Despite the name, Moon Mart is a bright and sunny eatery drawing from Korean and Japanese cafe cultures and a commitment to top-tier local produce and house-made condiments. The breakfast muffin here gives the standard B&E roll a sharp upgrade by swapping streaky bacon for thick slices of char siu-style bacon. It’s paired with a fried egg, American cheese and Moon Mart sauce – a creamy herb mixture brightened with fermented plum, green chilli and a dash of vinegar to cut through all the richness. Coming a very close second is the bulgogi sausage muffin with chilli jam, onion and cheese. 315 Clarendon St, South Melbourne; moonmart.com.au

This plant-based mecca has long made the case that vegan food is far from boring, and their version of an egg and bacon roll proves it. Smith + Deli’s ‘Egg Martinez’ – owner Shannon Martinez’s nod to the classic Macca’s breakfast muffin – is a plant-based dupe that could fool even the most dedicated meat eater. It’s made with smoky mock bacon, a tofu-based ‘egg’ that mimics both texture and flavour, and dairy-free American-style cheddar, all tucked into an English muffin. At just $8, it’s one of the most affordable breakfasts in Fitzroy, leaving you enough change for a coffee and very little reason to miss the original. 107 Cambridge St, Collingwood; smithanddeli.com

Korean street-style sandwiches, or gilgeori toasts, have been popular in Melbourne for years, but Palette was one of the early adopters. Their best-seller is the Bacon Double Cheese Brioche – a breakfast-ready version built with scrambled eggs, smoky bacon, sriracha mayo, sweet corn and a slice of American cheese pressed between soft, garlic-buttered brioche. There’s also a sweet and savoury rendition made with candied bacon and chilli jam. It’s rich and a bit messy, but served in a handy box to prevent spillage. If you can’t get enough of Palette, they also open at night for Korean-style drinks and dessert. 610 Queensberry St, North Melbourne; palettemelbourne.square.site

This decades-old milkbar has been an Elwood staple for generations, opening all the way back in 1964. A recent refresh introduced items like breakfast tacos and plant-based bowls to the menu, but the team has wisely held onto the essentials. The bacon and egg roll is exactly what you want from a neighbourhood corner store: a soft roll, a fried egg, crisp bacon and a swipe of house-made tomato relish. Nothing complicated – just the basics done properly. You can add cheese for an extra dollar. And if you’re chasing full milk-bar nostalgia, pair it with a Blue Heaven thickshake. 345 Barkly St, Elwood; jerrysmilkbar.com

From a humble sandwich shop in Richmond’s backstreets to a growing roster of locations, Hector’s Deli has become one of Melbourne’s most beloved sandwich institutions. The chicken schnitzel sandwich may be the headline act, but those who arrive before 10:30am know the real secret: the breakfast menu. There’s only one item on it – an egg and cheese roll with an optional addition of bacon (or sausage). Served on an English muffin, it’s reminiscent of a certain fast-food breakfast classic but with better bread, proper melted cheese and a fluffy slab of steamed egg. A true breakfast for champions. Multiple locations; hectorsdeli.com.au

Variety is key at this egg specialist, which offers six different bacon and egg sandwiches. The simplest is the Egghead – fried egg, bacon, cheese and relish – while other renditions add a hash brown, swap in a soft scramble or feta and avocado, or double (or even triple) the bacon. You can turn your brekkie roll into a brekkie burger with the Jalapeño Beef: a beef patty stacked with scrambled eggs, bacon, jalapeños, cheese and aioli. If the concept reminds you of Los Angeles favourite Eggslut, that’s no coincidence – it directly inspired the owners to open a similar egg-centric spot here. Multiple locations; egglabdiner.com

This American-inspired Brunswick diner may be best known for its short-stack pancakes and French toast, but its bacon and egg roll – drawing inspiration from New York bodega sandwiches – is a quiet standout. It’s straightforward and includes all the essentials: bacon, a folded egg and tomato sauce on a white, seedy Kaiser roll. The bread is soft, but sturdy enough to hold everything together, and comes wrapped neatly in white paper for both dining in or takeaway. Pair it with bottomless filter coffee, the day’s newspaper and a seat in one of the burgundy leather booths for the full Walrus experience. 312 Sydney Rd, Brunswick; instagram.com/walrusmelbourne

Warkop (named for the coffee stalls in Indonesia) takes the Melbourne cafe format and gives it a Southeast Asian twist. The bacon and egg breakfast muffin here melts cheese on the top bun rather than the bottom one – the optimal placement to get more surface contact with the tastebuds – and a slather of house-made black garlic sauce gives it a delectably deep, savoury edge. Best of all, it’s only $10. If you want something sweet alongside it, don’t look past the house-made kaya cruller, glazed with coconut jam and finished with puffed wild rice, available at the CBD location. 13 Little Collins St, Melbourne; warkop.com.au