Behind its yellow-and white-striped awning, this cheery spot is proof that a toastie doesn’t need sourdough and cheddar to achieve greatness. Here, the light Genovese-style focaccia is pressed until golden and impossibly crisp at the edges, giving every sandwich a satisfying crackle before collapsing into its molten fillings. Combinations lean indulgently homesick for the Med: folds of mortadella with creamy stracciatella and pistachio bring full Italian deli energy, while the eggplant parma with pesto number is rich, saucy and so messy, it’s a mortal enemy of white T-shirts everywhere. Or push your flavour boat out with the octopus and `nduja. 16 Toorak Rd, South Yarra; zitasfoccaccia.com

Get your toasted sandwich with a dose of Japanese futurism at this Cremorne joint, which splices the convenience store and cafe into one well-oiled konbini machine. The toastie selection changes often, but previous greatest hits have included the tamago (fluffy rolled omelette) with the sauce-on-sauce action of curry ketchup and black garlic relish, tempura oyster mushroom or just a plain old fried egg and cheese. Whichever flavour they’re rocking, the baseline of thick toasted shokupan is a given. As is grabbing a piece of Suupaachiki before you leave. They also have matcha on tap, which is extra points for the win. Shop 1/65 Dover St, Cremorne; suupaa.au

The inner north’s iron grip on the city’s toastie scene continues at Sleepys, where owner Steve Chan proves the Chinese bolognese toastie deserves a place in the canon. Think of the excessive comfort of a good bolognese tricked up with doubanjiang (umami-rich fermented chilli bean paste) and magicked into sandwich form with cheese and sourdough slathered in – wait for it – mayo. The result? Comfort so extreme, you might need a good lie-down afterwards (or perhaps even a cigarette). Sleepys is no one-trick pony: kudos also goes to the fevered imagination that dreamt up the mi goreng toastie, to which you can choose to add a fried egg. 787 Nicholson St, Carlton North; sleepyscafeandwinebar.com.au

Come for the classic branding transplanting New York’s East Village deli vibes, stay for the kimchi melt that combines the ultimate cheese pull with gut-health benefits. Opened by the crew behind Dexter and Kenny Lover, Nico’s sweats the details (that kimchi melt uses mozzarella and Swiss, for instance) and applies a growth mindset to the specials list (look no further than the shawarma spiced lamb celebrating the end of Ramadan). Hankering for a late-night sanga? Until mid-September, Nico’s Fitzroy ‘Night Shift’ vending machine provides a novel approach to your late-night snacking dilemmas with a range unavailable in store. Multiple locations; nicos.melbourne

The trio of toasties on offer at Andrew McConnell’s cafe-slash-providore boast a trademark lack of ostentation backed by serious produce that does all the talking. The tuna melt is all about the artful balance of piquancy – capers pickled cucumbers and guindilla chilli – mollified by creme fraiche, Comté and a flutter of dill on Baker Bleu’s seeded sourdough. The ham and cheese number rises above its prosaic station with the help of Meatsmith ham, provolone and Comté and a loveable lick of Dijon mustard – complete your toastie bingo card with the vego kimchi offering, with smoked scamorza, cheddar and aioli. Multiple locations; morning.market

It feels almost unfair to focus on the toasties when this social enterprise cafe also provides vocational training to young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with learning difficulties – but the jaffles really are that good. Pressed to golden crisp, they honour the sacred jaffle principle: the first bite should always threaten to take the roof off your mouth with its lava-like filling. The kimchi version delivers salty heat and comes with an extra pile of fermented funk on the side, while the Vegemite and cheese is pure Australian nostalgia – salty, gooey and capable of triggering vivid memories of after-school snacks and singed fingertips. 218 High Street, Preston; moonrabbit.org.au

Turophiles – lovers of cheese – beat a path to Anthony Femia’s stall at Prahran Market for the dazzling display of Comté, triple brie and whatever else floats their cheese boat, but it’s an unspoken pact that any visit has to involve Melbourne’s alpha toasted cheese sangas. New to the M&M game? Hit the OG American grilled cheese: thick-cut sourdough and a wickedly thick layer of Gippsland Jersey milk butter, packed with a mix of Vermont cheddars, onion and parsley, pressed until the outsides are crisp and the insides are dangerously molten. It’s life changing, if only for the five blissful minutes it takes for you to devour it. Prahran Market, Stall 98/163 Commercial Rd, South Yarra; makerandmonger.com.au

It takes some doing to elevate the grilled cheese sandwich into an event, but Kelso’s rises to the challenge with a quartet of cheeses – Gruyere, cheddar, tasty and mozzarella, for those playing at home – then adding the genius masterstroke of parmesan butter. So seriously good, it’s the grilled cheese all the other cheese toasties hope to grow up to become one day. But wait, there’s more: a vegan grilled cheese for our plant-based friends, as well as a tuna melt that harnesses the excellence of house-made pickles. Whichever way you jump, it’ll fully restore your faith in the toastie’s power to cure life’s ills. Multiple locations; kelsossandwiches.com

The sandwich gospel preached at Hector’s eight locations around Melbourne’s CBD and inner `burbs is definitely more Old Testament than New. The menu is pure sanga classicism, from the fire and brimstone of the beef pastrami and pickles on light rye to the posh take on ham and cheese – a brilliant use of mortadella and a cheese double-hander of provolone and mozzarella that could make the angels weep with joy. With the toaster firing from 7am, there’s nothing better than running for the tram with a perfect toastie in hand. Bless them, for they definitely know what they do. Multiple locations; hectorsdeli.com.au

One for the business crowd and cinephiles, this weekday-only spot near the Kino boasts a serious culinary pedigree: it’s owned by Earl Canteen’s Jacqui Middleton and Ripe Cheese’s Hakim Halim. Their grab-and-go spot made an early name for itself with a mushroom and triple-cheese number, with the seasonal option to pimp it up with freshly shaved truffle for the ultimate lunch el desko. The Cluck Norris (tish-boom) is a deserving perennial of the quick-fix menu with its poached chicken, herby mayo and roasted capsicum, while the spanakopita version transforms the classic Greek comfort food into a crisp, sourdough-stacked affair. 55 Collins St, Melbourne; goldencoffeebar.com