Table of contents
Gold Coast Top Cafes
If there us one thing the Gold Coast has an abundance of, its cafes and good ones at that. From the super hip suburbs of Mermaid Beach, Burleigh and Palm Beach, to the super busy tourist hub of Surfers Paradise, the Coast just does a cafe right and is why its home to the best breakfast Gold Coast can offer.
With a city full of early risers, and summer sun rising at 4 am the cafes are often packed by 7am. Churning out delicious food and brewing top quality coffee this city just doesn’t disappoint.
Where Is The Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is a city half way up the east coast of Australia 1 hour from Brisbane to the North and from the South just over an hour from Byron Bay. A long coastal city made up of many suburbs all rolling into one another.
So Lets Get Started
After 12 years of living in this city we tried a far few cafe and a fair few have lasted the distance, so with that and in no particular order, here are our choice best of the best.
The Cafes
Darrk Espresso
On the northern end of the Gold Coast lies Daark Espresso. Set in your typical Queenslander building, Daark has grown from a tiny 6 table boutique coffee shop to a newly refurb establishment which has doubled in size. With the luxury of now dining in or out on the decking looking out at the morning sun.
The food speaks for itself, with popular choices being Persian feta, cherry tomato and crushed avocado toast to more elaborate specials like southern fried chicken benedict.
Coffee is known as one of the best around with single origin options available.
Details
Monday to Sunday 6am to 3pm
Elk Espresso
Like Daark, Elk Espresso started life in the suburb Of Broadbeach in a small building resembling a house, which if to be honest we liked the homely feel. But has since moved into bigger premises right on the end of the Oasis Center in the center of Broadbeach. Only a stones through from the beach has made this ever popular cafe even better.
A favourite of my mine here would be the breakfast burger with the added option of jalapeños to kick-start that morning, certainly one of my best breakfast choices.
Elk is known for there goodness bowls. Bowls pack with greens, poached eggs and homemade lebnah. Offering a healthy start to any morning, and the bowls always being seasonal menu items.
Details
Monday to Sunday 5:45 to 4pm
Blackboard Coffee
One of the original trend setters for Gold Coast cafes is Blackboard Coffee located in the suburb of Varsity Lakes. A hip vibe is perfect for this university town café, with students flocking to try the decedent food and smooth coffee.
Although known for a hang out for university students it is also a destination cafe for local Gold Coasters, especially with its philosophy of locally sourced food where possible.
Musts are truffled scrambled eggs and the slow cook brisket. Brisket for breakfast you may ask yes, when its paired with homemade corn bread, salsa and jalapeno hollandaise. The café always has a seasonal menu always being up to date with the best and up to date cuisine.
Details
Monday to Sunday 6am to 3pm
Bam Bam Bakehouse
Bam Bam Bakehouse offers something a little different, a great café with the added flair of a artisan style bakery with all baked goods and treats hand crafted and there is certainly no stone un turned here.
Located in the trendy Mermaid Beach suburb with a short stroll trough the park to the beach.
Renowned food critic and former Masterchef judge Matt Preston has often graced this café on visits to coast says it all.
Bam bam are known for there crossiants which are all homemade. And when they paired one of these with karage chicken, slaw and kewpie mayo it was a stroke of genius. With the croissant game being so strong pairing it with a eggs benny is also another great touch.
Details
Monday to Sunday 6:30am to 2:30pm
Commune
Another one of the original occupiers of the trendy Gold Coast Café scene is Commune. Another Queenlander style building. The feeling of home oozes out of Commune and the garden with its mismatched furniture certainly emphasizes that.
Commune was somewhere I liked to keep it simple and have bacon and eggs. The homemade relish that accompanied them was always delicious, and if you ask for soft poached eggs always perfectly cooked. When done right simple is sometimes the best way.
Details
Monday to Sunday 6am to 3:30pm
Paddock Bakery
Again and continuing the recurring theme of cafes in Queenslander houses lies Paddock Bakery. Set amongst houses in the backstreets of the suburb of Burleigh Heads. Rugged outdoor furniture and hipster feel another candidate for a cafe with the ultimate cosy and homely feel.
At Paddock bakery you must try the bagels, a little slice of NYC on the Gold Coast. Another favourite of ours would be the forest mushrooms on toast, earthy and delicious.
Details
Monday to Sunday 6am to 3pm
BSKT
One of the most renowned and first health conscious cafes on the Gold Coast. Been feeding the massives there nutritious treats from this beachside spot at Nobbys Beach since 2013.
BSKT also designed one of the first vegan, bio – fermented soft serve ice cream in the world. Now that’s pretty impressive.
A crowd pleaser at BSKT would be the Navajo native breakfast (these homemade beans are great) and you can’t go past the haloumi and egg burger with homemade relish.
Details
Monday to Friday 6am to 3pm
Saturday and Sunday 6am to 4pm
Cardamon Pod
Taking Vegan food to new heights is the Cardamon Pod. Bright, energised and flavourome food, for someone who is non vegan my most visited cafe in the last few years was the Cardamon pod.
You must try the Indian Dosa, this homemade Dosa with spiced potatoes is to die for. Another favourite would be the vege big breakfast, I love the peanut fritters on here.
Cardoman Pod is also renowned for its elaborate range of acai bowls which taste amazing and are certainly insta worthy captures
Details
Monday to Sunday 8am to 3pm
Bare Foot Barista
With its funky industrial look concrete walls, floor and black steel, giving Barefoot its unique look.
A popular destination for the early riser with doors opening at 5am and only moments away from the beach located in the trendy Palm Beach suburb.
The breakfast board was always a hit here, with all the breakfast favourites and another popular choice would be corn fritters always so moist and flavoursome.
Details
Monday to Sunday 5am – 4pm
And Finally
I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite one here, they all bring something good to the table and all never seem to fail on quality. Maybe a trip to the Gold Coast would need to be 10 days long to try them all.
And why not consider once your fed and watered in one of these top cafes head off to some of the wonders of the Gold Coast.
See the hidden tracks of Tallebudgera Valley’s Hidden Gem and be alone in this peaceful wonder.
Or head off to the mountains of Springbrook and catch the stunning naturally forming rocks of Natural Bridge or see the mammoth 200ft waterfall of Purling Brook Falls.
35 replies on “Best Cafes Gold Coast, Australia”
I would absolutely LOVE to go to the Gold Coast – it’s been a dream of mine for many years. These cafes look super impressive – I love any kind of eating out treat and these meals look incredible
Rosie
The Gold Coast certainly knows how to do a great cafe and they are always delicious
I would absolutely love to travel to the Gold Coast, it looks so beautiful. Thank you for sharing these cafes, they all sound amazing Xo
They all tasted amazing to, oh to try them again. Hope you manage to make it there
Ahhh this post makes me so excited to get up to the Gold Coast! Fingers crossed this November🤞🏻 Thank you for sharing these beautiful places to eat, I’ll put them on my list!
Finger crossed to you make it there its great. I hope you can tick a few of these off
Jalapeños for brekkie sounds right up my alley. I’ll admit I had to google karaage chicken and kewpie mayo, but boy that would work yes. Your list contains quite a few more places I’d check out anytime, if I could. I regret never having ventured south from Brisbane.
Jalepenos at breakfast, you can’t go wrong the perfect morning wake up. Karage is always a winner
These places sound (and look) incredible!! I am literally salivating from the few photos you included. I’d be unable to manage if you put more photos!
Many many great cafes and fantastic food. Its making me hungry myself reading over again
All of these places look great and you’ve now made me so hungry! Great post xx
That was the aim, glad you enjoyed our list of cafes
Now that you got me so hungry! I would be in heaven at Elk Expresso..with that egg and greens bowls.. yum!
Elk is one of the most popular around always great consistency and always delicious
I hope to make it to the Gold Coast one day! This is such a great list, well done but you certainly didn’t make it easy to choose between these cafes!
I know right you will have to make it a long trip so you can try them all
I love a trustworthy expert’s list like this!!! Trusted and truly first-hand! I could crush some of those breakfasts!!!
We had great fun testing them and could do it again and again
Good thing I read this over breakfast but now I’m ready for a second breakfast! I’d love to visit the Gold Coast and try them all.
Cant go wrong with a second breakfast. The Gold Coast is a must in our eyes hope you get there
These places look just delicious! That croissant in particular looked incredible. One day I’ll head to the Gold Coast and make sure to allow for plenty of cafe hopping – one of my favourite things anywhere in the world.
Love cafe hopping to uts a great way to spend a day. Hope you can make it to the Gold Coast soon
I need to go out for breakfast more! They all sound great. Bookmarking for when I make it to the Gold Coast.
We hope you get to use it. Breakfast is one of our favourites to go out for especially on the Gold Coast its always sunny
I wish I had this guide when we visited Gold Coast several years ago 🙂 Bookmarking it for the next time!
Glad you liked it hope it will come to use one day
You had me at vegan, bio-fermented soft serve ice cream! What an impressive list. I will absolutely be using this when I take a van across Australia!
So glad I ate before reading this post! I’m already getting hungry again anyway. It’s hard to imagine places being packed at 7am – I’m used to living in cities that rise later than they do in Gold Coast. I’d love to try the avocado toast at Darrk Espresso or the dosa at Cardamon Pod.
I know right it was a change for us but the early rising was a pleasant change.
The dosa is just unreal one of the best things I have tried
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