Box Hill has long been the place to go for an authentic Asian meal with Melburnians travelling from across the city to visit the suburb’s long-standing institutions. Now its cafe scene is growing, with the arrival of students and renters to the area seeking a cool spot for a coffee date with a friend or some eggs and avo on toast.
Steven Liu, who is the founder of the popular Box Hill cafe The Penny Drop explains why he decided to set up shop in the neighbourhood.
“Box Hill already had an incredibly strong food culture, particularly Asian food, but we felt there was room for something that brought together specialty coffee, modern Australian food and Asian influences in a relaxed all-day setting,” he said.
“The customer base is diverse – there are local families, office workers, students and people travelling into Box Hill specifically to eat. It has also changed enormously over the past decade. There’s much more development and density now, but food is still a really important part of Box Hill’s identity. For us, it’s been great to have grown alongside the area over the past 10 years.”
That mix is what makes a cafe visit here feel distinctly Box Hill. This guide covers our picks for coffee, brunch and daytime dining. For dumplings, noodles and dinner plans, explore our Box Hill restaurants guide (link to come).
The Penny Drop started with a small coffee pop-up and became a 100-seat all-day eatery in June 2016. The menu is modern Australian at heart, with Asian influences running through its breakfast and lunch dishes. It is one of the best examples of how Box Hill's cafe culture has developed alongside its established food scene.
“We try to keep the menu approachable rather than overly complicated – good breakfasts, brunch and lunch, quality coffee, and dishes with a little more personality than you might expect from a traditional suburban cafe,” says Liu.
He added that he wanted the cafe to reflect the suburb around it.
“We liked the idea of creating something that reflected Box Hill itself — multicultural, busy and constantly evolving.”
For a classic breakfast of eggs and avo, Red Cup Cafe is the best spot to pull up a seat at. It serves Industry Beans coffee alongside filling breakfast plates and fresh salads and burgers with fries for lunch. It’s where locals go when they need “the usual” to see them through the day.
Chill Chill Cafe is close to Box Hill Central and handy for a coffee break between shopping or uni lectures. At just five minutes on foot from Local: Box Hill, it’s a strong choice when caffeine is calling. Choose from their range of coffees and signature drinks such as the Banana Latte and Strawberry Matcha.
Eno brings a different pace to the cafe circuit. Its bookshop corner and shelves of reading material make it a comfortable place to slow down over coffee, whether you’re meeting someone or slumping into a bean bag to read a book. It sits on Canterbury Road, a short five minute drive from Local: Box Hill, and offers a quieter alternative to the busier streets around the station.
Zero Mode changes character through the day. In the morning and at lunchtime, it’s a contemporary cafe with an Asian-influenced take on familiar brunch dishes; after dark, it shifts towards fusion dining. Located at the base of The Chen on Whitehorse Road, it is a good option when you want brunch to feel like an outing rather than a quick stop for coffee.
Nelson is another cafe worth the trip when the group cannot agree on sweet or savoury. Its bright brunch menu spans avocado toast, churro waffles, sushi bowls and okonomiyaki, with coffee and smoothies to go alongside. The cafe sits beside Avani Melbourne Box Hill Residences, making it worth keeping in mind when you want to explore beyond the immediate streets around Box Hill Central.
Living at Local: Box Hill puts several of these spots within an easy walk: Chill Chill is about five minutes away, The Penny Drop eight and Zero Mode ten. You can choose a familiar coffee on the way out, then take a different route for brunch on the weekend. For days when you would rather eat at home, SKYSQR on the building's ground floor brings fresh produce, specialty food stalls and retail at your doorstep.
If you are looking for a rental with Box Hill's food scene nearby, explore the apartments at Local: Box Hill and enquire about current availability.
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