The change of pace and scenery that comes with leaving the city is a welcome respite to the daily grind. But there are some rituals – like the other kind of daily grind – that are hard to stray from. We’ve put together a list of cafes throughout the coast and country where you can get great coffee.
NORTH
Little May Espresso, Montville
Montville is a popular tourist spot in the scenic Sunshine Coast hinterland. As such, it’s easy to get coffee but perhaps a little harder to get exceptional coffee. But Little May Espresso, a cute little cafe on the town’s main drag, is a Broadsheet favourite. Run by husband-and-wife team Rich and Hannah Hayes, Little May uses its own house blend for milk coffee and rotates single-origin beans for black. Rich was formerly sous chef at Montville fine diner The Long Apron, so the all-day food menu is just as impressive as the coffee.
1/174 Main Street, Montville
(07) 5478 5015
Thu to Tue 6.30am–1.30pm
Wed 6.30am–midday
Never miss a Brisbane moment. Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today.
SUBSCRIBE NOWClandestino Coffee, Noosaville
Behind Clandestino is Jaxon Taylor, whose father Perry opened Noosa’s iconic Cafe Le Monde in the late ’80s. (Before that, Perry was a pilot for Macair Airlines carrying gold, silver and coffee on his cargo plane.) At this cafe and roastery you can choose from four types of beans, including the Magneto Organic house blend, Colombian decaf and two rotating single origins. You’ll find lots of alternative brewing methods here, such as pour-overs, batch brew, cold drip and nitro brew on tap. Clandestino is located inside Belmondos Organic Market, which means you can order food from other tenants to eat in the cafe. The fit-out is industrial, with indoor and outdoor seating and a model plane hanging from the ceiling – a reference to Perry.
2/59 Rene Street, Noosaville
1300 656 022
Mon to Fri 6.30am–4pm
Sat 6.30am–3pm
Sun 8am–2pm
Flying West Coffee Roasters, Doonan
Husband-and-wife team Ben and Nina West started out selling coffee at the popular Eumundi Markets. Now their beans can be found in cafes and restaurants all over the Sunshine Coast. In 2018, the Wests opened their first cafe in a big tin shed on the outskirts of Noosa and invested in a Diedrich roaster from America. The menu includes crowd favourites like eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, and egg and bacon brekkie wraps. The cafe is spacious with lots of natural light and greenery, making it a perfect spot to relax. Otherwise, you can visit the Eumundi Markets, where you’ll still find the Flying West stall on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It also pops up at the Yandina Country and Noosa Farmers Markets.
13/9 Fellowship Drive, Doonan
(07) 5471 1865
Mon to Fri 6am–2pm
Sat & Sun 6.30am–2pm
See also: Padre Coffee Noosa, The Pallet Espresso Bar
SOUTH
Paradox Coffee Roasters, Surfers Paradise
Located in the modern 4217 complex (a former bus depot), Paradox is worth visiting for the fit-out alone. Derlot is behind the contemporary design, which features high ceilings, red-brick walls and a central island service area with a custom-made hanging light. And the coffee certainly stands up to its surroundings – Paradox roasts its beans on-site using a Brambati roaster imported from northern Italy. Milk coffees are made with the house blend, while the Picasso Baby Blend is automatically extracted for black unless you choose a single origin. The breakfast and lunch menus focus on fresh local produce.
10 Beach Road, Surfers Paradise
(07) 5538 3235
Daily 7am–2pm
Blackboard Coffee, Varsity Lakes
In 2011, then-19-year-old Nick Pearce opened Blackboard Coffee in a small space next to Bond University. Soon after, Pearce began roasting his own beans in a Burleigh Heads warehouse after learning the process from Josh Russell, who owned Brisbane’s Cup Specialty Coffee at the time (he now co-owns King Arthur in Fortitude Valley). Since then, Blackboard Coffee has become an iconic Gold Coast brand, sending beans all over the world. The current menu includes truffle scrambled eggs, a Nashville hot chicken burger, and Biscoff waffles served with lime gel and cheesecake mousse. After numerous renovations, Blackboard has evolved into a large 183-seat venue with timber booth seating and lots of greenery.
7/240 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes
0411 683 423
Daily 5.30am–3pm
See also: Elk Espresso, Paddock Bakery, Barefoot Barista, Stable Coffee and Kitchen, Espresso Bonsai, Good Day Coffee
WEST
Ground Up Espresso, Toowoomba
Hidden down a laneway in an old storeroom is Ground Up Espresso, a Toowoomba institution. The laneway is sprawled with graffiti, while inside the cafe features timber floors and exposed brick walls. Blackboard Coffee’s Seasonal Espresso Blend is served here, and single-origin beans can be requested for an extra $1 (double shots are 70 cents). For food, there’s a full menu as well as an assortment of baked goods. Those who like a bit of sweet and savoury will particularly enjoy the buttermilk pancakes with butter, Canadian maple syrup and double-smoked bacon.
501 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba
Mon to Fri 6am–2pm
Sat 7am–2pm
Sun 8am–12.30pm
instagram.com/groundupespresso
Burrow, East Toowoomba
Former owners Natascha Egger and Clemence Demouzon had just celebrated their cafe’s first birthday in September 2019 when disaster struck. A fire tore through the converted house, damaging a wall, furniture, plants and cutlery. After months of rebuilding, Burrow re-opened in January 2020 with strong support from locals. Now with new owners Alex and Kirra – who purchased the venue in early 2024 — the cafe serves Allpress coffee alongside an impressive breakfast menu, including Hong Kong Eggs (scrambled eggs with chilli peanut sambal, feta and charred broccolini on miso-buttered sourdough), a Breaky Bun (bacon and eggs in a brioche bun) and classics like eggs Benny and smashed avo.
117a Bridge Street, East Toowoomba
(07) 7520 8068
Tue to Fri 7am–2pm
See also: The Baker’s Duck, Jamworks Gourmet Foods
This article was originally published on 4 March 2020. It has been updated to reflect new information and remove out-of-date details.
Cafes
Restaurants
Bars
Accommodation
Shop
Broadsheet Pick
Recently Opened