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The round-up: the Gold Coast’s best coffee, as voted by you! The round-up: the Gold Coast’s best coffee, as voted by you!

The round-up: the Gold Coast’s best coffee, as voted by you!

Calling all caffeine crusaders – this is your ultimate hit list. Earlier this year, we asked you guys to nominate and vote for the best coffee on the Gold Coast, as part of the 2019 Gold Coast EAT/drink awards. You sipped, savoured and cast your votes, and we thought it was high time to reveal the entire top ten list. So, here it is – the Gold Coast's ten best coffee spots, as voted by you!


The WinnerSeadog, Burleigh Heads
Here’s proof that good (well, great) things come in small packages. This pint-sized coffee bar on James Street, which was formerly an ATM, passionately punches out organic brews (from espresso to filters and everything in between) to caffeine-loving masses on the daily. There aren’t any tables, so just pull up a stool and enjoy your coffee in the sunshine. Getting yours to go? You’ll be pleased to know that Seadog’s takeaway cups and lids are genuinely compostable, with no plastic lining or waxes – or you can BYO cup for a decent discount. Looks like Seadog’s top-notch coffee and its environmental conscience hasn’t gone unnoticed, picking up the most votes in the EAT/drink Awards 2019.

The Runner-UpHide n Seek, Miami
While many coffee drinkers gravitate to the coastal strips for their fix, there’s excellent coffee to be found a little off the beaten track – and backstreet coffee haven Hide n Seek is one of the best examples. Armed with Toby’s Estate, Hide n Seek is known for crafting coffee with skill and finesse. Plus, there’s always a killer offering of housemade cakes to accompany your piccolo (or latte or long black – whatever you’re into).

The Runner-UpNook Espresso, Burleigh Heads
This hole-in-the-wall coffee spot on Burleigh Headland attracted a fair chunk of the votes in this year’s EAT/drink Awards. With organic blends from Byron Bay’s Bun Coffee on pour, it’s all about bringing quality coffee to locals and beachgoers – and the incredible ocean views are just an added bonus.

Elk Espresso, Broadbeach
Sure, Elk is known for its delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch offering – but coffee has long been the core of this Gold Coast institution. Specialty brews from roaster Single O are lovingly created on the daily, and Elk also features a rotating line-up of guest roasters from across the country for those that like the spice up their morning coffees and try something a little different.

Highline, Palm Beach
Highline arrived on the scene in late 2018, and has been delighting Palmy locals with its specialty coffee offering ever since. It serves blends from Byron Bay’s Marvell Street – no matter if you like it black, with milk or of the filter variety, your coffee is in very good hands here.

Good Day Coffee, Tugun
This highway-fronting neighbourhood gem is a go-to for southern locals wanting quality caffeine. You’ll find blends by Varsity’s Blackboard Coffee pouring (including take-home ground beans) as well as house-bottled iced filter coffees to get you through the summer. The toasties here are a real treat, too.

Espresso Bonsai, Chevron Island
We often seek out ethical fashion and love farm-to-plate foods, but have you ever applied that type of conscious thinking to your morning coffee? We’re not talking about reusable cups – but the ethical merits and sustainability of the actual coffee beans. At Espresso Bonsai, the coffee comes direct from owner Christian Harvey’s own highly regulated coffee plantations in Columbia and straight into your cup – so every sip you take is totally ethical and sustainable (and delicious).

Paradox Coffee Roasters, Surfers Paradise
This roasting house and cafe is well-known for its sustainable ethos, tasty boutique brews and commitment to quality. It’s very much all about the coffee here, with state-of-the-art roasters used to ensure precision and consistency across its bespoke blends and single-origin coffees.

Blackboard, Varsity Lakes
It all started back in 2011 for Blackboard – first it was a small coffee house and over the years it has expanded to become one of the Gold Coast’s most recognisable specialty coffee brands. While its wholesale side is significant, Blackboard’s OG cafe space in Varsity Lakes is the go-to for some of its finest brews. You’ll often find it heaving with locals, uni students and workers who are understandably hooked on Blackboard’s goodness.

Percy’s Corner, Southport
NOTE: This venue has now closed (the Percy’s team launched a new concept next door at Mr PP’s in early 2020)
Whether you’re into vibrant espressos, well-rounded filters or you just appreciate a bloody great flat white, the team at Percy’s will deliver. There’s Single O as its core blend, but you can keep an eye out for rotating feature blends from different roasters to jazz up your morning hit.

Want to see more of our reader-voted Best of the Gold Coast lists? Get started by working your way through the coast’s best restaurantsbest cafes and best bars. Enjoy!

The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Gold Coast dining guide with more than 870 places to eat, drink, shop and play.



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