Best Cafes in Tasmania: Hidden Gems & Local Favourites

Tasmania is like the cool little sister to Melbourne, a little (okay, a lot) smaller in size, but packing a serious punch when it comes to charming and rustic cafes for your morning coffee buzz.

Obsessed with perfecting a great brew with specialty coffees to fuel a day exploring the state's stunning scenery, the best cafes in Tasmania deliver, whether you need a hearty breakfast bowl, a bacon and egg roll to cure a hangover, or a healthy smoothie.

So, grab your favourite book to enjoy some alone time, or meet up with a mate and explore Tassie's cafe culture from Hobart's CBD to Devonport. 

Parla

Parla (Swedish for 'pearl') is a cosy, rustic cafe in Launceston we can't get enough of. A warm ambience embraces you as you step inside for hot cups of Villino coffee and a simple but winningly executed menu of brunch dishes.

We're partial to their open halloumi sando with pesto, and if you happen to be in town on a Friday evening, pop in for woodfired pizzas, snacks, and special prices on the delicious espresso martinis.

187 Wellington Street, Launceston

Laneway

Open 7 days a week providing the good people of Devonport with great coffee, Laneway does breakfast classics and hearty feeds.

Keep it simple with bircher muesli or smashed avo, or try the Farmers Mess, a rustic omelette with potato, mushroom, roast red capsicum, chedda and spinach on rye toast with thick­cut bacon.

Check out their socials for themed dinner events and live music nights!

2/38 Steele Street, Devonport

Off Centre

Say hello to the best baristas in town! Serving a slice of good vibes and great coffee, Off Center is the Launceston locale that needs to be on your radar in 2024.

The team here know their coffee in and out. They also know it's best paired with expert coffee art, vintage fashion and the flakiest pastries. It's a cool space too - need we say more? 

2A Kingsway, Launceston

Sweetbrew Coffee House

If you consider yourself a coffee snob (no judgments here), head directly to Sweetbrew. The black and yellow interiors feature a communal table, with little nooks for cosy and intimate catch-ups or solo dining. Sweetbrew’s all-day brunch menu is well worth an explore, while Manu Bread’s pastries are hard to pass up.  

There are outdoor seating options too (dog friendly) for the warmer months, and you can order coffees online if you wish to expedite the experience. Tick, tick, tick! 

95 George Street, Launceston 

The Chapel

Have you ever dined in a converted chapel? No? Well, in Burnie, you can! The Chapel is the cafe in a lovingly restored chapel from the 1800s, and it has your coffee, breakfast, brunch and lunch needs sorted. 

The menu changes to reflect the season's best produce, but you can expect healthy salad bowls, soups in the cooler months, sandwiches, classic bacon and eggs, and freshly baked pastries.

A place where the community is of utmost importance, you will feel like a regular from your first visit!

50 Cattley Street, Burnie

The Lifebuoy Cafe

For a delicious brunch in St Helens, head to The Lifebuoy Cafe, a charming little cafe in the centre of town. The staff are so friendly here, and they serve up great coffee and delicious food using local ingredients – try the Canadian waffles with crispy bacon or the house-made spicy beans stacked on a lentil and chickpea patty, topped off with avo and halloumi. 

If you need extra incentive to go to Lifebuoy, it’s attached to a little homewares shop Sco & Co., where you can pick up some precious trinkets.

29 Quail Street, St Helens

Born in Brunswick

This leafy, light-filled, spacious cafe is a welcomed arrival to North Hobart’s cafe scene. Born in Brunswick's octopus and nduja scrambled eggs and kale and corn fritters are a textural and flavour-packed dish, and those with a sweet tooth will find it hard to look past vanilla hotcakes with lemon curd, blueberries, pistachio praline and kaffir and coconut ice cream (did anyone say ‘dessert for breakfast’?). 

Their drinks game is next level with exceptional coffee, an exciting smoothie list, breakfast mimosas and iced chocolates topped with cream.  

Book a spot for brunch, stat! 

410 Elizabeth Street, Hobart 

Ashmore on Bridge Street

A favourite cafe in Richmond, the warm and welcoming Ashmore on Bridge Street offers a fresh take on cafe culture, balancing tradition and trend in its historic surroundings of rustic brick, polished wood floors and a roaring fireplace. 

Expect a homey vibe upon arrival and breakfast temptations like their super popular pancakes, usually accompanied by a berry compote or salted caramel sauce (and ice cream, duh) and chia pudding bowls. The delicious housemade cakes, scones and sweet treats at the counter are bound to entice.

34 Bridge Street, Richmond 

Sisterhood

Designed by Biasol Design, Sisterhood is Hobart's all-day eatery inspired by Tulum. The tropical prints, playful colours and rattan furniture make this an Insta-worthy brunch or dinner spot.

With an extensive menu, there's something for everyone at this Sandy Bay cafe. We're particularly partial to their chilli scrambled eggs with smoked harissa yoghurt and pecorino on charred sourdough.

Are you celebrating something, or perhaps on holiday with the girls? Every day from 9.00 am, join the cheeky bottomless mimosa sessions to step up your brunch game and get ready for a good time because everything’s just peachy at Sisterhood 

4/48 King Street, Sandy Bay 

Pigeon Hole

Come in for a paddock-to-plate experience at Pigeon Hole. Richard and Belinda Weston of Weston Farm Produce acquired Pigeon Hole to showcase their farms' fresh produce, so the cafe's menu is ever-evolving.

The chefs' knowledge of what the farm is producing is maintained through regular visits to source food, participation in general farming activities, and a real and direct connection with the land. Fully licensed, it's also serving up some of the best Tasmanian wine, beer and cider. 

93 Goulburn Street, West Hobart

Room for a Pony

Room For A Pony is everything you want from a neighbourhood cafe in Tasmania, a short walk from the heart of Hobart. The interiors are chic yet minimalist, with exposed brick contributing to the industrial aesthetic.

The breakfast menu provides a welcome spin on the classics - think sardines on toast or scrambled silken tofu with an Asian mushroom medley. Best of all, they double as an evening haunt with lunch, dinner and pizza on tap. The alfresco space is ideal for a Sunday sesh!

338 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart 

Cake & Honey

It doesn't get much more charming than this bakery and cafe in Swansea. Whether you're a local, or passing through on your Tasmanian road trip, you won't want to miss a sweet treat from Cake & Honey.

Only open 4 days a week (from Wednesday to Saturday, with the occasional Sunday thrown in), the cakes sell like... well, hot cakes! 

Tarts, slices, croissants, muffins, cookies, lamingtons, quiche - you name it, they've baked it. With the scrumptious pastry selection on display, your hardest task will be choosing which treat to pair with your morning coffee.

44 Franklin Street, Swansea

Hamlet

In a converted warehouse covered in sunny murals on the outside, and warm textures inside, lies Hamlet, a gem of a cafe that does things a little differently. Located at one end of the Hobart Rivulet Track (which we strongly recommend walking the easy scenic path — you might even spot the resident platypus), the tables outside are often packed with diners (and their dogs), while inside the reclaimed brick, particle boarding and woodfire provides a beautiful setting.

The coffee is superb, as are the sweets, but it’s hard to go past the omelettes or seasonal and creative salads.  

Hamlet is also hugely successful as one of the best social enterprises in Tasmania, providing work experience and employment skills to the greater community.

They don’t open on weekends so make your plans for during the week. Any visit to Hamlet is a memorable one, and you can take a bit home with you by purchasing from their line of condiments. Great for your sandwich, great for the community!

40 Molle Street, Hobart

Did you love our list of the best cafes in Tasmania? You might be full from your brunch now, but come dinner time, we've got you covered for another hearty feed with the best restaurants in Launceston and Hobart.