Townsville has certainly taken note of Melbourne’s coffee culture. With cafes located down street art-covered laneways and local specialty coffee roasters, the city has stepped up its coffee game in recent years. Here are the best coffee shops and cafes you need to visit in Townsville.
Specialty Coffee Trader is North Queensland’s leading provider of Australian speciality coffee, espresso equipment and barista training. It’s partnered with the award-winning Veneziano Coffee Roasters. Specialty Coffee Trader uses its coffee blends at its Espresso Bar and supplies them to other cafes in Townsville, including Baker & Barista. Stop by the Espresso Bar for one of the best canned cold brew, filter or espresso coffee options in Townsville.
Garry Miller is the man behind the machine at The Quarters. He began his hospitality career over 20 years ago in Melbourne, so you know the coffee here is the real deal. The Quarters is known for its strong Merlo coffee. Aside from coffee, other drinks on the menu include Milo (a classic Aussie chocolate drink), frappes, bottled cold black and chai, and hot chocolate. People can also text ahead their order to The Quarters team.
Since its establishment in 1998, Coffee Dominion has grown into one of North Queensland’s most recognised coffee brands. The globally sourced but locally roasted coffee beans at Coffee Dominion are distributed across Townsville and Australia. If you like what you taste, Coffee Dominion has a shop on their website, which includes coffee subscriptions. The company also offers coffee courses and roastery tours of its premises in Garbutt.
Fratello is Italian for brothers, and Alex and James are the sibling team behind Fratello Coffee. They have two locations in Townsville: at Stockland Shopping Centre and in the city. The rich coffee blend at Fratello has been sourced from Genovese coffee roasters, and they also have teas from T2 available. To accompany your coffee, Fratello has pastries, cakes of the week, and Friday burger specials. Fratello Coffee also has a loyalty club for Townsville locals.
Tide Cafe – Catering has been operating close to The Strand in Townsville since 2014. The cafe and catering business uses locally sourced ingredients, which include award-winning Bounce coffee, whose beans are roasted on-site in Townsville. Other options on the Tide drinks menu include cold drip coffee; Nutella and lamington-flavoured lattes; house-made iced teas; and decadent Tsunami Shakes.
Another cafe located in the middle of Townsville’s CBD is MJ & Co Espresso Bar. The dog-friendly cafe offers Dimattina Coffee, a Melbourne-based coffee roastery. The family owned and operated business serves breakfast and lunch every day of the week. There are plenty of gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo options on the menu as well.
Located in a laneway filled with street art, Hoi Polloi feels like it stepped right out of Melbourne. The interior has its quirks as well, with mismatched furnishings and an assortment of frames on the walls. Hoi Polloi Cafe’s specialty is coffee, as it has limited food options. Check out their Facebook page for details on A Day in Denham Lane as well, which includes classic outdoor cinema nights, street food and pop-up clothing stalls.
Stripes Coffee is a relatively new coffee shop on the block in Townsville. But it’s already won over Townsville residents with its minimalist interior and Coffee Supreme coffee beans. They serve multiple Coffee Supreme blends, including seasonal blends, and have bags of beans for individual purchase as well. Enjoy an espresso, pour over or iced coffee beverage from the friendly staff at Stripes Coffee.
Located within Willows Shopping Centre, Baker & Barista is a very popular coffee shop option outside of Townsville’s CBD. It’s open every day with breakfast, lunch and plenty of homemade pastries available. These include blueberry or beetroot scones, gluten free slices and lamingtons. Baker & Barista partners with Specialty Coffee when it comes to their coffee blends. It also serves blue and charcoal lattes, for something different.
Cafe Bambini Verde was established in 2005. The independently owned and operated cafe offers both delicious food and coffee in a convenient location for city workers. Bambini Verde has coffee blends for people who like their coffee strong, as well as medium roast blends for a more “classic Italian experience.” It also has a catering service, which include food, and hot and cold beverages.
