7 cosy Leura cafes to start the day at

By Lara Picone
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For Leura-based explorations of the Blue Mountains, these seven cafes will top up your caffeine levels and fortify your day with delicious food.

It’s easy to while away a day cafe-hopping in lovely Leura. Go from latte to lunch at these eateries that serve beautiful, locally focused fare with laidback mountain vibes. From a long-time favourite tucked behind a red door, to a deli counter loaded with incredible cheeses and meats, there are plenty of Leura cafes to fuel a day hiking, shopping or simply relaxing in town.

1. Red Door Café

Best for: Relaxed sipping and snacking.

On a cherry blossom-lined street sits Red Door Cafe, a Leura local favourite. Stop by for breakfast, lunch or just to cradle a latte and have a chat in the courtyard. It’s not fancy or fussy, but you’ll find all the classics made well, from eggs however you like them to salads and sandwiches. Bigger meals may include bistro-style plates the likes of Tuscan-style sausages or a confit duck Maryland. Cosy and much adored in the community, a visit here offers a wedge of mountain life.

the Red Door Cafe in Leura

Stop by for brunch at Red Door Cafe. (Image: James Horan; Destination NSW)

Address: 134 Leura Mall, Leura

2. Leura Gourmet Cafe and Deli

Best for: Gathering provisions for your Leura staycation.

Swing by Leura Gourmet Cafe and Deli for smoothies and juices, coffee and a range of tempting morsels under the deli counter, from salads and sambos to pasta and sugar-dusted cannoli. It’s hard not to shop with your stomach here with a range of beautiful condiments and pickles that promise to level up the excitement in your pantry and everything you could ever need to build the ultimate antipasto platter. If you’re planning a picnic out in the national park, Leura Gourmet is an obligatory stop to gather provisions.

Address: 159 Leura Mall, Leura

3. Sorensen’s Glasshouse

Best for: The stunning, sun-lit location. 

This beautifully designed, glass-walled cafe lets you feel as though you’re dining under the trees. Bright and light-filled, it’s a stunning spot for breakfast or lunch any time of the year, but autumn is particularly magical with the orange-hued leaves providing a vibrant backdrop.

plants and flowers inside Sorensen's Glasshouse

This beautiful glass-walled cafe immerses you in nature.

There is Devonshire tea as well as more substantial eats of mushroom fettuccine for lunch or a garden breakfast to help push the day into gear. Wander the enclosed gardens where little ones can freely roam and pick up a bunch of blooms or a new plant while you’re here.

potted plants on display at Sorensen's Glasshouse, Leura

You’ll find vibrant plants on display at Sorensen’s Glasshouse.

Address: 8 Herbert Street, Leura

4. The Laneway

Best for: Coffee lovers.

Drop into the cosy Laneway coffee shop that has local Cassiopeia beans running through the candy-pink coffee machine from 6.30am through to 2pm on weekdays, and 7am–11am on Saturdays. You’ll have plenty of baked and fresh toasted delights to tempt you into a side order of a little something, such as the roasted pumpkin and gorgonzola toastie or a lemon and blueberry syrup cake.

Address: 146–148 Leura Mall, Leura

5. The Wayzgoose Diner

Best for: Big, diner-style dining.

Meals are made from scratch using locally sourced produce wherever possible at the bright-hued Wayzgoose Diner set in the oldest commercial building in Leura (once home to a printing press). It’s all about big, comforting favourites here, from hot cakes to waffles and hot dogs to burgers.

Breakfast is served until 11.30, but the all-day menu means you can indulge your fish and chip craving at breakfast, too. It’s also home to the original flowerpot scone, which has remained unchanged since the 1980s when it was invented by a former owner.

pastries and teapot at The Wayzgoose Diner

The Wayzgoose Diner is home to the original flowerpot scone.

Address: 174 Leura Mall, Leura

6. The Bunker

Best for: All-day grazing and afternoon drinks.

The Leura outpost of The Bunker can be found in Leura Mall, where burgers are flipped, tea is poured and cocktails are shaken from breakfast to dinner on Friday to Sunday, and lunch to dinner Monday to Thursday.

food at The Bunker, Leura

Make a pitstop for breakfast or lunch at The Bunker.

It’s cafe classics and relaxed ambience that draws diners in for everything from snacks of Cajun cauliflower to plates piled with smoky ribs and spritzy, boozy drinks. The Leura Bunker also has its own drawcard of a private, outdoor Dining Dome, where you can take in the stunning views while you eat and gaze through the transparent walls for a special event or high tea.

The Bunker Leura's Dining Dome in the Blue Mountains

Take in the breathtaking views from the Dining Dome.

Address: 117-121 Leura Mall, Leura

7. Lily’s Pad

Best for: Sweet treats to share.

Humble and homely, Lily’s Pad cafe is an adorable spot for a sweet treat come morning or afternoon tea. If you can overlook the ceramic frogs and the pun and turn your eye to the selection of beautifully baked goods, you’ll be very quickly taken in with this charming spot. Think sugar-crusted doughnuts, mini cheesecakes and all manner of muffins. There is a more savoury side to things, too, with breakfasts of eggs and lunches of salads, sandwiches, and even rice paper rolls.

Address: 19 Grose Street, Leura

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?