Cafeography
Melbourne · North Melbourne & Kensington

Cafés in North Melbourne & Kensington

Auction Rooms and Small Batch in North Melbourne; Rumble and the old saleyards in Kensington.

Photo: Paul Macallan, Pexels License

North Melbourne begins about 3 km north-west of the CBD. It was proclaimed the Borough of Hotham in 1859 and took its present name in 1887, and Errol Street, between the Town Hall and Victoria Street, remains its main strip.1 Tram routes 57, 58 and 59 serve the suburb, with Upfield line trains at Macaulay and Flemington Bridge.1

Kensington, about 4 km out, grew up around the city's cattle yards, which opened in 1858. By 1888 the railway-served yards were handling more than half a million animals a year, and they ran until 1987.2 Both suburbs hold roasters working from backstreet buildings: Small Batch on Little Howard Street and Rumble on Thompson Street.

Local tip: Rumble's Macaulay Road bar closes at weekends and at 14:00 on weekdays; on a Saturday, go to Small Batch on Little Howard Street or Auction Rooms instead.

At a glance

89Cafés listed
30With opening hours
06:00Earliest opening
22:30Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Autumn Leaves, from 06:00 (Mon–Fri 06:00–15:00 · Sat–Sun 07:00–15:00).
  • Closes latest: Errol's Cafe, until 22:30 (Mon–Sat 06:30–22:30 · Sun 07:30–22:30).
  • Most listed streets: Errol Street (7), Victoria Street (6), Macaulay Road (6).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (15%), wheelchair access (12%), takeaway (11%).

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Coffee chains in North Melbourne & Kensington

Errol Street and the old auction house

Auction Rooms took over 103–107 Errol Street behind a blue facade that still carries the name of the auction house once there, WB Ellis, established in 1864, with concrete floors and exposed brick inside.3 Andrew Kelly founded the café and ran it for about eight years before it joined the St Ali group in November 2016, along with the takeaway shop Counter next door.3

The sale was a way to give his full time to roasting. As of 2020 the café was still pouring espresso and filter made with beans from that business.34

Little Howard Street: a roller door and a wine list

Small Batch, the roaster Kelly kept, works from a warehouse at 3–9 Little Howard Street.4 In June 2020 it opened the roller door and began trading as a small takeaway "cellar door", with espresso, filter and baker Charlie Duffy's wattleseed pain au chocolat and spelt croissants.4

The shelves went beyond coffee when it opened: fermented vegetables, eggs, honey and olive oil, plus an Adelaide Hills riesling and a Macedon Ranges cabernet sauvignon in reusable bottles, with A$5 back per bottle returned, as of 2020.4

Queensberry Street

Tone Coffee Roasters, at 653 Queensberry Street, is the project of Caleb "Tiger" Cha, who has worked in coffee since 2008 and won the World Latte Art Championship in 2015.5 It opens at 07:30 on weekdays and 08:30 at weekends.

The French Quarter Patisserie, at 570–574, supplies the sweeter end of the street, and Twenty & Six, at 594, has outdoor tables and closes at 15:00.

Kensington: Macaulay Road and the saleyards

Rumble Coffee Espresso Bar, at 348 Macaulay Road, is minutes from the company's roastery and pours its blends plus rotating single origins for filter and espresso, from 07:00 to 14:00 on weekdays only.7 The roastery itself is a red-brick building on Thompson Street, and co-owner Joe Molloy's Transparency Project shows what growers are paid.68

Luncheonette, on Rankins Road, takes its inspiration from New York's East Village, and The Premises, further along Macaulay Road, comes from long-time coffee hands.8 Newer housing at Kensington Banks stands where the saleyards once did, and route 57 runs along Racecourse Road.2 Daily Grind Cafe, on that road, opens at 06:00 every day.

Sources

  1. North Melbourne, Victoria, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  2. Kensington, Victoria, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  3. Auction Rooms, Broadsheet Melbourne (updated December 8, 2020), accessed November 2026
  4. Small Batch Cellar Door, Broadsheet Melbourne (June 23, 2020, updated December 9, 2020), accessed November 2026
  5. Tone Coffee Roasters, What's On Melbourne, City of Melbourne, accessed November 2026
  6. Rumble Coffee Roasters, Broadsheet Melbourne (updated December 6, 2024), accessed November 2026
  7. Rumble Espresso Bar, What's On Melbourne, City of Melbourne, accessed November 2026
  8. Best Cafes in Kensington, Broadsheet Melbourne (updated May 10, 2024), accessed November 2026
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In North Melbourne & Kensington, also browse: Specialty coffee Brunch Outdoor seating Bakery cafés Open by 6am

FAQ

North Melbourne & Kensington cafés: questions

What is the history of Auction Rooms in North Melbourne?

Auction Rooms occupies 103–107 Errol Street in North Melbourne, behind a blue facade still bearing the name of the auction house WB Ellis, established in 1864. Andrew Kelly founded the café and ran it for about eight years. It joined the St Ali group in November 2016, when he turned to his roasting business, Small Batch.

Where is the Small Batch roastery in North Melbourne, Melbourne?

Small Batch roasts in a warehouse at 3–9 Little Howard Street in North Melbourne. In June 2020 it opened the roller door as a small takeaway cellar door, selling espresso, filter coffee and pastries by baker Charlie Duffy, along with pantry goods and wine in reusable bottles.

When is Rumble Coffee Espresso Bar in Kensington, Melbourne open?

Rumble Coffee Espresso Bar, at 348 Macaulay Road in Kensington, opens from 07:00 to 14:00 on weekdays and closes on Saturday and Sunday. It pours Rumble blends and rotating single origins for filter and espresso. The company's red-brick roastery is a few minutes away on Thompson Street.

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