Best cafes in Waterloo

Best cafes in Waterloo, ranked

1. #1Zensation Tea House for a slow afternoon over tea

   🌳 Corning Park, 3 min walk

   Zensation Tea House is the cafe to sit down in for a long pot of Chinese tea. Order the homemade dumplings first, then the tea and desserts set if you want something sweet alongside the pot. Staff brew the tea and explain the varieties, which helps first-timers choose. There is a good run of vegetarian dim sum, and Corning Park is about three minutes' walk away.

   Best for: Tea lovers and slow afternoons

2. #2Small Talk Espresso Bar & Kitchen for a weekday breakfast

   $$🐕 Dogs insideOutdoor seating🌳 Alexandria Park, 3 min walk

   Small Talk Espresso Bar & Kitchen is the pick for a weekday breakfast that runs into lunch. The eggs Benedict come on a muffin with spinach and sausage, and the halloumi side is worth adding to the table. Matcha and chai lattes are on the menu, and coffee drinkers talk up the espresso. It opens before 6am on weekdays and closes at 2pm, with dogs welcome at the outdoor tables and Alexandria Park three minutes away.

   Best for: Breakfast and a quick coffee with a dog

3. #3Milk Crate for a family breakfast and a bacon and egg roll

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Corning Park, 2 min walk

   Milk Crate suits a family or a group that wants a simple, filling breakfast. Order the bacon and egg roll with chilli jam, which diners single out for the runny eggs. There is a kids' menu and vegetarian food on the menu, and the morning white mocha is the drink one customer raves about. Bring the dog to the outdoor tables, with Corning Park two minutes' walk away.

   Best for: Family breakfast before the park

4. #4Wah Wah Lounge for a gluten-free lunch and a dark roast

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Edmund Resch Reserve, 3 min walk

   Wah Wah Lounge is the one to choose when someone at the table needs gluten-free food. One reviewer found the gluten-free options good and tasty, and salads, sandwiches, burgers and pastas are all on the menu. The house coffee is Zest Coffee's dark roast, and regulars name the sticky chai as the drink to try. It opens at 8am every day and closes just before 3pm, with Edmund Resch Reserve a three-minute walk away.

   Best for: Gluten-free lunch and a dark roast

5. #5Eggspresso for prawn or chicken linguine at lunch

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Waterloo Park, 4 min walk

   Eggspresso is the pasta stop on this list. Diners keep ordering the linguine, in prawn or chicken, and describe it as fresh and well sauced. For breakfast, the chilli Turkish eggs come with yoghurt and flatbread. Regulars say the coffee is always good, and the owner is named as warm and welcoming. There is a kids' menu, and Waterloo Park is four minutes from the door.

   Best for: Lunch and pasta with a group

6. #6Chiaos cafe for a long seasonal lunch with the wagyu steak

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Dyuralya Square, 2 min walk

   Chiaos cafe is the one to book for a long, seasonal brunch or lunch. The menu changes with the season, and customers talk about the wagyu steak with red wine truffle sauce and the crispy popcorn lobster. Dessert fans should try the pandan and taro custard toast or the Mont Blanc with cream. A couple of recent diners find the prices high, though one says the food is worth it. Dogs can sit at the outdoor tables under the canopy.

   Best for: Seasonal brunch and a relaxed long lunch

7. #7Two Baristas Espresso for a flat white on the way to work

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Edmund Resch Reserve, 2 min walk

   Two Baristas Espresso is the quick coffee stop on Crystal Street. Order a flat white, which one diner describes as creamy and full of flavour, and add the madeleines or banana bread from the counter. Regulars say the team remembers their usual orders, and staff are quick even at the busy hours. The outdoor tables take dogs, so it suits a coffee before a walk, with Edmund Resch Reserve two minutes away.

   Best for: Flat white on the way to work

8. #8Pino Espresso Bar for all-day breakfast and good coffee

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Corning Park, 3 min walk

   For all-day breakfast, Pino Espresso Bar is the one to pick. The menu runs eggs Benedict, a loaded breakfast and a vege omelette through the day, and lunch adds burgers, schnitzel, tacos, toasties and salads. The espresso is made with Campos coffee, and the menu also lists chai, matcha and turmeric lattes. The room is cosy enough for a quiet coffee or some work on a laptop, and Corning Park is a three-minute walk away.

   Best for: All-day breakfast and morning coffee

Compare best cafes in Waterloo

The table below sets these cafes side by side on hours, price and what each does best.

How we picked best cafes in Waterloo

Order was set by an overall score that weighs how many people have scored each cafe, so one with a handful of scores sits below one with many. For this page we also checked the breakfast and lunch menus, weekday and weekend hours, outdoor tables, and what each cafe's own page says about its food and coffee.