Best cafes for breakfast on the Gold Coast
IF you’re after breakfast or brunch on the Gold Coast then look no further. Here are our tried and true best brunch picks of 2018.
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IF you’re after breakfast or brunch on the Gold Coast then look no further. Here are our tried and true best brunch picks of 2018. For all the super foodies out there, remember to lock in July 21-22 to experience the 10th annual Regional Flavours Festival.
Be sure to check out the full list of Queensland’s 50 best brunches, which ran in this weekend’s edition of U on Sunday in your Sunday Mail.
Bam Bam Bakehouse
2519 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach
5526 5218
Daily 6.30am-3pm
Instagram @bambam_bakehouse
You’ll need to be an early riser. Renowned for their classic and creative French pastries, many of the sweet delights often sell out before 9am to customers who come from far and wide, including a few celeb visitors like MasterChef’s Matt Preston and movie star Margot Robbie. But if you miss out on the likes of gin and tonic choux buns, apple crumble cream puffs or iced vovo eclairs, there’s always their inventive all-day breakfast menu. Think everything from eggs bene (pictured) and beautifully simple French toast made with one of their acclaimed, flaky croissants, to chilli crab omelet, egg nasi goreng and even a katsu curry bowl. The drinks list is equally diverse, with organic tea and strong, subtly bitter coffee from Single O’s Reservoir blend served alongside the likes of a mermaid latte, Barbie hot chocolate and iced Nutella.
BSKT Cafe
4 Lavarack Rd, Mermaid Beach
5526 6565
Mon-Thu 7am-4pm, Fri-Sat 7am-10pm, Sun 7am-5pm
Instagram @bsktcafe
At chilled-out beachside cafe BSKT, traditional breakfasts sit alongside tapas-style plates giving diners an all-day menu unlike any other in the state. Expect to wait for a table on weekends but luckily the cheery, knowledgeable staff seat diners quickly in the bustling family-friendly venue, with a playground out the back and a generous kids’ menu. For the adults, try a small plate such as the deep-fried salmon wontons with spicy gochujang-daubed diced raw salmon, crowned with dots of wasabi-spiked mayo or the BSKT Beans (pictured) with avo and tomato salsa and fried eggs. Better still, pair it with a cocktail, vino or gin and tonic from the interesting drinks list. Of course there’s organic tea and coffee, plus cold pressed juices, healthy smoothies and kombucha.
Cardamom Pod
3/3 Brolga Ave, Southport
0424 251 008
Daily 7.30am-4.30pm
Instagram @cardamompodbrickworks
Vegan maybe the food trend of the moment, but this Gold Coast favourite has been slinging plant-based eating since long before it was cool. The light-filled, industrial, modern space with touches of greenery, draws queues on weekends for its quirky breakfast menu that appeals to even the most hardcore carnivore. For a nutritious start there’s their sweet smoothie bowls in flavours such as Snickers and Cherry Ripe (pictured); or get your five serves of veg in one hit with the Nourish bowl overflowing with scrambled tofu, broccolini, beetroot sauerkraut, carrot hummus, baked potatoes and sprouts. Their exotic smoothies are large enough to be a meal replacement; while their strong Botanica organic coffee competes for space alongside beetroot, turmeric and matcha lattes, velvet hot chocolate and freshly squeezed juice.
Commune
1844 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads
5520 3377
Mon-Sun 6.30am-3.30pm
Instagram @communeespresso
For a brunch more relaxed than a lizard lazing in the sun, it has to be grungy, hipster cafe Commune, just off the Gold Coast Highway. With nonchalant staff running the floor and a mix-match of retro and handmade furniture spilling from the poster-clad interior to the footpath dining and sun-drenched courtyard, the vibe is laid-back and carefree. What is taken seriously, however, is the food, which blends classics like eggs bene and corn fritters with Asian and Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as banh mi and chorizo scrambled eggs. Local, organic produce is used as much as possible, while almost everything is made in-house including jams, relishes, pickled onions, labneh and cured salmon. For a cooling start, try the dragon bowl (pictured) blending dragon fruit, coconut water and frozen mango until sorbet-like.
Elk Espresso
Oasis Shopping Centre, Old Burleigh Rd, Broadbeach, 5592 2888
Daily 6am-4pm
Instagram @elkespresso
Elk has become a Gold Coast institution loved for its constant innovation.
Late last year it moved into a smart, larger new site at the beach end of the Oasis Shopping Centre, keeping the same chilled vibe and soothing colour palette of white, turquoise and wood. It also retained its commitment to offering dishes not found on every other menu across Queensland. Take coconut porridge with peanut butter mousse, raspberry jelly and maple nut crunch, for example. Or how about the savoury waffles (pictured) with buttermilk fried chicken, jalapeno maple and blackberry butter. The Killer Bee house coffee is solid, but the Milky Bar and Oreo thickshake will leave you happier than a kid at Christmas. True foodies will appreciate the originality of this special haunt.
Forreal Kitchen
28 Chairlift Ave, Nobby Beach
5572 5572
Daily 6am-3pm
Instagram @forrealkitchen
“Let’s skip breakfast and go straight to dessert” the menu reads. For the sweet tooth, Forreal is the ultimate brunch destination. The colourful and casual haunt, with its lush green wall, pretty palm print wallpaper and airy covered courtyard, is all about embracing your inner glutton without the guilt. And with that you’ll find the likes of bacon and egg nachos, cheesy croque madame, Nutella banana pancakes with mascarpone and a croissant French toast bake because, as the foreword on the inner cover of the menu states: “We don’t believe in diets, life should be balanced.” However, the activewear-set aren’t forgotten, with plenty of nutritious options available, from a generous collection of smoothie bowls, and zucchini and sweet potato fritters, to the “hot green prebiotic mess”. The latter sees a Jenga of vibrant green beans, broccolini, kale, spinach and edamame crowned with two perfectly poached eggs and a mash of avocado and feta, lightly dressed with citrus. Amiable staff encourage guests to linger a little longer and treat themselves, which clearly means devouring one of the coconut yoghurt sundaes or perhaps a muffin, lamington, chia pudding or raw vegan cakes from the cabinet inside. Coffees come super smooth, or be more adventurous with the likes of charcoal, matcha or blue algae lattes. Smoothies, juices, cold brew, bulletproof coffee, teas, milkshakes and iced drinks fill much of the remainder of the extensive drinks list. Forreal is the breezy, cheeky cafe we all wish we could have in our neighbourhood.
Hot Shott
3/17 Tedder Ave, Main Beach
5532 3275
Daily 6.30am-4pm
Instagram @hotshottcafe
When money is tight but you want to treat yourself, this little cafe, with its covered footpath dining and a dark, moody interior, certainly delivers. The impressive bagel board is loaded with petite bagels, sliced prosciutto, smoked salmon, avocado, cheddar cheese, boiled egg, gherkins, tomato, cucumber and cream cheese; while the chia pudding (pictured) features a glass goblet overflowing with creamy yoghurt and berry coulis layered between chia seeds, which have been soaked ’til bulbous and plump in honey and milk. The “Olla Caliente” – Spanish-style baked eggs – is the perfect dish for a chilly morning. Though a little on the sweet side, it is comforting and nourishing with goey-centred baked eggs spilling into the tomato-based sauce replete with chorizo, beans and capsicum.
No Name Lane
16 Charles Ave, Broadbeach
5538 5221
Sun-Thu 6.30am-4pm, Fri & Sat 6.30am-late
Instagram @nonamelane
Its obscure name may be easily forgotten, but the food at this Gold Coast eatery certainly isn’t. A contemporary, playful menu offers everything from classics such as “the staple” with poached eggs, bacon, avo and relish to inventive offerings like breakfast arancini – the pea-studded risotto balls (pictured) boasting melting hearts of al dente rice, with slivers of pliable prosciutto, crumbled feta, halved cherry tomatoes, a runny-yoked fried egg and swipes of vibrant pesto. Team it with a brekkie cocktail, with classics including negronis to signature drinks such as an orange mocha espresso martini. For a straight-up caffeine hit, brews from espressos to cappuccinos and iced cold drip use Brisbane’s Black Sheep Coffee. Backed up by warm, engaging and speedy service, this indoor-outdoor cafe is a local favourite for a reason.
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