Enjoy brews, views and few whales too watching at Coolangatta’s Black Dingo Cafe
If you prefer your morning brew with a view and a side of whale watching, add Black Dingo Cafe to your must-visit list. Despite only opening two weeks ago, the deck has become a new favourite for locals and passers-by to while away with a coffee in hand. And it’s little wonder, but expansive views, salty sea air and sunshine are just the start of what Black Dingo Cafe has to offer.
The venue’s owner and chef Marcondes Almeida Neto began his career 19 years ago, when he studied gastronomy in London, before moving to Italy and discovering his passion for the Mediterranean coast and, in particular, falling in love with seafood.
For the last three years, Marcondes has been pouring his passion for cooking into creating Cooly Breeze’s modern Mediterranean menu that focuses on fresh seafood.
Having finally recovered from the Covid storm, which hit the border suburb particularly hard, Marco decided that the time was right to throw his hat in the ring to create something special in this incredible location. “I’ve always wanted a cafe,” Marco tells us, looking around the packed dining room with a smile.
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Once you manage to peel your gaze away from the mesmerising ocean view, head inside to the counter and get a glimpse of the cabinet that is brimming with treats and pastries that are imported from France and Portugal and baked onsite. The reason, says Marco, is that when you bite into pastry made in France, you can taste the difference.
When it came to the menu, Marco’s vision was for traditional breakfast classics with a European twist. Among the selections, you’ll find B&E rolls alongside a Moreton Bay bug bao, a 12-hour slow-cooked lamb-shoulder baguette and the popular house-made focaccia. Rounding out Black Dingo Cafe’s offering are brews by Seven Miles Coffee Roasters, smoothies, gelato and ice-cream from Italy.
The name and logo creation has strong links to the area, specifically Duranbah Beach, which is named after the SS Duranbah that ran aground there in 1919, known to the Gudjinburra-Minyangbal people of the Bundjalung nation as Moy Ngagamb, ‘Black Dingo’ beach.
Black Dingo Cafe is envisioned as a welcoming community outpost where you can kick back and enjoy the view and great food. “For a lot of people, it’s about making money, but it’s not about that, it’s about pleasure and experience.”
Black Dingo Cafe is now open. Head to our Stumble Guide for opening times.
