A ‘futuristic pitstop’, gelato in the hills: Three new Melbourne cafes to try

Breakfast gelato? You got it. Corn latte? Right this way. The modern cafe is a maverick, trading the eggs and long blacks of yesteryear for a brave new world. Here are three freshies to try when you’re seeking much more than a humble cup of joe.

DOH

You want your doughnut maxed out with red bean paste, don’t you? I see you, and I urge you to visit Daily Oven Heaven – a Korean cream doughnut cafe otherwise known as DOH – and ask for an ang butter doughnut.

The signature sweet combines a heavy sphere of bean paste with a thick slab of salted butter, then jams it into the plush interior of a fresh doughnut.

It’s one of many reasons to head to their shop next to Queen Victoria Market. The Dubai-ification of confectionery continues here in a pistachio-rich doughnut, and your latte might come in corn, sesame or matcha-tiramisu form.

The vibe is in-and-out – what little space DOH has is assigned mostly to doughnut production – but you won’t be able to sit still, anyhow: you’ll be full of beans.

9 Dhanga Djeembana Walk, Melbourne, instagram.com/doh.melbourne

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Cafe Effe

Coffee suprema girlfriend, gelato maestro boyfriend. A tale as old as time? Maybe not, but a recipe for an excellent cafe. (And a banging affogato!) Tecoma, a suburb at the foothills of the Dandenongs, got everything it ever wanted when barista Peggy Xu and gelatiere Michael Dobson opened Cafe Effe on the main drag at the end of 2025.

In the cabinet: darling tarts and galettes – often made with produce donated by locals – plus cookies filled with the likes of macadamia, white chocolate and the roasted green tea hojicha. At the counter: freshly spun gelato, six pots’ full.

There might be chilli-chai gelato made with local Caravan Chai powder, and another made from a profoundly delicious Mount Zero arbequina olive oil.

Dobson, an alum of Kori Ice Cream, is never short of inspiration, but the possibilities here are just about endless, thanks to a flavour suggestion box filled with community entries that are regularly churned to life.

Ambient records line the walls, young families abound, Proud Mary coffee perfumes the air, and all is quaint in this lush corner of the world.

1551 Burwood Highway, Tecoma, instagram.com/cafe_effe

Project Zero

How long does it take to make a cup of instant coffee? Maybe 15 seconds? What if we told you the trailblazers at Project Zero are making better time and a vastly superior drink? Important: this is not instant coffee – far from it – but it is practically instantaneous.

The espresso is pre-batched, stored below the counter and drawn on demand. The milk is frothed without steam in a newfangled contraption called an Ubermilk machine. The two components come together in record time for a cuppa that trades romance for expedience but sacrifices neither texture nor flavour.

Intrigued? Try the Strawberry Cheesecake, a coffee that’s been co-fermented with strawberries and tastes strikingly like its namesake, especially when combined with dairy milk.

There’s not a lot of lingering space here; use it more like a futuristic pitstop on your way to the office, and pick up an Austro bakery from the cabinet while you’re there.

276 Flinders Street, Melbourne, projectzero.coffee