We spent a week in Melbourne and I was on a quest to find the best coffee I could find, and I'm always on the lookout for a good breakfast place. Stagger Lee's was hands down the best flat white I had in the city. I won't list all the places I went, but in the 8 days I was in melbourne I had at least 2 flat whites a day. Melbourne is perhaps one of the BEST coffee cities I've ever visited, and that's saying a lot as I love my coffee. Something about Stagger Lee's coffee was perfect, it had the right amount of richness and boldness without any bitterness, and it was perfection. There were 4 of us, and three of us ordered another round of flat whites which is the only place we've done that haha. I talked enough about the coffee, let's talk about the food! All I can say is WOW! We all enjoyed our dishes. I ordered the Burrata, Spiced Pumpkin, Pickled Beets, and Chili Maple Cashews. It was outstanding, everything matched so well from a taste and texture standpoint. You have the creamy almost sweet burrata, the tangy beets, the crunchy cashews, all with a wonderful dressing. What an outstanding dish. Finally, the workers there were super efficient and friendly. One woman working there reminded me of Kate McKinnon from SNL. I mean that in the most complimenting way possible, just a bundle of good energy throughout. The place was also great, with a good vibe and a relaxed atmosphere. read more

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Super yummy breakfast spot with delicious coffee and a nice little inside seating area. read more

Stagger Lee's - Beautiful french toast with ice cream for kiddos! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

Australian cafes take pride in their breakfasts. This was by far the best Aussie breakfast we had in two weeks of serious breakfast hunting. The secret? Stagger Lee (and presumably other top of the line Aussie cafes as well) have seriously rethought what an upscale breakfast looks like. Americans would be wise to learn a thing or two here. * * * Stagger Lee's has figured out that the basic elements of breakfast are good eggs on good toast. The creativity comes from what else one puts on once one starts with those two base ingredients. Americans and Canadians are super stodgy on this point. The choices are Eggs Benedict, Eggs Benedict, Eggs Benedict and Eggs Benedict. Hollandaise sauce is lovely stuff to be sure, but you can really be Eggs Benedict-ed to death. It was a huge shocking innovation in the U.S. to introduce Huevos Rancheros. Swap out toast for tortilla and add spicy salsa. A breakthrough to be sure ... but you can do a lot more than that. * * * Stagger Lee's has about a dozen complex super-interesting ideas about what to put on top of your eggs and toast. Like maybe pickled white anchovies, tomato sauce, fresh basil, flavored bread crumbs and lemon? (That's what I had). Or maybe spiced tomatoes, chorizo, machego cheese and a homemade herb sauce? Or maybe lamb hash with 24 spices, pickled fennel, pickled parsley, charred broccoli, traditional hollandaise and harissa? If none of those options appeal, they have many other choices, both vegan and carnivorous? Fine ingredients? Fine execution? What can go wrong? Absolutely positively zero. * * * This is a fine fine fine place ... And the standard to which I will hold all upscale breakfasts in the future. read more

If you've ever been in the 45min wait that often happens at Proud Mary, news of another venue finally opening its doors will be music to your ears. I am a huge fan of Proud Mary coffee. At Stagger Lees they change the board for a few varieties, offering each in espresso, filter or cold drip. I tried an espresso and filter of their Rwandan and they were both amazing. The space itself is so light and airy. Dining here on a sunny autumn afternoon, all of the side of the building was open out to the street, letting in the light and breeze. It was the perfect way to enjoy the afternoon without actually sitting outside. Actually, my dining companions and I enjoyed the coffee and atmosphere so much that lunch took from 1pm until they started putting chairs on tables. One friend even missed her flight home. Yep, Stagger Lee's is a happy place to be and we lingered. Speaking of lunch. Wow. The food options here are amazing and we were all very happy diners. I had the spatchcock salad with cauliflower and it was as beautiful as it was delicious. The bacon sandwich looked like an instant hangover buster. Would I come back here again? Oh hell yeah. read more

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Really nice cafe that's now open as a restaurant on the weekend. I just stopped by at random but I had a very nice combination of grilled asparagus and smoked bacon croquettes. Spacious interior and a terrace outside on the street. Give it a try, you're like it. read more

Stagger Lee's - Terrace - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

Another great coffee shop in fitzroy that makes choosing where to go to breaky/ coffee/ people watching super hard. This place gets my vote because: the food is delicious (and a little bit vegan), the staff rock and the coffee is up to (and a little bit exceeding) the fitzroy standard. And for those who are anti milk (we can discuss this later) there is almond/soy alternatives. So food wise: highly recommended is the mexi breakfast eggs in tacos which includes avocado and cabbage: all the good things. I put hot sauce on mine and I suggest you do the same. The cave man's granola is amazing. It has pumpkin puree in it which i ignored when ordering as I was confused because isn't pumpkin supposed to be a night time food? No it is not. It is a breakfast cereal food and it is delicious. The vegan muesli balls (the same as you would find at proud mary's) are a great snack with your coffee. And the porridge is good too. I'm yet to try the asparagus avocado with cashew cheese (it looks REALLY good) and and the mushrooms/polenta/something about truffles but they are next on the lists and by the satisfied sounds I heard from the table next to me I am assuming they rock. It also has wifi and a cabinet of sandwiches and treats. And they have great green tea. Oh and there is usually a soup special that sounds pretty good. See you there. read more

Stagger Lee's - Cave man granola mmmm crunchy - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

Great coffee, atmosphere and vegan options. On my last visit for breakfast I had the vegan cheese on toast (from the specials board). It was not what I expected, being a kind of cashew and herb pesto on toast with salad. It doesn't sound great from that description but it really really was! read more

Stagger Lee's - Vegan cheese on toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

Well, ahem, you might say if you had my experience at Stagger Lees, that this cafe is miss-your-flight worthy. Such is the traffic in Melbourne, that even with leaving with what we thought was plenty of time after a leisurely lunch at the newest cafe from the folks that bought you Proud Mary's, I missed my flight home to Brisbane. It was the perfect setting on a typical Autumn afternoon in Fitzroy made even better by the open plan of this cafe where the side walls are open doors. I'd ordered a take away coffee earlier that day from Stagger Lee's and can confirm it's as consistent as any Proud Mary brew I've had before. On the second visit in one day, we were there for lunch. My dining companions ordered the spatchcock with quinoa and cauliflower salad and I made the choice to eat like Ron Swanson and ordered the Fatty Toasty with bacon, cheese and tomato. No regrets. All the meals were delivered together and were delicious and fresh in ingredients and flavours. Our tummy's and selves were delighted. Conversation flowed well into the afternoon. Such is the atmosphere they've created at Stagger Lee's: pop by for a takeaway dash or linger for a long breakfast that turns into lunch. read more

Stagger Lee's - Peanut butter jelly tart - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

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Stagger Lees was recommended to me a few months ago by a wonderful barista in Abbotsford (Dr Morse) and it was some of the best coffee/brunch advice I've ever received. The restaurant is light, airy and has a wonderful casual atmosphere. Plenty of mixed seating options for solo brunch missions, dates, catch ups and groups. The staff are attentive yet casual. You never feel rushed in Staggers, which definitely results in coffee after coffee then a sweet, etc etc. They expertly serve up delicious "Proud Mary" coffee and offer numerous single origins and a great house blend. But enough about coffee and atmosphere.. Let's talk about the FOOD! Oh me. Oh my. I'm working my way through the menu and it has not disappointed me once! "The traveller" coconut rice pudding looks like a garden and tastes so divine. Sweet and surprisingly filling. Deceptive delicious dish! Hungry? Like super duper hungry? Ordered the frank and beans. Flavoursome and filling. It's huge and perfect for a big appetite. The asparagus cashew cheese dish feels and tastes healthy and indulgent all at once. The buttermilk fried chicken is an experience in itself. Perfectly complimented with cauliflower rice. Whaaaaaaa. One of the best brunch options on Brunswick st. Better get there soon before they close! read more

Stagger Lee's - Asparagus w/ cashew cheese poach egg deliciousness - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

Staggers has really settled in to the Fitzroy neighbourhood and I'm pleased to make it a regular coffee stop in my week. The service has improved dramatically as staff have become more comfortable and systems have been fine tuned. The coffee is always spot on and the menu continues to evolve with the seasons. There's a new after hours menu of beers and burgers that's high on my list to try. read more

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Stagger Lees is the epitome of the new fitzroy hipster chic- a menu that's varied, catering for hangovers or paleo dieters, gorgeous trendy wait staff & great coffee. It's on the expensive side & the queues on the weekends are ridiculous so get your wallet out & either go early or if you're willing to wait. I've had (and loved) the cave man granola, the trout & the Mexican dish. The food is always really consistently delicious & coffee excellent. Highly recommended!! read more

Stagger Lee's - Cave man granola! Yum! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

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Real score 3.5 but one of those ones marked down not up. I had the hot salmon with avocado, poached egg and potato rosti. The salmon was a little over cooked unfortunately and was just a bit hard. My companion had the vegan tacos which she really enjoyed. Service was good. Nice atmosphere here. Good place to have a chat because it's not noisy. Good strong coffee served here but not exceptional. Nice place but it doesn't really rise above the pack unfortunately. read more

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Brought a Perth friend here for brunch. First time for both of us. I ordered poached eggs on toast with a side of avocado and hand cut chips. Eggs were slightly over cooked so had already started to go hard when I cut into it. Serving of avocado was great. Most places give you a scrape or a quarter but this place gives you a full ripe half avo. Hand cut chips were good but a MASSIVE serving (more like wedges). My friend and I ordered a side each but we could have easily shared one serving and still had some left over. I think the server should've mentioned portion size to be honest. Overall great experience and highly recommend read more

Stagger Lee's - Yummy poached eggs but slightly over cooked. Cut into them and only a tiny bit was still runny. Still tasted good though. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

Though there are an array of brunch and coffee places to choose from in Fitzroy, Stagger Lees is one of the best. The coffee is great, the food is delicious and the staff are beautiful. The brunch items are great, lots of really interesting combinations. Though I am not usually a fan of a really sweet brunch, the french toast is to die for. Served with stewed pear and ice cream, it's just amazing. But everything is good. Try it all. read more

Even when there's only half an hour of service left, the girls here were lovely and service was very friendly and quick. I would thoroughly recommend a caramel pixie milkshake and everything that came out of the kitchen looks delicious, especially the quesadillas. read more

Stagger Lee's - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Fitzroy, VIC

Well, that was disappointing. After organising with a girlfriend to head over to Fitzroy and try out the new offering from one of our other favourite cafes, Proud Mary, we realised maybe we shouldn't have bothered. We walked in on a rainy Friday morning, when it really wasn't ridiculously busy. The first staff member who walked by didn't acknowledge us. Nor the second, until I caught their eye and asked nicely for a table for two. We were sat down with a single menu between the two of us (no biggie, I'm happy to share) and some water. The staff member then returned after a minute of two and asked if we wanted coffees, to which I said yes, and flipped the menu over to the drinks side. By the time I looked up, seconds later, she was gone again. Without our drinks order. Boo. While waiting for her to return, we perused the breakfast options and nothing overly jumped out at us. When the staff member didn't come back to take our coffee order after quite a while, we decided to hot foot it out of there and went back to one of our trusty all time never fail faves at Three Bags Full (which was delicious with friendly efficient service to match). And whilst I love Proud Mary, I won't be returning to Stagger Lees again. So sad!! read more

Proud Mary's new sister cafe located in Fitzroy, so being the coffee and brunch snob that I am, of course I had to check it out. Ordered the cold drink from the board that they had. This was a nice smooth blend and went down a treat. I then ordered the breakfast menu called "the simple" this was simple but spot on with deliciousness. It was a nice loaf bread sliced served with avo, feta, tomato's, herbs and I added a poached egg to make it breakfasy. I thoughly enjoyed sitting on the window seat with the local paper and enjoy my brunch here. The decor is really nice, comfy look, and somewhere you could enjoy a few coffee's at and not notice that youve been sitting there for hours. Located very centrally on brunswick st. Worth checking out :) read more

Coffee is great. Food is okay. The menu is tiny and limited. Service was crap. We're told the bill will be brought to our table but 10 minutes later, nada. Finally someone tells us we have to pay up front. Fab! Now we have to stand on line another 10 minutes just to pay the stupid bill, standing in the way of employees, patrons, etc. Dumb! If we'd gotten our bill when we'd asked you would have gotten the table sooner and we would have been out of your hair sooner. No real reason to come back unless getting coffee, to go! read more

Had a great lunch here, good coffee, great bbq toasty! Fast service despite being busy.

Loved my chilled mocha here. I didn't get to try much other than their coffee but I gotta say I love its location and interior design. Great place to chill and catch up with friends. Also, if you're looking for a cafe to just sit and read a book, I highly recommend this place! Will come back here to try out their food. read more

The problem for me visiting Melbourne is that there is never enough time. Not ever. But if there was enough time, there probably wouldn't be enough spending money, so I guess it evens out. The reason I've started my review in this manner is because while Stagger Lees was on my to-do list for my most recent visit in April 2015, I didn't quite have the stamina to wedge in a full meal here, and instead had to settle for a drink while my phone recharged. The staff were kind in accommodating my need for a powerpoint, and I perched on a corner of the big communal table in the cafe and enjoyed my Nice Pear, wishing I had more space in my stomach to try some of the appetising menu items. Maybe next time... read more

top place for breakfast really good strong coffee, a bit of different take on standardized breakfast fare recommend read more

We are super lucky to live across the street from Stagger Lees and it's our number one place to go for coffee. The coffee is obviously great, coming from Proud Mary, and you will struggle to get a better flat white. The toasties are always a treat-bacon and egg, truffle and cheddar, chicken and avo...you can't go wrong. They always have a good selection of desserts and treats on offer too. We can't say we've ever had a bad breakfast here and everything we've tried is a hit. Our key recommendations are the corned beef hash and the New Fitz but the scrambled eggs are also perfect and fluffy. It's also worth mentioning that they do incredible milkshakes! The staff are really friendly and look like they enjoy working there, which is always good to see. Sometimes it can get a little bit hectic, so you may not get the service you might be expecting, but this place is always worth it! read more

Great coffee and I highly recommend The Mexican (with bacon) if you're having breakfast there. Soooo tasty!

Favourite place in Melbourne for food, service and fantastic coffee!! Staff are always affable and attentive. Despite stagger lees continuing busyness you never get a sense of stress, and so the level of service is always maintained. read more