On the Central Coast we practically have coffee on tap. So many local cafés are ready and willing to meet our caffeine obsession with a social buzz and good times. But come Monday, many of those establishments need their own R&R and our love of a cuppa is briefly unrequited. Thank goodness, then, for these coffee shops and restaurants that never rest.
Glee Coffee Roasters, Wyong
For those mad about their daily macchiato or flat white, follow the freshly roasted scent towards a café owned by a self-described ‘bunch of crazy, caffeinated, coffee heads’. Glee Coffee at Wyong was founded by two brothers and their wives who share a passion for a good brew. The café alongside their roasting warehouse (affectionately dubbed ‘The Source’) has maintained a tight focus for more than 10 years. Expect single origin coffees with a side of toasties and a selection of baked goods.
Image courtesy: Glee Coffee Roasters
Waters Edge Restaurant, The Entrance
Ticking over more than a decade gracing The Entrance’s prime position, Waters Edge Restaurant kicks off with leisurely breakfasts from 8 am. Come lunchtime, their expertise in seafood comes to the fore. Whether sitting on the waterside deck or checking out the view from floor-to- ceiling windows, patrons keep requesting the seafood platters and baked fresh whole fish. Notch it up with share-style lunches or keep it simple with coffee served all day.
Image courtesy: Waters Edge Restaurant
Neighbours, Long Jetty
Meet Neighbours, the perfect spring destination, with it’s leafy garden courtyard and fresh new flavours…
Whether you’re soaking up the sunshine or enjoying the company of friends (furry ones included), Neighbours is where the season comes to life. Blending refined flavours with a relaxed coastal charm. On the menu, the standout lamb skewers with macadamia hummus and the decadent sticky date waffles with butterscotch and vanilla bean ice cream have already claimed cult-favourite status.
Image courtesy: Neighbours
Flour & Co, Toowoon Bay
Once upon a time, it was simply Toowoon Bay’s pie shop. Today, Flour & Co is serving up much more than its famous pies with new flavours joining the line-up. The menu now tempts with the hearty Benny Toastie, the iconic Cali burrito, indulgent mini choc cakes, and fresh-made bliss balls, alongside coffee just the way you like it, steaming hot or poured over ice. With much of the menu baked and prepared in-house each day, it’s the perfect spot to settle in or grab something delicious to go.
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Image courtesy: Flour & Co
Café Mocha, Bateau Bay
What does it take for a café located in a beachside suburb – but not near the actual beach – to survive and thrive? Consistently good food, reliably excellent coffee and friendly staff. Take a perch outside with a pooch at your feet, or choose a sage-coloured booth inside to savour chilli scrambled eggs with goats’ cheese or a sticky glazed pork belly salad.
The Fat Goose, Killcare and Kincumber
There’s a bit of a theme across these hardworking Monday-openers: take a long-lived and long-loved cafe, pop in new owners armed with renewed gusto, and make everything fresh and local. That’s the case here too with The Fat Goose, although calling owners Hamish and Blair ‘new’ is a bit of stretch: they’ve spent more than two years proving over and again that this neighbourhood institution has plenty more life from its beginnings in 2009. Think Mecca Coffee, Brasserie Bread single origin artisan sourdough and a seasonal menu. Killcare locals can’t go past the corn fritters with citrus crema and capsicum jam with a choice of tasty sides such as haloumi and smoked salmon. Now Kincumber gets a look-in, with a new kiosk in Kerta Road complementing the original Killcare cafe.
Image courtesy: The Fat Goose
Becker & Co, Avoca Beach
For some, all it takes is a glimpse of a Campos Coffee sign and they’re in. While Becker & Co has been on the scene since 2013, relatively new owners Clare and Joe Conry are keeping everything good about this much-loved café – like detour-worthy coffee – and adding more. Still-warm muffins race out the door each morning while the most popular brunch dish is a slow-cooked red wine, mushroom and brisket pie, baked fresh each day. Like the rotation of sweet treats – look out for raspberry and blueberry custard croissants – everything is made in-house, often by Clare or another family member.
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Image courtesy: Becker & Co
Waterfall Café, Mount Penang Parklands, Kariong
Located only 15 minutes from Gosford’s CBD, Mount Penang Parklands feels like a green-speckled world away. Any visit is worth lingering over, so it makes sense to extend your stay with breakfast or lunch overlooking the parkland’s ponds. Serving up rare roast beef sandwiches or garlic chilli prawns, owner and chef Jas Sandhu has been pleasing customers since 2007. Let birdsong serenade your Monday morning coffee.
