Every unmissable Blue Mountains cafe to fuel your next weekender

Offering excellent meals and cheerful hospitality, a quality Blue Mountains cafe will fuel, nourish and delight.

Whether you’re there to rummage through antiques or wander between waterfalls, a true Blue Mountains adventure always starts with a fabulous feed. During my most recent visit in June 2026, I discovered more spots for killer coffee, sunny breakfasts and languid lunching than ever before. From a nationally applauded bakery and an authentic ode to Korean cuisine, to hole-in-the-wall coffee haunts and tables among the treetops, every outstanding Blue Mountains cafe demands solid settling into. Here are my current favourites.

The shortlist

Most Instagrammable: Dolly’s Donuts
Best pastries: Black Cockatoo Bakery
Best coffee: Fidelity Coffee
Best views: The Milkbar at The Lookout Echo Point

1. Dolly’s Donuts

Dolly’s Donuts, Blue Mountains cafe — The donut menu also comes with savoury options. (Credit: Dolly’s Donuts)

Dubai chocolate, crème brulee, dulce de leche and roasted almond – the gang’s all here. Dolly’s Donuts lived up to the hype during my visit, a cute shopfront on a leafy street that dazzles with glossy goodness from the moment you spy its enormous glass cabinet. Expect to queue – these guys are so beloved that they opened a second Bowral location in September 2025 – for their doughy delights as well as trendy iced matchas and tiramisu lattes, coffees of every milk description, and gelato spanning Earl Grey and Berry Pavlova. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Cuisine: Sweets and coffee

Average price: $

Atmosphere: Busy, always

Location: 5 Wascoe Street, Glenbrook

2. Elsie’s

Elsie's Cafe, Blue Mountains — Tuck into seasonally charged menu plates. (Credit: Elsie’s Cafe Glenbrook)

While you’re cruising through Glenbrook for a Dolly’s hit, consider a heartier feed at Elsie’s, which opened in March 2025 and quickly became a local’s favourite. A seasonally charged menu plates with abundance, including the always popular fluffy hotcake (mine was a vanilla pineapple but the dish is constantly reinvented) drizzled with maple syrup, French toast, loaded toasties and flavour-punched curries. The cherry on top? They use stellar Single O beans. It’s open weekdays from 6am until 3:30pm and weekends until 3pm.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Friendly

Location: 23 Park Street, Glenbrook

3. Kickaboom

Kickaboom, Blue Mountains cafe — Grab a coffee from Kickaboom.

The menu at Kickaboom operates in the light and shade of a balanced diet. On one side, choose from house-made granola at breakfast and an Indonesian-inspired Gado Gado salad for lightness at lunch or, on the more indulgent side, allocate your daily calorie intake to the fried chicken waffle. With co-owner Dylan Johnson having cut his teeth at some of Sydney’s most iconic cafes including Paramount Coffee Project (Kickaboom belongs to him and his wife, Alisha), you can expect everything to be just as it should be. It’s open daily from 7am to 2:30pm.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Family-friendly

Location: Shop 1/6 Ross Street, Glenbrook

4. Black Cockatoo Bakery

One of my favourite Katoomba cafes, Black Cockatoo Bakery is a hit in Lawson, too. Across its two locations, this Blue Mountains cafe nails plump sourdough and blistery pastries like double chocolate cookie sandwiches and lemon meringue tarts. Their daily rotating “pastry schedule" offered alongside a daily rotating “bread" schedule – got me especially excited when I hit up the Lawson outpost on a Friday. I won at life with a ham and gruyere croissant that disappeared in mere moments. Single O beans across both locations also kept the bar high. Both locations are open from Wednesday to Sunday, 7:30am until 2pm.

Cuisine: Bread and pastries

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Family-friendly and typically a sell-out

Location: 165 Katoomba Street, Katoomba; Shop 1, 1 Staples Crescent, Lawson

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

5. Fidelity Coffee

Walking down from Woolworths to the main stretch of Katoomba, the smell of strong beans hooks me. I step into the warmly lit Fidelity Coffee with high hopes, and am not disappointed. The Blue Mountains cafe utilises grounded delights from all over the globe, including Utopia Coffee from Ethiopia and Process Coffee from Northern Ireland, but it’s their own Fidelity label that fills my cup both literally and figuratively. There’s also an avocado or raisin and macadamia toast from Black Cockatoo Bakery on the menu, plus some sweets. It’s open every day from 6am to 1pm.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $

Atmosphere: Family-friendly and serious about coffee

Location: Shop 3/177-179 Katoomba Street, Katoomba

6. Tempus

Tempus Katoomba, Blue Mountains cafe — Indulge in seasonally led dishes at Tempus Katoomba.

A photo-perfect facade makes Tempus unmissable while strolling the main stretch of Katoomba, but it’s the seasonally led dishes that impress during my visit. Offering not one but three unique toasties, including lamb and harissa yoghurt and zucchini with ricotta, also tantalised my taste buds. Breakfast starts from 7am and runs until 2pm but if you miss the window, you’ll catch the team’s evening service from Friday to Monday when Tempus swings into dinner mode.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Trendy

Location: 66 Katoomba Street, Katoomba

7. The Milkbar at The Lookout Echo Point

The Lookout Echo Point, Katoomba — Come for a feed and stay for the scenery. (Credit: The Lookout Echo Point)

The spot to seek if you’re picturing lunch overlooking the mountains, The Milkbar at The Lookout Echo Point is worth a visit for the views alone. Stay for a feed at this Blue Mountains cafe though because the casual vibe makes for such a wonderful unrushed spot to soak up those high-cliff surroundings. Expect breakfast stars like a bacon and egg roll and toasties, as well as lunch classics like fish and chips and burgers. It’s open from 9am to 5pm daily.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Scenic and breezy

Location: 33 Echo Point Road, Katoomba

8. Cassiopeia

an avo toast at Cassiopeia, Blue Mountains — Order breakfast staples such as avo on toast. (Credit: Cassiopeia)

Bean devotees will pick the scent of a beautifully brewed coffee from great distances. Luckily, with Cassiopeia’s three espresso bars, a mountain-born coffee brand is never far away. Established in 2006, Cassiopeia’s specialty brews are sourced from the best-quality beans to service the Mountains community and beyond. You can caffeinate at Katoomba, Springwood and Wentworth Falls, where you may sip and bite (think pastries like Reuben buns and chocolate croissants), as well as purchase beans to take home. Check out the website for store-specific opening hours.

Cuisine: Pastries and coffee

Average price: $

Atmosphere: Laidback, across all venues

Location: 79 Lurline Street, Katoomba; 2/127 Macquarie Road, Springwood; 21 Plantation Street, Wentworth Falls

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

9. The Wayzgoose Diner

flowerpot scone at The Wayzgoose Diner — Enjoy a scone served in a flowerpot.

The Wayzgoose Diner nails comfort food, made from scratch with local produce and served amid green gingham tablecloths and sorbet-pink cups. It’s more-is-more diner-style fare spanning toasties, burgers and bagels before going full indulgent via loaded fries and, because it’s the mountains, a scone served in a flowerpot for $8.90. It’s a menu that seems to suggest there’s nothing that can’t be improved with fluffy cream or tomato ketchup, so walk on in for rib-sticking favourites. It’s open daily until 5pm.

Cuisine: American-inspired comfort food

Average price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Fun-fuelled

Location: 174 Leura Mall, Leura

10. The Grumpy Baker

savoury pies at The Grumpy Baker, Blue Mountains cafe — Swing by The Grumpy Baker for a baked treat.

This big city import from Sydney’s Oxford Street looks as though it has always occupied the weatherboard shopfront of its Bilpin digs. Swing by The Grumpy Baker for a baked goodie, such as a traditional sourdough loaf, pain au chocolat or chocolate brownie, enjoyed with a Single O coffee at the window seat as the sun beams in. It’s the perfect way to fuel your mountain explorations, open from 6:30am to 5pm daily.

Cuisine: Pastries and coffee

Average price: $

Atmosphere: Bustling

Location: 2481 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin

11. Sanwiye Korean Cafe

It’s not a spot for coffee but if you’re craving a bibimbap during your Blue Mountains escape, duck into the home-kitchen-feeling Sanwiye Korean Cafe right near Black Cockatoo Bakery. It’s an unfussy set-up, just simple timber tables in a square dining room on the main street’s corner, but the food is wonderful. Highlights include the Omu-Rice, a traditional stir-fry topped with an omelette, but you can’t miss a bibimbap topped with a fried egg and sesame seeds, because it will take your visit even further away from home. It’s open from 12pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

Cuisine: Korean

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Transportational

Location: 172 Katoomba Street, Katoomba

Discover the magic of a Sydney staycation in summer at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney.

Sydney City is magical in summer. Warm summer evenings beg to be spent sipping cool cocktails at one of many al fresco and rooftop bars. Ferries and buses are ready to transport travellers to the best nearby beaches for salty days on the sand. National parks and rainforests are waiting to be explored. And the city’s events calendar is packed, from live music to cultural attractions. All elements that call for a Sydney staycation.

Discover where to eat, stay and play for the perfect local getaway.

Where to stay

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney

Amid the bustle of the perfect Sydney staycation, one needs a place to escape to and recharge. Enter, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney. The hotel is an icon in its own right – nestled inside the 151-year-old building that was originally Sydney’s General Post Office, its heritage-listed sandstone walls and Victorian renaissance grandeur have been carefully preserved – providing a rare chance to sleep within Sydney’s history.

Despite its fascinating history, the hotel isn’t short on modern, luxurious comforts. Rooms and suites are available in both the modern high-rise with gorgeous views over the clock tower and lively city below, or inside the historical post office building itself.

the Fullerton Hotel Sydney Heritage Long Suite bathroom — Heritage rooms maintain their old-world style.

Either way, guests can enjoy sophisticated touches, including a deluxe bed and pillow menu, Harman Kardon Bluetooth speakers, a digital concierge, a Vittoria coffee machine and amenities from the Balmain bathroom collection.

The team at this five-star hotel provides excellence and a quality experience for all their guests, while amenities like a gym help with a well-rounded stay. For a peaceful moment with sweeping city views, enter The Fullerton Club Lounge on level 28. This private haven for dining and relaxation is available to any guests staying on the hotel’s club floors and suites.

Add to this a central location in the CBD’s Martin Place, with easy access to Sydney’s top attractions, and convenience meets style.

Where to drink & dine

1. The Bar

the Fullerton Hotel afternoon tea at the bar — Indulge in the Fullerton Signature Afternoon Tea.

Inside The Fullerton Hotel Sydney’s lobby, The Bar does more than sling a few delicious cocktails (although it certainly does that well). Its brown leather chairs and glass ceiling create the perfect, almost al fresco, setting for the Fullerton Signature Afternoon Tea.

Served daily from 12 to 4 pm, the afternoon tea is a nod to the cherished social occasion it once was during the Victorian Renaissance era. People like to dress up for this afternoon tea, and if you’re lucky, a pianist often sits down at the on-site grand piano, just adding to the elegance.

The afternoon tea is served high tea style, offering reimagined British flavours of the Victorian Renaissance era with a unique blend of Australia’s culinary heritage. A sweet layer offers delights like a Malted Milk Envelope (a milk mousse layered between two biscuits), Bakewell Pudding (a super tasty egg-based pudding), and Apple Charlotte.

On the savoury layer, expect finger sandwiches with fillings like cucumber, egg and smoked salmon. While classic pinwheels and stuffed eggs almost make the menu. And, of course, all finished off with traditional scones served with cream and mixed berry jam.

Can’t fit in a whole afternoon tea? Be sure to at least order a slice of the 32-layered chocolate cake, a decadent mix of dark chocolate crémeux, fresh whipped cream, and Valrhona Azélia chocolate sauce. ⁣

2. The Place

the Fullerton Hotel the place dining — Dine in the stunning GPO atrium.

On level one of The Fullerton Hotel Sydney lives The Place – the hotel’s restaurant, in an atrium overlooking the former GPO. Here, dine on Modern Australian cuisine – think fresh, local seafood and a Riverina steak sandwich – along with a touch of Singaporean signature dishes, like Thai-style green curry or chicken satay. All in the shadow of the GPO clock tower, enjoying the GPO atrium’s natural light.

3. Local gelato

Couple enjoying ice-creams at First Fleet Park, The Rocks — Enjoy ice cream in the sunshine. (Image: Destination NSW)

What is summer without ice cream and/or gelato? Luckily, there are plenty of options just a short walk from The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, whether you’re craving a midday pick-me-up or an after-sun treat.

What to do/see

1. GPO Heritage Tour

the Fullerton Hotel Sydney lobby — Be awed by the building’s history.

Want to know more about the building you’re staying in? The Fullerton Hotel Sydney offers a complimentary 90-minute GPO Heritage Tour. Follow a knowledgeable tour guide to discover the stories, tales and legends of the former Sydney General Post Office building.

From the iconic clock tower (completed in 1891) to the black-and-white tiled staircase at 1 Martin Place, which was once the main entrance to the GPO and today serves as a prominent feature of the building to the 24 stone faces (mascarons) on the Martin Place side of the building. Part of the 1880s-era facade (designed by architect James Barnet), each represents different states, countries and continents.

2. Circular Quay

aerial of circular quay sydney — Catch a ferry from Circular Quay. (Image: Destination NSW)

An easy walk or light rail ride away from The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, lies the bustling Circular Quay. Here, you can sit for a drink and nibbles at the Opera Bar, or head into the iconic house itself for a show. It’s also a major ferry port, becoming your gateway to Sydney’s beaches, Luna Park and even Sydney Zoo.

3. Royal Botanic Gardens

view of circular quay from Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden — Wander through Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. (Image: Destination NSW)

Just beyond Circular Quay, discover Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. Wander through this 30-hectare, heritage-listed, botanical garden – exploring its differing sections, from Australian native botanicals to garden beds of vibrant flowers to towering groves of international trees.

It’s also the perfect place for a picnic, so pick up supplies before you come and enjoy a spot on the grassy meadow looking out into the harbour.

4. Theatre Royal

Just a one-minute walk from The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, take in a show at Theatre Royal. Built in 1976, the theatre has been offering a broad range of entertainment since the 1990s. Expect a show roster that ranges from the classics (like Cats) to the modern) like Pretty Woman: The Musical).

Start planning a summer stay in Sydney worth remembering at fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-hotel-sydney.

Every unmissable Blue Mountains cafe to fuel your next weekender

Offering excellent meals and cheerful hospitality, a quality Blue Mountains cafe will fuel, nourish and delight.

The shortlist

1. Dolly’s Donuts

2. Elsie’s

3. Kickaboom

4. Black Cockatoo Bakery

5. Fidelity Coffee

6. Tempus

7. The Milkbar at The Lookout Echo Point

8. Cassiopeia

9. The Wayzgoose Diner

10. The Grumpy Baker

11. Sanwiye Korean Cafe

There’s a Chilean bakery hiding in the bush on this Blue Mountains walk

After years of restorations, Jenolan Caves is finally reopening

Australia’s first sauna festival is coming to the Blue Mountains

17 stays in Blackheath to retreat to

Your guide to a summer staycation in Sydney

Discover the magic of a Sydney staycation in summer at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney.