Cafeography
Melbourne · South Melbourne & Southbank

Cafés in South Melbourne & Southbank

South Melbourne Market, ST. ALi's warehouse and the cafés of Clarendon Street and Southbank.

Photo: Jyju Jossey, Pexels License

South Melbourne lies about 3 km south of the CBD. The Irish settler Edmund Finn named it Emerald Hill in October 1845, and its shopping centers on Clarendon Street and the side streets.1 Southbank, between it and the Yarra, was mostly industrial, with warehouses and a major brewery, until the Arts Centre opened in the early 1980s and the Southbank Promenade was completed in 1990.2

The two areas' cafés run from the market blocks of Coventry and Cecil Streets to St Kilda Road and Albert Road. The market itself, established in 1867, calls itself the oldest continually running market in Melbourne.3

Local tip: Plan around market days: the halls are shut on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, but ST. ALi on Yarra Place opens every day from 07:00.

At a glance

129Cafés listed
21With opening hours
06:00Earliest opening
21:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Saporito, from 06:00 (Mon–Fri 06:00–16:00 · Sat 07:00–16:00 · Sun 08:00–15:00).
  • Closes latest: o3 Cafe & Coworking, until 21:00 (Daily 10:00–21:00).
  • Most listed streets: St Kilda Road (11), Albert Road (7), Clarendon St (7).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (20%), takeaway (12%), wheelchair access (8%).

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Coffee chains in South Melbourne & Southbank

Getting to South Melbourne and Southbank

Tram routes 1, 12, 58, 96 and 109 run through Southbank along Sturt, Clarendon, Queensbridge and Normanby Streets.2 Southbank had 22,631 residents at the 2021 census, nearly twice South Melbourne's 11,548.21

South Melbourne Market

The market opened on a 10-acre site bounded by Coventry, Cecil and York Streets and the St Kilda railway line.3 A rooftop car park went up in 1972, a fire in 1981 destroyed the original sheds on Coventry Street, and the Food Hall was added in 1991.3

It trades on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 08:00 to 16:00 and on Friday until 17:00, and is closed on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; the cafés and restaurants on Cecil Street keep longer days and hours.4 Padre Coffee has a stall inside, roasted at its Brunswick East headquarters.5 Market Lane Coffee (305) and Code Black Coffee (321) are on Coventry Street, a few doors from the market's postal address at 322–326.

ST. ALi and the back-street roasters

ST. ALi fills a converted warehouse in the back streets at 12–18 Yarra Place. Mark Dundon opened it in 2005 and sold it in 2008 to Salvatore Malatesta.6 It opens daily 07:00–18:00, later than most in South Melbourne, and in April 2024 it charged A$6.50 for a flat white.7

Dead Man Espresso, at 35 Market Street, pours a house blend made for it by Seven Seeds and cooks with herbs and vegetables from its rooftop garden.8 Clarendon Street has Stokers at 224, The Old Paper Shop Deli at 266–268 and Burnt Butter at 316, and Albert Road has The Kettle Black at 50, Philoçoffee Espresso Bar at 162 and Mr Albert Eastern Cafe at 196.

Southbank and St Kilda Road

St Kilda Road has Little Black Cafe at 224, open Monday to Friday 07:00–14:00, Foremost at 312 and Slater St Bench at 431. In Southbank, Riverside Quay has The Bond Store at number 1 and Workshop Brothers at 2, and Café Godot is at 152 Sturt Street, a few doors from Journeys Cafe at 120. City Road has Mr Summit at 165 and Kere Kere at 207, and Dorcas Street has Nashi at 8 and Café Cova at 153.

Saporito, at 12–16 Kavanagh Street, opens earliest, at 06:00 on weekdays. For coffee after dark, o3 Cafe & Coworking at 87 Queens Bridge Street opens daily 10:00–21:00.

Sources

  1. South Melbourne, Victoria, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Southbank, Victoria, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. History, South Melbourne Market, accessed October 2026
  4. Contact us: trading hours, South Melbourne Market, accessed October 2026
  5. Padre Coffee, Broadsheet Melbourne (updated September 14, 2023), accessed October 2026
  6. St Ali, Broadsheet Melbourne (updated December 18, 2024), accessed October 2026
  7. Why Australians should be paying MORE for coffee, 3AW (April 9, 2024), accessed October 2026
  8. Dead Man Espresso, Broadsheet Melbourne, accessed October 2026
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In South Melbourne & Southbank, also browse: Specialty coffee Brunch Outdoor seating Bakery cafés Open by 6am

FAQ

South Melbourne & Southbank cafés: questions

What days is South Melbourne Market open in Melbourne?

South Melbourne Market trades Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 08:00 to 16:00 and Friday from 08:00 to 17:00. It is closed on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, although the cafés and restaurants on Cecil Street keep longer days and hours. Padre Coffee has a stall inside the market.

When did ST. ALi open in South Melbourne?

Mark Dundon opened ST. ALi in a converted warehouse at 12–18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne, in 2005 and sold it to Salvatore Malatesta in 2008. It opens daily 07:00–18:00, later than most cafés nearby. In April 2024 it was charging A$6.50 for a flat white.

How old is South Melbourne Market in Melbourne?

South Melbourne Market was established in 1867 and calls itself the oldest continually running market in Melbourne. It opened on a 10-acre site bounded by Coventry, Cecil and York Streets and the St Kilda railway line. A 1981 fire destroyed its original Coventry Street sheds, and the Food Hall was added in 1991.

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