COFFEE GUIDEBRISBANE · 2026

Best Coffee
in CBD

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

24REVIEWED
0MUST VISIT
6.0AVG SCORE
7.3HIGHEST

TOP PICK IN CBD

7.3/10
LAB Specialty Coffee Co
CBD · $$
SOLID
"Punchy start, smooth body, balanced, clean lingering finish Cote Terra Melbourne roast on the bar. CBD specialty done right."
→

Brisbane CBD is the most reviewed suburb in our database with 24 cafes scored. The range is wide, from quick pre meeting espresso bars to proper specialty destinations hidden down laneways. Average score is 6.0/10. Use our rankings to skip the tourist traps.

HOW WE SCORE
One latte. One espresso. Every time. No exceptions.
›
WHAT TO EXPECT IN CBD
0 of 24 cafes score 7.5+ (Must Visit tier)
Average score: 6.0/10 below the Brisbane average of 6.4
Typical price: $$
5 cafes score below 5.5. Worth skipping

ALL 24 CAFES · RANKED

CBD Ranked by Score

1
7.3
LAB Specialty Coffee Co TOP PICK
CBD · $$
Punchy start, smooth body, balanced, clean lingering finish Cote Terra Melbourne roast on...
SOLID
2
7.1
Double Maker Coffee
CBD · $$
Punchy start, smooth body, balanced solid morning cup, earns its score
SOLID
3
7.1
Strauss
CBD · $$
Punchy start, smooth body, balanced own Strauss House Blend developed with Coffee Supreme....
SOLID
4
7.1
Anytime Coffee
CBD · $$
Punchy start, smooth body, balanced, clean finish, Sample Coffee house blend dialled in we...
SOLID
5
6.9
The Common Room Specialty Coffee
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced, clean finish Zest Specialty Coffee Roastery on the bar....
DECENT
6
6.9
Sugar N Spice Cafe
CBD · $$
Punchy from the first sip, holds the same strength all the way through, own roast on their...
DECENT
7
6.8
Marco Polo Kitchen
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced lingering finish, nothing extraordinary. Holds its own i...
DECENT
8
6.7
Late Noir
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced no fuss, gets the job done.
DECENT
9
6.7
Hard Coffee
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced CBD cup that does the job without fuss.
DECENT
10
6.7
Sage On Ann
CBD · $$
Arrives steady, smooth body through the middle, balanced,Fades before it finds anything sp...
DECENT
11
6.5
Noosa Chocolate Factory
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, caramel and milk chocolate notes Padre's DG blend doing its job, ...
DECENT
12
6.5
Ricochet Espresso
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth medium body, Chocolate and caramel notes, balanced, clean finish.
DECENT
13
6.4
Expedition Coffee
CBD · $$
Decent hit, smooth body, balanced middle of the road, gets you through the day.
TAKE OR LEAVE
14
6.3
Edward Espresso & Kitchen
CBD · $$
Smooth flavours, doesn't last, short finish, Not the best the CBD has to offer.
TAKE OR LEAVE
15
6.1
Cona Cafe
CBD · $$
Timid start, smooth enough through the middle, no real punch typical CBD coffee that does ...
TAKE OR LEAVE
16
5.9
The Hideout Specialty
CBD · $$
The beans are there, the execution didn't follow through., Soft start, flat body, short fi...
AVERAGE
17
5.9
Pando Cafe
CBD · $$
Soft start, decent mid, short finish had its moments, not enough of them.
AVERAGE
18
5.8
Brew Cafe & Wine Bar
CBD · $$
Soft start, nothing that stands out, CBD location, expected more
AVERAGE
19
5.5
Cremosa Espresso Bars
CBD · $$
Soft start, flat body, short finish CBD coffee that didn't earn its location.
AVERAGE
20
4.4
Black Fire Restaurant Brisbane
CBD · $$
Flat start, thin body, no flavour, bitter finish gone instantly.
NOT FOR US
21
4.2
Charlee Anne's
CBD · $$
Flat start, thin body, no real flavour gone quickly. Not meeting the standard.
NOT FOR US
22
3.4
Cotti Coffee
CBD · $
Weak start, watery body, no espresso flavour tasted like hot flavoured milk. The bin said ...
AVOID
23
3.4
Bonsai Botanika
CBD · $$
Weak start, watery body, no flavour, espresso tasted like nothing, latte was warm milk. St...
AVOID
24
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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