COFFEE is an Australian obsession. We analyse the crema, dissect the beans and critique the milk. You’ll find the first question most Aussies ask when overseas is “where can I get a good coffee?â€
Review site, Yelp, has around 142 million visitors to its site every month and has analysed its data to find the most popular and best reviewed coffee in Australia.
It has come up with the top 100 places for coffee in NSW, VIC, QLD, WA and SA (there were not enough active Yelp reviewers in Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory for them to be included on the list, sorry.) It also found that the most popular type of coffee was the latte, followed by an espresso and a flat white.
Here are the top ten places for each of the included states for you to grab a hot beverage at. Do you agree? Are these our best coffee spots? Tell us in the comments below.
New South Wales
1. Single Origin Roasters, Surry Hills
“For food, I got to try the banana bread with melted espresso butter. It made me smile real big,†says one reviewer. “The crust was crunchy, and the middle was soft and fluffy. The espresso butter was unique — I could actually taste the espresso!â€
2. Circa Espresso, Parramatta
3. Social Brew, Pyrmont
4. Brewtown Newtown, Newtown
5. Black Star Pastry, Newtown
Known for their strawberry and watermelon cake, one reviewer posted: “You can never go wrong here. From their breads to their fruit loaf to their pies and sweet pastries, oh and did I mention their vegan desserts?â€
6. The Steam Engine, Chatswood
7. Workshop Espresso, Sydney
8. Campos Coffee, Newtown
9. The Fine Food Store & Café, The Rocks
10. Wedge Espresso, Glebe
Victoria
1. Patricia, Melbourne
They may not have seats but Patricia’s is a bit of a coffee institution in Melbourne. One reviewer describes it as: “Excellent coffee, seriously delicious cakes (that my waistline doesn’t need) & super friendly staff ... all in all a top place.â€
2. Brother Baba Budan, Melbourne
3. The League of Honest Coffee, Melbourne
4. Proud Mary, Collingwood
5. Monk Bodhi Dharma, Balaclava
6. The Kettle Black, South Melbourne
You can’t book which can be frustrating on a busy weekend, but the gluten free treats are worth the wait. One reviewer writes, “I also had an Ethiopian Hunkute filter coffee, which was fantastic. It had a clean and medium body to it. The cafe is in a beautiful Victorian style building, and the interior had a clean Scandinavian style look.â€
7. Seven Seeds, Carlton
8. Miss Jackson, St Kilda
9. Merchants Guild, Bentleigh East
10. Everyday Coffee, Collingwood
Queensland
1. John Mills Himself, Brisbane
The hole-in-the-wall coffee shop actually becomes a cocktail bar in the evenings. Double whammy!
2. Scout, Brisbane
3. Caffiend, Cairns
4. Bunker, Milton
5. Shouk Cafe, Brisbane
6. Gramercy Coffee, Brisbane
“A ‘literal hole in the wall’ at the Edward St entrance to the Wintergarden, with spot on service, delicious coffee and an enticing menu,†writes one reviewer of Gramercy.
7. Corner Store Cafe, Toowong
8. Slightly Twisted Espresso Lounge, Nundah
9. Ltd Espresso + Brew Bar, Fortitude Valley
10. Billy Kart Kitchen, Annerley
Owned by chef/patron Ben O’Donoghue this large cafe has an indoor and outdoor space that makes it handy for meeting up with ‘the girls’ on a Saturday morning or your cycling group.
South Australia
1. E For Ethel, Adelaide
This homey cafe’s coffee has been described by one Yelp reviewer as, “fruity and full of taste†while the Sweet Lola desserts are apparently “to die forâ€.
2. Coffee Branch, Adelaide
3. The Coffee Barun, Sefton Park
4. Exchange Specialty Coffee, Adelaide
5. The Pantry on Egmont, Hawthorn
6. Paddy’s Lantern, Adelaide
The menu is limited but according to one reviewer “you’ll look straight past that tiny flaw once you indulge in the ‘Smoked Ocean Trout on Pumpkin Sourdough with Horseradish Cream’.â€
7. Mister Sunshine’s, The Barton
9. Peel Street, Adelaide
10. The Stranded Store, Colonel Light Gardens South
West Australia
1. Harvest Espresso, Victoria Park
If you love waffles, this is your place! “My waffles were wonderfully plump with the exterior crisped to perfection. The poached pears still had a bite, the strawberries tasted like strawberries! The jasmine cream was a sweetened whipped delight,†reads a review.
2. Piccolo’s Corner, West Leederville
3. La Veen Coffee & Kitchen, Perth
4. Lowdown, Perth
5. Moana Coffee, Perth
6. The Attic, Fremantle
What’s the Attic like? “Gotta say, coffee was pretty good. Loses points for the cost vs. fluid ounces but gains a point for the friggin sweet set up and decore. It’s the ultimate Freo cafe, just very boho and cool vibe,†says one reviewer.
7. Little Willy’s, Northbridge
8. Chalky’s Espresso Bar, Fremantle
9. Sherbet, Maylands
10. Bossman Coffee, Mount Lawley
“It’s a small, cosy, dimly lit hipster type joint, decorated in wood tones and some rather nifty recycled 1970s speakers. It’s mostly for coffee, but they have some wonderful food selections with a variety of homemade sweet and savoury Greek pastries,†reads one review.
Do you agree? Are these our best coffee spots? Tell us in the comments below.