Here's where to get the best coffee in Canberra

Whether you’re after the perfect piccolo or cold brew, we’ve found the best coffee in Canberra.

Wondering where to find the best coffee in Canberra? The decision depends on your preferences and palate. There are so many talented baristas in the nation’s capital that it’s difficult to narrow down who’s the best at pulling shots. But the good news is it means you can find a great brew no matter which neighbourhood you stay in when visiting Canberra.

The city known for its vibrant restaurants and cosy cafes is also peppered with a plethora of purveyors of specialty coffee.  Here are 20 places that serve the best coffee in Canberra.

1. Arc

Caff-fiends who have been downright villainous about keeping this place a secret can complete their redemption arc by deploying the #bestcoffeeinCanberra hashtag.

For starters, Arc, part of Redbrick Coffee, is popular due to its proximity to Canberra’s CBD at the A by Adina Hotel. Arc also does a fine breakfast.

On the coffee front, beans are by Redbrick (of course), and you can pick up bags to take away, too. This cafe is hugely popular with office workers so best to arrive before 9am to avoid rush hour.

Address: 1 Constitution Ave

2. Recess Coffee  

Recess Coffee is brought to you by the talented team behind the acclaimed cafe Barrio Collective and the hatted restaurant Terra. Join the steady trickle of caffeine-starved locals and travellers queuing at the café, which doubles as a vinyl bar, for their morning espresso.

It’s one of the best cafes to try in Canberra for coffee as it roasts its own beans. There is also a range of delectable all-day dining options including avo on sourdough and eggs benedict with saffron hollandaise, pancakes with maple butter and B&E brekkie muffins.

Address: 6B Barker St, Griffith

3. Intra

Intra is in the business of perfecting coffee. And if we could, we’d enjoy it Intra-venously. The cosy cafe in leafy Campbell is one of the best places for coffee in Canberra due to the quality beans it sources from Barrio Collective.

The blends change seasonally depending on which beans are best. The specialty coffee and food venue also stocks single-origin coffee from Edition Coffee Roasters in Sydney.

Its breakfast menu is short and sweet, and includes the chashu bacon and egg roll, which has a cult following. Check out Intra’s buzzy Braddon venue, B-Side.

Address: 30/12 Provan St, Campbell

4. Lava

There are three iterations of Lava across Canberra – in Kingston, Weston and Phillip. And the driving principle behind this trifecta of popular places is for highly trained baristas to brew coffees with specially selected top-quality beans.

A hot tip: check out @Lava_Coffee on Instagram so you can find out more about your friendly baristas.  Oh and do check the specials board for brekkie staples such as BLATs and avo on toast.

Address: Various in Kingston, Weston and Phillip

5. Barrio Collective

The Barrio Collective acts as a bit of an incubator for a lot of Canberra’s top baristas. And while you’ll find some of the best cafes and coffee spots in Canberra use Barrio Collective’s beans, it’s compulsory to head to the OG cafe to access all their offerings. The space has ample outdoor seating and is dog-friendly.

If you’re hungry, it’s worth trying its stacked toasties. Sip your chosen brew alongside a piece of toast spread with ‘mushymite’, a fermented mushroom product with a similar taste to Australia’s favourite spread.

Address: 59/30 Lonsdale St, Braddon

6. ONA Coffee House

You’ll find ONA Coffee beans in cafes across Australia. The company was founded in a garage in 2008 by ex-Olympic handball player and world champion barista Saša Šestić. Fast forward to today and the brand is now known around the world for its premium blends.

Visiting ONA Coffee House in Fyshwick is the ideal way to explore its entire signature range of house blends and single-origin coffees. Enjoy a latte with breakfast on the deck, then take home some specialty beans for your espresso machine.

Address: 68 Wollongong St, Fyshwick

7. The Cupping Room

One of ONA Coffee’s first forays into Canberra’s cafe culture was with The Cupping Room. And the eatery remains one of the best places in Canberra to get coffee and one of the most stylish.

Flick to page 236 of Lonely Planet’s Global Coffee Tour and you’ll find an entry on The Cupping Room.

The baristas treat coffee like an art form here and you’ll find ONA Coffee’s great roasts, plus an extensive and Instagram-worthy array of brunch dishes like Bircher muesli with apple-ginger gel, chorizo skillet and stracciatella toast.

Address: 1/1-13 University Ave, Canberra

8. Highroad

As Canberra’s biggest roastery, ONA Coffee has its hand in many of Canberra’s best cafes for getting a morning fix of coffee. Highroad was the first ONA outlet and it remains one of the most popular in Canberra’s northern suburb of Dickson. The focus at the industrial-chic cafe is on community. If your schedule is looking leisurely take the time to order brunch after admiring your latte art. The modern, airy space is designed to make you linger and one of the best places in Canberra for breakfast and brunch.

Address: Cnr Cape & Woolley St, Dickson

9. Gather

Have a gatho at Gather if you’re staying in Braddon. In addition to serving what many consider to be the best coffee in Canberra, the cafe should be your go-to for its sustainable approach to sourcing produce from local suppliers across the ACT and NSW.

Free-range eggs are from Hilltop in Boorowa. Milk is from Country Valley in Picton. And Gather’s house blend of Ethiopian, Brazilian and Colombian beans is roasted in Braddon. The cafe also has breakfast classics like smashed avo and corn fritters.

Address: 4/24 Mort St, Braddon

10. Ritual

There’s a coffee order for every coffee geek at Ritual on the ground floor of the classy Little National Hotel in Barton. The No. 1 attraction at the hip inner-city café in the Realm Precinct is the coffee. But don’t forget to order a few pastries, too, which pair perfectly with a rich, aromatic latte. Ritual is also considered one of the best cafes in Canberra for its toasted sangas and various iterations of smashed avo on toast. The baristas make the habitual observance of a morning brew an enjoyable daily ritual.

Address: 21 National Circuit, Barton

11. Two Before Ten

Two Before Ten cafes have sprouted all over the nation’s capital, from Barton to Brindabella, Majura to Murrumbatemen.

Known for its excellent tree-to-cup coffee and commitment to sustainability, Two Before Ten is as much about building community as it is about serving great coffee.

Visit the Aranda cafe to get an understanding of the brand: this bustling community cafe also includes a roastery, a yoga studio and an expansive urban farm with fruit trees and beehives.

Address: 68 Bandjalong Cres, Aranda

12. The Front Café and Gallery

The Front is another offshoot of Two Before Ten. It’s both a café and gallery that supports Canberra creatives with a roster of exhibitions held throughout the calendar year.

The Two by Ten spin-off is also worthy of our support for its dedication to supporting suppliers that are environmentally and socially sustainable.

In addition to excellent espressos, expect sweet concoctions such as cinnamon French toast with seasonal fruits, strawberry mascarpone cream and pistachio crumb.

Address: 1 Wattle Place, Lyneham

13. Little Oink

Swinophobes should avoid Little Oink at all costs. The cute and quirky cafe is all about little piggies with a collection of pig figurines and an enduring oink theme throughout.  Owner Natalie has a penchant for all things pig-related which extends to menu items such as the Wild Boar with bacon, chorizo, mushrooms and spinach on sourdough.

You can also get your snout into an Oinko Burger with eggs, bacon, avo, relish and cheese. The Cook-based business uses Two Before Ten to serve some of the best coffee in Canberra.

Address: 22 Cook Place

14. Urban Pantry

Urban Pantry is a mainstay in Manuka (pronounced Marnika, not Manooka). The hip, happening Canberra neighbourhood has no shortage of wonderful places to eat and drink.

But the lively, light-filled venue in the heart of the leafy landmark Manuka Lawns is one of our absolute favourite cafes in Canberra for its culture.

Start with buttermilk pancakes or mushroom bruschetta in the cafe’s white and bright interior overlooking the sun-splashed park. Then linger on the Lawns with a rich and flavourful coffee.

Address: 5 Bougainville St, Griffith

15. Rye

Lonsdale Street is one of Canberra’s epicentres for creativity and emblematic of life in buzzy Braddon. The Scandi-styled Rye cafe favours Five Senses Coffee which the baristas brew into consistently good coffees. Order the smørrebrød, a Danish open sandwich served on seeded dark rye bread with a side salad and a beetroot latte. The action at Rye spills outside so order an iced coffee to go so you can join the crowds promenading on the pavement.

Address: 3/9 Lonsdale St, Braddon

16. Teddy Picker’s

First things first. Teddy Picker’s is known for being one of the best places for coffee in Canberra. But you’ll find locals throwing spicy chai lattes and Teddy’s hot chocs down their gullets too because they’re simply dreamy.

This contemporary Campbell cafe on Constitution Avenue draws a diverse clientele of fitness types looking to refuel after hiking up Mt Ainslie. Pair your coffee with culinary offerings such as eggs on toast with chilli jam and Teddy’s fab French toast.

Address: 53/65 Constitution Avenue, Campbell

17. Mocan & Green Grout

This sunny corner cafe in NewActon is hugely popular with guests staying in nearby hotels such as the quirky QT Canberra. The cosy open-all-day cafe looks like it’s been fitted out by an eccentric collector.

And that rustic charm is part of its appeal. Think wooden shelving, brass-topped tables, jars of house-made pickles and flower-filled vases.

The name Mocan means ‘strong and reliable’ in a dialect spoken in Trieste, where one of the owners’ family is from and you’ll find the green grout between the beautiful hand-painted tiles in one section. It’s a super-cool environment to enjoy a house coffee blend or pot of Real Chai.

Address: 1/19 Marcus Clarke St, NewActon

18. Café Sosta

You’ll find a lot of locals wearing soft, stretchy clothing at Café Sosta as they’ve either walked or ridden here. The Italian-inspired riverfront cafe is at the Red Shed rowing facility on Black Mountain Peninsula.

Sosta means ‘stopover’ in Italian which is what its location calls for. The venture is led by Bisa Hospitality, the group behind Joe’s Bar, Agostinis and Occasioni by Agostinis at the East Hotel so you’re guaranteed one of the best coffees in Canberra.

Pair your perfect piccolo with breakfast risotto with poached pear or pane della casa topped with pork and fennel meatballs.

Address: John Cardiff Close, Black Mountain Peninsula

19. & Sando

It’s no surprise that restaurateur Matt Moran’s deli-style sandwich shop makes some of the best sandos in the nation’s capital. It’s also one of the best places for coffee in Canberra.

Those in search of the perfect flavour-layered sando will find it here at & Sando, an offshoot of Moran’s Compa Ristorante next door.

Expect your coffee and every element of your sandwich to be put together with care. You’ll need two hands to enjoy the ‘spicy deli’ combo of cold cuts, tomato, pickled carrot and provolone on sourdough. & Sando is not for you keto freaks. Coffee is by Sydney’s Single O.

Address: 148 Bunda St

20. Three Mills Bakery

Is there anything better than the aroma of fresh-baked croissants? Three Mills Bakery is one of the best purveyors of specialty coffee in Canberra. But the casual spot, which has outlets all over the city, also offers customers pastries to take home and bake in their home oven. It’s worth a trip to the underrated suburb of Fyshwick, where it all began, to sip on an espresso that will be one of the best cups of coffee you enjoy in Canberra. But being able to pluck out pastries from the freezer to bake in your home oven adds to the experience.

Address: Leeton Street, Fyshwick

For more tried and tested eating out options in Canberra, read our round-up of family-friendly restaurants, or our hit list of breakfast and brunch spots in Canberra.