Best Cafes in Australia | Dining in Australia | Pan Pacific Australia

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Best Staycation Ideas: 25 Must-try Cafes in Australia

Looking for the best cafes in Australia during your staycation in Melbourne, Sydney or Perth? This freshly brewed guide to the top must-try cafes in Australia is just right for you!

Do you know that the Flat White coffee originated from Australia? Created in the mid-1980s, the espresso-based milk-infused coffee has since been warmly welcomed by the rest of the world.    

Coffee has always been an integral part of Australian life, with the locals taking it very seriously. On average, Australians consume a whopping 1.3 million cups of coffee every day — not from coffee franchises like Starbucks or The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, but their own favourite local cafes.  

If you are considering an Australian local vacation, you have to check out the coffee culture in each state. To help you along, our teams at Pan Pacific Perth, Pan Pacific Melbourne, PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney, PARKROYAL Parramatta, PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport and PARKROYAL Monash Melbourne have put together this comprehensive list of 25 top must-try cafes in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

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The Best Cafes in Melbourne

enjoying coffee in a laneway enjoying coffee in a laneway

 

Can Melbourne claim to be a coffee capital in the world? Some would claim so, considering that many of the Australian city’s baristas have clinched global coffee awards throughout the years. 

Melbourne's coffee culture dates all the way back to its Greek and Italian immigrants' arrival after World War II — apparently, many brought their beloved espresso machines with them. Since then, espresso-based coffee has always been a Melburnian's way of life. 

Having a staycation in Melbourne? Here are the best Melbourne cafes you have to visit.

 

Manchester Press

 

Address 8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia                                                                                                                                   
Phone Number
+61 426 987 017
Opening Hours
8:30am to 4pm

 

Experience a typical Melbourne coffee experience at the Manchester Press. Tucked in a small and lovely lane, the cosy cafe, with eclectic decor exuding a vintage-chic vibe, offers a well-balanced filter roast made by expert baristas. The best way to enjoy a coffee here is to pair it with one of their signature bagels.

 

Get directions to Manchester Press

 

The League of Honest Coffee

 

Address 8 Exploration Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia                                                                                                                              
Phone Number
+61 3 9654 0169
Opening Hours
6:30am to 3pm (Monday to Friday), 8am to 2pm on Saturday, Closed on Sunda

 

The array of espresso machines lined up here show that this cafe means business. The League of Honest Coffee sources their rotating coffee blends ethically and responsibly from fair-trade sources. Beyond their heavenly cuppas, the small slick cafe also offers cakes and sandwiches.

 

Get directions to the League of Honest Coffee

 

Brother Baba Budan

 

Address 359 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia                                                                                                                 
Phone Number
+61 3 9347 8664
Opening Hours
8am to 5pm (Monday to Friday), 9am to 5pm (Saturday and Sunday)

 

Looking for the ultimate flavour of Melbourne coffee? Brother Baba Budan offers just that. Named after the merchant Baba Budan who famously smuggled seven coffee seeds out of Yemen, this speciality coffee house broke away from the traditional Italian coffee roasting style in Melbourne to explore its own best brewing practices. This certainly shows in their brews—and queues!   

 

Get directions to Brother Baba Budan

 

Seven Seeds Coffee Roasters

 

Address 114 Berkeley St, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia                                                                                                                                   
Phone Number
+61 3 9347 8664
Opening Hours
7am to 4pm (Monday to Friday), 8am to 4pm (Saturday and Sunday)

 

This micro-roaster/ coffee house is located just a stone’s throw away from the University of Melbourne in the Carlton district of Melbourne City. An expansion of Brother Baba Budan, Seven Seeds Coffee Roasters serves up coffees with seasonal beans. The must-try coffees at Seven Seeds Coffee Roasters are the Seven Seeds Espresso Blend and the Golden Gate Blend.

 

Get directions to the Seven Seeds Coffee Roasters

 

Dukes Coffee Roasters

 

Address 247 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia                                                                                                                           
Phone Number
+61 3 9417 5578
Opening Hours
8am to 3pm (Monday to Friday), 8am to 4pm (Saturday), Closed on Sunday

 

Incredibly knowledgeable and experienced staff are on hand at Dukes Coffee Roasters to whip up the best cup of Melbourne-roasted coffee for you. The tuckaway cafe located at jaunty Flinders Lane deploys innovative roasting practices with the “Loring Smart Roasters”—one of the industry’s most technically advanced roasters. 

 

Get directions to the Dukes Coffee Roasters

 

St. Ali Coffee Roasters

 

Address 12-18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne VIC 3205, Australia                                                                                                                      
Phone Number
+61 3 9686 2990
Opening Hours
7am to 6pm daily

 

One of the pioneers of great coffee in Melbourne, St. Ali Coffee Roasters emphasizes quality coffee beans and adopts unique brewing methods to bring out the best in a cuppa. Housed in a warehouse, it exudes an industrial feel with a heavy dose of contemporary hipsterish warmth. And it also serves a scrumptious breakfast menu.

 

Get directions to St. Ali Coffee Roasters

 

ACoffee

 

Address 30 Sackville St, Collingwood VIC 3066, Australia                                                                                                                    
Phone Number
+61 3 9042 8746
Opening Hours
7am to 4pm (Monday to Friday), 8am to 4pm (Saturday and Sunday)

 

The first thing you would notice about ACoffee is how pretty and bright the cafe is. Predominantly white in design, this boutique coffee roaster truly shines in how it sources for the best coffee beans and roasts them in small batches to amplify the beans' distinctive characteristics and origins.  

 

Get directions to ACoffee

 

Sensory Lab Specialty Coffee

 

Address 297 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia                                                     
Phone Number
+61 3 9643 2610
Opening Hours
7:30am to 7pm (Monday to Wednesday), 7:30am to 9pm (Thursday and Friday), 8am to 7pm (Saturday), 9am to 7pm (Sunday)

 

Offering multiple brewing methods, the Sensory Lab Speciality Coffee is run by a group of dedicated coffee professionals who live on making the best coffee for visitors by roasting, packing and selling their own blends daily. And yes, you’ll certainly be in for a caffeinated experience that engages all your five senses!

 

Get directions to Sensory Lab Specialty Coffee

 

Bonnie

 

Address 95 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia                                                                                                                                   
Opening Hours
7am to 4pm (Monday to Friday), Closed on Saturday and Sunday)

 

If you like to be presented with a variety of coffees to choose from, Bonnie is the place to be. It runs a seasonal rotation of 10 single-origin coffees—five are from Sumatra, Indonesia, while the rest hail from all over the world. Feel bamboozled by the barrage of blends? Don’t worry, the baristas are more than happy to give recommendations. Otherwise, the House Blend is a great pick—a full-bodied, four-bean blend, roasted to medium-black. 

 

Get directions to Bonnie

 

Mikro Coffee Roasters

 

Address Shop 3/57 Geelong Rd, Torquay VIC 3228, Australia                                                                                                                     
Phone Number
+61 3 5973 2313
Opening Hours
7am to 1pm (Monday to Saturday), Closed on Sunday

 

This small but award-winning speciality coffee house in Torquay (a popular pit-stop for travellers en route to the Great Ocean Road) sources and roasts speciality grade coffees worldwide. The moment you step in, strong wafts of aromatic coffee will hit you, as Mikro Coffee Roasters roasts their own beans in-house. 

 

Get directions to Mikro Coffee Roasters

 

Higher Ground

 

Address 650 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia                                                     
Phone Number
+61 3 8899 6219
Opening Hours
7am to 4pm (Monday to Wednesday), 7am to 10pm (Thursday and Friday), 8am to 10pm (Saturday), 8am to 4pm (Sunday)

 

The first thing that strikes you about Higher Ground is its architecture. Housed in a heritage-listed 19th-century power station, its 15-metre high ceiling with lush foliage will awe you. And their coffee? As dramatic as their outlet’s appearance. If you fancy something more sophisticated than a long black or a latte, go for the deconstructed blue algae lattes with a turmeric twist. (We haven’t tried it ourselves—let us know how it tastes if you have the fortune to do so!)   

 

Get directions to Higher Ground

 

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The Best Cafes in Sydney

making fresh coffee with a machine making fresh coffee with a machine

 

Much like its friendly rival city Melbourne, Sydney’s coffee culture is very much influenced by its Italian immigrants. In recent years, there is a shift towards embracing experimental new ways of roasting to spice things up. 

Here in Sydney, independent cafes carve their own niche and make their mark, leaving no room for coffee franchises to set foot in the city. And yes, Sydneysiders certainly love their oft globally inspired cuppas.

Here are the top cafes to visit when you are having a staycation in Sydney.

 

Paramount Coffee Project

 

Address 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia                                                                                                                    
Phone Number
+61 2 9211 1122
Opening Hours
7am to 4pm, daily

 

Cool and laid-back, Paramount Coffee Project introduces new beans and roasters from around the globe every month or so to keep things fresh, perfect for a “brew-haha” (pardon the pun). Beyond coffee, the cafe also serves respectable meals, notably breakfast—it's Crumbed Eggs are a must-try. 

 

Get directions to the Paramount Coffee Project

 

Single O

 

Address 60-64 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills, NSW, 2010, Australia                                                                                                               
Phone Number
+61 2 9211 0665
Opening Hours
7am to 3:30pm (Monday to Friday), 8am to 3pm (Saturday and Sunday)

 

Enjoy a cold brew or espresso of the week at Single O—a neat little cafe which prides itself in ethically sourced and environmentally sound beans, products and produce. They even operate their roast works from solar power. Yes, your coffee is powered by the energy from the Sun! 

 

Get directions to Single O

 

Sample Coffee

 

Address Shop 1a, 118 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia                                                                                                      
Opening Hours
7am to 3pm (Monday to Friday), 8am to 2pm (Saturday), Closed on Sunday)

 

This award-winning stylish coffee house caters to those who take their coffee seriously. Sample Coffee in St Peters features an original 1957 roaster, and customers can choose between their single origins or custom espresso blend. 

 

Get directions to Sample Coffee

 

Brewtown Coffee Roasters

 

Address 6-8 O'Connell St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia                                                                                                                     
Phone Number
+61 2 9557 4908
Opening Hours
8am to 4pom daily

 

Mixing the best of tradition and contemporary coffee culture, Brewtown Coffee Roasters offers one of Sydney’s most aromatic coffee in a relaxed and contemporary industrial setting. While you are here, do try their creative pastries with your coffee—a divine combination of caffeine with calories. And if you are truly mad about their coffees, consider buying their signature house blends to brew in the comfort of your home. 

 

Get directions to Brewtown Coffee Roasters

 

Artificer Specialty Coffee Bar & Roastery

 

Address 547 Bourke St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia                                                                                                                               
Opening Hours
7am to 1pm (Tuesday to Sunday), Closed on Monday

 

Savour sips of seasonal coffee blends from Guatemala, Rwanda, Colombia, Kenya and Ethiopia by experienced baristas at the Artificer Specialty Coffee Bar & Roastery. The beans procured are scientifically chosen based on the correlation between roasting and brewing—apparently the best way to bring out the bean’s unique qualities. Even a simple cup of espresso comes with plenty of thought (and technology).

 

Get directions to Artificer Speciality Coffee Bar & Roastery

 

Reuben Hills

 

Address 61 Albion St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia                                                                                                                               
Phone Number
+61 2 9211 5556
Opening Hours
7am to 4pm (Monday to Friday), 7:30am to 4pm (Saturday and Sunday)

 

Serving quality coffee since 2012, Reuben Hills is a boutique micro-roastery that travels around the world to bring its customers the best coffee. This industrial-chic cafe also serves up South American food such as fried chicken and baked eggs. 

 

Get directions to Reuben Hills

 

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The Best Cafes in Perth

industrial coffee machine making coffee industrial coffee machine making coffee

 

According to research by Nespresso, Western Australia came out top for their interest in coffee in a snapshot study of 1,000 Australians from all states. And in Perth, it is evident in the number of independent cafes dotted around. 

While the Western Australian capital city may not have the long Italian or Grecian heritage of Melbourne or Sydney, it is certainly building its own reputation as the coffee capital of the west.

In Perth for a staycation? Here is a list of the best Perth cafes to pop by.

 

Telegram Coffee

 

Address State Buildings, Corner of Barrack St & St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000, Australia                                                     
Phone Number
+61 418 999 454
Opening Hours
6am to 4pm (Monday to Friday), Closed on Saturday and Sunday

 

Housed in 19th Century State Buildings with a contemporary design, Telegram Coffee is owned by a seasoned barista with over 20 years of coffee roasting and brewing experience. All coffees are roasted by Telegram itself, and those who are lactose intolerant can enjoy a delicious cup of Cappuccino with oat milk. 

 

Get directions to Telegram Coffee

 

Eillo

 

Address 218 William St, Northbridge WA 6000, Australia                                                                                                                            
Phone Number
+61 420 757 321
Opening Hours
7am to 3pm (Monday to Friday), 9am to 3pm (Saturday), 10am to 3pm (Sunday)

 

At Eillo, you do not just sip great coffee, but get to shop a large selection of homeware. There are also a number of sweet treats to go with your coffee here. And if your caffeine addiction is anywhere as intense as ours, consider getting the ‘bloody big’ size—it is guaranteed to satisfy your outsized coffee needs.

 

Get directions to Eillo

 

Fez Cafe

 

Address 83 Walcott St, Mount Lawley WA 6050, Australia                                                                                                                  
Phone Number
+61 8 9328 9999
Opening Hours
7am to 3pm (Monday to Friday), 7:30am to 3pm (Saturday and Sunday)

 

Get your morning perk-me-up at the Fez Cafe, considered one of the favourites by Perth’s most discerning coffee drinkers. Coffees with double shots of espresso are the norm here. While you are here, grab a bite from their food menu comprising sweet and savoury delights like fried eggs, beef burgers, Turkish flatbread, and more. 

 

Get directions to Fex Cafe

 

Bossman

 

Address 669 Beaufort St Shop 3, Mount Lawley WA 6050, Australia                                                                                                       
Phone Number
+61 424 1014 374
Opening Hours
Monday:7am to 4pm daily

 

Contesting for Perth’s favourite coffee spot is Bossman, offering freshly brewed Twinpeaks coffee (a small craft roastery in Perth) that is second to none. Hidden in an arcade in Mount Lawley, it is one of the area’s best kept cafe secrets. According to fans, their filter coffee is one of the best in Perth. And if you are feeling peckish, consider tucking into their delicious portuguese egg tarts. 

 

Get directions to Bossman

 

Grouch & Co.

 

Address Unit 1/45 McCoy St, Myaree WA 6154, Australia                                                                                                                           
Phone Number
+61 8 9317 1951
Opening Hours
6:30am to 2pm (Monday to Friday), 8am to 12pm (Saturday), Closed on Sunday

 

Looking for something more upmarket? Head over to Grouch & Co, where you can find the best beans, the best equipment, and the most talented baristas in the industry. The cafe has no patience for anything mass-produced; everything is roasted in small batches and carefully curated. 

What makes this cafe even more remarkable is its commitment to sustainability. Grouch focuses on minimising its carbon footprint and environmental impact on the environment. All roasting chaff are composed or used in its gardens, and their coffee bags are recycled into waste bags. 

 

Get directions to Grouch & Co

 

Gesha Coffee Co

 

Address 59A Queen Victoria St, Fremantle WA 6160, Australia                                                                                                             
Phone Number
+61 8 9335 6059
Opening Hours
6:30am to 4:30pm daily

 

What makes Gesha Coffee Co in Fremantle stand out beyond its aromatic coffee is the gigantic vintage roasting equipment on display—an exciting sight for all coffee lovers to behold. The speciality coffee bean roastery is dedicated to bringing an exceptional roasted coffee experience to coffee lovers in Perth. The best way to enjoy a cup of coffee is to sit in its alfresco seating area, and soak in the lovely views of the serene Fremantle neighbourhood—absolute bliss! 

 

Get directions Gesha Coffee Co

 

Chu Bakery

 

Address 498 William St, Highgate WA 6003, Australia                                                                                                                           
Phone Number
+61 8 9328 4740
Opening Hours
7am to 4pm (Tuesday to Sunday) Closed on Monday

 

While its artisan coffee may be a delight, cold brew coffee is what truly shines at Chu Bakery—especially on scorching hot Perth days. Beyond its refreshing cold brews, Chu scores extra points with its delectable selection of tasty food options, especially pastries. The must-try here is the signature Chu Puff—a choux pastry topped with jelly in the middle. Pair this pastry with a hot or cold-brewed coffee for a match made in heaven. 

 

Get directions to Chu Bakery

 

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The Perfect Home-Base for Your Australian Staycations

 

No matter which part of Australia you are having a staycation at, the Pan Pacific Hotels Group has properties that make an ideal home away from home. From Melbourne to Perth to Sydney (and beyond), our Australian hotels are ideal for exploring the cafe cultures of each city. 

Need help with planning your staycation? Send an enquiry to us now.

 

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