COFFEE GUIDEBRISBANE · 2026

Best Coffee
in CBD

32 cafes reviewed. Same order every time. One latte, one double shot espresso. No sponsorships.

32REVIEWED
2MUST VISIT
6.3AVG SCORE
7.8HIGHEST

TOP PICK IN CBD

7.8/10
John Mills Himself
CBD · $$
MUST VISIT
"Bold from the first sip, smooth body that gets better as you drink, silky microfoam on the latte, consistent all the way through, long linge..."
→

Brisbane CBD is the most reviewed suburb in our database with 32 cafes scored. The range is wide, from quick pre meeting espresso bars to proper specialty destinations hidden down laneways. John Mills Himself (7.8) is the standout — a heritage hole in the wall with bold coffee and silky microfoam. Coffee Anthology (7.5) backs it up. Below them, big variation. Average score is 6.3/10. Use our rankings to skip the tourist traps.

HOW WE SCORE
One latte. One espresso. Every time. No exceptions.
›
WHAT TO EXPECT IN CBD
2 of 32 cafes score 7.5+ (Must Visit tier)
Average score: 6.3/10 below the Brisbane average of 6.4
Typical price: $$
4 cafes score below 5.5. Worth skipping

ALL 32 CAFES · RANKED

CBD Ranked by Score

1
7.8
John Mills Himself TOP PICK
CBD · $$
Bold from the first sip, smooth body that gets better as you drink, silky microfoam on the...
MUST VISIT
2
7.5
Coffee Anthology
CBD · $$
Bold from the first sip, lands at the front of the mouth , fruity and bright on arrival, s...
MUST VISIT
3
7.4
Strauss
CBD · $$
RE VISIT 2026 -Confident from the first sip, hazelnut and caramel on arrival ,rich body th...
SOLID
4
7.3
LAB Specialty Coffee Co
CBD · $$
Punchy start, smooth body, balanced, clean lingering finish Cote Terra Melbourne roast on...
SOLID
5
7.1
Double Maker Coffee
CBD · $$
Punchy start, smooth body, balanced solid morning cup, earns its score
SOLID
6
7.1
Anytime Coffee
CBD · $$
Punchy start, smooth body, balanced, clean finish, Sample Coffee house blend dialled in we...
SOLID
7
7.1
Cafe LIL LUCA
CBD · $$
Confident from the first sip nutty and bright citrus on arrival, smooth body through the m...
SOLID
8
7.1
The Maillard Project
CBD · $$
Confident from the first sip,chocolatey and fruity on arrival, smooth body through the mid...
SOLID
9
6.9
The Common Room Specialty Coffee
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced, clean finish Zest Specialty Coffee Roastery on the bar....
DECENT
10
6.9
Sugar N Spice Cafe
CBD · $$
Punchy from the first sip, holds the same strength all the way through, own roast on their...
DECENT
11
6.9
Three Beans
CBD · $$
Bold from the first sip, chocolatey on arrival, full body through the middle with chocolat...
DECENT
12
6.8
Marco Polo Kitchen
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced lingering finish, nothing extraordinary. Holds its own i...
DECENT
13
6.7
Late Noir
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced no fuss, gets the job done.
DECENT
14
6.7
Hard Coffee
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced CBD cup that does the job without fuss.
DECENT
15
6.7
Sage On Ann
CBD · $$
Arrives steady, smooth body through the middle, balanced,Fades before it finds anything sp...
DECENT
16
6.7
Doppio Coffee
CBD · $$
Punchy from the first sip, chocolatey on arrival, hazelnut and dark chocolate notes throug...
DECENT
17
6.5
Noosa Chocolate Factory
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, caramel and milk chocolate notes Padre's DG blend doing its job, ...
DECENT
18
6.5
Ricochet Espresso
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth medium body, Chocolate and caramel notes, balanced, clean finish.
DECENT
19
6.4
Expedition Coffee
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced middle of the road, gets you through the day.
TAKE OR LEAVE
20
6.4
Felix For Goodness
CBD · $$
Good start, sits at the back of the palate, stays the same all the way through, never buil...
TAKE OR LEAVE
21
6.3
Edward Espresso & Kitchen
CBD · $$
Smooth flavours, doesn't last, short finish, Not the best the CBD has to offer.
TAKE OR LEAVE
22
6.2
The Croft House
CBD · $$
Regular start, smooth enough through the middle, no flavours that stand out,hotel restaura...
TAKE OR LEAVE
23
6.1
Cona Cafe
CBD · $$
Timid start, smooth enough through the middle, no real punch typical CBD coffee that does ...
TAKE OR LEAVE
24
5.9
The Hideout Specialty
CBD · $$
The beans are there, the execution didn't follow through., Soft start, flat body, short fi...
AVERAGE
25
5.9
Pando Cafe
CBD · $$
Soft start, decent mid, short finish had its moments, not enough of them.
AVERAGE
26
5.8
Charlee Anne's
CBD · $$
Revisit, up from 4.2. Good from the first sip, bright citrus and nutty on arrival chocolat...
AVERAGE
27
5.8
Brew Cafe & Wine Bar
CBD · $$
Soft start, nothing that stands out, CBD location, expected more
AVERAGE
28
5.5
Cremosa Espresso Bars
CBD · $$
Soft start, flat body, short finish CBD coffee that didn't earn its location.
AVERAGE
29
4.4
Black Fire Restaurant Brisbane
CBD · $$
Flat start, thin body, no flavour, bitter finish gone instantly.
NOT FOR US
30
3.4
Cotti Coffee
CBD · $
Weak start, watery body, no espresso flavour tasted like hot flavoured milk. The bin said ...
AVOID
31
3.4
Bonsai Botanika
CBD · $$
Weak start, watery body, no flavour, espresso tasted like nothing, latte was warm milk. St...
AVOID
32
3.3
Starbucks Edward Street
CBD · $$
Flat start, thin body, no espresso character industrial coffee at chain prices. The bin sa...
AVOID
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