5 tasty Katoomba cafes to try now

By Lara Picone
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Caffeinate ahead of a day exploring the Blue Mountains at these excellent Katoomba cafes.

Katoomba is serious about starting the day with a good cuppa and equally good eats, from local coffee roasters peddling their wares to a robust French breakfast, coffee with a view, and a bakery that pairs flaky treats with excellent beans, there’s no shortage of cafes to take you from breakfast to lunch and beyond. Here’s a round-up of the top spots to sit and sip.

1. Cassiopeia

You’ll find two of the four Cassiopeia espresso bars in Katoomba, so you’ll never be short of a good brew to kickstart the day. The Lurline Street cafe is open daily from the bright-eyed hour of 6am, while the 3/59 Megalong Street venue is a Monday-to-Friday affair.

It is very much about the bean here with minimal eats to be had, but there are the usual suspects of coffee pairings, such as toast, banana bread and pastries. If you fall in love with the brews, you can take a bag of beans home with you, too.

the cafe interior of Cassiopeia, Katoomba

Kickstart the day with a warm brew at Cassiopeia.

Address: Unit 3, 59 Megalong Street, Katoomba; 79 Lurline Street, Katoomba

2. The Lookout Echo Point

Enjoy your breakfast served at The Lookout with a side of stunning, sweeping views as you gaze at Echo Point. Settle in to sit at Bar NSW and enjoy classics of eggs your way, waffles and breakfast rolls, or grab-and-go from the Milkbar and find a perch with incredible views of the Three Sisters. You can also roll in for lunch or snacks with a menu that services a range of appetites from small share plates to burgers and larger mains and an award-winning wine list on the pour at Bar NSW.

Address: 33 Echo Point Road, Katoomba.

3. Black Cockatoo Bakery

Bread made slowly and beautifully using organic ingredients is at the heart of Black Cockatoo Bakery – a big reason this cafe remains a Blue Mountains favourite. If it’s good coffee and the flakiest and most golden of pastries you’re after, you need only set Google Maps here on a Wednesday to a Sunday.

Single O coffee is run through the machine and you shouldn’t (read: won’t) leave without cradling a loaf of fresh-baked sourdough in your arms. Each day is a different loaf, from Miche to emmer and a delightful apricot and fennel.

a tray of croissants at Black Cockatoo Bakery, Katoomba

Buttery and flaky croissants are perfect with a cup of coffee.

Address: 165 Katoomba Street, Katoomba.

4. Little Paris Cafe

Nobody does breakfast and brunch quite like the French, so if you’re after a wonderfully buttered start to the day, direct yourself to Little Paris Cafe. The menu is just the classics with no room for anything that isn’t French or heavy-handed with the cheese, so go for the croque monsieur, brioche toast, or omelette with Toulouse sausage for the all-day breakfast, or, if you’re looking to lunch, opt for crepes salees (savoury crepes) or traditional baguettes. There’s also good, fair-trade coffee and, of course, a range of sweeties that can’t easily be refused.

Address: Shop 4/81–83 Katoomba Street, Katoomba.

5. On The Soul Side

A little bit of quirk and good coffee make On The Soul Side cafe a must-swing-by when you’re in and around the mountains. There’s often live music happening here, but if not, there’s always good music playing from owner Dave’s collection. Stop by for a toastie or a bacon and egg charity roll, from which a portion of the proceeds go to not-for-profit charity, Thrive in the Mountains. There are also sweet treats of Bilpin apple pies and sticky date pudding, as well as a changing menu of savoury dishes, which may include an Indian Vegetable Curry.

Address:  1 Goldsmith Place, Katoomba

Working for many of Australia’s top publications, Lara Picone has had the distinct pleasure of writing, editing and curating content about the finer things in life for more than 15 years. Graduating from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, her editorial foundation began at Qantas: The Australian Way magazine, before moving on to learn the fast-paced ropes of a weekly magazine at Sunday Magazine and picking up the art of brand curation at donna hay magazine. Pivoting a near-problematic travel lust into a career move by combining it with storytelling and a curious appetite, her next role was as Deputy Editor of SBS Feast magazine and later Online Editor of SBS Food online. She then stepped into her dream job as Editor of Australian Traveller before becoming Online Editor for both International Traveller and Australian Traveller. Now as a freelancer, Lara always has her passport at-the-ready to take flight on assignment for the Australian Traveller team, as well as for publications such as Qantas Magazine, Escape and The Weekend Australian. As ever, her appetite is the first thing she packs.
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A Japanese-inspired bathhouse just opened in the Blue Mountains

    By Carla Grossetti
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    Memories of a childhood in Japan were the inspiration behind Aqua Ignis, a new Blue Mountains bathhouse.

    A new revolutionary bathhouse in the Blue Mountains is redefining wellness by drawing on ancient bathing traditions from around the world. Aqua Ignis co-founder Taku Hjelgaard says it was the experience of visiting an onsen near his grandparents’ home in Osaka that first inspired this contemporary take on a bathhouse.

    “I remember riding on a bike around the narrow winding streets of Osaka, immersing myself in these giant baths and then lying on my back in the tatami room feeling relaxed and rejuvenated,” says Taku, who was born in Japan, but raised in the UK and Australia.

    “I would ride home with the wind in my hair at night through these beautiful Japanese streets. These memories are etched in my mind and ultimately inspired the creation of Aqua Ignis,” says Taku.

    the front of Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    Aqua Ignis is the newest bathhouse to open in the Blue Mountains.

    The name Aqua Ignis draws from the Latin: Aqua (water), which represents the bath and steam room elements; and Ignis (fire), which represents the sauna. Taku says the two words capture the core experience of visiting the Blackheath bathhouse.

    “It’s that interplay between hot and cold, water and heat. One of the things I really love about Japanese bathhouses is that it’s therapy for both the mind and the body. It’s engaging in a hot and cold treatment, soaking up the magnesium, and then having a really restorative rest in our beautiful spaces,” says Taku, who also works part-time as a counsellor.

    Taku’s brother-in-law, Korean-German architect Siki Im was behind the transformation of the old Art Deco property that houses Aqua Ignis. Taku’s business partner, carpenter Lee Nias, was also involved in the transformation of the heritage structure. The building was reimagined as a ‘room within a room’ concept that allows for fluid transitions between spaces.

    inside Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    Not only does the bathhouse feature onsen-like baths, but it also has steam rooms and saunas.

    Taku says Aqua Ignis also nods to Turkish hammams with its herbal-infused steam rooms.

    “My business partner Lee’s heritage is a real mix. He’s part Chinese, part Indian, part Irish, part English. Our architect is Korean but lives in Germany. And my heritage is Japanese so it makes sense that we blend a lot of different global traditions together,” he says.

    Both Lee and Taku grew up in the Blue Mountains and say Aqua Ignis is a way of giving back to the community. Taku says the ultimate goal is for visitors to experience a uniquely Australian form of wellness. “It’s wellness that respects diverse cultural practices while creating something entirely new,” Taku says.

    “We are eternally grateful to the Blue Mountains, the people, the landscape, the trees, the water that has shaped us. Our way of giving back to community is by creating this bathhouse, which reflects the country’s rich, complex cultural landscape,” he says.

    Taku says he and Lee have been consulting with a local Gundungurra woman to incorporate Indigenous Australian elements through a eucalyptus cleansing ceremony.

    the sauna at Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    The hot rock sauna is a nod to the European tradition.

    Aqua Ignis has a hot rock sauna, herbal steam room, magnesium mineral bath, cold plunge and rest areas. Together, Taku says the treatments provide visitors with a space to reset.

    You can find Aqua Ignis at 239 Great Western Highway, Blackheath, NSW

    Stretch your legs on one of these hikes in the Blue Mountains. Next, enjoy a restorative session at Aqua Ignis, followed by a stay at one of these cosy Blue Mountains cabins?