Byron Bay’s Best Cafes And Coffee Shops In 2025
Eloise Luke
Contributor | Urban List
From hippie haven to a mecca for Australia’s glitterati, Byron Bay/Cavanbah has undergone a serious glow-up over the past few decades. But one thing that hasn’t changed: its line-up of ridiculously tasty cafes.
Getting to the good stuff isn’t always easy, though, especially if you’re visiting at peak hour on a Saturday morning. That’s why we’ve put together a hit list of our faves—so you don't miss out. These are Urban List's top picks for the best cafes in Byron Bay.
How we choose: specialty roasted coffee, local legends and hidden gems, and menus that keep things clean, fresh and seasonal.
The Best Byron Bay Cafes At A Glance
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The Best Byron Bay Cafes For Coffee
Cosmos
Coorabell Hall, 565 Coolamon Scenic Drive
Image credit: Coffee At Cosmos | Instagram
If you are out on a drive through the Byron Hinterlands, you might come across Cosmos—a tiny, quirky red coffee and cake cart on the side of the road. It may appear pretty cute and unassuming, but the owner (Queenie) has fixed residency behind the machine, whipping up a stellar brew to go along with a selection of artisan baked goods.
If you do manage to stop by, start your day with a fresh crossaint from Masa, an iced matcha, and a bouquet of fresh flowers. Coorabell Hall often hosts small flea markets and events, so you can make a day out of it.
Insider intel
- We recommend pulling up a chair out front and enjoying the unobstructed hinterland views—it's seriously unreal.
Happy Days
17 Banksia Drive, Byron Bay
Image credit: Happy Days | Instagram
Sitting in the Arts and Industrial Estate, Happy Days is the Byron cafe keeping things lowkey—just fresh local ingredients and coffee roasted right next door. It feels like pulling up at a mate’s place…if your mate was extremely good at making their own bread.
The fit-out is pared back and sunlit, with tile-topped tables, a walk-up window and a very charming vintage maroon La Marzocco on the counter. Sourdough is baked fresh daily, then loaded into stacked sangas like the fan-fave Colo Cuts (mortadella, salami, pickles, herby mayo) or a vego option with pickled beets, carrots and parmesan.
Beam Coffee roasts the beans next door, so you’re getting the freshest possible brew—sourced literally from metres away.
Insider intel
- Grab a seat by the window for a front-row view of the roasting action.
Allpress Byron Bay Espresso Bar
11 Banksia Drive, Byron Bay
Image credit: Allpress | Instagram
Allpress is the specialty coffee roaster that’s expanded globally from Auckland—you’ve probably seen its beans in cafes across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. This coffee bar? Well, it’s one of four Australian roasteries, and, if a great cuppa is your goal, it’s well worth a visit.
Order anything from an espresso to a V60, and then head outside to take a seat on the deck (early morning is best for a dose of winter sunshine). We loved the industrialist interior contrasted against warm timber—the result is an upscale ambience that’s very on brand for Allpress.
Insider intel
- If you’re feeling peckish, pair your coffee with a pastry or panini.
Sparrow Coffee
1/47 Jonson, Byron Street, Byron Bay
Image credit: Sparrow Coffee | Instagram
Sleek and trendy, Sparrow Coffee is a piccolo-sized caffeine bar on Byron Street. Think you recognise the name? You probably do. There are other Sparrows at Burleigh, Bangalow, Port Douglas, and Port Douglas—and the whole flock serves single-origin Allpress Espresso.
If you like great coffee and good ambience, Sparrow’s Byron Bay location should definitely be on your hit list. Get there early and soak up the morning sunlight in an al fresco seat.
Insider intel
- Pair your coffee with a pastry from Allpress-affiliated bakery Brasserie Bread.
High Life
103 Jonson Street, Byron Bay NSW 2481
What do you get when you combine a La Marzocco machine with Allpress beans? A seriously memorable coffee experience. Add in local artwork and live music nights, and the result is High Life.
Overlooking Carlyle Street, High Life is the kind of cafe we love—bleached brickwork, glossy wooden décor, and a customer base sporting plenty of bare feet. Soak up your caffeine with one of its seasonal dishes, like a toasted ham-and-cheese croissant with pineapple adobo sauce.
Insider intel
- If espresso’s not your thing, French press and V60 coffees are on the menu too.
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Folk Byron Bay
399 Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay
Image Credit: Folk Byron Bay | Instagram
We’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t kick off our list with Folk Byron Bay. This cutesy cafe is quintessentially Byron—think white-washed interiors, top-notch chow, and rustic al fresco seating nestled among pot plants and palms. It’s located on the town’s outskirts, too, which can make parking a little easier.
Folk’s menu is fully vegetarian, but don’t let the lack of protein put you off. Choose between cafe classics like scrambled eggs with house chilli chutney and original dishes like the Folk Burrito, a stacked combination of rice, quinoa, black beans, sauerkraut, and pumpkin that is truly excellent.
Insider intel
- Add a coffee made on Dukes beans to amp up your morning.
Bayleaf Cafe
2A Marvell Street, Byron Bay
Image Credit: Bayleaf Cafe | Instagram
A Byron Bay staple, Bayleaf Cafe is consistently busy, so aim to get there early—or be prepared to queue. With a gram-worthy teal-tiled backdrop, rich wooden décor and sweet outdoor seating to perch up on, there’s a lot to love about Bayleaf’s aesthetics. Luckily, the food holds up too.
The menu does change seasonally, so things might look a little different each time you visit—but you can count on the ingredients being fresh and locally sourced. Bayleaf’s true strength, though, is its drinks menu, which includes high-end options like V60 coffee (only available on certain days) and Uji matcha. Bonus: all coffees are made with beans from Blackboard, one of the Gold Coast’s most iconic roasteries.
Insider intel
- Everything on the menu is 99.9% seed oil-free, so you can enjoy your meal without having to dodge inflammatories.
The Byron Bay General Store
26 Bangalow Road, Byron Bay
Image Credit: Byron Bay General Store | Instagram
If places like Bayleaf Cafe represent the new Byron, the Byron Bay General Store harks back to a simpler time—one when the Bay was home to sand miners and dairy farmers, not celebrities. The Store itself was first established in 1947, making it one of the oldest buildings in town. Pull up a seat on its beautiful timber floors and enjoy the ambience.
The Store’s modern-day menu features an impressive lineup of burgers and Asian fusion dishes like the sesame soba salad, okonomiyaki, and braised beef bowl.
Insider intel
- Pair your meal with a coffee, tea, or specialty drink like the adaptogenic hot chocolate—there’s nothing like a rich combination of cacao, maca, ginger, cinnamon, and functional mushrooms to ward off the post-swim chills.
Combi Byron Bay
25 Fletcher Street, Byron Bay
Image Credit: Combi | Instagram
Kerbside on Fletcher Street, Combi Byron Bay feels like a hole-in-the-wall that grew up. Its spacious interiors are dominated by bamboo cladding, tropical pot plants, and a hot pink coffee counter. It’s the kind of eclectic, fun fit-out that’s right on point with Byron Bay’s culture.
The menu is vegan-adjacent—the only non-veg ingredients we spotted were eggs, feta, salmon, and smoked ham—and it’s seriously good. Dishes like the pesto crumpets and mushrooms on toast are full on flavour without being overly heavy, making them the perfect choice for kicking off your morning.
Insider intel
- Our recommendation: wash it all down with a cold-pressed juice (the ginger, lemon and beetroot Belongil is particularly nice over winter) or a house-roasted coffee.
Roadhouse
142 Bangalow Road, Byron Bay
Image credit: Roadhouse | Instagram
Cross a whisky bar with an old-school diner, throw in a dash of Byron Bay whimsy, and you get Roadhouse. This sprawling cafe–bar hybrid has historically hosted pizza-baking and tapas nights, and it still has a restaurant-esque ambience—think dark wooden panelling, exposed brickwork, and lots of pendant lights.
The winter menu spans both breakfast and lunch, with classics like American-style beef burgers sitting alongside spiced porridge and pumpkin toasties. Special mention goes to the delightful homemade gnocchi. All Roadhouse coffee is made on Allpress beans.
Insider intel
- Like most eateries in Byron, there are plenty of gluten-free and vegan options available.
The Top Shop
65 Carlyle Street, Byron Bay
Image Credit: The Top Shop | Instagram
Nostalgic for the classic Aussie milk bar? The Top Shop is bringing it back, serving up caffeine and corner-store-style burgers in an original 1950s building. Don’t worry, though—this is still quality food made to the Byron standard (local ingredients and strong vegan and gluten-free options).
There’s brekky bowls and smoothies on the menu, but, if we’re honest, you come to the Top Shop for one thing and one thing only: those downright delicious burgers. Choose between classics like the USA and brekky burgers, or try something more adventurous, like a panini with grilled haloumi and house-made olive tapenade. Our pick: the Shop Burger with a vanilla shake.
Insider intel
- Once you’ve finished feeding, head around the block and take Milne Track to Tallow Beach.
Three Blue Ducks: The Farm
11 Ewingsdale Rd, Ewingsdale
Image credit: Three Blue Ducks | Instagram
Three Blue Ducks at The Farm is the on-site restaurant, open for breakfast and lunch 7 days a week, and dinner on weekends. You might know them from their Sydney locations—their aim is to source as much produce as they can from The Farm itself, before venturing further afield—but almost everything comes from local and surrounding areas.
All ingredients used are spray-free and sustainably farmed, so you can enjoy your big brekkie guilt-free, while taking in the sweeping hinterland views from their outdoor patio. Dream date. Menus are seasonal, but we can't pass up the Moreton Bay bugs with XO butter and lime—and some skin-on, duck's salt chippies with roasted Farm garlic aioli on the side.
Insider Intel
- If you'd prefer a picnic, opt for one of their hampers: from $65, you'll receive a take-home Three Blue Ducks hessian bag, a variety of meats, cheeses, dips, bread, other local goodies, cutlery and plates.
The Pass Cafe
1 Brooke Drive, Byron Bay
Image credit: The Pass Cafe | Instagram
Wind up Lighthouse Road, take a left on Brooke Drive, and you’re at the Pass Cafe, a relaxed little eatery sandwiched between gums and casuarinas above The Pass. Be prepared for boardshorts, sand on the floor, and salt in the air—it’s a favourite with both locals and tourists, and for good reason.
Go with reliable all-day dishes like buttermilk pancakes and eggs benny or seafood standouts like the beer-battered barramundi and salt-and-pepper squid.
Insider intel
- Afterwards, take the advice posted outside the cafe’s entrance: slow down and chill out (either by heading down to the beach or hitting the nearby Cape Byron Walking Track—it's one of the best hikes in Byron).
Otherside Byron Bay
1 Banksia Drive, Byron Bay
Image credit: Otherside | Instagram
Away from the hustle of Main Beach is the oh-so-sweet Otherside Byron Bay, an unmistakable charcoal building that practically screams ‘good vibes here’.
The Otherside team refresh their menu seasonally, so you'll see changes in the produce and dishes available depending on the time of year you hit them up. We suggest trying one of Otherside’s famously strong coffees—they don't disappoint.
Insider intel
- The cafe does occasionally host pop-up cooking and music events, so keep an eye on Instagram if you’re planning on being in Byron overnight.
Little Byronian
108–114 Jonson Street, Byron Bay
Image credit: Little Byronian | Instagram
In a town dominated by classic cafe cuisine (which we absolutely do love), Little Byronian is a refreshing change of pace. This Middle Eastern-influenced eatery serves up schnitzels and shawarmas from an al fresco establishment outside of the Mercato on Byron mall.
The food here is made for sharing, so grab a chair, snag a slice of your mate’s pita, and start loading it up with everything from hummus to Iraqi pickles.
Insider intel
- In a rush? Grab a coffee (roasted by locally-based Old Quarter Coffee Merchants) and house-baked pretzel to go.
Main image credit: Coffee At Cosmos | Instagram
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