Sand. Salt. Sea breezes. The southern end of the Gold Coast/Kombumerri Country has a genuinely enviable atmosphere, which might be why it’s home to a stable of eateries that make braving the M1 worth it.
We’ve gone ahead and put together 15 of the best cafes in Currumbin and Tugun, in no particular order. So go ahead—get your phone out, clear your schedule, and message your mates. It’s time for a round or three of cafe-hopping in Currumbin and Tugun.
Pasture & Co.
6 Village Way, Currumbin Valley QLD 4223
Pasture & Co might be a little out of the way, but it’s worth the drive. The heart of the Currumbin Valley Ecovillage, this sprawling cafe has become a destination in its own right (and is so popular that it’s undergone multiple expansions over the last few years).
The menu changes seasonally, but expect a diverse lineup that ranges from overloaded burgers to piled pancakes garnished with diced nuts. The star, though, is the slightly notorious lemon meringue pie: a genuinely intimidating confection served in slices as big as your face. Go on—it’s good to indulge once in a while.
After dessert, head to the nearby Bathhouse at Ground for a round of hot tubs and hydro spas. P.S. We’re not exaggerating Pasture & Co’s popularity. Get there relatively early if you’re visiting on the weekend; parking can be tight.
The Salt Mill
784 Pacific Parade, Currumbin QLD 4223
Image Credit: The Salt Mill | Instagram
The perfect hole-in-the-wall might look something like The Salt Mill—sun-faded timber, a vibe that’s casually cool, and wild popularity with the locals. This laidback eatery gazes out across Currumbin Beach, making it the perfect post-swim pitstop.
Park yourself on one of the benches outside (or seize the solo timber ‘table’ if you’re fast enough) and browse the menu. Options range from Allpress caffeine to some of the Gold Coast’s best acai bowls. For maximum culinary pleasure, combine a fresh-pressed green juice with a regular acai bowl topped with extra peanut butter.
Barefoot Barista
794 Pacific Parade, Currumbin QLD 4223
Image Credit: Barefoot Barista | Instagram
If a sit-down meal is more your cup of coffee, wander up a couple of doors from The Salt Mill to Barefoot Barista. The game here is specialty brews and loaded burgers, and, hey, Barefoot plays it well. (Be warned: trying the bacon and beef burger may lead to addiction.)
Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the rest of the menu too. This is classic cafe fare executed to excellence, plus a few very tasty curveballs like the prawn taco bowl. With ocean views and single-origin caffeine from Gabriel Coffee, Barefoot is, hands down, one of Currumbin’s best cafes.
Tarte Beach House
4 Thrower Drive, Currumbin QLD 4223
Image Credit: Tarte Beach House | Pandanus Lane
Sister to the Burleigh Heads icon Tarte Bakery, Tarte Beach House blends Parisian influences with coastal charm. This combination of cafe and restaurant sprawls over two storeys on the banks of the Currumbin River, making it equally great for casual hangs or something a little more refined. (Note: bookings are advised if you’re planning on visiting the restaurant.)
Luckily, the cafe is walk-ins only—the only thing you need to bring is an empty stomach. Choose from a solid lineup of bagels, burgers, and baked goods, plus various gluten-free and vegan dishes like acai and avocado toast. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but our pick would have to be the OG Burrito. That crispy cheese shell is, well, mouthwatering. Consider popping into the adjacent Tarte Market for a little after-lunch gelato.
Refinery Coffee
37 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters QLD 4223
Image Credit: Refinery Coffee | Instagram
The best eateries embody their names, and Refinery is no different. Channelling a pared-back, industrial ambience, this two-storey cafe has some of the best early-morning vibes in Currumbin. Snag a stool on the top level, order your caffeine, and soak up the sunlight.
Speaking of caffeine: all Refinery coffee is brewed on Blackboard beans, which happens to pair splendidly with its lineup of Asian-influenced dishes. Don’t write off Refinery as a morning-only spot, either. Its daily bottomless brunches combine any main with unlimited mimosas (with or without alcohol, your choice).
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Crockd Studio
14 Nuban Street, Currumbin Waters QLD 4223
Image Credit: Crockd Studios | Instagram
Coffee and clay. They don’t sound like they should go together, but they do, and oh so well. Local favourite Stone Studio & Co, which combined community-based potting with an on-site tuckshop, has recently been acquired by fast-growing pottery chain Crockd Studios (whose stable of studios includes locations in Kingscliff and Sydney). Fear not, though—the brews remain as tasty as ever.
If you’re a Stone Studio/Crockd regular, you’ll know that the start of each week brings a new ‘feature filter’ from brands like Floozy Coffee and Wide Open Road. Of course, there’s plenty here for non-filter fans too (including beans from Therefore Coffee), provided you don’t come expecting a standard lunch menu. The tuckshop serves quality grab-and-walk-style fare like smoothies, cups, and toasties. We recommend parking yourself at one of the indoor tables – there’s something oddly relaxing about watching other people pot while you eat.
Stable Coffee Kitchen
570 Gold Coast Highway, Tugun QLD 4224
We’ll say it: Cornerstone Stores is one of the most unique retail precincts on the Gold Coast, and Stable Coffee Kitchen is its heavily caffeinated heart. Picture pops of green against a two-storey backdrop of brick and raw concrete, and you’ll start to get how it feels to visit this deeply stylish cafe.
Specialty coffee. A plant-centric menu. The occasional visiting water dragon. Stable has it all. Don’t worry, omnivores—there’s still plenty of protein up for grabs, ranging from pan-fried fish to highly moreish karaage burgers. Keep an eye on Stable’s socials for evening events, featuring live music and cold drinks served up in the sprawling al fresco entertainment space.
Aperitivo Cafe
8 Thrower Drive, Currumbin QLD 4223
Image Credit: Aperitivo Cafe | Instagram
If Stable feels spacious, modern and urban, Aperitivo Cafe is the opposite. Located just across the road from Tarte, this piccolo-sized eatery harks back to simpler days—you know, strong coffee, square tables spilling onto the sidewalk, and that feel-good local vibe.
The Italian influences aren’t superficial, either. Aperitivo delivers a mouthwatering combination of panini, focaccia, and other authentic Euro delights (including lasagna and cheese-smothered meatballs). The best part: the panini are available gluten-free, and they’re shockingly good. Add a coffee brewed on Niccolo beans and some good company for the perfect Sunday morning.
Dust Temple
54 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters QLD 4223
Eclectic. Untrammelled. Fiercely, funkily different. It’s hard to put a label on a place like Dust Temple. The cafe and bar blur into the art gallery. Indoors and outdoors weave together in a maze of weathered wood, corrugated iron, and sunlight. There’s painting and pottery and artwork everywhere, but the building itself is a kind of giant sculpture.
If we sound like we’re a little in love, it’s because we are. Dust Temple has been around for more than 10 years, and it just keeps getting better with age. Come for a Single O coffee and seasonal sandwich. Stay for the ambience and, if you’re lucky, a weekend rummage sale. Come back again for an evening of live music, drinking, and art. Do you—just make sure you visit.
Kinship
766 Pacific Parade, Currumbin QLD 4223
Image Credit: KInship | Instagram
They say location isn’t everything, but, when you get views of the Pacific Ocean from behind your La Marzocco … well, it’s pretty hard to beat. Kinship is just a few dozen steps off the beach, and it’s reflected in the fresh chow and casual ambience.
A baby on the Currumbin cafe scene, Kinship has carved out a name for itself by balancing crowd-pleasers with summery global influences—like the Tex-Mex breakfast burrito or the Japanese-style protein bowl (matcha is optional but highly recommended). Dose up on Social Espresso coffee and then round out your visit with a quick ocean dip.
Niche & Co
449 Golden Four Drive, Tugun QLD 4224
We don’t like to play favourites, but we have to admit: Niche & Co is one the best places to get acai on the Gold Coast (maybe even the best). You’ve probably already seen their perfectly composed bowls gracing your ’gram, but do yourself a favour and head down.
Not a fan of the purple berry? Don’t stress. Niche & Co plates up plenty of other exceptional dishes too, including those eye-catching charcoal sourdough burgers (courtesy of Burleigh Baker). For the optimal dining experience, grab a spot on the window bench inside, order a coffee and the smoked pork quesadilla—sub in smoked tofu as needed—and enjoy the clean, airy ambience. Oh, and if you decide you need to take away a mocha bowl, be our guest. This is a judgment-free zone.
Hidden Gem Coffee
28 Station Street, Tugun QLD 4224
Image Credit: Hidden Gem | instagram
Tucked into a row of shops opposite Tugun Bowls Club, Hidden Gem Coffee fits its name perfectly. This laidback eatery is the kind of place that’s equally popular with locals and tourists, featuring a seasonal menu that ranges from towering cheeseburgers to bowls of tandoori and quinoa.
On the caffeine side, it’s specialty beans from Paradox Coffee Roasters, consistently brewed to excellence by the Hidden Gem team. Sip at one of the sun-soaked outdoor tables or stay inside and contemplate the full-length Marvel murals while you drink. (Fun fact: the name ‘Hidden Gem’ is a play on the name of the owner, Gemma.)
Good Day Coffee
476 Gold Coast Highway, Tugun QLD 4224
Local favourite Good Day Coffee delivers a lean menu that emphasises traditional cafe offerings like toasties and croissants. And, hey, we’re not complaining—we’ll always take quality like Good Day’s over quantity. Special shoutout to the mushroom toastie, which is happily available gluten-free.
Of course, it helps that the coffee here is excellent as well. This is caffeine for the connoisseurs, brewed on specialty beans from Blackboard. Have yours on one of the countertop stools for an authentic coffee bar experience.
House of Hubert
5 Toolona Street, Tugun QLD 4224
Image Credit: House of Hubert | Instagram
Wander around the corner from Niche & Co and you’ll find yourself outside House of Hubert, a sprawling cafe that’s less than a minute’s walk from Tugun Beach. The decor here is eclectic, white-washed walls and varnished wood highlights punctuated with splashes of tropical greenery. And, with tables that run from the sidewalk to an out-the-back courtyard, it’s perfect for both groups and fur babies.
Expect seasonal dishes with international influences—like Hong Kong French toast and potato rosti—and keep an eye out for the juice of the week. Note: Parking on Toolona Street gets competitive, especially if you’re visiting later in the day. Consider checking out Wyberba and O’Connor Street first—they’re also more convenient if you fancy a post-brunch dip.
Stones Throw
9 Station Street, Currumbin Waters QLD 4223
Don’t let Stones Throw’s unassuming appearance fool you. Owned by sister-and-brother duo Melanie Windsor and Cameron Chartres, this former Burleigh cafe unfolds into an attractive al fresco space featuring boardwalks that wind from table to table. Bonus points if you visit over spring when the jacaranda is in bloom.
The menu, curated by head chef Chartres, is all about flavour. Quesadillas, bibimbap, saag aloo – no cuisine is off limits, and we love it. Try out one of the more adventurous dishes or play it safe with cafe classics like pancakes and acai, then wash it down with Fonzie Abbott coffee or organic Byron Bay tea. Either way, we think Stones Throw will definitely join your list of Currumbin’s best cafes.
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Main image credit: Tarte Beach House | Pandanus Lane
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