Best of the Gold Coast 2018: Five of the best Gold Coast coffee nooks

Space is an optional extra when it comes to brewing a killer coffee. We’ve found the Gold Coast’s best caffeine crannies.

Brodie Green of Seadog, Burleigh Heads, is serving up coffee from the site of an old ATM in James Street.

SPACE is an optional extra when it comes to brewing a killer coffee. We’ve found the Gold Coast’s best caffeine crannies.

Morena Espresso

2550 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

Morena Espresso on the Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach. Picture Glenn Hampson

Three South Americans and a Kiwi open a coffee shop … it sounds like the start of a joke but that’s the story behind this new player on the GC Highway at Mermaid.

Opening its doors just weeks ago, it’s serving up fruity Nicaraguan beans roasted by Marvell Street Coffee in Byron Bay.

Morena Espresso co-owner Bel Pesantes at work. Picture Glenn Hampson

Morena, translating as “brunette” in Spanish and “good morning in Maori”, is selling a few raw treats until its food licence comes through when it will specialise in toasties, acai bowls and smoothies.

Co-owner Bel Pesantes says the cosy shop features some handmade wares from local artisans and the space will be used at nights for Spanish and English language sessions and salsa dancing (of course).

Some local wares for sale at Morena Espresso, Mermaid Beach. Picture Glenn Hampson

Nook

43 Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads

Marcus Wilkins of Nook Espresso at Burleigh. Photo: Regi Varghese

The popular Nook is on its way back to its old home in the newly-renovated Burleigh Pavillion, leaving its nearby temporary shipping container digs behind — and its million dollar view.

“It’s back to looking at the car park for us,” owner Marcus Wilkins laughs.

The queues will no doubt remain though for the smooth, medium roasted beans from Byron’s Bun Coffee, the perfect pick-up for the passing parade at Burleigh.

The space in the new premises is no bigger but Marcus promises the coffee will be just as good and they’ll definitely have room for their regular selection of eight different milks and portable slices, bliss balls and cookies.

Portside Coffee

4a/42 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters

The morning ritual at Portside Coffee, Currumbin Waters.

Portside has just celebrated its second birthday at its home in an unassuming Currumbin industrial estate.

The kiosk-style cafe has a faithful clientele who know a good coffee when they taste one. Owner Jeremy Lawnikanis sources his beans from Melbourne coffee institution St Ali — the only one on the Coast to use them — but takes a hyperlocal approach to everything else.

Some freshly-baked selections to accompany the brews at Portside Coffee, Currumbin Waters.

“We have a great baker and patisserie in the estate,” Jeremy says. “I have a menu on my tables and if someone wants something, the baker will bring it straight around to them.”

It doesn’t get much fresher than that, not to mention a big tick for low food miles.

Portside Coffee at Currumbin Waters.

Seadog Burleigh

8/50 James Street, Burleigh Heads

Owner Brodie Green at Seadog, Burleigh Heads

This hole in the wall on James Street measures just 2.8sq m in the space vacated by an ATM.

Seadog is getting foot traffic for its signature brew of no-name organic coffee from Peru, roasted in Sydney, with offerings of raw slices, bottled juices and kombuchas.

Owner Brodie Green says he chose Seadog’s house blend for its lighter taste, a deliberate deviance from the stronger coffee blends found in other Burleigh cafes.

“I use that for my coffees made with milk,” he says. “But for my long blacks and espressos, I like to source beans from a different country every week.”

Frankie Espresso

1718 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Frankie Espresso operates from inside California Tacos at Burleigh Heads from 5am-11am.

When it comes to smart use of space, it’s hard to go past Frankie Espresso, the coffee venture operating from California Tacos in the morning hours before the restaurant’s lunchtime opening.

Frankie’s coffee is ready to go from 5am, making it a hit with caffeine-craving early starters.

Co-owner Tammy Marsters describes herself as a coffee connoisseur and says the house boutique blend from Botero Roastery at Maclean in the Northern Rivers is superb.

Health food options from Frankie Espresso, Burleigh Heads.

“It really is the best I’ve tasted,” she says.

Frankie also serves up pastries, slices, frappés and acai bowls and does a $10 toastie and coffee deal that has many a GC Highway traveller making a pit stop.

Tasty option at Frankie Espresso, Burleigh Heads.