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A guide to the best cafes in Wollongong

Credit: Destination NSW

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
Plan your next visit to the Illawarra region around the best Wollongong cafes for coffee and breakfast.

Wollongong cafes are as much a source of pride as the city’s blue-collar past. The Gong has become the epicentre of cool in the Illawarra, a place for young creatives and entrepreneurs to realise the urban environment anew. As a result, the concentration of great places to eat and drink around Wollongong has multiplied over the past decade or so. There are now more than enough standout Wollongong restaurants and cafes to inspire a road trip from Sydney or Canberra. Here is our guide to the Wollongong cafes we keep returning to.

The shortlist

Best Coffee: Seven Miles Wollongong
Hidden Gem: Lili.J
Family-Friendly Spot: Diggies Cafe

Lili.J

the exterior of Lili.J cafe, Wollongong
The rustic cafe is housed in an old florist shop.

Lili.J has gained a lot of attention in Wollongong for its focus on simple, honest rustic fare done well. Housed in an old florist shop and charming corner house, the white-on-white Wollongong cafe opened in 2016 with one simple goal: to give Wollongong a reliable neighbourhood cafe built around specialty Reuben Hills coffee and quality pastries. Order a bacon and egg roll to feast on in the sunroom out the back, which is furnished with vintage finds and spills onto a pet-friendly grassed courtyard. Or bunker down inside one of the cosy nooks where you will find pops of colour from flower-filled vases. Pick up some honey from Little Backyard Honey Factory to go.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Artfully scuffed rustic Wollongong cafe meets charming #cottagecore

Location: 1/156 Corrimal Street, Wollongong

Gelato Emporium

Gelato Emporium, Wollongong
Get your gelato from one of the best gelaterias in Australia. (Credit: Gelato Emporium)

Road trippers in the know will always pull away from the purr of the Pacific Highway to visit the Gelato Emporium. It’s perched like an eyrie on the cliffs at the Southern Gateway Centre, Bulli Tops. After enjoying an espresso and a double scoop of blueberry and white chocolate artisan gelato you can pick up a few foodie souvenirs from this expansive one-stop Italian wonderland. The emporium sells everything from chocolate-coated liquorice branded as Koala Poo to panettone and Fressko keep-cups. Look for the blue-and-white striped awnings but don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Happy people enjoying the views from one of the highest gelaterias in Australia.

Location: Southern Gateway Centre, Princes Highway, Bulli Tops

Basin Cafe

the exterior of Basin Cafe, Wollongong
Nab an outdoor spot under striped umbrellas. (Credit: Basin Cafe)

There’s no shortage of excellent coffee roasters and hip cafes in Wollongong. But you know the java landscape has changed when our motels start contributing to the scene. That’s because the Australian audience is thirsty for specialty coffee and will settle for nothing less. Plenty of outdoor seating has helped secure this harbourside cafe at Boat Harbour Motel as one of the most sought-after places for coffee and cake in Wollongong. The coffee counter buzzes with activity from breakfast through to lunch, with its breakfast bagels a popular grab-and-go option.

Cuisine: Contemporary cafe fare

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: A cheery and compelling place to be

Location: 7 Wilson Street, Wolloongong

Miller’s Local Bakehouse

croissant and coffee, Miller's Local Bakehouse
Pair fresh-baked croissants with specialty coffee at Miller’s Local Bakehouse. (Credit: Emma Huber)

Miller’s Local Bakehouse is a small-batch operation doing things properly, with everything made from scratch and baked to order using fresh ingredients and no preservatives. The focus is on great coffee (Crazy Horse Coffee) bread and pastries. Miller’s Local Bakehouse was born after finding success at well-loved cafe, Sandygoodwich. Standouts include twice-baked ricotta croissants and lemon meringue cheesecake as well as chunky loaves of sourdough. The bakery-led cafe also has outposts in Bulli, Thirroul and Wollongong.

Cuisine:  Bread and pastries

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Community hub

Location: 7 Wilson Street, Wolloongong

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Longboard Cafe

You can watch the leathery old longboarders hanging ten from your table at the Longboard Cafe. You might also clock these crusty old core lords congregating at the Wollongong cafe post-surf for a coffee and chicken schnitty roll. Executive chef Paul Hamilton also looks after sister venue Steamers Bar & Grill and it’s full steam ahead here when it comes to his casual cafe offering. Plant-based diners will appreciate the many Longboard Cafe vegan items on the menu which the chalkboard describes as “from the Earth, for the soul". Big-ups for the bottomless brunch.

Cuisine: Seasonal cafe fare

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Great views and cool vibes.

Location:  1 Marine Drive, Wollongong

Uncle Earl’s

strawberry matcha latte at Uncle Earl’s, Wollongong
Sip on a strawberry matcha latte. (Credit: Uncle Earl’s)

Uncle Earl’s is one of the major players on the coffee scene in Wollongong. But the boxy little cafe is also on the radar for its regular Thrift, Sip, Groove fashion market on Saturday mornings where you can pick up some quality fashion garments. The expanded breakfast and lunch menu is all about sambos, toasties and bagels with the mortadella foccacia a personal fave. The cafe serves batch brews, Biscoff lattes, matcha lattes and sticky chai latte, too. Pay it forward to help the next uni student or passerby with the funds for a pick-me-up.

Cuisine: Toasted sandwiches, bagels

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Uni crowd

Location: 47 Burelli St, Wollongong

Halfday Deli

Neapolitan-style pizzas at Halfday Deli Wollongong
Grab a slice of flavour-packed Neapolitan-style pizza. (Credit: Halfday Deli)

Join the bread cult that is equal parts sando shop and pizzeria. Halfday Deli leads a double life doling out well-built sandwiches by day and 48-hour-fermented pizzas by night. Coffee comes courtesy of sister venue Opus Roasters and the sangas are hefty. The space designed by Alana Cooke blends concrete, spotted gum, and steel, creating an intimate setting for a date night. There are DJs spinning vinyl and a generous wine list for #girldinner with your gal pals. Bond with the baristas pulling the shots or the barkeeps topping up your glass with Frappato as you worship at the altar of good bread and pizza.

Cuisine:  From day to night – sandos to pizza

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Friendly and inclusive.

Location: 38 Atchison St, Wollongong

Lee & Me

the exterior of Lee & Me, Wollongong
Gather at the sun-splashed communal tables. (Credit: Lee & Me)

Lee & Me is a local favourite that occupies a 1890s’ terrace that has become the unofficial headquarters for the Gong’s hipster brigade. Sit by the fireplace in winter. Linger on the sun-splashed balcony in summer. Or gather at the communal table where you can engage in a bit of banter with the beard(y) barista. After downing your short black, head upstairs to meet up-and-coming creatives selling their fashionable wares from their studios. The Turkish eggs here are the business.

Cuisine: Contemporary

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Grungey and bohemian.

Location: 87 Crown Street, Wollongong

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Pepe’s on the Beach

It’s all crashing waves and pastel sunsets at this beachside cafe underneath the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach that is open from breakfast until late. Spiritually, Pepe’s on the Beach feels like it’s an LA hang that has been untouched since the 1970s. Start with a stroll on the sand or a cycle along Wollongong’s iconic shared pathway. Claim a beanbag under a palm tree and refuel on pancakes with banana and maple syrup. Eat and drink (responsibly) until the wheels fall off at pumpkin o’clock.  Guaranteed, Pepe’s will be your new hyper-fixation.

Cuisine: All-American breakfast fare

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Cali cool

Location: 2-14 Cliff Road, Wollongong

Diggies Cafe

the exterior of Diggies Cafe, North Wollongong
Settle in for coffee and brunch at the seaside cafe. (Credit: Destination NSW)

Diggies is open for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch when it is full to the brim with a healthy mix of millennials, young mums and MAMILs. Cyclists often end their Sydney to Gong ride here with a coffee and a Savvy Session of seasonal greens, herbs, sheep’s feta, avocado, crushed roasted almonds and poached eggs. Join sandy-toed locals at the more relaxed 1930s’ Art Deco North Beach Kiosk for coffees or settle in for a post-swim brunch at the sit-down section of the seaside cafe. There are outposts in Wollongong, North Beach Kiosk and Kiama.

Cuisine: All-day brunch classics and ‘beach club’ big plates like fish and chips.

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Aussie beach culture writ large.

Location: 1 Cliff Rd, North Beach, Wollongong

Bull & Bear

Your stocks will go up if you take your Tinder date out for breakfast at Bull & Bear, which has swallowed up three shops on vibey Victoria St. The name is not a metaphor for the movements of the stock market. Rather, it came to chef and owner David Juarez Vidal after returning from Spain where he ran with the bulls in Pamplona and visited El Oso y el Madroño (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree), the symbol of Madrid. Pig out on El Gordo (The Fat One) or a beefy breakfast burrito. The Wollongong cafe is also open for dinner and considered one of Wollongong’s best restaurants and tapas bars.

Cuisine: Aussie cafe food with signature Spanish twists.

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Exposed beams, polished concrete and pops of greenery lend the cafe a rustic charm.

Location: 2A Victoria street, Wollongong

Seven Miles Wollongong

Seven Miles Wollongong doubles as a coffee house and roastery nestled in North Wollongong. Geek out on all things coffee related, from the state-of-the-art roastery to latest equipment at this popular Wollongong cafe, which draws the city’s coffee community here for mighty good brews. You can learn to level up your coffee at home by signing up for a barista class where you will see the science behind making the perfect cup of Joe.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Industrial-chic

Location: Wollongong

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Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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Art, wine & fireplaces: 8 reasons Bowral is the ultimate winter getaway

(Credit: Destination NSW)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.

    Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.

    The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.

    Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.

    1. Check in

    aerial of Ardour Milton Park Bowral in winter
    Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.

    After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.

    2. Hunt for treasure

    couple exploring Dirty Janes bowral
    Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.

    Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.

    3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery

    kids posing with donald bradman statue in bowral's The Bradman Museum
    Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.

    Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.

    4. A taste of France

    table spread at Lucette bowral
    Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.

    For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.

    Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.

    5. Indulge in a tipple

    Centennial Vineyards bowral in winter
    Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.

    This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.

    6. Blend your own gin

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar
    Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.

    7. Go for a walk at dawn

    Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.

    8. Cosy up by the fireplace

    Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel
    Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.

    A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.

    At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.

    Start planning your Bowral escape at visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.