12 Unmissable Cafes In Cairns | Australian Traveller

Taste your way around the city’s greatest cafes for coffee, brunch, and lunch.

Searching for the best cafes in Cairns? Whether you’re hightailing it for your morning caffeine hit, hunting down a bottomless brunch, or fancy a slow, laid-back lunch with stunning views, we’ve got you covered with the list below.

1. Caffiend

Best for: Locally sourced seasonal ingredients

Caffiend is easy to spot, thanks to the incredibly large mural that dons its entrance. Created by local artist Caroline Mudge, the artwork depicts the profile of an Ethiopian girl who watches over the cafe’s satisfied customers.

Stop here for unique food made with locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Order a generous helping of chilli eggs alongside the house-made coconut and caramel-infused latte for a uniquely addictive shot of coffee.

Coffee at Caffiend — Try the house-made coconut and caramel-infused latte.

Price: $$
Address: 72 Grafton St, Cairns City

2. Muddy’s Cafe

Best for: Family friendly

Conveniently located on Cairns Esplanade next to the playground, Muddy’s Cafe is the ultimate kid-friendly and pet-friendly venue for a family meal, fresh juice, or coffee. Take your pick of take-away or breakfast options, as well as burgers, fish and chips, and ice cream.

Price: $
Address: 174 Esplanade, Cairns City

3. The Chambers

Best for: Bottomless brunch

If Bondi and Byron Bay got together to create a light, airy hospitality baby and plonked it right in a former 1920s NAB Bank, they’d give birth to The Chambers . Located right in the heart of the bustling CBD, you’ll find the who’s who of Cairns inside this unique landmark.

Inside The Chambers Cafe in Cairns — The Chambers is housed within a former 1920s NAB Bank. (Image: Social Project)

Its charming cafe features a lineup of breakfast all-stars, from the banoffee French toast to smashed avocado and eggs benedict. Turn breakfast into a special occasion with bottomless brunch – there are three alcoholic and one non-alcoholic version to choose from.

The space is also home to an in-house pastry chef, who creates irresistible freshly baked sweet, and savoury treats daily. Or perhaps you take your breakfast in liquid form? The Pantry and Juice Bar serves smoothies and cold drinks ready to go.

The avocado toast at The Chambers in Cairns — The smashed avo on toast is a standout on the menu. (Image: Social Project)

Price: $$
Address: 21 Spence St, Cairns City

4. Wharf One Cafe

Best for: Close to the water

With gorgeous inlet views in the background, sip on a mimosa overlooking the sea and watch the boats pass by at Wharf One Cafe . Suitable for breakfast, lunch, or after-work drinks and tapas, this is the closest cafe to the water in the Cairns area.

Wharf One cafe cairns — Watch the boats pass by at Wharf One Cafe.

Price: $$
Address: Wharf Street on Trinity Wharf, Cairns City

5. Pete & Paulz Breakfast Cafe

Best for: Cheap eats

Open for breakfast and brunch, you can expect to find home-style cooking in an easy-going atmosphere at Pete & Paulz . From the benedict special with locally made black pudding or breakfast burrito to the brioche French toast with maple syrup, you’ll receive a hearty feed here. No bookings are required — just rock up and grab a table.

Price: $
Address: 35 Sheridan St, Cairns City

6. Annee’s Caphê Sua Da

Best for: Vietnamese iced coffee

Annee’s Caphê Sua Da is the city’s premiere Vietnamese iced coffee bar, serving up A-Piece of Happiness with every perfect cup. Vietnamese coffee is a strong coffee using a small amount of condensed milk and plenty of ice, but what makes it extra special is that each drink is personalised to its customer for taste and preference. It has become quite the phenomenon so make sure to stop by and order one of your own.

Annee's Vietnamese iced coffee bar, Cairns — Annee’s Vietnamese iced coffees are the best. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Price: $
Address: 57/89 Grafton St, Cairns City

7. Bang & Grind Spence Street

Best for: Simple but delicious

Bang & Grind Spence Street has been a TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award Winner for three years in a row and we can see why. Stop in for a welcoming plate of fried eggs on Turkish toast or if you have a sweet tooth, go for the banana split or homemade orange almond cake.

Bang and Grind Spence Street in Cairns — Bang & Grind Spence Street is a local favourite. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Andrew Watson)

Price: $
Address: 8/14 Spence St, Cairns City

8. Smith Street Cafe

Best for: Breakfast on the go

For awesome coffee, breakfast, lunch and yummy cakes, you can’t go wrong with Smith Street Cafe . Our pick is the chicken, brie, and bacon burger, with macadamia and white chocolate muffin to follow.

Smith Street Cafe in cairns — You can’t go wrong with Smith Street Cafe. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Price: $
Address: 4/321 Sheridan Street, Cairns North (corner of Smith Street)

9. Hopscotch Cairns

Best for: Specials menu

From the everyday smashed avo or pancakes to wood-fired pizza, pasta, and banoffee delight, Hopscotch Cairns has you covered for breakfast, lunch, and anything in between. With a relaxed atmosphere and attentive staff, it’s the kind of cafe where you know you’ll be well looked after.

Price: $$
Address: 532 Mulgrave Rd, Earlville

10. Sipping Duck Coffee Roasters

Best for: Hot chocolate

With two cafes in Stratford and Portsmith, Sipping Duck Coffee Roasters specialises in coffee, hot chocolate, and organic loose-leaf tea.

The cafe makes everything in-house featuring such items as croissants with butter and your choice of spread, ham and cheese toasties, bacon and eggs wrap with chilli pawpaw chutney and sweet delicacies. Not sure what to get? Try their specialty milk, dark, or spiced hot chocolate.

Sipping Duck Coffee Roasters in Stratford — Sipping Duck Coffee Roasters specialises in all our favourite hot beverages.

Price: $
Address: 29 Johnston St, Stratford, and 223 Hartley St, Portsmith

11. Ozmosis Cafe

Best for: Laid-back tropical environment

Nestled in Edge Hill, Ozmosis Cafe offers a casual outdoor dining setting, serving up authentic Italian eats. From vibrant salads to mouthwatering smoothies, the menu is brimming with fresh and healthy food options. Wherever possible, Ozmosis supports local farmers and growers by using locally sourced fruit and veg — often buying directly from the source.

Pancakes at Ozmosis Cafe + Kitchen — Order up a stack of fluffy pancakes at Ozmosis Cafe + Kitchen.

Price: $$
Address: 1/116 Collins Ave, Edge Hill

12. Woodward St Bakery Cafe

Best for: Homemade pastries

Whether you choose to take away or dine in, you’ll soon find out that pastries from Woodward Street Bakery are some of Cairns’ finest. Pick up a loaf of freshly baked sourdough and treat yourself to a coffee and pastry. Local favourites include the almond croissant, rhubarb Danish and its go-to vanilla slice.

Price: $

Address: 216 Woodward Street, Whitfield

If your stomach’s already rumbling for dinner options, here are 25 of the best Cairns restaurants.

Adventure and refined Luxury combine at the stunning Rangelands Outback Camp.

Iconic Australian red dirt, ancient rocky landscapes and bursts of greenery and wildflowers all make the small town of Winton, and its surrounds, a sight to behold. Escape the ordinary and unwind in the Queensland outback, where ancient landscapes and off-grid luxury await at Rangelands Outback Camp.

cosy seats in Rangelands Outback Camp — Unwind in the ancient outback.

About Rangelands Outback Camp

Unforgettable 360-degree views of this 95-million-year-old land await at Rangelands; bathed in style and positioned on top of a jump-up (or mesa), your tented camp seamlessly blends into its outback setting.

Set on the 53,935-square-kilometre Rangelands Station – a working cattle property – the abundant wildlife are your only neighbours; kangaroos, echidnas, eagles and other birdlife all call Rangelands home.

Bathed in style, your tented camp seamlessly blends into its outback setting. Indulge with carefully curated menus, personalised service and supersized luxury tents that guarantee a private experience. This exclusive camp only has a maximum of 12 guests at a time.

Here, the aim is pampering. From tasty menus to supersized tents with all the creature comforts, to a range of guided tours around the property and beyond.

Guests are transferred from Winton or Longreach by a dedicated Rangelands driver.

aerial shot of Rangelands Outback Camp tent — Soak in 360-degree views.

Rangelands Outback Camp tours

Join small-group tours and enjoy exclusive access to the ancient Rangelands Rifts with your Rangelands hosts. These incredible rock formations were formed by millions of years of erosion, leaving dramatic channels through the rock. Or explore the surrounds with Rangeland’s touring partner, Red Dirt Tours .

Get sunset birds-eye views over dramatic mesa country in a helicopter, from Queensland’s own Three Sisters to Corey’s Range, stopping at the best lookouts along the way.

Get up close and personal with this rugged land on four wheels, with expert drivers and guides leading guests through famous Bladensburg National Park, visiting Gondwana Stars Observatory and more.

The Winton area is famous for its boulder opals (the second-rarest opal in the world, after black opals), and a stop at the mining community of Opalton sheds a fascinating light on the unique fossicking method used to find them.

A trip to dinosaur country is a must, as this is the place that ramped up Australia’s dino contribution after a fossilised footprint was found in 1962; after more exploration, the discovery of 3300 footprints made it clear this was the world’s only evidence of a dinosaur stampede. Those same footprints are still on display today at Lark Quarry Conservation Park , a 90-minute drive from Winton. Also check out Australia’s largest collection of Australian Dinosaur fossils Australian Age of Dinosaurs, just 30 minutes from Winton. Here, join a tour through a working laboratory, dinosaur canyon and more.

A twice-daily transfer into downtown Winton is offered to guests, where they can explore the Royal Outdoor Theatre, opal shops, Waltzing Matilda Centre and more.

tour being led through Rangeland rifts — Have an exclusive adventure through the Rangeland Rifts. (Image: TEQ)

Sleeping in luxury

After a day of exploring, return to your tranquil tent for a blissful open shower and uninterrupted views from your private deck.

Designed to integrate guests into the surrounding nature, each tent feels like its own private haven. While being off-grid in the outback (in fact, each tent is powered by its own solar panels, with the added support of a backup generator), guests can also luxuriate in comfortable amenities like air conditioning, a supremely comfortable king-size bed and stylish designer touches.

Guests can stroll to the open-air Sunset Deck for breathtaking panoramic views, or to the main lounge and dining tent, where books, on-demand coffee and drinks make it the perfect place to relax after a day in the outback.

inside Rangelands Outback Camp bedroom — Enjoy plenty of space inside, and stunning views outside.

Rangelands Outback Camp dining

As the sun starts to dip below the horizon, gather for drinks and canapés on the expansive Sunset Deck, watching the sun drench the landscape in pinks and oranges as it sinks below the horizon.

Later, head to The Mahal lounge area and dining tent where mealtime magic happens. Savour a gourmet meal made fresh by Rangeland’s onsite chef. The meals use local produce to elevate classic outback dishes, and don’t worry, dietary requirements are happily accommodated.

Enjoy an open bar filled with an expansive hand-selected list of wines and premium beers, with wine pairings offered by Rangelands hosts come dinner time.

Discover more and book your luxurious stay at rangelandscamp.com.

Start your day at these top 12 cafes in Cairns