For those of us on the East Coast, Tasmania is just a short plane trip away, making it both an accessible and awe-inspiring holiday destination. Australia’s smallest state is known for its natural beauty – rugged coastlines, stunning mountain ranges and untouched old growth forest. The cities and towns are lined with convict built sandstone buildings and proud locals happy to share the history of the island. It might be chilly over winter, but in the summer months Tasmania comes alive with a series of festivals, focusing on the state’s fine foods, unique wines and nautical history. What better place to take the family this upcoming summer?
Tassie’s well-deserved reputation for great produce and cool climate wines means planning a roadtrip based on places to eat and drink is perfectly acceptable and incredibly practical.
As for coffee, there’s a growing group of local cafes slinging out specialty brews to the masses. With a handful of those cafes proudly representing Five Senses Coffee, we think the choice of where to pick up your daily fix is pretty simple. Here’s our pick for coffee on your next trip to Tas.
Yellow Bernard
A stalwart of the Hobart CBD, Yellow Bernard has been operating for over 6 years. This tiny, hole in the wall café caters to neighbouring businesses and city shoppers alike. Proprietor and coffee enthusiast David Jolly prides himself on the consistency of his coffee, using meticulous brewing methods and recipes to achieve peak deliciousness. A strong focus on staff training and development helps achieve this goal, and results in a coffee service that is both engaging and informing. The home barista is embraced here, with retail beans and brewing merchandise available – not to mention a long yarn about coffee with David, if you’re in the mood!
Over summer Yellow Bernard offers two varieties of signature cold coffees – the Mr.Collins; a lightly sparkling Kenyan cold brew, and the Fast Eddie; brewed with vanilla and spices, and served slightly sweetened with milk. Both are light, refreshing and unique. Their sparkling cascara drink is the perfect balance of fruity sweetness and tea like florals, definitely one to add to the roadtrip hit-list! Crompton Road takes pride of place as house blend, and rotating singles are used for black coffees. The filter offerings are freshly batch brewed multiple times a day, dialled in daily as well as refracted and recorded, ensuring they are some of the best in town.
Yellow Bernard
1/109 Collins Street,
Hobart TAS
Opening hours
Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm
Sat: 9am-2pm
Sun: closed
Seven Monks
Head north to Launceston, and along the way you’ll pass by Seven Monks on Hobart Road, in Kings Meadows. Carlo and Simone opened the store in 2014 as a homewares and gift store, with a small café on the side. The locals obviously liked the coffee, as three years on the cafe makes up the greater part of the business! Featuring a menu made up of locally sourced produce, and a huge range of tasty homemade treats, it’s a great spot to post up for a mid-shopping break. Crompton Road is brewed on a La Marzocco Linea PB, alongside rotating single origins used for espresso and pour over filter. They also make up the base of Seven Monk’s iced cold brew, served over a giant ice cube with a slice of orange for optimum refreshment. And after coffee? Time for some retail therapy, as you peruse the shop’s eclectic wares for your next treasure.
Seven Monks
120 Hobart Road
Kings Meadows TAS
Opening hours
Mon-Fri: 7.30am-4.30pm
Sat: 8am-3pm
Sun: 8.30am-3.30pm
Sweet Brew
In the middle of Launnie’s CBD sits Sweet Brew, an ever-evolving café that simultaneously services the city crowd and local coffee enthusiasts. The space was originally opened in 2013 as a hole-in-the-wall coffee bar, but has been expanded several times since, making the most of the old carriage way it inhabits. Most recently, owners Tim and Archana have taken over the shopfront next door, an expansion that included relocating and enlarging the kitchen, and a redesign of the coffee bar. The new space is filled with light, with the large communal table providing ample elbow space to stretch out. Overlooking the room is a mural of a beautiful coffee drinker, her headscarf in the colours of the Ethiopian flag, reflecting both Arch’s heritage and her love of coffee.
On the door are printed the words: Do Good, Be Nice, Drink Coffee, Repeat – which aptly sums up the type of people and service you’ll find at Sweet Brew. An inspired and delicious vegetarian menu is served alongside pastries from local patisserie, Manubread. Usually found behind his three group Synesso, Tim is proud of his coffee set up, which includes a Mazzer Kold and the ever handy Puqpress, which enables them to brew consistently tasty coffee. Dark Horse is served as house blend, and rotating singles for black coffees.
Sweet Brew
93a George Street
Launceston TAS
Opening hours
Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm
Sat: 8am-3pm
Sun: 8am-2pm
Lichen
The north east of Tasmania is rightfully renowned for exceptional, pristine landscapes. Sitting at the southern tip of the Bay of Fires is Binalong Bay. Just a couple of hundred people live in this fishing town year round, but it is a popular holiday destination over summer, intrepid tourists arrive to explore the amazing surrounds. Overlooking the beach is restaurant Lichen, named for the red lichen that grows on the rocks that give the Bay of Fires such a stunning appearance. Owners Glenn and Jacquie first visited the area years ago and were smitten by its beauty (not to mention the fishing!). They returned full time last year to open Lichen; a restaurant and café. Locals and tourists alike have quickly clued in to the locally sourced menu, perfectly blistered wood fire pizza, and of course, delicious coffee! Featuring Crompton Road espresso from their La Marzocco Linea PB, Lichen has you sorted for your beach time caffeine fix!
Lichen
66 Main Rd
Binalong Bay TAS
Opening hours
Mon-Tues: Closed
Wed-Sat: 9am-10pm
Sun: 8am-4pm
Whether you’re a local, or visiting for the first time, Tasmania holds many delights to enjoy. Next time you’re traveling around the state be sure to stop in and check out these excellent Five Senses Coffee cafes, and bring good coffee into your hands!
