The best cafés to try in Australia

If you’re hanging around the city, don’t be shy about stopping into The Cupping Room. This offshoot of legendary Canberra roasters, Ona, pours all its coffees flat white style. Just pick your blend – don’t worry, they’re more than happy to help – whether it’s the Aspen with hints of chocolate and hazelnut, the Raspberry Candy or just decaf. With a coffee in hand, pull up a chair next to the sun-drenched windows and dig into chorizo benedict with caramelised hollandaise, duck noodle salad with Shantung-style glaze, or perhaps cinnamon-soaked French toast doused in house-made custard, white chocolate ganache, strawberry syrup, salted Biscoff caramel sauce and crumble.

Order the: French toast

Where: 1/1-13 University Avenue, Canberra

This quirky Vietnamese café in Annerley is probably one of Brisbane’s few spots where you can enjoy a steaming bowl of pho or a freshly baked banh mi at 7am. Café O’Mai’s menu is all about uncomplicated, home-style Vietnamese cooking, with some subtle Western influences. Everything is made in-house, from the rich 48-hour beef stock to the lemongrass pork sausages and vegetarian spring rolls, and served with the vibrant energy of a bustling hawker-style eatery. Don't leave without trying the Vietnamese affogato. Espresso is slow-dripped Vietnamese-style before being poured over vanilla ice cream and a nest of coconut tapioca pearls – it's Ô-Mai's signature happy ending. 

Order the: Beef pho (baby size, available at breakfast)

Where: 15 Cracknell Rd, Annerley, Brisbane

What do you get when you serve authentic Middle Eastern fare in a quintessentially Queenslander-style corner café? The answer is Naïm, one of Brisbane’s favourite all-day breakfast spots serving modern Australian takes on Arab-world classics. Perch yourself up in the quaint dining room overlooking Paddington’s jacaranda-lined streets and be transported to Tunisia with their most popular dish, a traditional shakshuka (baked eggs). Other Middle Eastern-inspired meals include a brekky pita board with light and fresh house-made hummus, and a squid shawarma – add zhug for a spicy hit. If it’s something closer to home you’re craving, Naïm also serves a mean smashed avo toast with an unexpected pomegranate gel, plus quality coffee by Blacklab. There’s also the option to turn any of the dishes into a plant-based alternative – yep, even the meatballs.

Order the: Hummus bowl with your choice of carrot falafel, mushroom meat or lamb merguez sausage

Where: 14 Collingwood St, Paddington, Brisbane

There’s one way to easily win the morning in Canberra, and it’s by hitting up this sleek yet laid-back café and specialty coffee house in Campbell. Here, you’ll find Euro-Japanese remixes, like kimchi jaffles and chashu bacon and egg rolls, along with dang tasty coffee. First-timers can sample Intra’s offerings with a coffee flight, featuring their Staple blend with notes of butterscotch, hazelnut and nectarine. Other single origin blends feature beans sourced from Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Honduras, with all four options available for purchase from Intra’s retail nook. Do yourself a favour and pair your batch brew or chocolate malt shake with Intra’s signature kimchi jaffle for the full trifecta – there’s even vegan, gluten- and lactose-free options that are sure to satisfy the hangriest of stomachs. If you’re visiting on weekends, match your cuppa with a cardamom bun from the legends at Under Bakery. 

Order the: Kimchi jaffle

Where: 30/12 Provan St, Campbell, Canberra

Whether you’re here for hotcakes and hot dates, or chilli eggs and chill outs, Laneway Specialty Coffee has you covered. This hipster café in the heart of Parap Village has been pleasing locals with artisanal coffee and cool vibes since 2014. The all-day menu is divided between bread, bowls, burgers and bennys, with vegans and gluten-free diners well looked after. Classics with a twist are a Laneway feature too, with a touch of native ingredients across the menu too – think finger lime vinaigrette, lemon myrtle syrup and nut dukkah melded into your everyday staples. If you can only order one thing, go for the creamy eggs benny dripping with native pepperberry hollandaise and your choice of crispy halloumi, smoked salmon and spinach, or wild mushroom with greens, truffle and crispy enoki. As a backup, the sourdough Reuben toastie with house-made pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian sauce is always a winner, too.

Order the: Nourish the Soul bowl with arancini, kaleslaw, halloumi, hummus and pita bread

Where: Parap Village Markets, 4/1 Vickers St, Darwin

This Adelaide icon is always buzzing, and no, it’s not because of the electrical substation next door or the friendly bees pollinating the passion fruit-flowering fence. Overflowing with plants and people, Peter Rabbit is a crowd-pleaser for a good reason. Their all-encompassing brunch menu will tick everyone’s boxes. Try their triple-scrambled eggs with a cup of coffee, mushroom udon and a matcha latte, or Nonna’s gnocchi with a glass of red. Their cocktail menu riffs on café classics and is the perfect excuse to have a boozy brunch. How about an ever-so refreshing Gin and Jam of raspberry tart gin, seasonal house-made jam and a smidge of lemon? Or an Irish Whisky Espresso with Baileys, Mr Black, oat milk and sugar cane to get the cogs ticking, perhaps?

Order the: Mister Potato with crispy smashed potatoes, almond cream and XO sauce

Where: 234-244 Hindley St, Adelaide

Smack bang on Railway Parade, it's hard to stop yourself from grabbing a bite from Hylin. The West Leederville café is all about maximising the space they have, from the curbside dining (and they take the meaning seriously) to the industrial bar out the back that’s fit with a corrugated iron ceiling, steel rafters and polished concrete floors for a beer in the shed-like ambience. Hylin takes its food seriously too – it's all about breakfast classics and wholesome dishes, and its namesake bruschetta combines the best of both (think whipped stracciatella, poached egg, cherry tomatoes and a verdant basil-walnut dressing atop ciabatta). But if eggs aren’t your breakfast of choice, fear not, the menu offers plenty of South American-inspired brekkie dishes to tempt you, from an AM burrito to smoked chicken quesadillas – they’re some of the best breakfasts in Perth, mind you.

Order the: Open brekky burger with eggs and bacon

Where: 178 Railway Pde, West Leederville, Perth

Farm-to-table isn’t just a tagline at Two Before Ten, Canberra’s most sustainable café empire. You’ll find their cafés speckled well across Canberra, from the north, south, east and west, including a dedicated roastery in Mitchell. Over the last decade, their original Aranda café has evolved from an abandoned shopping village into a bustling community hub and urban garden, complete with an on-site roastery, beehives, fruit trees, an expansive vegetable garden and an industrial composter. TBT’s Urban Garden provides year-round produce to support its 13 cafés, with seasonality taking centre stage on the 70 per cent vegetarian menu. Expect rustic plates with a focus on sourdough, rolls, bowls and sandwiches, like the Garden Rosti Roll of house-made potato hash, fried egg, romesco, avocado, rainbow chard and melty Swiss cheese.

Order the: Mushroom bruschetta (Aranda)

Where: Multiple locations in Canberra, including Aranda, Barton and Dickson 

Is this Adelaide’s best coffee? It just might be. Keeping us caffeinated with their sustainably sourced beans since 2013, Exchange has expanded from just specialty coffee to an epic food menu. Come with a group and split their one-litre carafe of filter coffee while you explore the sweet and savoury plates. Breakfast doesn’t get any harder than their Peking duck ragu served on grilled sourdough with mushrooms, fried egg, chilli crisp and lemon. The brioche French toast with coconut caramel, lime cheesecake mousse, savoiardi (sponge biscuit) crumb and blueberry doesn’t fall far behind either. Wash it all down with an espresso tonic or Pink Lady apple juice, and you should be set ‘n’ satiated for a tip-top day ahead.

Order the: Brioche French toast

Where: 12/18 Vardon Ave, Adelaide

Come for the specialty coffee and stay for the Singaporean-style breakfast at this wholesome café in Darwin City. For more than a decade, Kopi Stop has been serving up comforting breakfasts made using recipes passed down through generations. Signature dishes include their sweet kaya (coconut jam) toast with soft-boiled eggs, thick congee (rice porridge) with golden century egg, and prawn wonton laksa – don’t skip out on a dollop of their house sambal. Coffee is a serious art form here, with local beans sourced from the sustainable heroes at Ona and grounds for their kopitiam drinks imported from Singapore. Whether you prefer it black or iced, with butter or condensed milk, there’s bound to be a brew for you. Sit streetside or inside and watch the Darwin days go by.

Order the: Singapore Breakfast with kaya toast and soft boiled eggs

Where: 1/2 Harriet Pl, Darwin

While there are many good eggs benedict to be found around Perth, none compare with Finlay and Sons’ creation. Perfectly oozing poached eggs sit pretty on a wilted spinach and hash brown base and are smothered in a creamy hollandaise sauce. Adding the thick-cut bacon is not optional; it’s a must, with the chunky slice of bacon a perfectly salty contrast to the rich creaminess of the dish. The classic menu melds seamlessly with the casual-cool cornerstore’s ambience too, not to mention the Beaufort Street locale. There’s something a little old-timey about the recycled timber tabletops, red brick innards and mid-century mirrors that hang about the place. And to top it all off, a wee wooden coffee window adjacent to the main ensemble is the place to be when you're on the go but in need of a brew by Perth small-batch roasters, Twin Peaks.

Order the: Hash brown benny

Where: 917 Beaufort St, Inglewood, Perth

Woolloongabba's Pawpaw Café seamlessly blends the nuances of Southeast Asian cuisine with a contemporary twist on breakfast classics. The usual suspects – from omelettes to benedicts – take on an Asian variation with ingredients, such as ketchup, soy sauce and spicy chilli jam dressing. If a slow start is on the cards, the lunch menu – available from 11am onwards – includes a Massaman beef cheek curry or chilli popcorn tofu tacos with Thai laab spices. Wash it all down with a Cold Brew Martini of Kahlua, vodka and house-made cold brew – what a way to start the day. The venue itself is light, bright and modern with ample space for groups or cosy corners for two. You can’t miss the white weatherboard cottage located conveniently on Stanley Street, just a few kilometres southeast of the CBD.

Order the: Massaman beef cheek curry 

Where: 898 Stanley St E, Woolloongabba, Brisbane