Top Coffee Spots in Brisbane City
Words cannot espresso how great Brisbane City’s coffee scene is, with new boutique coffee haunts popping up around corners and down laneways. For some of us, coffee is essential in our morning routine, while for others it’s a perfect excuse to settle in and escape the daily grind. Uncover the CBD's hidden coffee nooks, find our favourite local roasters, and cold drip, pour-over or French-press your heart out with the best coffee in Brisbane City.
Bean, George St
Nestled in a quiet laneway off George St, Bean is a stripped-back coffee house using Single Origins by Bellissimo Coffee brewed by trained baristas. The cafe has a record player and books, creating the perfect atmosphere to enjoy if you want to escape from the hustle of the City. Bean, like its name, is keeping it simple, and that's the way we like it.
Brew, Burnett Lane
As the name suggests, Brew do a mean brew of both the caffeinated and alcoholic kind. Wander down Burnett Lane and stop in at Brew, who starts pouring from 7am for the earlybirds.
Botero, Adelaide St
Image credit: Savannah Van Der Niet
If you’re walking along Adelaide St your nose will most likely be drawn to the heavenly aromas of Botero. Open the doors to discover a three-storey, renovated heritage-listed building with exposed brick walls, copper fittings and bare concrete which beautifully complements the building’s architectural heritage. The coffee on pour is a choice of five blends from Botero's roastery in Maclean, New South Wales, as well as rotating single origins. Plus, on Thursday and Friday nights the cafe turns into a bar and serves up game-changing espresso's in Martini form.
Photo Credit: @basketballfreak6 via Instagram
Coffee Anthology is a coffee aficionado’s nirvana on Margaret St. The little treasure chest is an ultimate ode to the bean. The cafe caters to the varying tastes of its customers by showing you several different coffee collections from all different brewing companies and roasteries. You’ll regularly find blends and single origins from some of Australia's top roasters including Uncle Joe’s Seven Seeds, Proud Mary, The Maling Room and Axil Coffee Roasters. Accompany your cup with Maleny Dairies Jersey milk, Zymil, Bonsoy, or have the best of both worlds with the 1+1 special of a five-ounce milk-based coffee with an espresso on the side.
This specialty coffee nook is what the city’s bean waiting for. Tart, smooth, blackberry notes … you might think we’re talking wine, but Edward Specialty Coffee is brewing complex and unique espresso. Find White Horse Coffee and four origin varietals on rotation in a sophisticated, minimalist space.
BlackStar Coffee's second venture, Contessa on Roma St, specialises in high-quality boutique espresso and cold-pressed coffee varieties. The cafe offers coffee from its weekly rotation of roasted single-origin blends that exude their own unique flavour and aroma. If you're a fan of iced coffee, the well-known BlackStar cold-pressed black, full cream and soy varieties are available.
A hole in the wall cafe located in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD, Duce & Co is passionate about serving the highest-quality coffee, with the beans roasted by Bearbones in Fortitude Valley. With decor that showcases local artists, the cafe has a relaxed atmosphere, providing a haven amid the hustle and bustle of the city.
Hidden away in a heritage building on George St lies Frisky Goat Espresso. The cafe attracts even the most avid coffee connoisseurs by setting themselves apart with organic Guatemalan single origin beans as well as the famous house blend Sweet Cocoa.
The location might be secret but John Mills Himself cafe and bar is a local favourite. Housed in the heritage-listed John Mills Building you can access this hidden gem via the laneway on Elizabeth St. Supporting all-local and where possible organic produce, the cafe rotates between The Single Guys, Cup Coffee Roasters and Uncle Joe's Coffee House blends across the three grinders. Choose your own bean or let the baristas recommend the blend suited to your tastebuds.
Marchetti, Tattersalls Arcade
Created by Michael Makras, owner of the renowned Optiko optometrist also housed in Tattersall’s Arcade, Marchetti is inspired by the décor of traditional cafes in Italy and France, featuring marble horse friezes and terrazzo tiled floors. Take a seat at one of the tables or pull up a stool at the window bench with an Allpress coffee and soak up the European ambience.
You may know Noosa Chocolate Factory for its delicous, handmade, local chocolate. As well as being a sweet tooth's paradise, Noosa Chocolate Factory on Adelaide St serves up delicious hot chocolates, even offering mouth-watering rocky road and turkish delight as well as vegan and gluten-free varieties. For those who aren’t avid chocolate eaters, it also serves Fonzie Abbott Espresso freshly brewed coffee and tea.
Using Blackstar beans from the favourite West End roaster, Ricochet’s hole-in-the-wall cafe is the perfect combination of quick coffee, great staff and a good vibe.
Scout, Petrie Terrace
A short stroll from The Barracks, this quaint cafe found its home in a heritage-listed store. Using beans from Coffee Supreme, Scout consistently serves up a good cup of coffee.
Serving their delicious house blend in a hideaway cafe, Coffee Iconic’s coffee, breakfast and vibe is the perfect brew. The secret garden is your inner-city oasis – take some time to enjoy a hot coffee in the quiet, leafy courtyard.
Combine a warm, buzzing vibe with a breezy beach fit-out and you get Santa Monica Pizza and Burger Bar. You know the coffee must be good when there’s a large crowd gathering there every morning. Arrive at Santa Monica Express for your morning coffee and stay till the evening for the burgers and beer towers.
Strauss, Elizabeth St
Hidden down a laneway on Elizabeth St, coffee haven Strauss is a combination of the talents from the guys behind Cup and Merriweather. The coffee offerings change regularly, however among the many options is a single origin from Colombia or a filter blend from El Salvador, sourced from Cup Coffee Roasters.
Toby’s Estate Espresso Bar on Albert St is dedicated to serving the finest specialty coffee sourced directly from farmers around the world and brewed to ensure uncompromised quality and freshness. As well as serving popular espresso-based coffee, the brew bar offers a range of coffee-drinking experiences featuring Chemex, AeroPress, syphon and V60.
Chic and modern, Terra Firma is a go-to for your breakfast meetings. Treat yourself to a buttery pastry with your morning coffee.
This kitchy, grab-and-go coffee den sits just outside Roma Street Station. The perfect spot for commuters to get their caffeine hit.
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