Whether you prefer them diner-style with bacon, or puffed up like a souffle, here’s how to get your pancake fix.
Pancakes have long been a staple of leisurely weekend brunches and, for many, they’re the centrepiece of Shrove Tuesday, which this year falls on March 4.
Known colloquially as Pancake Tuesday, the name stems from the Christian tradition of using up rich ingredients like eggs, butter and sugar before the fasting period of Lent. There’s history behind why pancakes are seen as the ultimate symbol of indulgence.
Early Lenten versions were thin and crepe-like, dressed simply with lemon and sugar. But today, you can find pancakes in Melbourne in countless forms: diner-style stacks with syrup dripping down the side or airy souffle versions popular in Japan, piled with boba pearls and other dessert toppings.
Miles Davis, the owner of Brunswick pancake haven Walrus, believes a great stack comes down to a few fundamentals.
“You want that pan really hot,” he says. Walrus uses a flat-top grill for a more consistent cook; the hot plate of a barbecue would be similar. Ensure each pancake is a uniform size for even texture throughout the stack. Davis also stresses the importance of mixing the batter just enough to eliminate lumps.
Another insider tip? The Walrus team cooks their pancakes in ghee (clarified butter), which has a nuttier flavour and higher smoke point than standard-issue butter, creating the perfect texture without any burning. “You get that crispy edge while everything inside remains fluffy and very moist,” Davis says.
As for toppings, he insists on real-deal maple syrup, avoiding the cheaper alternatives that are merely maple-flavoured and often diluted with cane sugar. “It’s expensive but worth splashing out on. Pancakes are kind of nothing without syrup.”
And finally, he advises investing in some high-quality salted butter and spreading it liberally on your pancakes before adding syrup.
Or you could leave it to the experts. Whether you prefer your pancakes soft and jiggly, thin and crisp, or stacked high with bacon, here’s where to find some of Melbourne’s best.
DINER PANCAKES
There was a time when pancakes topped with ice-cream or fairy floss dominated cafe menus but lately, venues are taking a more restrained approach and channelling the classic diner-style pancakes of North America. At Walrus (312 Sydney Road, Brunswick), choose from a standard or blueberry triple-stack served with whipped butter, maple syrup and an optional side of bacon.
Operator Diner (2/130 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne) does a buttermilk variation with maple pecan butter, and on weekends, JollyGood Diner (29A Johnston Street, Collingwood) serves old-school stacks with butter, maple syrup and complimentary whipped cream. Meanwhile, in Mornington, Loosie’s (97 Beleura Hill Road, Mornington) offers a playful Sunday build-your-own pancake special. Add-ons range from crisp bacon to buttermilk chicken tenders and even a burger patty.
SOUFFLE PANCAKES
Originating in Hawaii and popularised in Japan, gravity-defying souffle pancakes are known for their ultra-light texture thanks to an abundance of whipped egg whites. In Melbourne, there are several dedicated spots, serving from morning through to night.
At Fresh Air & Pancake (1/233 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne), and Adozen Adozen (188 Queensberry Street, Carlton), pancakes come in a pair with flavours such as tiramisu, honey butter, or mochi (glutinous rice cakes) and taro. Keki Milk Bar (350 Latrobe Street, Melbourne) specialises in gluten-free souffle pancakes that the team declare have “just enough sweetness”, while Kumo (198 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne) folds its original or pandan pancakes into thick, fluffy crepes served with diners’ choice of whipped cream or vanilla gelato.
RICOTTA PANCAKES
The late Bill Granger helped popularise ricotta pancakes as an Australian brunch staple, and they still endure. At Maverick (95 Little Collins Street, Melbourne), Granger-inspired fluffy pancakes get an Americana twist with crunchy bacon rashers, maple syrup and butter on the side. Higher Ground (650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne) is well-known for its take, featuring a single oversized pancake studded with blueberries and topped with fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, cream and edible flowers.
CLASSIC CAFE PANCAKES
For a no-frills, old-school stack at an equally old-school price, Brunswick’s Green Refectory (115 Sydney Road, Brunswick) delivers with banana or mixed berry pancakes, topped with ice-cream and starting at $12.50. Across town, St Kilda stalwart Galleon (9 Carlisle Street, St Kilda), keeps things simple with three pancakes and a range of toppings. Pick from cinnamon sugar and vanilla bean ricotta or bacon and maple syrup, from $15.
WILD CARD PANCAKES
Isn’t a scrambled pancake just what happens when the batter sticks to the pan? Perhaps, but it’s also a regional specialty from Austria known as kaiserschmarrn. The dish recently had a renaissance on TikTok but is made using a decades-old method where the pancake is lightly shredded during frying, then refried in a mixture of butter and sugar until the pieces caramelise. Crispy in parts, soft in others, it’s one for texture lovers. Find it until 11am daily at Elio’s Place (1/238 Flinders Lane, Melbourne), where it’s served with blueberry compote and yoghurt.
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