Brooke Darling, The Urban List Gold Coast
For us Gold Coasters, a love of cafes seems to be in our DNA. We LOVE to do breakfast, brunch and all things involving some combination of coffee, eggs, bacon and smashed avo. Thankfully, our many and diverse breakfasting needs are more than catered for by Gold Coast’s best cafes.
Narrowing down the hip haunts that are crafting some of the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast hasn’t been an easy task, yet here they are—a swag of cafes you should have been to if you live on the GC. Just visiting? Welcome! Make this your hit list.
We’ve got you covered from north to south, with the best cafes on the Gold Coast to keep you caffeinated and re-fuelled. How many have you eaten breakfast at?…..
Central | Broadbeach To Burleigh
No Name Lane | Broadbeach
Although it might be tucked away in a little laneway in the middle of Broadbeach, No Name Lane rakes in a lot of attention. Pumping out what’s been rated as some of the best coffee in Broadbeach, if not the Gold Coast, if you’ve never dropped by this local favourite, make it your next detour on the way to the beach.
Elk Espresso | Broadbeach
Serving up some of the very best breakfasts on the Gold Coast, Elk Espresso recently made the move to a bigger and brighter new location, but that familiar warm Elk welcome remains unchanged. We bet you can’t resist Instagramming the heck out of their gorgeous panna cotta and Poke On Spelt with fresh Tasmania salmon, diced mango and coconut flakes. #breakfastporn
Cabukee | Emerald Lakes
Emerald Lakes is a mini city within a city that oozes European charm and at the beating heart of this community is Cabukee. Loved for their welcoming smiles, zucchini fritters, Beavertails and coffee brewed every which way under the sun.
Grocer & Grind | Broadbeach Waters
Another popular healthy cafe on the Gold Coast, Broadbeach’s Grocer and Grind whips up some of the best organic superfood smoothies you’ll ever sip. Plus, acai bowls, wholefoods eggs bennies, caramelised banana pancakes, cold-pressed juices and more.
Nude Sisters Whole Food Cafe | Mermaid Waters
Exclusively vegetarian, using nothing but fresh and unadulterated ingredients, Nude Sisters Whole Food Cafe is an inviting space with a vibrant all-day menu that’s fast luring those Gold Coasters who are meticulously counting their calorie intake, while refusing to give up on their social brunching dates.
Double Barrel Kitchen | Mermaid Waters
If you’re on the hunt for some of the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast we recommend hunting down Mermaid Waters local gem, Double Barrel Kitchen. Get cosy with a cuppa surrounded by rustic décor and friendly baristas while tucking into hot smoked trout and zucchini fritters with a side of homemade melting moments cookies.
KoKo Coffee Roasters | Mermaid Beach
Owner and head roaster Alex Winter is a former United Nations worker who assisted on fair trade coffee programs in Indonesia some time back. Sourcing his beans with a very ethical approach, when you visit KoKo Coffee Roasters you can be assured your coffee is not only damn smooth (he roasts his own beans on site), but is also putting money back in everyone’s pockets along the supply chain.
Skull & Bones Espresso | Mermaid Beach
Bagels and coffee: a wonderful union we’ll never tire of. Put your bacon obsession aside and order our fave—the salmon, avocado, poached eggs and rocket combo on a bagel is spot on.
Little Mermaid | Mermaid Beach
Just as much a favourite for Sunday session drinkies, when morning rolls around, we reckon you can’t go past a coffee and newspaper combo in a peacock chair or hanging bench seat.
Bam Bam Bakehouse | Mermaid Beach
These guys make magic out of everything they touch, whether it be flavoursome breakfast dishes or buttery home-baked goodies and dessert pots; paired with a luxe interior that’s up there among the Coast’s most beautiful cafes. If you’re searching for some of the best breakfasts on Gold Coast, you’ve found it.
All-Time Coffee Co. | Mermaid Beach
A favourite among Mermaid Beach locals, All-Time Coffee Co. is famed for their vegan doughnuts, toasties, smooth brews and cute-as-hell puppy visitors that seem to love this place as much as their humans.
Alfred’s Diner | Mermaid Beach
Plonk yourself down on one of Alfred Diner’s outdoor tables and order the famed Alfred’s Burrito. It’s the ultimate hangover brekkie cure and a local’s fave among the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast.
Vintage Espresso | Mermaid Beach
We can thank Vintage Espresso for putting the Gold Coast’s cafe revolution wave in motion. They are still dishing up epic coffee and breakfasts in Mermaid Beach, so swing by and say thanks.
Póke Póke | Mermaid Beach
Like a Hawaiian Island marooned in Mermaid Beach, Póke Póke, Gold Coast’s first dedicated póke bowl café, is a vibrant and utterly unique eatery that’s open for breakfast through dinner with a chill crowd and funky tunes bringing the positive vibes.
BSKT | Nobby Beach
There’s so much to love about this Nobby Beach institution which is bringing health-conscious food to the masses. Regardless if you’re gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, or otherwise, you’re sure to find something on the menu that tickles your tastebuds. Washed down with BSKT’s signature vegan-friendly Cocowhip, naturally!
The Yard Cafe | Nobby Beach
Tucked a stone’s throw from the main drag of Nobby Beach is one of our faves for coffee and all day brunching. The Yard’s cute yet unassuming façade hides a hip interior that stretches back to a sunny courtyard at the rear. If you’re on the hunt for some of the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast, look no further.
Blackboard Coffee | Varsity Lakes
Blackboard has spread their magic coffee-roasting fairy dust up and down the Coast, with Blackboard Coffee starring on many a cafe menu. Coffee fiend or not, everyone who visits Blackboard Varsity Lakes falls in love. Maybe it’s the truffled eggs with bacon, chicken parma burgers or the ridic line-up of doughnuts and cronuts. There’s a lot to love at one of the best cafes on the Gold Coast.
Paddock Bakery | Miami
You can’t talk about breakfast on the Gold Coast without talking about Paddock Bakery. Toad in a Hole. Dippy Eggs. Bacon and egg roll. Nutella Bots. This pretty-as-a-picture Miami cafe has iconic breakfast dishes and baked goods that we turn to time and time again. Hands down one of the best cafes on the Gold Coast.
Burleigh Social | Burleigh Heads
Any cafe with a fun Aussie backyard set up is a winner in our books. Burleigh Social is a Burleigh Heads fave with an eggs benny on a croissant breakfast that’s sure to blow your Sunday morning cobwebs away.
Commune | Burleigh Heads
We’ll never tire of Burleigh’s beloved Commune cafe. Whether we’re sinking into the retro lounge chairs, devouring the corn fritters with house-made chilli jam, or trying to decipher the latest event posters from the vintage layers. You can’t call yourself a local until you’ve eaten at Commune.
Canteen Kitchen | Burleigh Heads
Our love for Canteen Kitchen—and adjoining barista bar, Canteen Coffee—runs deep. Their point of difference? A subtle Middle Eastern-influenced brekkie and brunchin’ menu—think liberal appearances from dukkah, za’tar, labneh, cumin, olives and green harissa. If you’ve not yet tracked this one down, you’re simply missing out.
Social Brew | Burleigh Heads
The sheer weekend crowds are testament to the fact Social Brew whips up some of the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast. Graze on wholesome brekkies, coffee or house made cold-pressed juices under the lush canopy of the cafe’s iconic indoor nursery.
Borough Greens | Burleigh Heads
For a suburb whose existence revolves around the beach, there’s not too many coffee joints claiming prime real estate water views. Borough Barista will deliver your caffeine fix with a smile and a side of salty sea breezes.
Stone’s Throw | Burleigh Heads
If you’re yet to pull in and try the goods at Stone’s Throw, you’re missing out on some of the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast. With an ethnic twist, come for the beef rending mince or cauliflower, date and fetta fritters with tamarind yoghurt or, for the late brunching crowd, the bibimbap is a stand out.
Parlour Coffee | West Burleigh
Hordes of hip coffee drinkers and lycra-wearing riders filling every available seat on a Saturday morning, is a testament to the popularity of this West Burleigh hangout. Worth the trek away from the main drag if you’re keen to devour some of the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast.
South | Palm Beach & Beyond
Espresso Moto | Palm Beach
Palm Beach locals love Espresso Moto for breakfast and brunch, and together with exceptionally friendly and efficient service, this Gold Coast cafe delivers every time. We can’t go past the ground lamb sandwich or their famous take on the classic eggs benny is egg-cellent.
Barefoot Barista | Palm Beach
Creative and substantial brekkies—like their famous Corn Board with poached eggs, charred corn salsa, avo, ham and Meredith goats cheese on sourdough—abound at this stalwart on any Gold Coast cafe bucket list.
Mr Bengel | Palm Beach
You can never drink too much coffee, right? Pumping out our much-needed caffeine hit seven days a week, Mr Bengel is a new neighbourhood favourite. Mr Bengel is all about contemporary brekkie food done right, plus a few twists on the favourites, made with love and paired with some sleek, minimalist design.
Wildernis | Palm Beach
Wildernis’ sunny top floor dining room with retractable rooftop and ocean glimpses is a good choice when you find yourself in Palm Beach with a hungry belly and caffeine withdrawals.
Spikexx Espresso | Palm Beach
A Palm Beach cafe icon, Spikexx creative fit-out of an old surf shop has earned it a spot among the Gold Coast’s best cafes, oh, and they make jaffles. Kickin’ it old school!
Dust Temple | Currumbin
Hands down the most visually stunningly cafe on the Gold Coast, we heart Dust Temple. This versatile art gallery and event space has big plans for the future, but in the meantime you can enjoy the characterful warehouse surroundings with a coffee in one hand and an avocado with sourdough board in the other.
The Salt Mill | Currumbin
The Salt Mill is somewhat of a hole-in-the-wall on the beachfront at Currumbin, but with vistas to the glistening water’s edge, you’ll want to be outside anyways. We love these guys for their steamy brews, nourishing juices and refreshing bowls of acai goodness.
Iron & Resin Garage | Currumbin
Currumbin’s Iron & Resin is a bike shop cum coffee stop, but don’t be intimated by the sweet rumbling of Harleys and classic moto rebuilds that ebb and flow from the on-street parking. Roll in for a frothy Will & Co. brew and brekkie burgers the size of your head, while Sunday mornings are buzzing with live music and are your best bet if you’re looking to pop your Iron & Resin cherry.
House Of Hubert | Tugun
If you’re wondering where all the locals disappear to when the clock strikes breakfast, you’ll find them toasting the good life at House of Hubert. A sandy-footed walk from the beach, this dreamy little joint has nailed the holiday-vibe décor and is a top pick among the best cafes on the Gold Coast.
Good Day Coffee | Tugun
Turn your bad day on its head with a trip to this Tugun cafe; come for the coffee and stay for the epic toasted sandwiches. Good Day Coffee is casual and friendly, and definitely part of the best cafes on the Gold Coast club.
Niche & Co. | Tugun
While there’s no denying you can get an acai bowl from every other cafe these days, there’s something to be said about Niche & Co.’s infectious passion for the Brazilian super berry. For these guys, acai is not a fad; it’s a way of life. Acai bowls with salted caramel, espresso or peanut butter, yep, they’ve thought of it all.
Cafe Caribou | Tugun
It’s little wonder Cafe Caribou is buzzing most mornings, serving southerners some of the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast. Get cosy in the rustic surroundings and face plant massive breakfast burgers or one of the tasty rotating specials, washed down with bowls, yes BOWLS of coffee. If it’s good enough for local resident Mick Fanning, it’s good enough for us.
Mervyn Roy’s | Bilinga
Friendly, cute and full of retro charm, you can’t go wrong when it comes to breakfast at Bilinga’s local, but we love the homemade scones piled with clotted cream and jam. It’s okay, they won’t judge.
Rockleigh Cafe | Coolangatta
Welcoming country-style fit out? Check. Silky, smooth coffee? Check. Some of the best breakfasts on the Gold Coast made from farm-fresh ingredients? Check and check. Rockleigh Cafe is a breakfast winner in our books.
Griffith Street Larder | Coolangatta
Sitting pretty on buzzing Griffith Street, while you don’t have any tantalising ocean views here, the sight of some yummy brunchin’ goodness will still pleasure your eyes. Cured wild salmon with house hollandaise are integral parts of their eggs benedict here, as well as an array of homemade cakes, muffins and mind-blowing brownies. Just look for the cute pink and white striped umbrellas!
Cafe 28 Cooly | Coolangatta
Part coffee shop, part surf store, part bar, it’s barely a stretch to say that Cafe 28 Cooly in Coolangatta has it all going on. Open morning to late afternoon (plus nights on weekends), rub shoulders with the locals or chilled-out holiday makers in the large couches and just watch the world go by.
Cafe DBar | Coolangatta
Have friends visiting? An easy breezy breakfast overlooking the ocean at Cafe DBar should be top of your list, followed by a splash at Rainbow Bay or Froggies Beach. Weekend = made.
This article was originally featured on The Urban List Gold Coast FULL ARTICLE available at The Urban List.
