From artisan coffee roasters to picturesque picnic spots with amazing espresso, this guide has everything you need to know about where to find the best coffee when road tripping around Tasmania.
We have already highlighted the best coffee spots in Launceston and Hobart in other Tasmanian blog posts.
But if you’re looking to book a trip a bit further afield, to visit the many wonders of Tasmania’s East Coast, hit the rugged southern regions south of Hobart, or explore the wines and wonders of Tasmania’s northern coastline above Launceston, this Tasmanian coffee road trip guide will make sure you’re always well caffeinated along the way.
Just off 12 hours on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry in Devonport, and looking for caffeine, fast?! Or, got more time and want to savour the best coffee brews around Tasmania’s northern coast? Don’t worry, because there’s a surprising amount of fantastic coffee activity going on here.
Devonport
A small-scale Devonport coffee roaster aimed towards the home-based coffee-maker, Leaping Goat sell a tasty range of intriguing roasts as well as serious home kit, espresso machines, and any equipment or accessories you could think of. If you don’t have the space to lug home a new grinder or scales, maybe a bag of their beautiful beans would work: the darkly roasted, rich toffee-flavoured Mocha gives a beefy pick-me-up, the naturally stone-fruit and lightly acidic Brazilian Cherry with a gorgeous chocolate finish is ideal for espressos and black coffees, while the small-batch, organic, single-origin Tolima Farmer’s Reserve roast is something very special, deeply aromatic with a nutty brightness, smooth mouthfeel and a touch of molasses. Their coffee bar in Devonport is open to the public, so pop in, have a taste and have a chat.
Devonport
Gioconda Coffee may be better known to coffee lovers in Hobart – since its popular drive-thru coffee operation in Claremont has won the 7HOFM’s Best Coffee in Hobart award several times over the past half decade – but Devonport is actually the home base of this popular Tasmanian coffee roaster. Visit their Verona Devonport location any weekday morning to see the roasting process up close. Or just swing by to grab a coffee, talk about beans, and take a bag home. Their core range has three Premium Blends wavering each side of smooth and balanced: the Gioconda Signature roast brings beans from South America and the Pacific together into a creamy, rich blend with muted acidity and a thick crema, while the Gold Roast is a complex combo of nine different varieties in an intense, complex blend, and the Dark Roast has a robust, Italian-espresso depth, swimming in dark chocolate, hazelnut and toasted chestnut richness.
Burnie
A cute, boutique roastery housed in a cute old townhouse, Infuse is often easiest to find by locating the queues coming out of its door. A local Burnie favourite, Infuse combines cute cafe, surprisingly stocked coffee-accessory shop (going as far as coffee-themed interior decor and crockery), and a busy bean-roasting operation. The queue moves quickly, the coffee is delicious, and there’s a friendly community vibe to boot. The range of both single origins and blends shifts a bit, but it always has plenty of variety. Their Wild Espresso has done particularly well on best coffee lists and the Fine Food Award scene, picking up praise for its full nutty and sweet aroma, balanced out by a deep chocolatey richness that appeals to a broad palate range.
Camdale
There are many things devilishly enticing about this quirky Camdale coffee roaster, but one thing might stand out above the rest for curious coffee lovers on a Tasmanian coffee road trip: their unique range of whisky- and rum-infused coffee beans. Yes, it’s cool that they sell Rainforest Alliance roasted ground “Devilicious” coffee, and chocolate-coated coffee beans, and support Tasmanian devil wildlife appeals. But the rum and whisky coffee bean range is what really makes this Camdale roastery a must-visit for any coffee lovers hitting Tasmania’s north coast.
Railton
A cool coffee bar gives way to an even more enticing small-batch roasting operation at Gear, just south of Launceston in Railton. The fully stripped-back, industrial-chic cafe space is filled with the delicious aromas of freshly roasted and ground coffee, intertwined with decadently indulgent in-house baked treats – their excessively gooey Kit Kat or dark chocolate brownies, or zingy lemon-zest and blueberry muffins are popular standards. Most important for visiting “caffeinds”, though, is the in-house roaster, which allows you to see their full green-bean-to-cup operation up close and personal.
If you’re lining up a visit to the Bay of Fires, Freycinet National Park, Port Arthur or one of many other major highlights on an East Coast Tasmanian road trip, be sure to drop in and perk up at one of these fabulous East Coast coffee spots along the way.
Bridport
Not technically on the East Coast, but rather on the eastern side of the North Coast (about 80km northeast of Launceston in Bridport), we’re starting with PL Coffee Company because it’s just a good little local roaster to know about while you’re in the area. They have a simple but strong range of core blends: the rounded, deep and complex Cafe blend, their smooth and delicate, European-style Amsterdam, and the ever-changing Journey blend, which is adjusted on the fly each time, according to different beans, in order to attain varying levels of caramel richness, fruit-cake spice and cocoa notes. PL (short for “Pot Luck”) don’t have an on-site cafe or shop. However, they do regular “coffee run” drop-offs to Launceston, or you can order online.
Scamander
If you want a cool coffee spot to stop at on Tasmania’s East Coast, it’s hard to beat Swims. Chill vibes, beach views, a converted old shipping container, even rustic repurposed wooden furniture and handmade rustic metalwork QR codes, this place oozes cool, suave and calm. Still, it’s not just about the look, or the vibe. This place is serious about coffee – not only in sourcing quality beans from Paradox roasters, but serving them at a consistently high standard (with, if you’re into that, stunning latte art). There’s also fresh muffins and baking, gooey toasted sammies, their signature bacon and egg roll, a number of delicious brunch options, and even beans by the bag to take home.
Coles Bay
Bakery and cafe by day, wine bar by night – what more could you want on a visit to Coles Bay? Well, how about fresh morning croissants, fun pizza nights, famously delicious bagels, house-made muffins and choux pastries, jaw-dropping views, and even fresh local oysters on occasion? That’s the kind of range on offer rotating out of this small but busy Coles Bay cafe, situated in prime position overlooking the sea. It serves the best coffee in Coles Bay, and we weren’t kidding about those bagels – when they briefly went off the menu a few years ago, a local petition went around to get them back, garnering dozens of signatures and thankfully getting the job done!
Eaglehawk Neck
As “far from the madding crowd” as you could possibly get, Cubed Espresso Bar is a coffee bar-in-a-caravan that feels a world away from the busy inner-city roasteries and hip cafes with which it actually has, surprisingly, a lot in common. There is an intriguing rotation of locally roasted single-origin beans and specialty house blends, from local micro-roastery South Roast, and consistently high-quality espresso-based coffees. What really sets this cafe apart from its urban relatives, though, is the setting: perched on a remote hill on the way from the East Coast down to Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula, overlooking the waters of Eaglehawk Neck and Pirate Bay, Cubed Espresso Bar is surrounded by knockout views in all directions.
Cygnet
Set up and run by a former mechanical engineer, the roasting machinery set-up at the Bean Smith in Cygnet is drool-worthy for any mechanically-minded coffee fiends. Even without the engineering understanding, this is a fantastic place for any curious coffee folk to pop in, ask questions about how things are done, and pick up some freshly roasted coffee or serious at-home coffee-making equipment. In terms of beans, the Bean Smith doesn't work directly with producers, but rather with specialist coffee merchants around Australia who are specifically aligned with sustainable and ethically grown green-bean producers. Whether their Guatemalan La Providencia roast, Mexican Mountain Water decaf, organic Papua New Guinea Purosa AX beans or signature Beansmith house blend, there’s plenty to choose between, and to ask about.
Tasman Peninsula
If you’re looking for a wild Tasmanian coffee adventure, this could be the best place to put on your itinerary. Hidden among towering native trees in the bushlands of the Tasman Peninsula, South Roast is a micro-roastery quietly churning out some of southern Tasmania’s most sophisticated and sought-after coffee roasts. You can sip at their dark chocolate and blackberry filled Guatemalan La Morena roast, or the fruity, nutty Mountain Water Peruvian decaf at one of several local cafes – including Cubed Espresso Bar (above) – or pop by their stall at Hobart’s Farm Gate Market.
Mornington
This down-to-Earth Tasmanian coffee roastery is ideally located for anybody heading from Hobart towards the East Coast, Port Arthur, Clifton Beach or South Arm on their Tasmanian road trip itinerary, sitting between Hobart and Hobart Airport on the Eastern Shore at Mornington. Pop in to pick up a bag of freshly roasted beans, and/or some travel accessories and at-home coffee machinery hardware, and experiment from your own Tasmanian holiday home or vacation rental. They have everything you need to brew professional-quality coffee at home, and of course a number of different roasts and blends. Oomph! seek out green beans with even more traceable and trustworthy descriptors than “simply” the likes of organic and Rainforest Alliance – “bird-friendly”, “shade-grown”, “sun-dried”, “hand-picked”, etc. – so you can be sure of supporting a responsible product. Try the popular Java Jo for a rich and bold bean with thick crema, the dark and intense Santorini for a heavier roast, or the spicy, smooth, and slightly exotic Tiger Bean blend.
Claremont
Stocking cafes and shops all around Australia, Gioconda roast their beans up in Devonport but are probably best known for their supremely popular drive-thru coffee stop in Claremont. Regular winners and finalists among Hobart’s best coffee lists, Gioconda’s cool space on the corner of Cadbury Road is a converted petrol station that has been given new life as a coffee stop. Serving their own local Tasmanian roasts and tasty treats, both sit-down or takeaway, Gioconda is an absolutely superb pit stop for anybody travelling north out of Hobart, past MONA, on towards Austins Ferry or the Derwent Valley.
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