Best cafes in Willoughby

Best cafes in Willoughby, ranked

1. #1The Northern Bean for an early breakfast and an affordable lunch

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Sanders Park, 1 min walk

   The Northern Bean is the top pick on this list. It opens at 5:30am on weekdays, so it suits an early coffee before work. Order the scrambled eggs on toast, the soba salad with salmon, or a dirty chai, which customers mention alongside a very good iced coffee. Burgers, a kids menu and vegetarian dishes keep the menu wide, and the soba salad suits gluten-free diners. Dogs can sit at the outdoor tables, and Sanders Park is a minute off.

   Best for: Early breakfast and affordable lunch

2. #2Papas Coffee for breakfast burritos and avocado toast

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

   Papas Coffee on Frenchs Road is the cafe to choose for a Mediterranean smash avocado, topped with zaatar, sumac, cherry tomato, mint and feta. Burritos can come with extras such as a hash brown. The coffee is made with Paradox Coffee Roasters beans, and the owner is often behind the machine. Fresh juices and an iced oat latte round out the drinks. Sanders Park is two minutes' walk away.

   Best for: Early-morning coffee and takeaway breakfast

3. #3Little Giant Roasters Coffee House for coffee and a generous breakfast

   $$🌳 Sanders Park, 1 min walk

   Little Giant Roasters Coffee House is where regulars say the coffee is consistently excellent, and one comes in twice a week for it. Breakfast portions are generous and neatly presented, with eggs benedict on hash brown, grilled haloumi and chilli threads. For a healthy lunch, the roasted pumpkin nourishing bowl is the usual pick, while weekly specials such as a teriyaki bowl change the menu. Plants and timber give the room a calm feel for laptop work or a book. Sanders Park is the nearest park, a minute from the front door.

   Best for: Coffee, generous breakfasts and laptop work

4. #4Cafe Vita for acai bowls and smoothies

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

   Cafe Vita is built around acai. Bowls come with strawberry, banana, kiwi, mango or passionfruit, topped with granola, coconut, peanut butter or biscuit spread. Smoothies and juices sit on the same menu, and there is a kids menu for families. Customers say the fruit is fresh and the granola tasty, and the coffee is rich and smooth. Carlson Park, in North Willoughby, is the nearest park and four minutes on foot.

   Best for: Acai bowls, smoothies and quick lunches

5. #5SOULPLATE for weekend breakfast and dog walks

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Carlson Park, 5 min walk

   For a green break, Carlson Park is about five minutes from SOULPLATE. Diners keep coming back to the brekkie burger and the kimchi toastie, and croissants are a habit. On the plate: seeded toast with scrambled eggs and lime, or smoked salmon with fennel. The coffee is well balanced, with silky milk, and kids can get a baby chino. The outside area is open to dogs as well.

   Best for: Weekend breakfast, dog walkers, local catch-ups

6. #6Tricycle Cafe for mochas and hot chocolate

   $🌳 Sanders Park, 5 min walk

   Tricycle Cafe on Mowbray Road is a small local cafe where the owner remembers names and orders. Mochas and hot chocolates are the drinks regulars come back for, and one customer says the chocolate is Belgian rather than powdered. Breakfast rolls include an avocado smash and bacon and egg rolls with a choice of sauce, and the counter carries pastries and cakes. Customers also drop in after the gym. Sanders Park is a short stroll, five minutes on foot.

   Best for: Mocha and hot chocolate, quick breakfast, post-gym coffee

Compare best cafes in Willoughby

The table below compares price, brunch, outdoor seating, dog policy, weekend trading and the nearest park for each cafe.

How we picked best cafes in Willoughby

The order combines how well customers think of each cafe with how many of them have written about it, so a cafe with a handful of comments counts for less than one with many. Next came the food and coffee notes, the brunch menu, weekend hours and the nearest park. Dogs and outdoor seating were noted but did not set the order.