The Best Cafes in Brisbane for Coffee That's Actually Good

Brisbane’s coffee scene used to be easy to dismiss. It isn’t anymore. The past five years have produced a wave of serious cafes that rival Melbourne in quality if not in volume — and without the queues.

Here are the ones worth going out of your way for.

For Serious Espresso

Fonzie Abbott (multiple locations) is the name that comes up in every Brisbane coffee conversation, and with good reason. Their house espresso blend is well-balanced and consistent, and the barista training shows. The West End original has the best atmosphere.

Merriweather Cafe (Paddington) focuses on single-origin espresso with a rotating seasonal menu. If you care about where your coffee comes from and how it was processed, this is the spot. The staff know the farms they’re buying from.

For Filter Coffee

Blackstar Coffee Roasters (West End and Fortitude Valley) roasts its own beans and takes filter preparation seriously. The pour-over bar at the West End location is the place to taste what your morning coffee is actually capable of. Get the single-origin filter with whatever they’re featuring.

Coffee Anthology (CBD) is a small space that punches hard on batch filter. Good for a quick in-and-out if you work in the city. The rotating guest roasters keep things interesting.

For Breakfast Worth Eating

Gauge (South Brisbane) makes Brisbane’s most precise breakfast food. The ricotta hotcakes appear on enough lists to be a cliché, but they earn the reputation. Book ahead on weekends.

Flour and Chocolate (New Farm) does the neighbourhood brunch format well: good coffee, solid egg dishes, genuinely good pastries baked in-house. Get there before 9:30am on a Saturday or wait.

Three Monkeys (West End) is relaxed in the way only West End can be — long communal tables, board games on the shelves, and a kitchen that delivers good food without trying too hard.

For a Quiet Weekday Lunch

Sourced Grocer (Newstead) is part grocer, part cafe, and fully worth the visit. The grain bowls and toasties use produce from the shelves around you. The coffee is good. The vibe is calm even when it’s busy.

Edition Roasters (Fortitude Valley) has a roastery attached to the cafe, which means the coffee is as fresh as it gets. The food menu is simple but good. Excellent for working through a laptop morning.

The One If You’re Only Picking One

Blackstar Coffee Roasters West End. The filter bar, the roastery, the outdoor terrace, and the general sense that everyone there actually cares about coffee. It’s the most complete cafe experience in Brisbane right now.