The 12 best coffee in Brisbane to get your caffeine fix

To celebrate its 20th birthday in 2023, Single O launched its very first Brisbane coffee bar in Newstead. As the leaders in Australia’s coffee industry, these guys were one of the first on the scene to promote single-origin coffee beans and the distinctive flavour profiles they yield. Today, co-founders Emma and Dion Cohen have pioneered a self-serve batch brew bar, riffing on beer taps. Pour yourself an iced oat latte or a cold brew from their roster of single-origin beans. You will always be in safe hands with their Reservoir blend, though, which has a gentle, fruity acidity. Get to know their smaller batch, single-origin beans by ordering a filter flight.

Even though Toby’s only opened its flagship Brisbane café in 2024, these guys are no strangers to Australia’s coffee connoisseurs. They’ve been frothing and brewing high-end coffee since 1997, crafting each cup with distinct processing methods, regions and varietals. You can watch their baristas in action from front-row seats at the espresso or filter bars, and quiz them on their Freezus menu (high-end coffee frozen at its peak), featuring award-winning roasts that have been the toast of Toby’s for years.

Coffee Mentality is something of a mini-empire, built on changing the way we think about and drink coffee, one cup at a time. What sets this café apart is its coffee-tasting experiences where coffee lovers will sample a flight of single-origin pour-overs, including their very own urban-grown beans. Established in an effort to minimise the environmental impact of coffee, their award-winning Urban Coffee Project saw the release of Brisbane’s first urban-grown coffee. Coffee Mentality also works closely with coffee growers in founder Ian Abadiano’s home country of the Philippines by supporting sustainable initiatives and ensuring fair pay and working conditions. 

Death Before Decaf is a one-of-a-kind experience – a 24-hour, hardcore and metal music-loving, skate scene espresso bar. That’s right, this place serves coffee and tunes 24/7, meaning you’ll never have to go without that caffeine fix ever again. Located opposite the cinemas on Brunswick Street in New Farm, Death Before Decaf was born when owners Carl and Nicola channelled their love of coffee, tats and heavy metal into a space that is as unique, unpretentious and welcoming as they are. The café has quickly become a favourite within the music and skate scene, as well as appealing to shift and service workers. The Death Before Decaf team is also committed to keeping it local, serving up single-origin brews from neighbourhood fave Black Mass Roasters. 

The New Black is a bright, stylish café, right opposite The Beat Megaclub in Fortitude Valley. It's one of the main puzzle pieces in Bakery Lane, the design and hospitality development, which is one of the nicest things ever to happen to a grungy part of town. For those seeking really good coffee, brekkies made with care and flair, and a warm and kind welcome, the café delivers on all fronts. Carrara's Parallel Roasters supplies the beans, and they're deployed with plenty of punch by the barista team, which operates in a separate section of the café out the back that fronts onto the lane. They make a fantastic cup of joe here with that special blend of Brazilian, Colombian and Papua New Guinean beans, powerful enough to get you going, its satisfying bitterness tempered with a dark chocolate edge. If you're interested in expanding your caffeine palate, you can get a coffee-tasting board. The love of the bean also extends to a menu star – the espresso waffles.

Housed in a converted bomb shelter, this vine-covered hole in the wall is known for dishing out some of the best coffee to be found in the café heartland of Milton. Drop by and relax in the sun with one of Bunker's iced specialties or batch brews. There are plenty of take-home options, including a full range of beans and home brewing products, as well as the rather special casks of Colombian cold brew – another go-to for Brisbane’s sweltering summers. Add in a fully stocked cake and pastry selection from Cosmos Cakes and Chouquette, and you are well and truly looked after at Bunker.

Local favourite Blackstar has been a pioneering force in our roasting and barista culture since 2007. Founder Martin Richards established Blackstar when he returned from New Zealand with a mission to bring specialty coffee to Brisbane. As well as the roastery in East Brisbane, there are two café branches – the original Blackstar West End location and Blackstar Contessa on Roma Street. The roastery’s commitment to sustainability and community continues to set them apart, and they have partnered with Trees.org and Landcare Australia to establish Coffee for Trees, which has them planting three trees for each kilo of coffee sold. As of 2022, Blackstar are completely carbon neutral, giving you yet another reason to pop in for a truly great cup of coffee.

No matter what city you’re in, you’ll always feel the calm familiarity of an Industry Beans by its sleek, white minimalist interiors. That is, if you haven’t already been put at ease by the smell of their nation-famous coffee. In more recent years, they have changed the game with their bubble coffee: their cold brew with coffee-soaked tapioca pearls and what they like to call ‘consoy’ (a blend of soy and condensed milk). Those looking for a creative cold brew that’s slightly more traditional will love their Fitzroy iced, which infuses wattleseed and panela.