Best cafes in Zetland

Best cafes in Zetland, ranked

1. #1Naxeion Cafe for a pancake breakfast

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Tote Park, 2 min walk

   Naxeion Cafe ranks first on this page for food and coffee. Order the pancakes, which diners single out for good ingredients and generous portions at fair prices. The menu also runs to poached eggs with avocado, and a bolognese at lunch. Coffee is well liked, but comments do not mention other drinks, so ask staff what is on that day. Weekday hours run from 6:30am to 5pm, and Tote Park is two minutes on foot.

2. #2Social Society for a family brunch on the terrace

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 The Drying Green, 4 min walk

   Social Society is the pick for a family brunch with a terrace out front. The menu changes with the seasons and offers small plates to share, along with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. For something bolder, go for the chilli crab eggs, with crab and fresh chilli on toast. Diners rate the latte as strong but smooth, and the beans come from Reformatory Coffee Lab in Mascot. It opens at 5:30am on weekdays, and the copper chairs on the terrace are where dog owners tend to sit. From the cafe, The Drying Green is a four-minute stroll.

3. #3Haven Coffee - Green Square for a sando at lunch

   $$🌳 The Drying Green, 2 min walk

   Haven Coffee - Green Square is the place for a sando. The prawn and karaage versions, in a crusty roll with herbs and chilli, are the dishes customers return for. The cafe runs specialty and filtered coffee plus a wide range of other drinks, and the matcha and ice chai latte get the most praise. Some diners find the room noisy at busy times, and service gets mixed comments, so arrive early on a weekend. It opens at 7am on weekdays.

4. #4Pebble & Bark for a coffee stop in the park

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

   Pebble & Bark is a small espresso kiosk inside Joynton Park, so the coffee and a pastry can be eaten on the grass. Coffee gets high marks for consistency, and one visitor says the hot chocolate beats any other they have tried. Get a pastry or the egg and sausage muffin with melted cheese. Staff remember regulars' orders, and dogs are a common sight at the kiosk. It opens at 6am on weekdays, and the cold brew and freddo drinks are on the board.

5. #5Buku Eatery Cafe for a terrace beside the playground

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Matron Ruby Grant Park, 1 min walk

   Buku Eatery Cafe has indoor and outdoor seating, and the terrace sits beside the playground in Matron Ruby Grant Park. Diners praise the bacon and eggs, with bacon that is tender, and a croissant filled with soft-shell crab on scrambled egg. Little eaters have their own menu here. Coffee is good, and the hot Belgian chocolate gets praise. Parking can be tight when the cafe and the park are busy, so come early. It opens at 7am on weekdays and closes at 2pm.

6. #6Allpress Coffee Roasters for filter coffee and beans

   $🌳 Matron Ruby Grant Park, 2 min walk

   Allpress Coffee Roasters roasts its own beans on Epsom Road, so the coffee is the reason to come. Coffee drinkers rate the filter brew and the cold brew, and the batch brew is well regarded. Bags of beans are sold at the bar in 250g and 1kg sizes, which suits a stock-up. Chilli scrambled eggs are the breakfast to try. It is open on weekdays only, from 7am to 2pm, and Matron Ruby Grant Park is two minutes on foot.

7. #7Oliver Brown East Village for a Belgian waffle

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Joynton Park, 2 min walk

   Oliver Brown East Village is the all-day cafe on this page with the sweetest menu. Order the Belgian waffle with chocolate and strawberries, or a hot chocolate, which visitors mention more often than the coffee. Savoury options include a Spanish omelette with chorizo and a big breakfast, and there are vegetarian dishes. Two recent comments criticise counter service and waiting times, so expect a queue at busy times. It is open from 7am to 9pm on weekdays, the latest of any pick here, and Joynton Park is two minutes away.

8. #8Bowan for a bread run with breakfast

   $$🌳 Joynton Park, 2 min walk

   Bowan is a bakery cafe in the East Village centre, with sourdough and pastries beside the counter. Breakfast includes a halloumi plate with toast, avocado and grilled tomato, and the chicken schnitzel wrap suits lunch. Sweet pastries such as a vanilla slice sit in the display. Coffee gets mixed remarks: one customer liked a large extra-shot flat white, while recent comments say the coffee has been inconsistent. Service is quick, the cafe closes at 4:30pm, and it offers step-free access.

Compare best cafes in Zetland

The table compares price, brunch, outdoor seating, dog access and weekend opening for each pick.

How we picked best cafes in Zetland

Places with many reviews count for more in the order than those with a handful. Every cafe was also scored on breakfast-to-lunch menus, weekend hours, whether dogs may sit inside or out, and tables outdoors. Food and drink notes come from each cafe's own listing and the comments diners leave most often.