Nodo South Bank

Overview

First finding life in Brisbane's markets, Nodo's doughnuts rapidly rose to become the landmark sweets of the River City. Expanding from a market stall to two cafes and then four kiosks, Nodo's latest is another cafe in South Bank. The 22-seater offers coffee, sweets and brunch plates to diners soaking in the sun or fuelling quiet contemplation during a lunchtime stroll.

Nodo's doughnuts are all gluten-free (no dough, get it?), a detail that occasionally surprises someone who already enjoyed one despite the name spelling it out clearly. Plus, all doughnuts are oven-baked, not fried — a surprisingly restrained move for a shop touting lamington doughnuts rolled in shaved coconut and topped with pink cream and freeze-dried berry dust.

"Make people happy" is the shop's mission statement, and it's bleedingly obvious once you've peeped the menu. Beyond doughnuts, drinks include a signature 'Wake Up Beautiful' coffee blend, ceremonial-grade matcha, seasonal iced teas and fruity smoothies. Burgers and toasties are an easy pick, but don't sleep on their Bang Bang Bene. With Sichuan pork hock on house-made brioche, the dish is such an original take on eggs benny that it should be listed as a notable example on the Wikipedia page.

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