July 25, 2026
Green Refectory opened on Sydney Road in 2004 and it's been a long-running local favourite, dispensing meals, muffins, pastries and drinks at inflation-busting prices. The classic Green experience (milling around awkwardly at the crowded counter dealing with confusing throngs of people getting and waiting for takeaway, paying their bills and ordering) is happily no more - last year they expanded into the shop next door and the whole process is a lot smoother these days.
Otherwise very little has changed - they're still doing the veggie stack I had 2008 ($9 in 2008, $16.50 in 2026), they've still got an array of gigantic muffins and the pie cabinet is still loaded up with goodies that are perfect to pick up early on your way out bird-watching (for example). We were glad to be back for our Cheap Eats 2006/2026 project, we'd not sat down for a meal together there since 2013.
The menu is up on a blackboard over the counter and you order there and then find a table. There are eggy breakfasts, a decent set of vegan options, heaps of sweet stuff and more cabinet options than you can imagine. I rehashed my 2013 order - scrambled tofu with mixed spices, pickled veggies, Mt Zero olives and mountain bread ($10 in 2013, $15 in 2026). The consistency of Green Refec is pretty incredible, this felt almost exactly the same as the dish I vaguely remembered from decades before - they've switched from green to kalamata olives, but otherwise this is the same solid vegan brekkie they've been serving forever. The mountain bread is fun to tear to pieces and pick up the warmly spiced tofu with and the pickles and olives add nice salt and tanginess to the whole arrangement.
Cindy couldn't go past a two course muffin meal, starting with a pumpkin, feta and sun-dried tomato option ($3.50 in 2008, $3 in 2013, $5 in 2026) and finishing with blueberry/pear ($2.80 in 2008, $4.50 in 2026). They are surely made using the same recipes they've been using since they opened. The savouries are quite eggy, while the sweet ones have a cakey texture - it's familiar, it's delicious and, if you turn up near closing time, it's incredibly cheap.
Coffees were good, service was friendly and efficient and the whole Green Refectory experience was probably as good as it's ever been for us. The expansion has really made dining in work better (plus they've finally started accepting card payments!). There's something very dated about the menu but, like The Galleon before it, there's nothing wrong with doing an old fashioned brekkie. Most weekends I'll be lured by the fancy offerings at one of Brunswick's endless trendy cafes, but it's a delight to know that the Green Refectory will always be there, offering up solid, affordable brekkies.
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You can read about one, two of our previous visits to the Green Refectory. Since 2013 there have been positive reviews from Whatever Floats Your Bloat, Mosaik Melbourne, frenchtoastandindiepop and Melbourne Vita, while Curious Charlie had a more mixed experience.
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The Green Refectory
115 Sydney Road, Brunswick
9387 1150
Accessibility: There's a small step up on entry. The interior is much more navigable than it used to be, but the dine-in side is still fairly densely packed with tables and backed chairs. You order and pay at a low counter.
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