The top cafes to open in Brisbane in 2021

From suburban hideaways to slick inner-city arrivals, here are the best cafes that have opened this year in Brisbane.

This year has seen an explosion of new cafe openings across Brisbane, ranging from cosy neighbourhood hangouts to sleek inner-city operations.

But which ones are worth your time and money?

Cafe reviewer Anooska Tucker-Evans has eaten her way across the city, judging the fresh arrivals on their food, ambience, service and value to see which ones come out on top.

Here is her verdict:

10. YAT TIU RICE NOODLE ROLLS

5/22 Gowan Rd, Sunnybank Hills

If you only come to this no-frills suburban eatery for one thing, make it the Hong Kong French toast. With two pieces of egg-soaked white bread sandwiched with peanut butter and drizzled with condensed milk, it is the hero of a menu that specialises in just a handful of dishes. Congee and rice noodle rolls are the other two drawcards here, with the shimmering, viscous rice porridge available in 11 varieties from just $5.80, including a chicken and mushroom option and a offal-packed bowl; while the noodles come in 18 versions, including a fantastic roast duck incarnation, with the almost transparent noodle wrapping like a doona around hefty chunks of meat.

The space projects cafeteria vibes with a TV at one end of a long, narrow, beige room and a colourful mural at the other. But with food as good and cheap as this, you can make your own ambience.

The Gunshop Cafe at Toowong. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

9. THE GUNSHOP CAFE

48 Jepheson St, Toowong

thegunshopcafe.net

After 20 years, this West End institution has expanded, opening two new eateries in Brisbane: one in Chermside and the other in Toowong. The latter takes the iconic cafe’s signature warmth and charm and updates it for the now, with dark timber furnishings contrasted with industrial details.

But here it’s really all about the food. Their beloved European-inspired all-day breakfast menu runs from light meals including a smoked salmon and scrambled egg croissant with hazelnut and pepita crumbs to their signature “originals” of pork, apple and sage sausage with bubble and squeak, and sweet potato and thyme rosti. With well made coffee using their own blend of beans and swift service, it’s easy to see why this eatery has become a Brisbane institution.

The Hong Kong peanut butter waffle at To Be or Not To Be cafe in Westlake.

8. TO BE OR NOT TO BE

180 Westlake Drive, Westlake

tobeornottobe.com.au

Named in reference to one of Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquys, this suburban cafe in Brisbane’s west delivers all the drama. From the cheeky waitstaff that roll out playful jokes like well rehearsed lines, to the scene-stealing food that’s as beautiful as it is tasty. Take the over-the-top Hong Kong peanut butter waffle with coffee chocolate ganache, citrus soil, raspberry marshmallow, orange gel and Tim Tam orange ice cream all rolled in a spectacular bubble cone; or the bacon Benedict with a jalapeno and potato rosti. It all makes for a show worthy of much applause.

7. THE GREEN

1/27 James St, Fortitude Valley

thegreen.com.au

In the heart of James St’s luxury shopping precinct sits this gorgeous cafe-cum-nursery that serves up contemporary Middle Eastern eats in a forest of plants.

Come for breakfast and be treated to the likes shakshuka or a falafel bowl with tabouli, while lunch diverges into a full Lebanese feast-style affair, with a lengthy array of shareable dishes running from hummus and pita bread to ras el hanout pumpkin, grilled lamb cutlets and an 800g T-bone. There is also a beautiful cabinet display of salads, and a counter topped with desserts that can be teamed with one of their silky smooth coffees, or a cocktail or glass of wine from the tight, but interesting drinks list.

With knowledgeable and fast service, this is a place for your next catch-up.

The Italian sandwich with waffle fries at Woolloongabba’s Mr Badgers. Picture: David Clark

6. MR BADGERS

24 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba

mrbadgers.com.au

Want to dine inside an 1800s-style tram car? At this kooky cafe that channels New York’s great delis, you can do just that, with a jaw-dropping replica tram built inside by co-owner and carpenter Adam Pykett. It makes this a great place for families, as does the approachable menu built around bagels and sandwiches, stuffed with everything from salami and mortadella to smoked salmon and roast chook. Deli offerings are also available all day like spicy sardines and charcuterie and cheese platters, while of an evening it’s all about pizzas and home-style fare such as pork sausages and gravy and slow cooked lamb shoulder.

With smiley, charming service, good quality coffee, a quaffable wine list and some creative cocktails, Mr Badgers is a destination to visit any time of day.

Bear Boy Espresso in Windsor. Picture: Kurt Thomson

5. BEAR BOY ESPRESSO

8/180 Albion Rd, Windsor

bearboy.com.au

Like something out of a Vogue Living magazine, the interiors at this suburban cafe will immediately help start your day off the right way. Settle into the cosy booth at the back of the peach-hued space with picture-perfect, Grecian-style niches and a stunning pink stone counter, or take a seat on the small deck outside and let the friendly and helpful staff take care of the rest. The menu is a simple, all-day affair moving from the nutritious, like a veg-packed nourish bowl, to the splurge-worthy including a caesar salad burger and hot cakes loaded with lemon curd, brittle, meringue, sorbet, fruit and more.

Coffee is strong and bitter, while bought-in juices and kombucha are also on hand to quench thirsts.

Bear Boy Espresso is a welcome addition to Brisbane’s inner north, the queues that form on weekends confirm it.

Turkish breakfast brulee at Willow, Balmoral. Picture: Steve Pohlner

4. WILLOW CAFE

1/216 Riding Rd, Balmoral

willowcafe.com.au

This is a cafe for the adventurous breakfast and brunch eater. Chef Matt Roman has thrown the rule book out the window, letting his imagination run wild with dishes such as black truffle braised oxtail shakshuka, a Turkish-influenced creme brulee tart, and eggs Benedict with prime rib slow cooked for 18 hours, like something reminiscent of his days fronting hit pastry business Piefection.

Service is welcoming and sprightly under owner Adam Dartnall’s leadership, while he also takes care of the coffee, serving Seven Miles beans as black, white or in summer-friendly options including a Vietnamese cold brew and coffee milkshake. A wine list is in play, too, as are local beers, cocktails and a boozy brunch option with bottomless mimosas for those who want to wine and dine.

The Coffee Commune in Bowen Hills. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

3. THE COFFEE COMMUNE

82 Abbotsford Rd, Bowen Hills

coffeecommune.com.au/cafe/

Inside coffee king Phillip Di Bella’s purpose-built, inner-city caffeine facility, comes this industrial-look cafe where chef Kane Cooper is a stickler for supporting local farmers and artisan producers.

That means a menu that is equal parts familiar and out-of-the-box, taking classics like scrambled eggs and dialling it up a notch with a house-made chilli sambal and the addition of lemongrass-poached prawns. Or, perhaps, a flavour-packed interpretation of the traditional Reuben sandwich.

While the facility may be all about coffee, it’s a rum and raisin milkshake made with local gelato that steals the show on the drink front.

Combine all this with friendly, knowledgeable service and the result is a cafe that will have diners racing back.

The chicken and cranberry toastie at Rings A Bell in Fortitude Valley. Picture: David Kelly.

2. RINGS A BELL

57 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

ringsabellcafe.com

Tucked away in the back of the beautiful historic Bell Bros building, this hole-in-the-wall eatery is built on passion and enthusiasm. Co-owner and skilful barista Jasmine Longstaff warmly welcomes guests in, before treating them to smooth-as-silk coffees made on Tim Adams beans, and walking them through a menu centred on the humble toastie. Guests can dine in the opulent, chandelier-lit foyer of the building, or in a tranquil hidden courtyard out the back, enjoying pimped up bread creations such as a pulled pork version with pineapple, coleslaw and beetroot hummus, or a chicken and cranberry number that are bloody terrific.

Joedy's by Eminence in Fortitude Valley. Picture: David Kelly

1. JOEDY’S BY EMINENCE

89 McLachlan St, Fortitude Valley

joedyscafe.com.au

At the base of the Mosaic Property Group, this slick, light-filled, contemporary cafe combines warm and welcoming service with a dietary-friendly menu that takes the best of local produce and moulds it into fresh and on-trend fare.

Expect everything from chilli scrambled eggs with prawns to a classic eggs Benedict pimped up with a sensational truffled hollandaise, as well as more lunch-style options like fish tacos, a katsu bowl and gnocchi with a beef cheek ragu.

Coffee is well priced and well made on Bellissimo beans, but for a little indulgence, try a hot chocolate using a blend from local chocolatier Amy Sargeantson.