The Best Coffee Shops I Saw In Australia
Recently I made the trip out to Sydney Australia to see a very good friend of mine that moved out there a few years ago. When he first started exploring down under he would rave about how good the coffee scene was over there.
Living in London myself, I am lucky to be exposed to a lot of great coffee shops every day. There are a lot of high quality chains and independent coffee houses in London, so I was intrigued to see what Australia had to offer.
I can safely say that Australian coffee was some of the best I’ve ever tasted…
Why Was I in Australia
My friend Tom and I have known each other for a number of years now. We met at university, have lived together, played a lot of tennis together and enjoyed a night out or two together as well! He moved out to Australia to pursue a career in tennis coaching and now runs one of the fastest growing and most successful tennis academies in the country!
Whilst this post is about some of the best coffee shops we visited together during my visit, it would be remiss of me not to give his website a shout out. He offers an online academy as well as face to face private lessons, group sessions organized and tournament trips.
Check out his work at Tomhaslamtennis.com.
Now, onto the coffee side of things!
Australia is very well known for its coffee scene and produces some of the most delicious coffee money can buy. In fact, I wrote a separate article giving 7 reasons why Australian coffee is so damn good!
Sydney
Sydney is where our trip started. There is an absolute wealth of independent coffee shops to visit in Sydney, so it was impossible to see them all! But, here are some of the shops that Tom and I frequented the most during our time there.Heirloom Speciality Coffee
Heirloom is a small, quirky coffee shop with a name to match. Situated in Mosman, not far from Balmoral Beach, Heirloom serves The Reformatory Caffeine Lab coffee beans to its loyal customers. Their coffee is incredibly smooth, rich and aromatic.
The staff are incredibly friendly and they also make great breakfast!
Check out their details here:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Address: 81 Avenue Road Mosman, Sydney, NSW, Australia, New South Wales
Balmoral Boatshed
The Balmoral Boatshed is situated on the beachfront and is a great place to enjoy a flatty on the pier! They do great breakfast food, fresh fish and chips and have heaters outside for when it gets chilly. The only word of caution is to watch out for the Seagulls! Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 2 The Esplanade, Mosman NSW 2088, AustraliaPasture of Balmoral
The newly renovated Pasture of Balmoral is a classy establishment with a modern decor and great coffee to match! They make generous sandwiches and strong coffee that will set you up perfectly for the day. What’s more, they also double up as a wine bar, perfect for transitioning into a late summer’s evening of vino and fun! Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 1 The Esplanade, Mosman NSW 2088, AustraliaCafe Mosman
Cafe Mosman is the place to go if you want a clean tasting coffee and a generous helping of cake to go along with it. As you walk in, on the right hand side you are greeted with an array of pastries, delicious cakes and ciabatta style sandwiches that are to die for. Check out their details here: Facebook Instagram Address: 6/611 Military Rd, Mosman NSW 2088, AustraliaCupino – Surrey Hills
Cupino is a small, independently owned cafe just a stone’s throw from Sydney’s Central station. They do great breakfast food, sandwiches and take away coffee that is strong, punchy and convenient!
Check out their details here:
Website
Address: 312 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
If you are interested in finding out more about the coffee scene in Sydney, check out this post by a Londoner in Sydney, 10 Places To Get The Best Coffee In Sydney.
Bryon Bay
Myself and Tom agreed that Byron Bay was our favorite coffee stop on our trip up Australia’s east coast. It had a vast range of independent coffee houses where all of the staff were not only friendly, but they also seriously knew their coffee! This was where we picked up our camper van, as you can see.
The Roadhouse
Our first stop in Byron was The Roadhouse. This is a rustic looking place on the roadside that you could easily drive straight past if you didn’t know it was there. However, they had a great range of egg based breakfast items. I went for the eggs and ‘mushies’ which were delicious! They also do pizzas and happy hours. Their coffee wasn’t bad either.
Check out their details here:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Address: 6/142 Bangalow Rd, Byron Bay NSW 2481, Australia
Combi Coffee
Combi coffee offers amazing acai bowls, breakfasts and smoothies to accompany your strong flatty!
Their coffee is rich, smooth and delicate, perfect to enjoy by the beach.
Check out their details here:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Address: 5b/21, 25 Fletcher St, Byron Bay NSW 2481, Australia
Soul Kitchen Cafe – Wategos Bay
Soul Kitchen Cafe has prime real estate at Wategos bay. The small food and coffee van serves hungry surfers just outside Raes on the beach front. They serve St. Ali coffee out the back of their blue VW campervan and it really does hit the spot! Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 6/8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay, New South Wales, AustraliaSparrow Coffee Co.
Sparrow coffee co. was a coffee house that a few friends had recommended to us so we had to give it a try. It certainly did not disappoint! The pastries and cakes were delicious and the coffee itself comes from Allpress, a well renowned Australian roaster. Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 1/47 Johnson, Byron St, Byron Bay NSW 2481, AustraliaBarefoot Brew Room
Just across the street from Sparrow is Barefoot brew room. This hole in the wall coffee shop hides away like a well kept secret, but is actually renowned for their strong coffee. This was one of the most punchy coffees we tried in Australia. These artisan coffee roasters seriously know how to make good coffee! Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 1A Lateen Ln, Byron Bay NSW 2481, Australia If you are interested in finding out more about the coffee scene in Byron Bay, check out this post by The Best of Byron, The 15 Best Cafés in Byron Bay in 2022.Gold Coast
The Gold Coast offered a traditional tourist slice of the Australian east coast. Surfing, great coastal walks, wholesome food and of course, coffee worth celebrating!Burleigh Pavilion
Burleigh Pavilion is a famous hot spot in the gold coast for good reason. There are a number of restaurants and bars that operate out of this site that sits right on the shoreline. Their coffee is provided by Blackboard coffee roasters and is creamy with a strong kick on the aftertaste. Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 3a/43 Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220, AustraliaHelen’s Cafe and Juice Bar
Helen’s cafe and juice bar gave us a much needed pick me up after a few too many schooners the night before!
Not only do they pack their acai bowls high with fruit, chocolate and nuts, their coffee is great to go alongside it. Not only that, but they offer smoothies, juices and some of the largest wraps I’ve ever seen!
Check out their details here:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Address: 1/29 James Street, Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, Queensland
If you are interested in finding out more about the coffee scene in the Gold Coast, check out this post by The Urban List, 22 Cafes Where You Can Sip The Best Coffee On The Gold Coast.
Noosa
Noosa is a popular holiday destination on the east coast, and with its vast expanse of beach and wildlife ridden coastal trails, it is easy to see why!Noosa Springs Golf Club
Surprisingly, one of the best coffee experiences of the trip was at Noosa Springs Golf club. It was an early morning round and we needed a pick me up to get us ready for this challenging golf course. And boy did they deliver! The milk was velvety smooth, which coupled with the piping hot, earthy, strong aroma of the freshly brewed espresso, delivered the perfect start to the round. Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: Links Dr, Noosa Heads QLD 4567, AustraliaCafe Le Monde
Cafe Le Monde is a highly regarded restaurant in the heart of Noosa high street. It offers tricky breakfasts, sumptuous dining experiences and of course, great coffee. Their coffee wasn’t the strongest out there, but it is well balanced and a great way to round off a plate of smashed avo on toast! Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 56 Earls Ct Rd, London W8 6EJNoosa Social Espresso & Wine Bar
Another great place to try out in Noosa is the Social Espresso and wine bar. Their espresso is a little on the bitter side but it is still well balanced and perfectly palatable. They offer a diverse range of wine and generously sized sandwiches and paninis, so whatever you are in the mood for, Noosa social espresso and wine bar have got you covered! Check out their details here: Facebook Instagram Address: Shop 2/62 Hastings St, Noosa Heads QLD 4567, Australia If you are interested in finding out more about the coffee scene in Noosa, check out this post by Wanderlog, The 50 best coffee shops and best cafes in Noosa.Bondi Beach
Another great place to sample independent coffee houses is Bondi Beach. There are plenty to choose from, but there were a few that stood out from the recommendations we received from friends.Bennett’s Dairy – Blair Street
The Bennett Street dairy is one of Australia’s finest bakeries. Their cookies and cakes are absolutely incredible, be that on their Blair Street or Bennett Street premises. You need a rich, aromatic and full bodied espresso to match such sweet cookies, and Bennet’s certainly delivers! Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 27 Blair St, Bondi Beach NSW 2026, AustraliaRollers – Manley
Tucked away off the main street, Rollers in Manley is famous for its donuts, cakes and selection of sweet and savory pastries. There were queues of people waiting to pick up pre-ordered donuts when we arrived! Their coffee is not the strongest out there, but it places more emphasis on nuttiness and subtlety of flavor rather than trying to compete with the flavors of their foods. Check out their details here: Website Facebook Instagram Address: 19 Rialto Ln, Manly NSW 2095, Australia If you are interested in finding out more about the coffee scene in Bondi, check out this post by Concrete Playground, The Best Cafes (and Coffee) in Bondi.Other Notable Mentions
For more information about fantastic coffee shops all across Australia, check out the helpful posts below: Looking for Australia’s best coffee? Here’s our top 25 picks – Delicious. 17 Best Coffee Shops & Brands in Australia – Man of Many THE 50 BEST COFFEE SHOPS IN AUSTRALIA – Big 7 Travel The best cafés in Australia, city by city – Gourmet TravellerSummary
Overall, Australian coffee is well worth the trip on its own, despite all of the great attractions that the country has to offer. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip from start to finish, and would definitely encourage any coffee lover, Aussie or not, to try out some of the coffee shops listed here!Australian Coffee Frequently Asked Questions
Australian coffee culture is centred around specialty coffee specifically, rather than mass produced commodity grade coffee. Baristas and coffee shop owners are seen as well respected pioneers rather than small business owners or temporary staff. Overall the standards of coffee production are much higher in Australia than many other parts of thw world.
Yes, this small punchy espresso based drink comes from Australia. It is similar to a Spanish Cortado in terms of the coffee to milk ratio, and smaller than a flat white.
