hero media

A guide to the best Daylesford cafes for brunch and coffee

Credit: Visit Victoria

Pauline Morrissey Pauline Morrissey
From hearty breakfasts to indulgent sweet treats, here are the best cafe spots to fuel your Daylesford adventure.

With so many incredible things to do in Daylesford, starting your day with the right fuel is essential. Whether you’re craving a hearty breakfast, a decadent brunch, or just a quick coffee to get you going, this picturesque pocket of Victoria has you covered.

Here’s a round-up of some of the best cafes to visit during your visit to Daylesford.

Cliffy’s Emporium

brunch at Cliffy’s Emporium, Daylesford
Enjoy a relaxed brunch and coffee at Cliffy’s Emporium. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Brimming with vintage charm, Cliffy’s Emporium has been a Daylesford institution since the 1950s, offering a relaxed yet character-filled brunch outing. Inside, rustic corrugated iron walls and weathered timber evoke the history of this beloved spot, where crowds gather for top-notch coffee and delectable dishes.

Start your day with the famed ‘Cliffy’s Benedict’ or branch out with their bounty of breakfast options, like the Middle Eastern eggs or the Daylesford Dog at lunch. Farmers still deliver fresh produce here, stocking the deli shelves with local bread, pies and cakes, so don’t leave without grabbing a few treats for the road.

Address: 30 Raglan St, Daylesford

Cafe Lotte

a brunch plate at Cafe Lotte, Daylesford
The brunch menu at Cafe Lotte features hyper-local, seasonal produce.

As is often the case in this part of Victoria, the rhythm of the seasons quietly dictates what’s on the plate – and at Cafe Lotte in Hepburn Springs, the menu shifts in step. Part cafe, part restaurant and wine bar, it’s a welcoming spot where hyper-local, seasonal produce leads the way from morning through to evening.

By day, all-day cafe fare leans hearty and honest, from a sausage and egg muffin made with pork and fennel sausage to sardines on toast featuring Port Lincoln sardines. Come summer, the offering extends into select evening bistro menus, making it an easy choice for those basing their weekend in Hepburn Springs.

Address: 97 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs

Wombat Hill House

the Wombat Hill House, Daylesford
Enjoy the fresh country air at Wombat Hill House. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Tucked within the lush surrounds of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Wombat Hill House offers a peaceful, garden-set brunch that feels perfectly in step with Daylesford’s slower pace. The seasonal menu champions local produce, with many ingredients sourced from Dairy Flat Farm, resulting in dishes that feel thoughtful, fresh and grounded in place.

Bread and pastries arrive fresh each morning from the Dairy Flat Farm bake house, with slow-fermented sourdough and viennoiserie often selling out early – a good reason to arrive before the morning rush. Pair your pick with a fresh coffee, then settle in outdoors beneath heritage-listed trees or, on cooler days, by the fire inside, where wide windows frame the surrounding gardens.

Address: Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Daylesford

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Bad Habits Cafe

outdoor dining at Bad Habits Cafe, Daylesford
Bad Habits Cafe provides a charming, sun-drenched outdoor dining space.

Bathed in light, Bad Habits Cafe inside The Convent Daylesford offers a serene and sun-drenched setting for breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea. The turquoise walls and glass-fronted atrium provide a charming, sun-drenched backdrop for enjoying a locally inspired menu, featuring daily specials alongside beloved classics like calamari, croquettes, or the pie of the day.

For an extra special sitting, reserve their two-hour High Tea, which begins with a mimosa on arrival, followed by an exquisitely arranged three-tiered stand filled with freshly baked scones, savoury bites, and decadent sweet treats. Enjoy your treats in the sunlit atrium with views of the gardens, or in a private room surrounded by art. As a bonus, this booking includes access to the Convent Gallery, Chapel, and Museum.

Address: 7 Daly Street, Daylesford

Larder Cafe

the Larder cafe sign, Daylesford
Larder Cafe is a Daylesford main street brunch staple. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Bursting with creativity and local flair, Larder Cafe is a Daylesford main street staple, serving up hearty brunch classics. With its eclectic interiors, designed in collaboration with local artists, this cafe embodies the region’s artistic spirit.

While the savoury brunch staples are hearty and time-tested, it’s the sweeter side of the menu where Larder really shines. A hot favourite is the tiramisu-topped French toast – rich, indulgent and ideal for lingering over – best paired with one of their more playful drinks, like a lavender iced matcha. It’s the kind of brunch that leans into pleasure rather than practicality, and Daylesford is all the better for it.

Address: 57a Vincent Street, Daylesford

Harvest Cafe

If you’re after fresh, nourishing food in Daylesford, Harvest Cafe is a great spot in town for wholesome breakfast and lunch fare. The menu changes seasonally and centres on organic, locally sourced wholefoods, with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

Highlights include hearty dishes like Dynamite Mushroom Toast and Smokey Beans on sourdough, while lighter choices such as the Thunderstorm Porridge or Tofu Scramble celebrate vibrant produce. A display cabinet offers salads, wraps and focaccias for an easy lunch or takeaway, and a leafy outdoor seating area invites lingering over cold-pressed juices or a matcha latte.

Address: 9 Albert St, Daylesford

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

The Daylesford Hot Chocolate Company

melting mallows at The Daylesford Hot Chocolate Company
Sip on rich and velvety hot chocolate with melted marshmallows. (Credit: The Daylesford Hot Chocolate Company)

For those with a sweet tooth, The Daylesford Hot Chocolate Company is bound to deliver a sugar rush. Nestled inside a gorgeous cottage on the village edge, this cafe exudes warmth and indulgence with its decadent menu and homely space. The rotating selection of pastries is sure to tempt, offering treats like jam doughnuts, chocolate fudge brownies, and strawberry chocolate croissants – perfect for pairing with their signature beverages.

The clear standout is the Parisian Hot Chocolate Experience – a rich chocolate ganache served with a dollop of cream and a warm, flaky croissant for dipping. To take the moment home, pick up a packet of their in-house hot chocolate mix, perfect for recreating the ritual long after the weekend ends.

Address: 22 Raglan Street, Daylesford

Trentham General

Trentham General exterior view
Pop into the personality-packed Trentham General. (Credit: Pauline Morrissey)

Just a short drive from Daylesford lies Trentham General, a personality-packed cafe in the neighbouring town of Trentham, housed in the beautifully restored old Bank of Australasia. Start your day with the Trentham Happy Hens Eggs Your Way, served on Zeally Bay sourdough toast, or try the flavorful Dukkah Eggs with beetroot hummus, walnut dukkah, and Meredith goat’s cheese.

For lunch, the Haloumi Burger is a standout, featuring fried haloumi, walnut pesto and aioli in a Zeally Bay brioche bun. Whether you choose to relax inside its brilliantly restored interior or outside on the sunlit streetscape, you’ll enjoy fresh regional produce, excellent coffee, delicious cakes, and a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Address: 37A High Street, Trentham

Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?

  1. Click here to set Australian Traveller as a preferred source.
  2. Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Pauline Morrissey

Pauline Morrissey

View profile and articles
A flatlay of food from Lost Watering Hole.
Daylesford & Macedon Ranges

8 towns in Victoria’s Heartland that will delight your tastebuds

Get out of the city and close to nature in Victoria’s Heartland, one of Australia’s finest food-producing regions. 

Read more
countryside dining at Sault, Daylesford
Daylesford & Macedon Ranges

Top Daylesford restaurants for every foodie’s bucket list

From lavish lunches to a true farm-to-table experience, these top restaurants highlight Daylesford’s burgeoning dining scene. 

Read more
Milk and Honey bedroom interior, Daylesford
Daylesford & Macedon Ranges

The best Daylesford accommodation for a perfect weekend getaway

Plan your next getaway around one of these peaceful stays.

Read more
the picturesque Lake Daylesford
Daylesford & Macedon Ranges

A visitor’s guide to picturesque Lake Daylesford

No trip to Daylesford is complete without a visit to its famous ornamental lake.

Read more

From coast to bush: these are Gippsland’s best hikes

    Michael Turtle Michael Turtle
    Continue

    Video credit: Tourism Australia

    From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

    I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

    For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland, and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

    Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

    The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

    sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

    Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

    a couple on Mount Oberon
    Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit, which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

    a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

    You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk, even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

    the George Bass Coastal Walk
    George Bass Coastal Walk trails for seven kilometres along clifftops. (Image: Visit Victoria/Time Out Australia)

    Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk, usually done over seven days.

    the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland
    Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    The best bush hikes in Gippsland

    the Baw Baw National Park
    The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

    Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

    Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

    Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

    The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

    the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland
    Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

    As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park, along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

    the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park
    Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail, a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

    the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park
    The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

    Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park, known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the WildernessRetreats in The Prom
    Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

    Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

    Eating there

    the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

    Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

    a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.

    Video credit: Tourism Australia