The year in review: the Gold Coast’s best cafes and casual eateries that opened in 2025
From suburban caffeination pit stops to top-tier taco slingers and beachside bites, 2025 has been a very good year for hungry Gold Coasters. New neighbourhood nooks have popped up in all the right places, dishing out killer coffee, clever comfort food and laidback vibes that feel tailor-made for our sun-soaked lifestyle. Whether you’re chasing your next morning ritual spot, a breezy lunch hang or somewhere to soak up an afternoon spritz, here’s ten of the best cafes and casual eateries that opened on the Gold Coast in 2025 – and trust us, they’re all worth adding to your weekly rotation.
Velvet Cafe & Lounge, Miami
If there was one opening that captured the Coast’s evolving cafe sophistication, it was Velvet Cafe & Lounge. This moody Miami retreat doesn’t just serve breakfast — it elevates it. Owners Stefany Rincon and John Potter have carved out a space where European wine-bar elegance meets morning ritual, all dressed in maroon velvet, soft gold lighting and an unmistakable sense of occasion. The French-toast fondue, Spanish tortilla and Blackboard brews feel right at home amongst the plush booths and polished service, while afternoons see the venue melt into a golden-lit lounge made for unhurried conversation. Instantly adored and impossible to forget, Velvet is one of 2025’s defining arrivals.
Public Supply, Tweed Heads
Few new openings caused more of a commotion than Public Supply. This stripped-back, milk-crate-furnished nook has become one of Tweed’s most frenzied morning pilgrimages – a humble courtyard cafe with an almost cult-like following. The menu is tighter than tight – exceptional coffee, creative signature drinks, cereal cups that will transport you back to your childhood watching Saturday Disney, and the scrolls. The scrolls. Dropping Thursday to Sunday, flavours like Naked Cinny, Pistachio, Choccy Bueno and Biscoff Crumble sell out in minutes, with fans queueing down the pathway up to an hour before open. Drinks are just as inventive – from orange-kissed Mont Blanc cold brews to coconut-foam-topped Choc Cloud Espressos. With its precision, personality and pastries worth waking up early for, Public Supply became one of the region’s buzziest destinations overnight.
The Hearth, Mudgeeraba
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Tucked into the suburban calm of Hardy’s Road, The Hearth has quietly become the heart of Mudgeeraba’s cafe scene. Owner Mikka Richter built the venue around a simple belief that food tastes better when it feels like home. The result is a bright, comforting and deeply genuine space where locals drift in for morning coffees, hearty lunches and weekend brunches that tend to stretch long past midday. The menu mirrors Mikka’s philosophy of nourishing simplicity – wholesome classics, thoughtful twists and baked treats made with clear care. Friendly, familiar and full of warmth, The Hearth embodies its name – not in the literal fire sense, but a gathering place filled with connection.
Luna’s Deli, Coolangatta
A sun-kissed slice of Europe on Marine Parade, Luna’s Deli is the kind of place you can (and should) visit morning to afternoon. Behind the counter, French pastry chef Loic and Argentinian-Italian chef Yazmin craft three-day laminated pastries, pillowy focaccia sandwiches and silky gelato without shortcuts or premixes. The result is a deli-cafe hybrid with French Riviera charm – breezy, bright and anchored by exceptional technique. Whether you’re lingering in the alfresco space or grabbing a loaded focaccia to go, Luna’s delivers world-class craft with coastal ease.
Costa Taco, Burleigh Heads
Burleigh’s newest taqueria has arrived with all the sunshine, swagger and seaside charisma you’d expect from a venue born for long summer days. After a demolition clause in Costa Taco’s original home in Palm Beach was activated, the crew decided to bring its signature blend of coastal-Mex flavours and laidback party energy to a brand-new Burleigh outpost, turning handmade tortillas, beef birria and punchy salsas into a full-blown experience. The space leans into raw textures and tiled details, with bold yellow accents that echo the warmth of the neighbourhood outside. On the menu, everything is crafted with colour and intention – from zingy ceviche and charred elote to slow-braised beef dunked into molten consomme and margaritas that taste like pure holiday mode. It’s fresh, fun and unmistakably Burleigh, the kind of place where a quick taco stop effortlessly becomes an afternoon session with friends. Whether you’re rolling in sandy-footed from the beach or settling in for a sun-soaked feast, Costa Taco is serving big-summer flavour with serious flair.
’94 Cafe, Palm Beach
If matcha had a fan club on the Gold Coast, ’94 Cafe would be its clubhouse. This compact spot has quickly become a coastal favourite, known for its hyper-focused approach to matcha. Here, ’94 treats matcha with the same reverence most venues reserve for specialty coffee – whisked to order, vibrant in colour, and blended into inventive drinks that range from earthy and traditional to playful and modern. Think creamy iced-matcha lattes, subtle salted-caramel riffs and bright, fruit-lifted versions perfect for warm beach days. Alongside the matcha, you’ll find a tight menu of easygoing bites – loaded mortadella focaccia sandwiches, fresh bowls, baked treats and light breakfast plates that play well with the drink offering. It’s the kind of place you pop into once and then somehow return to three times a week.
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Little Quán 55, Burleigh Heads
From the team behind Chirn Park’s beloved Quán 55 comes Little Quán 55, a bright-yellow banh mi haven that’s already carved out a loyal following on James Street. The banh mi are textbook perfect – crackling roast pork, house-made pate, crunchy pickles and herbs stacked in warm crusty baguettes – while bubbling broth pots turn out steaming bowls of pho topped with rare beef, brisket and fresh herbs. Add crispy spring rolls, vibrant noodle salads and strong Vietnamese iced coffee, and it’s easily one of the Coast’s best new grab-and-go lunch stops.
Bread Winner Sandwiches, Kingscliff
Bread Winner stands out as a coastal sandwich shop that celebrates craft, community and serious flavour. Tucked just steps from the shore, Bread Winner is run by former home-dads turned culinary maters Kyle Mapp and Reuben Kremer, who set out to show that a humble sandwich can be elevated to something extraordinary. The compact menu hits in all the right places – the crispy-pork belly banh mi – layered with house-pickled veg, pork crackling and zingy nuoc cham – has become a local cult favourite, while the slow-braised meatball sub with vodka sauce and smoked scamorza cheese draws equally devoted fans. Add in globally inspired focaccias, veg-heavy rolls and rotating specials, and every sandwich feels like a carefully composed flavour journey. Inside is cosy but character rich with 70s-style timber panelling, warm tones, compact indoor seating with a takeaway bench for those grabbing something to go, and a breezy alfresco area perfect for post-beach bites.
Butter Bodega, Labrador
Butter Bodega is the northern Gold Coast’s newest hybrid convenience store – part sandwich haven, part independent grocer and all-around coffee stop. Springing to life underneath Aqua along Marine Parade, Butter Bodega has become a popular pit-stop for excellent coffee, artisan sandwiches and locally sourced goods. The coffee is by Melbourne’s Padre and there’s a scattering of fun iced creations on offer, including the caramel-popcorn-topped iced latte, which tastes like dessert in a cup. When it comes to the food, owners Monique and Ivan tested hundreds of variations before settling on a succinct, quality-driven menu. The Bangalow spiced pastrami on New York rye is a delightful take on a classic Reuben, and if you fancy a bold flavour, wrap your mitts around the black-truffle squid-ink salami with honey on a seeded baguette.
Dayo Cafe, Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads has a new waterfront brunch star with the arrival of Dayo Cafe, the latest offering from the team behind George’s Deli in Kingscliff. Set in the sprawling former Baked at Ancora site, the 120-seat venue has been transformed into a pastel-hued, picnic-table-strewn, open-air haven overlooking the river, complete with nostalgic design touches inspired by 90s Filipino homes. The menu draws on Southeast Asian flavours with a modern twist, featuring standouts like the spicy Longganisa scramble with house-made sausage, K-Pop chicken waffles with spicy maple and tomato mascarpone, and the comforting beef omurice with curry sauce and a fluffy egg tornado. With Ground Control coffee on pour, vibrant French toast, mushroom rice bowls, burgers and brunch rolls rounding out the menu, Dayo delivers hearty dishes designed for lingering. Warm, welcoming and brimming with personality, it’s the kind of place you’ll want to settle into for the morning.
Honourable mentions: Of course, this is just the tip of the culinary iceberg! As much as we would have loved to include every single cafe opening, our word count would simply not allow it. If you’re on the hunt for some more sensational new openings, check out Relaxed Espresso in Mermaid Beach, Cheek Cafe in Southport, Uni’s Bakehouse in Surfers Paradise, Nice Nice in Tweed Heads, Llamas to the Sky in Burleigh Heads and cult-fave chicken shop Fricken in Broadbeach.
Keep your peepers peeled in coming weeks for our top ten bars and restaurants that opened in 2025.