The Best Cafes In Canberra For Your Flat White And French Toast

26th Nov 2025

Written by: Tahlia Arnold

Contributors: Ilaria Sanzari

Canberra’s cafe scene is booming—in fact, it's home to some of the best brunches and coffee in Australia. With a focus on locally sourced produce, great coffee and community, Canberra’s cafes are an exciting drawcard for those looking for a trip to the capital.

With plenty to do in the city, from exploring wineries to Parliament House to living out your childhood dreams at Questacon, make sure to fuel up beforehand with Urban List’s recommendations for the best cafes in Canberra.

Recess

6B Barker Street, Griffith

View of the cafe with white and brown sqaure tile flooring, retro tables with chairs and booths lining the right and a vinly connection and counter on the right Image Credit: Recess | Facebook

Recess is taking us back to old-school cafe dining with a focus on great service, food and coffee—they even roast the beans themselves. Menu staples include the fluffy buttermilk pancakes, brekkie burrito, and charcoal-roasted porchetta sandwich, which you can pair with a glass from their rotating wine list at lunchtime.

This Canberra cafe has great vibes with a dog-friendly courtyard, retail shelf stocked with interesting reads and coffee paraphernalia, and record player spinning vinyl tunes.

Cafe Sosta

Red Shed, John Cardiff Close, Acton

Image Credit: Cafe Sosta | Supplied

Cafe Sosta is encouraging people to slow down, pause and smell the coffee. This Italian cafe tucked in the community-focused Red Shed rowing hub is set right on the water and has a huge deck, so you can enjoy stunning water views to start your day.

As the sibling to beloved Canberra Italian restaurant Agostinis, Cafe Sosta's menu has an Italian lean, with unique dishes like the breakfast frico (a melty slab of Montasio cheese with egg, potato and tomato), panettone French toast served with whipped mascarpone and berry compote, and filled paninis and pasta for lunch.

Red Brick

Shop 1/1 Constitution Ave, Canberra; 161 Newcastle Street, Fyshwick; 4/31 Curtin Place, Curtin

A wide shot of the interior of Red Brick cafe where a couple are seated talking over coffee and another person is standing by the coffee machine waiting for their drink. The place is well lit and welcoming. Image credit: Red Brick | Website

It’s all about the coffee at one of Canberra’s most popular roasters, Red Brick. Aptly named after the small red-bricked Canberra venue they started in, the cafe has grown since into three venues, and a roastery that supplies homes and cafes across the country. With cafe classics like toasties, breakfast rolls and granola on the menu, they make the perfect pairing with your expertly brewed coffee.

Good Neighbour

1/55 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston

Outside view of cafe in grey building with sage green chairs and tables out front Image Credit: Good Neighbour | Instagram

The scent of freshly baked cookies and brewing coffee draws you into Good Neighbour, located in Kingston. They serve up a wide array of brunch specials, like their chilli crab folded eggs or apple crumble porridge.

It’s also the perfect place to try the viral strawberry iced matcha, but keep your eye on their socials for exciting weekly food and drink specials.

Margot

West Kiosk, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes

Water background with trees partially covering outdoor dining area with wicker chairs and grey umbrellas Image Credit: Margot | Website

Margot, located near Parliament House, is a wine and espresso bar with a focus on local produce. With outdoor seating under lush greenery, if you’re lucky, you can enjoy the Canberra sun while enjoying a toastie for lunch or watch the sunset sipping wine and eating wood-fired pizza for their Friday to Sunday dinner sessions.

You might also like

The Cupping Room

1/1-13 University Avenue, Canberra CBD

View of the cafe interior with wooden tables, wood eiling and cafe counter to the right Image Credit: The Cupping Room | Best Restaurants

Canberra-born ONA coffee’s venue The Cupping Room continues to showcase the quality and sustainable coffee produced by the original venue. With an extensive coffee menu, you can try their roasted beans in a variety of forms from cold brews to affogatos.

To go with your coffee, try their incredibly thick and fluffy French toast soaked in cinnamon, stuffed with house-made custard, and drizzled with crumbly biscoff sauce on top.

Two Before Ten

Various Locations

A variety of dishes on a wood background including brocollini, potatoes, carrots, poached pear with granola and more Image Credit: Two Before Ten | Facebook

Two Before Ten emphasises sustainability and community in their cafes. Roasting their own coffee and sourcing produce from their urban farm, they also aim to work with businesses to highlight local produce and build community through business connections.

With multiple locations across Canberra, it’s easy to drop in and taste the quality in their local-grown food.

Gang Gang

Shop 4/2 Frencham Place, Downer

Outdoor of the venu with tressle covered in fairy lights and people gathered outside the brick building Image Credit: Gang Gang | Website

Gang Gang is a venue that does it all, being a cafe, bar and live music venue all in one. Roasting their coffee themselves, the venue, set in a solar-powered brick building with outdoor seating under fairy lights, serves up breakfast classics alongside dishes with a twist. Go for a focaccia sandwich or be adventurous and try their ricotta hot cake with mandarin compote and mascarpone cream.

Močan and Green Grout

1/19 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra

Interior of the cafe with wood decorating, round and square tables and a bar Image Credit: Močan and Green Grout | Hotel Hotel

Močan and Green Grout, located in Canberra’s NewActon precinct, is an ethical and eco-friendly cafe and restaurant with a rotating seasonal menu. They take locally sourced produce to heart, growing their own herbs in a planter box at the front of the cafe. Some menu highlights include their baked eggs with chickpeas, tomato, goats cheese and sourdough or the panna cotta with passionfruit, strawberry and cinnamon.

Bario Collective Coffee

59/30 Lonsdale St, Braddon; Dairy Rd, Fyshwick

A wide image of the interior of Bario Collective Coffee where the design is minimalistic and there is a large window wall in the background of the image leading out to the street. A single man sits down on the cafe benches, invested in his journal writing. Image credit: Bario Collective Coffee | Facebook

Open on Canberra’s streets looking sleek and elegantly put together, Bario Collective Coffee specialises in everything from roasting their own beans to serving your latte hot to go. On top of being coffee experts, Bario Collective also offers light bites in style, with classics like a brekky roll and toasties with cheese oozing from the sides.

Bonus: this spot is very dog-friendly, so bring your pal along (your pooch might even get their own picture posted on the cafe’s socials).

Gather

4/24 Mort St, Braddon

Interior of cafe with exposed brick wall, plants hanging from the ceiling, brown and wood booths with chairs opposite and bar seating area Gather is offering healthy food that centres on sustainability. With a venue that emphasises community, it’s a place to gather with friends while indulging in their brunch menu. The natural light-filled venue, with plants draping from the roof, offers a natural escape in the midst of the city. Try their Turkish eggs with confit garlic yoghurt and aleppo pepper butter or their Belgian waffles with rhubarb and strawberry compote, hazelnut, and house-made white chocolate ice cream.

Lonsdale Street Roasters

Building 2, Tenancy 5/1 Dairy Rd, Fyshwick

Image credit: Lonsdale Street Roasters | Instagram

This spot in Canberra doesn’t just roast their own beans, but brings a groove to your coffee mornings that will get your body moving more than caffeine alone ever could. Lonsdale Street Roasters serves drinks hot, cold, and just the way you like it, while keeping things fun with their regular DJ guests. Not only do they serve good beats alongside your coffee, but they also hold frequent deals and collaborations where you can get a coffee free–keep an eye on their socials so you don’t miss the next one.

Now check out

Main Image Credit: Redbrick Coffee | Facebook

Urban List Best Of: has our highest stamp of approval—curated lists of the very best recommendations for you to eat, do, see, buy or book, carefully chosen by our Editors.