Where to find the best coffee in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast

A morning surf may be the best natural wake up call, but a cuppa from Lot 1 straight after will keep those energised vibes going all day long.

The friendly team brews specialty coffee made from Arabica beans with five per cent Robusta “for added morning punch” at this cool café two blocks south of the Surfers Paradise sign - and there's an all day breakfast menu with acai bowls, french toast and smashed avo for those needing extra fuel.

2. ESPL. Coffee 

Located on the bustling esplanade across from the Gold Coast’s most famous stretch of sand, the views alone would be enough to drag you into ESPL – especially if you’re up and about for sunrise. Whether you're on a coastal walk, pup in tow, or stopping for a jolt before work, you can savour million-dollar views for the mere price of your morning macchiato.

What makes the coffee here one-of-a-kind is the combination of their own specialty blend of ESPL. coffee (which you can buy to take home), and Australian barista-designed MILKLAB milk that brings out the best in your espresso shot.

Pair your coffee with one of the twice-baked sourdough almond croissants, which are baked fresh daily at a local bakery. 

3. Bumbles Cafe

Bumbles on Budds Beach is one of Surfers Paradise’s best kept secrets. A five-minute walk from the energetic heart of town, you’ll find yourself in a peaceful pocket of the neighbourhood with a quality cup of coffee in your hand.

The cafe looks out onto the sandy riverside beach and is overflowing with charm. The bookshelf-lined walls and fairy lights give the space a warm, inviting feel, which is matched by the friendly staff and swarm of locals popping by for their daily fix. If the views keep you lingering a while longer once your cup is empty, switch course and indulge in Bumbles' bottomless bubbly brunch, available every day from 10.30am. 

4. Stairwell Coffee

Tucked away down Asian Alley, Stairwell is not much bigger than a pastel green cubby house but it boasts two winning elements: it serves up a wicked locally-roasted blend and pipes out soulful tunes alongside bootleg jazz.

This is a great spot to go when you’re chasing a bit of quiet time or you want to bring your four-legged friend along. If you’re feeling hungry, the jaffles hit the spot - and here they come with a side of pringles and pickles.

5. Paradox Coffee Roasters

A great coffee is only as good as its beans, which is why cool-with-a-conscience Paradox Coffee Roasters source and roast their own. Their hunt for quality green coffee beans has led them to working with estate farms and co-operatives around the world where farmers receive a fair wage for their work. It’s their commitment to quality, traceability and sustainability paired with their sleek industrial fit-out inside the former bus depot, The 4217, that is sure to put a pep in your step.

Visit their flagship cafe and you're sure to taste not only the best coffee in Surfers Paradise, but some of the best on the whole east coast. Whether you choose a blend or single origin, the team here can guide you through flavour profiles like experts - knowledge and customer experience comes first here, and the team gathers weekly for cupping sessions with head roaster, Yogesh. 

6. No Name Lane

Find No Name Lane in the middle of a bustling foodie precinct under the shadows of the Oracle towers at Broadbeach, where the service is whiplash-fast and friendly, and the Brisbane-roasted Black Sheep coffee is extracted smooth and strong.

A destination that serves up some of the best breakfasts on the coast, the interior is sleek and sophisticated, the food menu is a balance of beauty and flavour, and the laneway is buzzing with locals at brunch.

7. Hand Coffee

You may get a sense of Melbourne when you spot this laneway hole-in-the-wall and sip on their Industry Beans coffee, but that warm greeting you get – as if the staff have known you for years – will remind you that you’re definitely on the sunny Gold Coast.

Opened by locals Luke Dempsey and Mitch Kavic in 2017, their number one goal is that you ‘Have a nice day’ - hence the origin of the name, HAND. And with coffee this good and customer service this friendly, it’s basically a sure thing.

Tucked under a stairwell between Envy Hotel and McDonald’s in Niecon Tower, Broadbeach, it’s just moments from Kurrawa Beach, so get your coffee and one of their locally-baked Burleigh Baker pastries to go, and enjoy them by the ocean.

8. Elk Espresso

The proof is in the cappuccino at Elk Espresso, nestled within the dining precinct of the Oasis Shopping Centre in Broadbeach.

Ask any local where the best coffee on the Gold Coast is and chances are Elk will top their list. The local institution is set along the main road adjacent from the beach – with an industrial vintage meets coastal greenhouse interior – it’s the perfect spot to flick through a paper and watch life go by or sight the surf line while sipping on your brew.

Single O is the staple coffee bean here, but every week Elk Espresso shares the love by showing off roasters around Australia to keep connoisseur palates coming back for more.

Got kids? Burn off some energy afterwards at the playground across the road.

9. Olive Coffee

This bright, plant and light-filled café invites you to stay a while and savour that latte to the last drop – seven days a week. Olive Coffee is a small boutique spot pouring locally roasted Social Espresso coffee, alongside a snappy breakfast menu – including loaded bagels baked here on the Gold Coast at UE Bagels. 

10. Madame Mitchell Coffee

Sometimes the best coffee in Surfers Paradise isn’t found in a café, but a caravan instead. Serving the weekday crowd, Madame Mitchell Coffee is a pop-up coffee shop on wheels – something of a hidden gem – tucked into the corner of Elkhorn and Ferny Ave. Stop by for high-quality espresso, a few baked treats to accompany, and a fun splash of pink to brighten your day.  

Now that you've scored the best coffee in Surfers Paradise in your hand, it's time to discover the best things to do while you're in town.

Feeling peckish? Here’s where you’ll find the best breakfast on the Gold Coast - including the best cafes to bring the kids.