Brisbane's Best New Cafes of 2017
Honouring the best new additions to Brisbane's cafe scene this year.
Brisbane's Best New Cafes of 2017
Honouring the best new additions to Brisbane's cafe scene this year.
Brisbane's cultural ecosystem is booming. Cafes and bars are opening on a (almost) weekly basis, restaurants and pubs are more forward-thinking and imaginative than ever and you can find innovative cultural events and pop-up spaces to visit every day of the week.
The cafe culture is stronger than ever, too, with new cafes not only guaranteeing a stellar cup of Joe, but also innovative lunch snacks and sleek interiors that'll really make you reconsider that desk sandwich.
At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Brisbane to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new cafes, opened in 2017, were nominated for Best New Cafe in Concrete Playground's Best of 2017 Awards.
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This New Farm brunch hotspot opened mid-year and has been charming locals since day dot. Interior design addicts will be lured by the slick design and attention to detail: a pastel-washed colour palette, a sky-high greenery installation and the sweetest darn takeaway cups we’ve ever seen. It’s not just the bang-on branding that has us drooling — the food menu is stuffed with treats, too. There’s the roasted pumpkin bruschetta, chai granola, blueberry and vanilla waffles and the standout Green Breakfast, a take on a breakfast bowl with spinach, quinoa and haloumi. To drink? Coffee is Single O and if you’re on a caffeine-free cleanse there are cold-pressed juices from local favourite, Hrvst St. There are plenty of newspapers on hand for some screen-free solo time on your coffee break.
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The cute, small space on the corner Water and Kennigo Streets serves up counter breakfasts and lunches from Wednesday to Monday, complete with coffee from Open House Coffee Roasters and an all-day brekkie menu. Because chicken and waffles is the dish that keeps on giving — and because Lonely Boy really is trying to spice things up — prepare to feast on jalapeño waffles with creamed corn and chicken nuggets, plus bacon and haloumi burgers, as well as an array of sandwiches. As for the name, even if you now have The Black Keys stuck in your head, that’s not where the cafe’s moniker comes from. Rather, co-owner Gill was once told he’d end up a lonely boy if he pursued his dream of becoming a chef. Well, doing well — and naming your own place after those words of warning — truly is the best revenge.
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Grown is a plant-based dining venue offering breakfast and lunch every day (except Monday) in the Vida Complex. The seasonal menu uses produce from FoodConnect, a company who source from local farmers within a 400km radius of Brisbane. The ethos behind Grown is pretty simple: good food, sourced from local farmers, beautifully presented. Walking through the doors of Grown, you enter a relaxed space with splashes of green everywhere. The menu sports interesting dishes for all palates, like housemade hash brown with roasted tomato and avocado ($12), scrambled tofu with Asian mushrooms and sesame cheese on multigrain ($12) or grilled cos with watercress hummus, black garlic and crispy buckwheat ($12). If it’s one of those scorching Brisbane days where the bitumen is sticking to your shoes, we recommend high-tailing it to Grown where you can beat the heat with a fresh juice ($7) or iced latte ($5) by Dramanti Artisan Roasters.
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Multi-tasking: love it or hate it, it’s a necessary evil these days. However, doing more than one thing at once doesn’t have to mean tweeting while watching Netflix, or checking emails while grabbing lunch. Doesn’t having a cuppa and buying some kicks sound like much more fun? Yes, you can do both at Street Lab Specialty Coffee, although — as the name suggests — the focus is more on the brews over the shoes. The new addition to Fortitude Valley’s Emporium complex does boast a brew bar, after all. Those after something other than java can opt for brewed cascara tea made from usually-discarded coffee cherries, aka the kind of beverage that should even tempt staunch devotees of the titular caffeinated offering. And, while we might’ve stressed the warm drinks side of things, sneaker fiends won’t be disappointed, whether you feel like gazing at collectable retro styles or adding to your own collection.
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If you’re going to dedicate your life to cheese, you may as well do it in a big way. Located on Adelaide Street in the CBD, The Cheese Pleaser is a delicatessen, fromagerie and cafe dedicated to the good stuff. Think artisanal slices, chunks and blocks that both cheese lovers and cheese newbies won’t be able to get enough of — plus coffees paired with owners Sharyn and Sebastiaan de Kort’s famous gooey, oozing three-cheese toasties, cheese and charcuterie pairings, and a cheese-worshipping seasonal menu. Your tastebuds are in for a cheese-tastic time with seasonal items such as confit tomato and whipped feta bruschetta and pancetta mushroom gnocchi with parmigiano reggiano. Brisbane mightn’t be lacking in the cheese department lately, but every dairy fiend knows that there’s always room for more.
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Opening its doors in October 2017, Clancy’s Espresso is off to an impressive start. The slick, Scandi-inspired interior is dotted with sweet succulents, stone benchtops and a mean green coffee machine. In between the enamel cups and fiddle-leaf plants you’ll find plenty of Brisbane’s favourite local producers, including Hrvst St cold pressed juices and loose leaf tea from West End Tea Co. Coffee is supplied by Sydney stalwart Single O. There are dashes of American influence, too — think bagels, pretzels and a subway-tiled backsplash. As an added bonus, Clancy’s Espresso has also had the brilliance to add dog hooks out the front — perfect for some puppy perving.
