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.

City buzz, gourmet trails, surf breaks and art scenes are all at your fingertips.

When it comes to planning a trip, picking a holiday destination is the easy part. The real dilemma is where to set yourself up for the night. Do you go coastal, city, or countryside? Somewhere remote and rugged, or right in the action? Luckily, the Sunshine Coast, and huge number of amazing Sunshine Coast day trips, have kindly made the choice for you.

Ditch the hotel-hopping and suitcase-lugging. Instead, base yourself at Novotel Sunshine Coast or Mantra Mooloolaba , where big-city culture, vine-covered valleys, and theme parks are all within a two-hour drive.

1. Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes (105km)

Shake off the sand from your sandals and swap the beach for the throb of the Queensland capital. Ease in gently with a bougainvillea-filled stroll through South Bank, iced latte in hand, before cooling off at Streets Beach lagoon – Brisbane’s answer to the coast (but without the waves).

Once firmly in big-city mode, hit up the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) , home to Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Dive into the past at the Queensland Museum, where prehistoric fossils of Australian dinosaurs and megafauna collide with First Nations cultural collections and interactive science exhibits.

All this learning got you hungry? Howard Smith Wharves calls. Here, riverside dining delivers breweries with meat-forward menus, Japanese fine dining and overwater bars. If you’ve got room for more, Fortitude Valley’s shopping boutiques await you and your wallet.

woman walking around Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — Wander the Gallery of Modern Art. (Image: TEQ)

2. Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (170km)

Make your way inland to the Scenic Rim for the state’s best vineyards and age-old volcanic slopes. Start your day early (like, sparrow’s breakfast early) at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park . Here, take a treetop walk through the canopy and hand-feed the wild birds who flock here.

Next, it’s your turn to eat. Here, the food scene operates where locally sourced produce is an expectation, not an exception. Order a picnic basket crammed with regional wine and cheese to devour next to the creek at Canungra Valley Vineyards . Or perhaps a grazing platter of vegan and non-vegan cheeses at Witches Falls Winery .

Feeling bold? Tackle the Twin Falls circuit in Springbrook National Park. Or keep the gourmet life going with a Scenic Rim Brewery tasting paddle, best enjoyed while taking in the rise of the Great Dividing Range.

woman with cheese and wine at Witches Falls Winery — Enjoy a cheese platter at Witches Falls Winery. (Image: TEQ)

3. Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast

Drive time: 2 hours (180km)

Surf, sand and sparkling skylines might be the Gold Coast’s MO, but there’s more to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Kick things off with a beachfront coffee at Burleigh Heads, then hike through Burleigh Head National Park to look over the ocean and whale sightings (dependent on the season, of course).

Cool off in the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek before chowing down on the famously buttery Moreton Bay bug rolls at Rick Shores . Travelling with the kids? Then you can’t miss Australia’s theme park capital, with Dreamworld ’s big rides and Warner Bros. Movie World ’s Hollywood treatment at hand to keep the family entertained.

aerial view of Tallebudgera Creek — Dive into Tallebudgera Creek. (Image: TEQ)

4. Sunshine Coast to Tweed Heads

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (200km)

Dare to cross enemy lines? Then welcome to New South Wales. Tweed Heads blends the laid-back attitude of the Northern Rivers with high-quality dining, experimental art, and farm-fresh indulgence – a combo worth the drive.

Start strong with a long, lazy brunch at Tweed River House , then swing by Tropical Fruit World for exotic finds like red dragon fruit, handfuls of lychees and black sapote. Next, hit M|Arts Precinct – an art deco hub of micro galleries, artist workshops and one-off boutiques.

Round off the day with sunset drinks at Husk Distillers among the glowing cane fields, and order one with their famous Ink Gin. You’ll thank us later.

exterior of Husk Distillers — Taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Distillers. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Drive time: 1 hour (70km)

Strap on those hiking boots and make tracks inland, where volcanic peaks, misty rainforest and hinterland townships beckon. Ease in with the Glass House Mountains Lookout Walk, or, if you have energy to burn, tackle the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk for a 360-degree sight of the surrounding summits.

Next: Montville. This township delivers European-style architecture and old-world appeal. Nearby, settle in at Flame Hill Vineyard, where a large pour of estate-grown wine comes with encompassing views of the countryside.

Not ready to leave the hinterland villages just yet? Of course not. Meander past art galleries and indie shops at Maleny. Nab some fudge from Sweets on Maple for a sweet fix. Or go salty at Maleny Dairies with a farm tour and a chunky wedge of their deliciously creamy cheese.

End the day among the eucalypts and rainforests of Kondalilla National Park. Here, the Kondalilla Falls Circuit winds down through trees humming with life to a rock pool beneath a waterfall – as if designed for soaking tired feet before heading back to the coast.

view of Mount Ngungun on the scenic rim queensland — Take on the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk (Image: TEQ)

Start planning your Sunshine home base at all.com.

Start your day at these top 12 cafes in Cairns