against 18 in the 90 days before (up 6%). At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Turkish eggs
109 Melbourne cafes in 83 suburbs so far; 4.5% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (87 of 1,955); 11 of the same cafes had it, against 10 in the 90 days before (up 10%). At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Hojicha
108 Melbourne cafes in 57 suburbs so far; 4.3% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (83 of 1,955); 5 of the same cafes had it, against 6 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Pistachio
92 Melbourne cafes in 91 suburbs so far; 3.4% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (66 of 1,955); 7 of the same cafes had it, against 9 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Breakfast burrito
64 Melbourne cafes in 63 suburbs so far; 2.6% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (51 of 1,955); 6 of the same cafes had it, against 9 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Mango matcha
54 Melbourne cafes in 58 suburbs so far; 2.5% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (48 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against none in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Taro
44 Melbourne cafes in 35 suburbs so far; 1.7% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (33 of 1,955); 2 of the same cafes had it, against 5 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Smash burger
39 Melbourne cafes in 34 suburbs so far; 1.5% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (30 of 1,955); 6 of the same cafes had it, against 5 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Shokupan
35 Melbourne cafes in 32 suburbs so far; 1.4% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (28 of 1,955); 3 of the same cafes had it, against 2 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Black sesame
34 Melbourne cafes in 26 suburbs so far; 1.4% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (28 of 1,955); 3 of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Katsu sando
32 Melbourne cafes in 44 suburbs so far; 1.3% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (26 of 1,955); 2 of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Cruffin
33 Melbourne cafes in 33 suburbs so far; 1.2% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (23 of 1,955); 4 of the same cafes had it, against 6 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Earl grey matcha
27 Melbourne cafes in 30 suburbs so far; 0.9% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (18 of 1,955); 2 of the same cafes had it, against 2 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Nduja
22 Melbourne cafes in 22 suburbs so far; 0.9% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (17 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against 3 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Birria
20 Melbourne cafes in 20 suburbs so far; 0.9% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (17 of 1,955); none of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Pandan
20 Melbourne cafes in 15 suburbs so far; 0.8% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (15 of 1,955); none of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Milk bun
20 Melbourne cafes in 20 suburbs so far; 0.7% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (14 of 1,955); 5 of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Lavender
16 Melbourne cafes in 17 suburbs so far; 0.7% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (14 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against 3 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Coconut cloud
13 Melbourne cafes in 12 suburbs so far; 0.5% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (9 of 1,955); none of the same cafes had it, against 2 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Blueberry matcha
12 Melbourne cafes in 11 suburbs so far; 0.4% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (7 of 1,955); 2 of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Einspanner
11 Melbourne cafes in 8 suburbs so far; 0.3% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (6 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against none in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Iced turmeric latte
6 Melbourne cafes in 6 suburbs so far; 0.3% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (6 of 1,955). At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Kaya toast
11 Melbourne cafes in 10 suburbs so far; 0.3% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (5 of 1,955); none of the same cafes had it, against 2 in the 90 days before. First seen at a cafe in the last 120 days.
Honeycomb
7 Melbourne cafes in 26 suburbs so far; 0.3% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (5 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against none in the 90 days before. First seen at a cafe in the last 120 days.
Souffle pancake
7 Melbourne cafes in 7 suburbs so far; 0.3% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (5 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against none in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Brown butter
5 Melbourne cafes in 5 suburbs so far; 0.2% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (3 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Croffle
5 Melbourne cafes in 3 suburbs so far; 0.2% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (3 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against none in the 90 days before. At a small share of cafes and holding steady.
Coconut water espresso
3 Melbourne cafes in 3 suburbs so far; 0.2% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (3 of 1,955). Fewer than 5 cafes have had it.
Elderflower
3 Melbourne cafes in 3 suburbs so far; 0.2% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (3 of 1,955); none of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. Fewer than 5 cafes have had it.
Jasmine matcha cloud
2 Melbourne cafes in 2 suburbs so far; 0.1% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (2 of 1,955). Fewer than 5 cafes have had it.
Coconut water cold brew
1 Melbourne cafe in 1 suburb so far; under 0.1% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (1 of 1,955). Fewer than 5 cafes have had it.
Protein coffee
1 Melbourne cafe in 1 suburb so far; under 0.1% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (1 of 1,955); 1 of the same cafes had it, against none in the 90 days before. Fewer than 5 cafes have had it.

Mainstream

Matcha
1,074 Melbourne cafes in 282 suburbs so far; 42% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (827 of 1,955); 134 of the same cafes had it, against 115 in the 90 days before (up 17%). At 28% or more of cafes and holding steady.

Fading

Dubai chocolate
54 Melbourne cafes in 81 suburbs so far; 2.3% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (44 of 1,955); 5 of the same cafes had it, against 5 in the 90 days before. Search is under half its 12-month high and cafes are not picking it up.
Pistachio croissant
41 Melbourne cafes in 34 suburbs so far; 1.4% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (27 of 1,955); 2 of the same cafes had it, against 4 in the 90 days before. Search is under half its 12-month high and cafes are not picking it up.
Crookie
5 Melbourne cafes in 5 suburbs so far; under 0.1% of cafes in the 90 days to 14 Nov 2026 (1 of 1,955); none of the same cafes had it, against 1 in the 90 days before. Search is under half its 12-month high and cafes are not picking it up.

What a cafe costs in Melbourne

From a babycino at $2.50 to eggs benedict at $24.00, November 2026.

Every item's typical price in Melbourne, dearest first, against Australia's. Under each price: against Australia
  1. Eggs benedict$24.00$1.10 more
  2. Smashed avo$23.90$3.40 more
  3. Acai bowl$21.70$2.70 more
  4. Bacon and egg roll$13.50$1.00 more
  5. Iced latte$6.80$0.10 less
  6. Banana bread$6.00$0.50 less
  7. Croissant$6.00$0.50 less
  8. Matcha latte$6.00The same
  9. Chai latte$5.50The same
  10. Long black$5.00The same
  11. Flat white$5.00The same
  12. Babycino$2.50The same

Every city's pricesCompare Melbourne with another city

How we work out a price
  1. We read the menus of the cafes we follow in each city and match each line to an item by its name. A flat white also counts a latte or cappuccino, the way most cafes price them the same.
  2. Each cafe counts once, at its main price for the item. Add-ons, large sizes, combos and retail packs are left out, and prices far from the city's usual are set aside as likely mistakes.
  3. The typical price is the middle price: half the cafes charge less, half charge more.
  4. 8 in 10 cafes charge between the two prices shown: we leave out the cheapest 10 and the dearest 10 in every 100.
  5. A city needs at least 8 cafes with a price before we show a figure, and an area 5. Below that we say not enough cafes yet.
  6. Australia puts every city's cafe prices together, each cafe once, and works the typical price out again. We never add cafe counts from different cities into one figure.
  7. Extras (alternative milk, decaf, syrup and an extra shot) are what each cafe adds for one, its cheapest such line.
  8. Figures are for the month shown and update as menus are read again. We never name a cafe for its prices.

How we read menus, in full

Questions people ask

How much is a coffee in Melbourne?

A flat white averages $5.00 on Melbourne cafe menus. A latte averages $5.17, a cappuccino $5.15 and a long black $5.00. Iced lattes cost more, at $6.80.

From 332 Melbourne cafe menus that list a flat white with a price, updated 15 Nov 2026.

What are the biggest cafe trends in Melbourne right now?

Cold foam, salt bread and jasmine matcha cloud are growing fastest: Melbourne searches are up 606%, 128% and 113% in Aug to Oct 2026 against the same months of 2025. Matcha is still the most common, on about one in two Melbourne cafes.

Google searches in Melbourne and the cafes we follow, updated 15 Nov 2026.

How much does a matcha latte cost in Melbourne?

A matcha latte averages $6.00. Flavoured matchas cost more: strawberry matcha averages $9.51.

From 342 Melbourne cafe menus that list a matcha latte with a price, updated 15 Nov 2026.

What new drinks and dishes are Melbourne cafes trying?

Small trends only a few cafes have so far: salt bread (9 cafes in the last 90 days), blueberry matcha (7 cafes in the last 90 days) and iced turmeric latte (6 cafes in the last 90 days). We tag these Micro until 10 or more cafes in a city have them.

Cafes we follow in Melbourne, updated 15 Nov 2026.

Which Melbourne suburbs are the most trend-forward?

Among suburbs where we follow 15 or more cafes, Richmond (6 of 15 cafes we follow), Carlton (8 of 24 cafes we follow) and South Melbourne (5 of 18 cafes we follow) had the most cafes post a rising trend in the last 90 days.

Cafes we follow in each suburb, updated 15 Nov 2026.

How does The Froth decide what is trending?

We count how many Melbourne cafes post about a drink, how often customers review it, how many menus list it and how much Melbourne searches for it, against the months before. Fixed rules then give each one a stage: emerging, rising, peaking, mainstream or fading.

What new cafe trends are emerging in Melbourne?

The Froth has 46 trends on its Emerging board as of 14 Nov 2026: trends in their Emerging or Rising stage, 12 of them small enough to be tagged Micro. The strongest early signals are Chilli crisp (71), Mont Blanc coffee (70) and Ube (70), on our early signal score out of 100.

How does the early signal score work?

It is a number from 0 to 100 built from eight parts: how many unrelated cafes post a trend, whether more of the same cafes post it than before, Melbourne searches, food creators, how many kinds of evidence agree, likes, the names cafes give it, and how recently it was first seen. A part with too little behind it is left out, and anything seen at fewer than 3 cafes is held at 25 or under.

Is the early signal score a prediction?

No. The score (version 0.1) is new and unproven. It sums up today's signals and shows its reasons; it is not a forecast and not a probability. We do not yet have enough history to test one, so we record every score daily, including for trends that go nowhere, to check it against what happens.

What does the Micro tag mean?

Micro means fewer than 10 cafes have posted it in the last 90 days in every city we track. The tag goes by itself once 10 or more cafes in any city have it. It is the same trend either way: every name it goes by, a share of cafes, a stage and a list of places to get it.

How much is a flat white in Melbourne?

A flat white typically costs $5.00 in Melbourne, from 332 menus we read in November 2026. Most Melbourne cafes charge $4.50 to $5.90.

How much is breakfast at a cafe in Melbourne?

Brekkie for one is a flat white, banana bread and smashed avo, each at its typical price. In Melbourne it typically adds up to $34.90. Across Australia it is $32.00.

Is Melbourne dearer than the rest of Australia?

Of the 16 items with a figure in Melbourne, 4 cost more than the typical price across Australia, 6 less and 6 the same.

Where is the cheapest flat white in Melbourne?

By area, Bayside is cheapest at a typical $5.00 and City and Inner South dearest at $5.40. An area needs at least 5 cafes with a price.

How are these prices worked out?

From the cafe menus we read in each city, November 2026. Each cafe counts once, at its main price for the item, and add-ons, large sizes and combos are left out. The typical price is the middle price: half the cafes charge less, half charge more. A city needs at least 8 cafes with a price before we show a figure; below that we say not enough cafes yet. We never name a cafe for its prices.

Updated · How we count