Best Cafes to Stay All Day and Write in Brisbane
One of my favourite past times is to sit in a café and write – whether that be writing plays, short stories, poetry… you name it. So, I thought I’d make a list of the cafes that I frequent the most with a notebook and/or laptop in hand, ready to get those creative juices flowing.
Brew Cafe & Wine Bar | Brisbane City
When I was studying at drama school, I had a friend show me and our group of friends this hidden gem of a café and my life has not been the same since. Tucked away in a laneway between 7-Eleven and EB Games just off Queen Street Mall, this café is the perfect place for a creative hideaway. With retro chairs and artwork, funky tunes and great food, you can lose yourself for hours in its ambience. Check it out next time you’re visiting the mall or heading home from work.
Gramps Café | Red Hill
I live down a very steep hill from this café and I always like to support the locals; especially locals who serve excellent coffee. Located on Windsor Road in Red Hill, this café is always jam-packed and rightfully so. The vibes are immaculate; it even has a painted mural of books in its garden area that works as a terrific backdrop for photos, might I add. I normally set myself up in its outdoor courtyard with my laptop and double shot dirty chai latte, surrounded by green and nature all around. I always find myself inspired by the conversations I tune into as many creatives like myself like to meet up, network and do their own creative developments at the café.
Pictured: Eclectea. Cover image: Gramps Cafe.
Eclectea | Brighton
Whether you’re on a road-trip to Redcliffe and need a coffee hit, or you just want to a change of scenery for your writer’s block (we have all been there), Eclectea is a vintage café furnished with retro decor op shop finds and knick knacks. It’s next a five-minute walk from the ocean shore but you can still taste the salt in the air as you sit down to journal. If you’re looking for something quirky and cosy, then look no further. 10/10 worth the drive.
Matthew Thomas | Aspley Hypermarket
You may have guessed this already, but I really do froth over vintage décor and Matthew Thomas has just that. It’s a café/boutique hidden away in the Aspley Hypermarket on Albany Creek Road, and it has just the more gorgeous furniture to sink it to as you read a book or embark on your next creative adventure. As a child, my Mum and I would always come to this café as our ‘treat’ for surviving the week and I never wanted to leave. The atmosphere is very chill, considering its right in the middle of a busy shopping centre and you find yourself feeling like you’ve been transported into another world. I found that the different types of vintage furniture truly spark the imagination as you ponder on what people would have sat on it in the first place…. Here I go again…
Cafes in/around Bookshops
I know this one is a bit vague and I’m also aware that unfortunately cafes in Bookshops are incredibly hard to find these days, but I normally find that some of the best writing time – whether that be for a project I’m working on or just for mindfulness – I do in bookstores. Maybe it’s the books whispering words in my ear… who knows. But it’s something. Riverbend Café in Morningside have a gorgeous café, as well as the Bookface stores in both Orion and Pacific Fair, Gold Coast. Scrumptious Reads in Red Hill has a café right beside the bookstore which also works a charm.
So, there it is. A condensed list of some of my favourite cafes to visit and write. Which one will you check out?
