Where to find Melbourne's best sandwiches

The best thing since sliced bread? We can't think of a single thing. Try these epic sandwich spots for a lunchtime treat.

Hidden laneway sandwiches 

Down a hidden Melbourne laneway is Lil Lane – the newest kid on the focaccia sandwich block. Slinging the thickest sandwiches in town, this tiny cafe bakes its bread fresh every day. If you want our advice, go for the signature sandwich. It's packed with stracciatella, homemade pesto and mortadella. Focaccia is available from 10am.

The cafe dedicated to croque monsieur

Tucked away in one of Melbourne's tiniest hidden laneways is where you'll find Croque Melbourne. A French toastie wonderland from the team behind Roule Galette. The classic croque is a cheesy, melty masterpiece cooked to perfection on artisan bread. Savour the house made béchamel sauce and pretend you're in France. Visit again for the salmon and avo grilled cheese, then grab flaky croissants and danishes to go.

A rotating menu of fresh sangas 

Follow your nose to Kensington's friendly community bakery. The folks at Double Dutch Bakery knows a good sanga when they see one. Order a coffee and a sandwich from the rotating menu. Think jam-packed baguettes, filling focaccia and breakfast specials. But be quick, this hot spot is a fave amongst hungry tradies and locals alike.

Find Japanese fruit cream sando

For a creamy, pillowy fruit cream sando head to Le Bajo Milkbar. Try the trending cream sando, complete with perfectly uniform slices of fresh fruit. It gets pretty busy, so we suggest ordering ahead. Japanese-style bakery Coppe Pan offers fluffy, soft, hand made sweets. Try rolls filled with fruity jams, matcha spread, or peanut butter. The staff even cut the fruit to look like flowers! Swing by to collect them at Pantre.

Southern Italy-style sandwiches

No22 Cafe’s focaccia sandwiches will transport you all the way to Southern Italy with just one bite. The owners are from Puglia so it's as authentic as it gets. They bake the bread in-house every morning using the finest premium flour. As for fillings, we’re talking giant balls of burrata, perfectly tender octopus legs and big chunks of Italian sausage. 

Vegan dessert jaffles

Go vegan, go to Union Kiosk. This tiny hole-in-the-wall specialises in 100 per cent vegan jaffles. Think spicy pulled ‘beef’ with jalapeños and cheese. Or black bean with salsa and guacamole. But we’re thinking dessert right now, like the jaffle filled with a melted hazelnut Vego bar. This warming toastie is like a dairy-free Nutella dream, boasting organic chocolate dotted with whole nuts.

Loaded deli sandwiches

Some of Melbourne's best feeds are found in unlikely places. Like Nico's, a sandwich-slinging window vendor hidden behind a carpark. Find it in Healey's Lane for crispy schnittys, classic salad sandwiches and pork belly Cubanos. Nico's also does a mean vego mushroom melt with roasted portobellos, black truffle paste and Swiss cheese. Vegan options available.

Porchetta paninis

Ordering lunch from Italian sandwich joint Saluministi? Odds are it’ll be their best-selling grilled panini, the porchetta. That’s free-range roasted pork ribboned with artichoke paste, partnered with pecorino and rocket. Served in a stone-baked ciabatta roll, with a side of house-made pickled veg, it's perfetto. Saluministi is open in Flinders Lane and Docklands.

Pretzel bread bakery treats

We've got three words for you: pretzel bread sandwiches. Baguette Studios in North Melbourne is quickly making a name for itself with beautifully burnished baguettes piled high with deli fixings. Top picks include smoked salmon with spring onion cream cheese, and a juicy Korean-style wagyu galbi burger. Or opt for the eternal classic: grilled cheese on sourdough, sprinkled with sea salt.

NYC-style reuben with all the fixings

Step down into Bowery to Williamsburg and order up a teetering Rueben sandwich. The signature slice includes pastrami beef brisket, swiss cheese, legit sauerkraut Russian dressing and a fat juicy pickle. Bump it up and ask for double pastrami. Pair with a Melbourne-grade latte served in kitsch diner design cups. 

Katsu sando special

Robata is serving what is potentially the most stacked katsu delight in Melbourne. For just $19 choose from the signature and ever popular chicken katsu sando. Or the new and delicious Japanese egg sando. Both options packed with fresh and tasty Japanese flavours. Available to book seven days a week for lunch. Find more of Melbourne's best katsu sando.

Legit Brazilian steak sandwiches

Brazilian comfort food is what you'll fine at Bossa Nova. From the quirky and colourful decorations, to speciality coffee, it's a must visit in Carlton. Try the churrasco steak sandwich, with homemade cream cheese, served on a fresh baguette. Finish lunch off with a sweet treat and grab the dulce de leche mocha for the road.

Where to get Korean sandwiches

Eggholic's super stacked sangas are the ultimate go-to for egg sandwich lovers. As the name suggests, the sandwiches are loaded with premium eggs, crispy bacon, kimchi, fried spam and more. Alien & Coco specialises in Korean street sandwiches and delicious cereal milk. Stop by for the cult favourite tuna melt. That's house made tuna mix, pickled radish, red onion, jalapeño and melted cheese on sourdough. Find more of Melbourne's best Korean sandwiches.

A sandwich menu with an Indonesian twist

We might have found the ideal work-lunch spot in the CBD. Warkop on Little Collins Street is the Indonesian sandwich joint you must try. The sandwich menu offers hints of authentic flavours like gado gado, smoked tuna and beef brisket with rendang sauce. Along with house made sweet and savoury pastries.