Saff's Cafe

On Mostyn Street in the heart of Castlemaine — a former goldfields town that has become one of the country's most reliably meat-free — this is the lively all-day cafe locals lean on. Fair-trade coffee anchors a breakfast-and-lunch menu that runs from early until mid-afternoon, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free versions of the cabinet staples treated as standard rather than special requests. Expect a room that fills with a cross-section of the town: makers, market stallholders and weekenders down from Melbourne. It isn't a strictly plant-based kitchen, but in a place where the vegan option is rarely an afterthought, it captures the easy, everyday inclusiveness that gives Castlemaine its reputation. Outdoor tables, takeaway and a steady hum make it a fixture of the Mostyn Street stretch.