Time Out has released its list of the 26 best coffee roasters and cafés in Australia for 2026, highlighting standout spots from Sydney to Perth. Only Coffee Project leads as Australia's highest-ranked on the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list, placing fourth globally.
The guide showcases Australia's vibrant coffee scene, with Melbourne and Sydney dominating the rankings. Only Coffee Project, with locations in Sydney's Crows Nest, North Sydney, Artarmon, and Melbourne Quarter, earned fourth place worldwide in 2026 for its purist specialty coffee and rotating beans from roasters like Market Lane and Sey Coffee. Locals praise the baristas' attention to detail and minimalist interiors.
Proud Mary Coffee in Melbourne's Collingwood ranked 27th globally and fourth in the city for two years running. It sources beans directly from origin, roasts in-house, and grades them on a four-point flavor scale. Recommended is the Humbler blend with notes of chocolate fudge brownie, caramel, and date.
Toby's Estate's Sydney flagship in Chippendale topped the 2025 World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops Gala. Visitors can watch baristas via an island brew bar and overhead mirrors, with views into the roastery. The Woolloomooloo Espresso Blend offers butterscotch, heavy chocolate, and dried fruits.
Other notables include Ona in Canberra, founded in 2008 by Saša Šestić, offering extensive single-origin options; Villino Coffee Roasters in Hobart since 2007 with sustainable Synergy blend; and Leftfield in Perth, roasting on a 1950s German Probat. The list extends to 26 spots across cities, emphasizing ethical sourcing, in-house roasting, and unique blends like Industry Beans' bubble coffee or Axil's heavyweight espresso, backed by World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas's wins in 2022-2024.
These establishments supply beans nationwide and focus on sustainability, with Five Senses achieving carbon neutral status in 2022 and B Corp certification in 2023.
