You want brunch in Forest Hill, not a padded directory of every place with coffee near Springvale Road. Start with Kanelle if you want the cleanest local bet, then use the shortlist below when kids, parking, price, or location matter more.
The Verdict
Kanelle is the Forest Hill brunch pick if you only want one answer. It has the strongest local signal for a true neighbourhood cafe: 4.9/5 from 87 Google reviews, a proper Forest Hill address at 9 Inglewood Avenue, and none of the shopping-centre compromise you get when you default to Forest Hill Chase. It is the one to try first when you want brunch to feel local rather than like a food-court decision.
The runner-up depends on what kind of morning you are having. The Jolimont Cafe is the safer classic cafe option if you want a bigger review base, sitting at 4.6/5 from 410 reviews with a mid-range price marker at 73 Jolimont Road. Mazaj Lebanese Restaurant & Lounge at Forest Hill Chase has the huge crowd signal, 4.8/5 from 1,574 reviews, but it reads more like a Lebanese restaurant and lounge than a lazy eggs-and-coffee brunch stop. Cups Espresso Cafe & Catering is tempting on score alone, with 5/5 from 45 reviews, but it is on Station Street in Nunawading, so it is less useful if your morning is centred around Forest Hill proper. Do not treat the highest-rated list as the same thing as the best brunch list: Recips Electrical & Data may be verified in the dataset, but nobody should be building a Saturday brunch plan around an electrical business listing.
Local Reality
Forest Hill brunch is spread out, so the best choice is less about a single cafe strip and more about which side of the suburb you are already on. If you are near Springvale Road, Kanelle and Golgappa Junction 1 (GJ 1) are the obvious names from this list, with Smash Burgery also sitting around 342-348 Springvale Road. If you are already at Forest Hill Chase on Canterbury Road, Mazaj is the convenient move because it is inside the centre on level 3, Shop 329. That convenience matters when the weather is bad, you have shopping to do, or you are meeting someone who refuses to hunt for street parking.
The Nunawading edge has its own cluster. Cups Espresso Cafe & Catering is on Station Street, Central Core Cafe and KopCha Cafe and Eatery are on Rooks Road, Dodees Cafe & Donuts is on Springvale Road, and Mr Robertson Cafe is at Shop G01/31-39 Norcal Road. That is useful if you are coming from the Blackburn Road or Nunawading side, but it is not quite the same as saying you have found the best brunch in the middle of Forest Hill. Brentford Square gives you Al’s Pizza, which is affordable and popular at 4.6/5 from 749 reviews, but it is more of a practical local food option than the first brunch pick. Skip this list if you specifically want inner-north style specialty coffee culture; Forest Hill is more functional, family-friendly, and suburban. If you are west of Rooks Road, you are probably better off choosing a Nunawading option like KopCha, Central Core Cafe, Cups Espresso, or Mr Robertson instead of crossing back toward Forest Hill Chase.
Who This Suits
If you are a first-time Forest Hill brunch hunter, pick Kanelle. It has the right balance of rating, suburb fit, and cafe feel. If you are meeting family at the shops, pick Mazaj at Forest Hill Chase because the landmark is easy and the review count is enormous. If you have kids to entertain, MiniTown Kids Party Play Cafe is the practical choice, with 4.8/5 from 1,177 reviews at 5 Silver Grove in Nunawading. If you want a classic cafe with more review depth, pick The Jolimont Cafe. If you are closer to Nunawading than Forest Hill, pick KopCha Cafe and Eatery, Central Core Cafe, Cups Espresso Cafe & Catering, Dodees Cafe & Donuts, or Mr Robertson Cafe before you drive further than you need to.
Cost-wise, the dataset only marks a few venues, so do not over-read the prices. Thornton Crescent Cafe and Al’s Pizza are listed as affordable. Mazaj Lebanese Restaurant & Lounge, Mr Robertson Cafe, and The Jolimont Cafe are listed as mid-range. The other venues have no price marker in the supplied data, including Kanelle, Cups Espresso Cafe & Catering, Golgappa Junction 1, Central Core Cafe, MiniTown Kids Party Play Cafe, KopCha Cafe and Eatery, Smash Burgery, The Food Cage, and Dodees Cafe & Donuts. For brunch planning, assume the affordable places are better for a low-stakes bite, while the mid-range venues make more sense when you are sitting down properly or meeting a group.
Timing changes the answer. On weekend late mornings, Forest Hill Chase is easier if you want predictable parking and a clear meeting point, but it also feels more like a shopping-centre meal. Local cafe picks like Kanelle and The Jolimont Cafe make more sense when you are not trying to coordinate three cars and a pram. Early morning or weekday brunch favours the smaller cafe options because the whole suburb feels calmer. In school-holiday mode, MiniTown Kids Party Play Cafe becomes much more compelling, even if it is not the adult brunch fantasy.
What to Do Next
Try Kanelle first, use The Jolimont Cafe as the safer classic backup, and keep Mazaj for Forest Hill Chase meetups. For the broader suburb context, read the Forest Hill food guide.
| Venue | Rating | Reviews | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cups Espresso Cafe & Catering | 5/5 | 45 | - |
| Recips Electrical & Data | 5/5 | 15 | - |
| Golgappa Junction 1 (GJ 1) | 4.9/5 | 108 | - |
| Kanelle | 4.9/5 | 87 | - |
| Central Core Cafe | 4.9/5 | 50 | - |
| **Mazaj Lebanese Restaurant & Lounge | Forest Hill** | 4.8/5 | 1574 |
| MiniTown Kids Party Play Cafe | 4.8/5 | 1177 | - |
| KopCha Cafe and Eatery | 4.8/5 | 315 | - |
| Smash Burgery | 4.8/5 | 193 | - |
| Thornton Crescent Cafe | 4.8/5 | 33 | Affordable |
| The Food Cage | 4.8/5 | 21 | - |
| Dodees Cafe & Donuts | 4.7/5 | 187 | - |
| Al’s Pizza | 4.6/5 | 749 | Affordable |
| Mr Robertson Cafe | 4.6/5 | 606 | Mid-range |
| The Jolimont Cafe | 4.6/5 | 410 | Mid-range |
Venue Details
Cups Espresso Cafe & Catering
Address: Unit 1A/98-104 Station Street, Nunawading
Rating: 5/5 (45 reviews)
Recips Electrical & Data
Address: 11/56 Norcal Road, Nunawading
Rating: 5/5 (15 reviews)
Golgappa Junction 1 (GJ 1)
Address: 342/348 Springvale Road, Forest Hill
Rating: 4.9/5 (108 reviews)
Kanelle
Address: 9 Inglewood Avenue, Forest Hill
Rating: 4.9/5 (87 reviews)
Central Core Cafe
Address: 194 Rooks Rd, Nunawading
Rating: 4.9/5 (50 reviews)
Mazaj Lebanese Restaurant & Lounge | Forest Hill
Address: Forest Hill Chase shopping center, level 3 Shop 329/270 Canterbury Road, Forest Hill
Rating: 4.8/5 (1,574 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
MiniTown Kids Party Play Cafe
Address: 5 Silver Grove, Nunawading
Rating: 4.8/5 (1,177 reviews)
KopCha Cafe and Eatery
Address: 150 Rooks Road, Nunawading
Rating: 4.8/5 (315 reviews)
Smash Burgery
Address: 342-348 Springvale Road, Forest Hill
Rating: 4.8/5 (193 reviews)
Thornton Crescent Cafe
Address: Unit 8/38 Thornton Crescent, Mitcham
Rating: 4.8/5 (33 reviews)
Price: Affordable
The Food Cage
Address: 16A King Street, Blackburn
Rating: 4.8/5 (21 reviews)
Dodees Cafe & Donuts
Address: 164a Springvale Road, Nunawading
Rating: 4.7/5 (187 reviews)
Al’s Pizza
Address: 1 Brentford Square, Forest Hill
Rating: 4.6/5 (749 reviews)
Price: Affordable
Mr Robertson Cafe
Address: Shop G01/31-39 Norcal Road, Nunawading
Rating: 4.6/5 (606 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
The Jolimont Cafe
Address: 73 Jolimont Road, Forest Hill
Rating: 4.6/5 (410 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
About This Guide
Every venue in this guide is a verified, currently operating business sourced from Google Places API. Data last refreshed: 2026-03-31. If a venue has closed or moved, let us know.
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