Imagine a life without caffeine. Horrible, right? How would one get through the day? Unthinkable. Let’s all take a moment to be grateful for caffeine.

Luckily, we locals need never think about a lack of caffeine ever in our lives because the Gold Coast has abundant options for exceptional brews.

One such neighbourhood forever capturing the imagination of coffee drinkers and lunch-goers is Burleigh. Be it a quick coffee catch-up or a grazing-style brunch with special people: you’re covered. Here’s a list of the twelve best spots to get your caffeine fix when you find yourself in one of the city’s favourite suburbs.

Bunlee Bun & Brew
Between munching down some epic rice paper rolls or a stacked-looking banh mi, we suggest you take a try of their cold drip coffee on tap here at BunLee. If you’ve ever had iced Vietnamese coffee — or cà phê đá, as it’s known — you’ll know how tasty it can be. It’s up to you what milk to splash into it, or if you prefer, just take it black: perfect for when you need to put that pep into your step.
Where: 2/26 James Street, Burleigh Heads

Dover’s Drop
Take an award-winning local barista, throw in some fantastic coffee from carbon-neutral roasters Locale Espresso, and place it conveniently just off Reedy Creek Road and you’re looking at the exact blueprint of Dover’s Drop, a prime industrial district coffee location in Burleigh. The perfect place to pull a pit stop when you’re going about your day, but be careful: their loungey outdoor space with beanbags may keep you longer than planned, not to mention their Sourdough Crumpets!
Where: 9 Dover Drive, Burleigh Heads

Magnolia Lane
A newbie to the bustling beachside locale of Burleigh, Magnolia Lane is sandwiched between the beach and the GC Highway, meaning whether you’re zipping about town or lounging beachside, these guys have you well and truly covered for your caffeine needs. The unwavering attention taken to dialling in their machine and weighing each and every shot of coffee shows right through from your first to last sip.
Where: 6/1863 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Crew
Aptly positioned in the heart of Burleigh Heads, this is the early morning post-workout/dip in the ocean hangout spot of the ages. Crew showcases Sunshine Coast Tim Adams specialty coffee with exceptional barista skills and a cheat meal-inducing menu you cannot say no to. Hinge all of this on one hell of a people-watching location, and you have a mighty fine place to slurp your morning cup of motivation.
Where: 3 Connor Street, Burleigh Heads

Sparrow Coffee Co.
Laidback and easy-going Sparrow offers you a prime opportunity to get yourself a quality coffee on the go with little fuss. With another three locations across the country and their roastery of choice being Allpress, you’re guaranteed a quality cuppa every time. It’s also the perfect spot to fuel up before a workout if you go to nearby Elevation Fitness or Jetts!
Where: 2/151 West Burleigh Road, Burleigh Heads

Tarte
Where do you even begin with a place that literally falls over itself with excellent house-made food, great-tasting coffee, and a great location to watch life go by. Chloe Watt‘s creation Tarte is one of the finest cafes on our coastline: period. Give yourself some slack and indulge in any one of their off-the-charts pastries/baked goods with a perfectly poured cup of coffee as dappled light from overhead trees sprays across the pavement of Burleigh Heads — our idea of bliss.
Where: 2 West Street, Burleigh Heads

Next Door Espresso
Touted as not your average coffee shop, this aesthetically pleasing venue is awash with white and is nearly always an afternoon suntrap that, to us, screams brunch with close friends. Northern Rivers’ Moonshine Roastery are the foundation of an always great-tasting coffee served in the cutest looking handmade clay cups. Be sure to bring your credit card, as adjacent homewares store St Barts is always worth a look in also!
Where: 24 Junction Road, Burleigh Heads

Commune Espresso
A kickstarter in the Burleigh coffee scene, Commune Espresso has been around for as long as we can remember, and in this chasm of lost time, they’ve been serving up some of the tastiest brews around. The space itself is epic, complete with lots of outdoor relaxing areas and a ping pong table to use up that caffeine-induced energy. They also make their own almond milk; that’s how dedicated they are to delicious coffee.
Where: 1844 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Canteen Coffee & Kitchen
A firm favourite in the coffee game, Canteen has been lauded as one of Australia’s premier espresso bars. They brew their own blends, sourcing in-season beans and roasting fresh daily on demand. They offer a Signature Espresso Blend with notes of chocolate, berries, toffee and spice and Single Origins, which change weekly. They certainly know their stuff, highly recommended.
Where: 23 Park Avenue, Burleigh Heads

Nook Espresso
So good they’ve got two locations in Burleigh; Nook offers little spaces with a big passion for coffee. They’ve been slinging tasty brews since 2008, and for this, the local community loves them! Nook offers a smooth cuppa that’s consistently delicious, and the crew are stoked and always smiling to be involved in your morning coffee routine. Plus, if you head to their beachside location, you can sip away whilst overlooking world-famous surf.
Where: Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads and Stocklands Burleigh Heads

Quest Coffee Roasters
The smell wafting out of Quest alone should draw you in and, once you’re in, you may never want to leave. The space is half micro-roastery, half sitting-down-to-enjoy-your-coffee space, and it’s an absolute must-visit if you’re a lover of excellent brews. They roast premium Arabica beans on James Street, and if you’re in the market, you can purchase their green and roasted beans or a blend. Make sure you have a chat with the team; they love to discuss all things coffee.
Where: 20 James Street, Burleigh Heads

Seadog
The original Seadog emerged on the local coffee scene with a bang and is an actual hole in the wall, which was once an ATM. Stop by and let affable owner Brodie Green and his gang serve you up their very own roasts; one going by the name Sunrise Blend – with tasting notes of Milo! When they’re not actively supporting charities with free coffee giveaways, you’ll find them at their second venue beside Burleigh Bowls Club, eternally bathed in sunshine and salt air. Two great locations for coffee in Burleigh!
Where: 50 James St, Burleigh Heads or Burleigh Bowls Club — entrance via Memorial Park

Words by Alex Mitchenson.

So it seems the best news of 2020 comes out of our very own Burleigh Heads and you guessed it, involves the very best of baked treats and a few familiar faces.

We’re talking about the opening of Tarte Bakery & Cafe, which is happening Wednesday August 19^th and if there is one thing you absolutely must do this year, it’s head in there and eat absolutely everything.

Tarte is the stunning new baby of Gold Coast hospitality royalty Chloe Watts, former owner of Paddock Bakery and an absolute magician when it comes to creating a world-class venue. It can be found on a sunny corner block in the heart of Burleigh, where Vecchia Roma once lived and look, you won’t miss it, there’ll be hordes of people (socially distanced obviously) wanting to get in for the rest of time.

The space has been entirely redone with the front façade being pulled out and put back in again to create a Soho, West Village (NYC) vibe that’s perfectly at home amongst the surrounding greenery. It’s all cool whites and calming blues with a huge open window overlooking the street, perfect for that Parisian-inspired people watching we all love while sipping coffee and downing baked goodies.

As you’d expect from Chloe, the space is beautifully put together – an antique bench was brought in from a rural NSW movie theatre (circa 1940’s), the door handles are over 100 years old, a luggage rack from an old train holds the bread behind the counter and Chloe’s Dad built a bench seat at the back.

Our favourite detail are the little gold cups Chloe bought from a London flea market years ago when she first decided she wanted to open a café and has been saving for this very moment ever since. Oh and the fact that she (and her builder) hand-chiselled 5,000 tiny black tiles into the floor. A labour of love indeed.

We could go on but let’s chat eats shall we?

First things first, the sweet baked treats will absolutely blow your mind. Every single one of them.

A Gold Coast first is the Cookie Cup which is indeed a cup made out of cookie mixture and served with warm vanilla bean milk (cold in summer). Yep, that’s a (very amazing) thing.

There are also Chocolate Praline Tartes, Cannoli with whipped ricotta and choc chips, a Rhubarb Custard Tarte, the list goes on. Many of the items are vegan and some are gluten-free but all are absolutely mind-blowing. We’ll let you discover the rest for yourself.

In terms of cooked dishes, there are some life changers and you’re going to want to sample them all. Starting with the Turkish Eggs with whipped Greek yoghurt, two poached eggs and Turkish spiced butter and served with white sourdough. Chloe has wanted to put that one on her menu for a while now and we are so very happy she did. There’s also Miso Scramble, a packed Breakfast Burrito and BAGELS in many epic flavours.

You should also sample the Roasted Grape Tartine, the Toastie (best in the world) and Cauliflower Burger because they are all some of the tastiest things we’ve ever eaten, hands down.

Every dish on the menu is thoughtfully created and balanced with intricate flavours and look just really yummy honestly. Best get down there and try them all for yourself hey.

Tarte Bakery & Cafe is sweet and sophisticated, warm and welcoming and the absolute perfect addition to Burleigh’s dining scene.

Things are looking up Gold Coasters, how good.

LOCATION: 2 West Street, Burleigh Heads
HOURS: TBC

Words and photos by Kirra Smith