I have just returned from a road trip around Brisbane and beyond. As a coffee fiend with a hire car, I managed to zip about the city and a whole host of my extensive list of coffee shops. Now that I’m back, I wanted to share the places that I think are making the best coffee in Brisbane.

Best coffee in Brisbane

I managed to pack in an impressive amount of coffee during my trip to Brisbane. I tested all espressos because that is my coffee order. That said, I find that a good espresso generally means that a good milky coffee is inevitable.

Because I tested a combination of takeaways and sitting in, I have decided not to rank the coffees, per se. In my experience, a takeaway coffee is always a little colder and less of a vibe than one had in a cafe. I also just don’t have that good of a memory to rank everything lol.

I found the coffee shops I wanted to try through a mix of Reddit, Google and TikTok. After adding a cafe to my list, I cross referenced it with the other sources to ensure it wasn’t just a paid recommendation or a collaboration. So, I hope that this list really covers the best coffee shops in Brisbane. If there are any you think I have missed, let me know! Quite frankly, I am always happy to come back and test some more. Nothing better than a coffee road trip!

Quick tips

My most pertinent tip in relation to coffee in Brisbane is to check the opening hours. A lot of speciality coffee venues, particularly in the CBD, were closed Sundays or even weekends. I also found that coffee shops shut a lot earlier than this Melbournian is used to. Some of the venues had shorter opening hours over the weekend, so that is also something to keep in mind.

In fairness, I have heard that a lot of international visitors are shocked by how early Australian coffee shops shut in general, but I did feel Brisbane venues shut even earlier than usual. Perhaps it’s just because I was out hunting coffee later in the day than I normally would at home, but either way it is something to consider.

My other tip (if you are a tourist) is to pin your coffee shops on maps before you go. A lot of the coffee shops on my list were in close proximity but I didn’t realise it at the time. So, I did a fair bit of double backing. A pinned map would have made it a lot easier and I could have slotted in venues that were close to each other.

Best coffee in Brisbane CBD

Anytime Coffee

This cute little venue is in an extremely photogenic alley in Brisbane CBD. I got takeaway coffee (as did most of the line of office workers) but there is a very small space to have your coffee in house. Despite the name Anytime, it is open from 7am-2pm Monday to Friday at the time of writing.

John Mills Himself

Nestled in a gorgeous old building in Brisbane CBD, John Mills Himself makes a great espresso. They have two other venues, Bunker Coffee in Milton (off to the left of the CBD if you are looking at a map) and Bessa Coffee (also in Milton) which I didn’t have time to visit but were on the list. At the time of writing, John Mills Himself is open from 6.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday.

Felix for Goodness

A gorgeous and delicious little spot tucked down an alley in Brisbane CBD, this was probably the best espresso I had. I did have it dining in and alongside a delicious brunch, which always helps. At the time of writing, Felix for Goodness is open 7.30am-2pm on weekdays and 8am-2pm on weekends.

Coffee Anthology and Maillard

Coffee Anthology was supposedly ranked one of the best coffees in the world so I had to try it for myself. It was extremely busy so I got a takeaway. I will say, I was charged $6.90 for a takeaway espresso which seems kind of wild to me. It was a good espresso, though, and the line was a testament to its popularity.

Maillard is their sister site which is just down the road from Coffee Anthology. Maillard wasn’t open weekends when I visited, but Coffee Anthology was. At the time of writing, Coffee Anthology is open from 7.30am-3.30pm weekdays and 7.30am-2pm on weekends.

The Hideout Specialty Coffee

With two CBD locations, Hideout Specialty Coffee should be on your Brisbane list. The Adelaide Street location is closed on weekends but the Edward Street location is open. The opening hours for each venue are quite varied, so I recommend double checking them online before you visit.

Edward Espresso

This coffee shop popped up on just about every list of the best coffee in Brisbane. I didn’t visit, but it looks an absolute treat. At the time of writing, Edward Espresso is open from 6.30am-2pm (for espresso, 1pm for food).

Industry Beans

I didn’t go to Industry Beans because it was my local when I lived in Fitzroy so I know it is good. By all accounts, they have CBD Adelaide Street location and a Newstead location. At the time of writing, the Adelaide Street location is open from 6.30am-3.30pm weekdays and 8am-3.30pm weekends.

Best coffees in the Valley area, Brisbane

I am no local, so I am including Fortitude Valley, Newstead, New Farm, Teneriffe and Albion in my definition of the Valley. I hope that’s right!

Bellissimo, Fortitude Valley (just off James St)

I didn’t stop into Bellissimo because it wasn’t on my list. I did walk past it and I must admit that the graphic design on the store made me discount it (I’m a snob apparently). However, I have since discovered that many on Reddit and TikTok are huge fans of this place. At the time of writing, it is open from 6am-6pm which is much later than most cafes. If you’ve been and can vouch for it, let me know!

Reverends, Fortitude Valley

I didn’t get a chance to visit but by all accounts this is a beloved spot for coffee. At the time of writing, Reverends is open from 7am-2pm.

Speed Dial, Newstead

Housed in a little shipping container next to Bunnings, Speed Dial makes a great espresso. I went on a weekend and the wait was a little long but it was prime time so probably user error. At the time of writing, Speed Dial is open from 5.30am-1pm on weekdays and 7am-1pm on weekends.

Sunroom Store at Newstead studios

An incredibly cute little space with a gallery attached (and just down the road from Speed Dial if you need two coffees). At the time of writing, Sunroom Store is open from 6.30am-2pm on weekends, 7am-12pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

Death before Decaf, New Farm

I had a takeaway espresso from here and I wasn’t blown away BUT I might have just gotten unlucky. Either way, the espresso was decent and the venue is open 24 hours which is amazing for night owls and shift workers.

Kin, Teneriffe

Okay, so I didn’t have a coffee but a delicious matcha. Kin do rotating matcha specials and the one we had was a smoky campfire matcha. It was absolutely delicious and worth the (fast moving) queue. At the time of writing, Kin only has a kiosk on weekends (open from 7.30am-12pm) as opposed to a full cafe. During the week, it is a full service cafe open from 6am-1.30pm.

Super Nice, Bowen Hills

Another ‘not coffee’ rec, but I saw a TikTok about the strawberry matcha from Super Nice and can confirm it was delicious. A note to say that although some online sources say they have gluten free bread, they did not have gluten free bread when I asked (July 2025).

At the time of writing, Super Nice is open from 6am-1pm weekdays, 8am-1pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

Best coffee in South Brisbane

As a non-local, I am including West End, Southbank, Woolloongabba in my definition of South Brisbane. Let me know if that is a mistake.

Cups on Melbourne, South Brisbane

Although I didn’t manage to try this place, it was on every list I came across while researching this article. I’m sad I didn’t get to try it, so it will be shortlisted for my next trip to BNE. At the time of writing, Cups on Melbourne is open from 6.30am-2pm on weekdays and 7am-1pm on weekends.

Coffee Boy, South Brisbane

I didn’t try this place but it has glowing reviews online and looks very legit. At the time of writing, Coffee Boy is open from 5.45am-12pm Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays.

Coffee Head, South Brisbane

Another coffee shop I missed, Coffee Head gets a good amount of love online. At the time of writing, Coffee Head is open from 6am-4pm, which is a fair bit longer than a lot of other cafes. One to consider if you need an afternoon pick me up.

Good Good, West End

This was on my list but unfortunately our itinerary didn’t leave much space for coffee in this area. It does look very cute and I am adding it to the coffee itinerary for my next trip to Brisbane. At the time of writing, Good Good is open from 6am-1.30pm, with shortened hours on Sundays (7am-12pm).

Third Space Collective, Woolloongabba

This was another one on my list but there are simply not enough coffees to be in had in a day. It looks very cute and I love the idea of the third space and the events they have on. At the time of writing, Third Space Collective is open from 6am-12pm.

Best bakery and coffee shops, Brisbane

I am gluten free but my travel companion (who I went to Brisbane with) is not. We tried a few of these spots and I included a few more just to make sure that everyone gets baked goods and coffee.

Sprout Bakery (James St location)

We stumbled on the James Street location of Sprout Bakery by accident. It is gorgeous and makes both a good espresso and a delicious gluten free chocolate buckwheat cookie (for me lol). At the time of writing, Sprout Bakery in James Street is open from 6.30am-1pm from Tuesday to Saturday, 7.30am-1pm Sunday and closed on Mondays.

Their Albion Street location doesn’t serve coffee, but Collingwood Black is nearby and apparently very good.

Lune, CBD and South Brisbane

As a former resident of Rose Street Fitzroy, I am no stranger to Lune. By all accounts they do good coffee as well as their signature pastries. At the time of writing, Lune is open from 7.30am-3pm weekdays and 8am-3pm weekends in both venues.

Idle Bakery, New Farm

A new iteration of a beloved Brisbane bakery (formerly Agnes), Idle is a very swish venue in New Farm. We arrived late and nothing in the pastry case took our fancy but the coffee was decent and the interior was really fun. At the time of writing, Idle is open from 7am-2pm.

Riser, Toowong

We didn’t visit Toowong on our trip but Riser was a name I saw floating around in my research. It looks very cute and very delicious, so if you’re after coffee and pastries this might be for you. At the time of writing, Riser is open from 7am-2pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 8am-2pm on Sunday and closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Other Brisbane coffee recommendations

These are recommendations I didn’t visit but that popped up regularly in my research. I couldn’t categorise them into the areas above, hence their inclusion here!

• Supernumerary in Salisbury
• Passport coffee in Northgate (might be a good one en route to Brisbane airport)
• Cleanskin coffee in Brendale
• Extraction, Slacks Creek
• Josie North, Toowong
• Straits, Coorparoo