5 RCA Café Award-winning Venues to Get Your Day Started Right!

There is no doubt the café culture is alive and well Down Under…think weekend brunches with family and friends or coffee catch ups at your favourite local venue.

As we continue on our delicious drive around Readers’ Choice Award-winning venues from top to the bottom of Australia, here are five cafes that you have singled out as your favourites:

 

Hip and happening foodies head to Blue Café Inc on Invermay Road in Launceston. Located in the middle of Inveresk Railyards and housed in a former power station, this café attracts not only local Mums, prams and pensioners but also students and sports-minded diners, ready for a coffee and bite to eat after hitting the nearby running track.

Concrete and wood dominate this venue while high glass walls let in natural light, as guests chill out over a cappuccino and breakfasts like Blue’s lamb Benny – poached free-range eggs, shredded Mudbar lamb, greens, muffins and chimichurri Hollandaise – or smashed avo, feta mousse, charred asparagus and tropical salsa, on sourdough.

 

 

Find your perfect little local eatery with a twist at Café Beetroot on Anketell Street in Greenway. The ultimate dream of hospitality couple Wonjin Kong and Bella Yu, this stylish café exudes a clean, green vibe of trailing greenery, a glass frontage for natural light and cosy table settings; ideal for lingering over a brew and bite with family and friends.

Expect a nod to their Korean heritage on a menu with choices like kimchi scrambled eggs, soy pepita, togarashi, sesame oil, shallots and coriander, on sourdough toast; or lunch plates such as gochujang pork tacos, with crème fraiche, Asian slaw, cheddar cheese, fried shallots and lime.

 

 

Enjoy great food and coffee inside the ivy-covered bluestone walls of an historic jail at Gaol Café Kilmore on Sutherland Street. This well-loved eatery has a dog-friendly courtyard with stunning gardens to soak up rays on balmy days, while indoors, artwork and gifts tempt diners in surrounds of latticed windows and potted greenery.

Stop in early for a caffeine fix and breaky of eggs Atlantic – smoked salmon, poached eggs, spinach and Hollandaise, on an English muffin – or dine later and chow down on a Scotch fillet steak sandwich, with lettuce, cheese, tomato, beetroot, caramelised onion and tomato relish, served on Turkish bread with chips.

 

Escape reality at Method to the Madness on Marshall Lane in Kenmore. This Shakespearean-inspired café takes its name from the well-known saying from ‘Hamlet' and is the result of two Chefs' adventurous journeys that led to a vision of creating a space where people come together over food.

A warm, modern style offers an inviting vibe to bury yourself in one of Shakespeare's plays from the bookshelf while indulging in housemade pastries and freshly brewed coffee. From a menu celebrating fresh, Australian native produce, choose all-day dishes such as zucchini and corn fritters, turmeric coriander yoghurt, poached egg, onion jam and rocket.

 

Everything is shiny in every way at Kingscliff locally-loved café Shiny Brew on Cylinders Drive. Stroll up from the golden sands of Kingscliff Beach and take a load off at this warm and fuzzy eatery, where polished concrete floors, multi-coloured chairs and wall art, set the scene for catching up with friends over a coffee and brunch bite.

Weekend diners can devour specials such as miso eggs Benedict with halloumi chunks, sautéed mushrooms, housemade miso Hollandaise, poached eggs and toast; or corn fritters, harissa yoghurt, a drizzle of honey, halloumi, cherry tomatoes and sesame seeds, washed down with a fresh fruit juice or smoothie.