Bowery to Williamsburg

Bowery to WilliamsburgCafe$This venue is one of Good Food’s 100 Essential Melbourne Cafes and Bakeries of 2026.A quiet hero of the CBD brunch scene, this slice of New York’s Lower East Side has consistently done its thing since 2013. Its eponymous subway sign directs laneway foot traffic to the grungy basement, where Reuben sangas are stacked high on Noisette rye and bagels are filled with cured salmon from Harris Smokehouse. Slow-roasted for 14 hours, the Black Angus brisket is loaded into saucy maple bacon burgers and served alongside fried eggs and toasted cornbread. It’s a New York state of mind, but the fresh aroma of Padre coffee brings you back to Melbourne. Must order: The Reuben, made with Istra pastrami ($22). An extra $9 gets you double the meat for a sandwich that gives Katz’s Deli in NYC a run for its money.Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.Last visited: July 2026Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign upMore:MelbourneBowery to WilliamsburgCafeWalk-ins onlyTakeawayOutdoor diningGood for solo dinersBreakfastVegetarian-friendlyCafeReviewsGood Food GuideEssential cafes and bakeriesFrom our partners