Surprising location beats out Sydney in Aussie 'coffee hotspots' ranking
Australia prides itself on our vibrant coffee culture, with almost all metropolitan areas countrywide boasting thriving independent café scenes.
There's no denying it; Aussies sure love a good brew, with 75 per cent of the population enjoying at least one cup per day on average, according to Statista.
And while Melbourne and Sydney have long held the number one and two spots for coffee hotspots countrywide, a surprising contender has now overtaken the Harbour City to snatch the number two spot.
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Sydney has been knocked out of the number two spot for best coffee destinations. Getty Images/iStockphoto
A new study conducted by Australia destination specialists at Travelbag has placed the Gold Coast in second place – shockingly knocking Sydney down a peg into third.
40 locations across Australia were analysed in the study, which compared them on various criteria such as the number of coffee shops, the cost of a coffee, and the quality of coffee shops available.
Each location's online popularity through TikTok was also factored in when crowning the country's top 10 coffee hotspots, with coffee capital Melbourne – unsurprisingly – retaining that coveted number-one spot overall.
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The Gold Coast has emerged as a strong contender, nabbing second place behind coffee capital Melbourne. Getty
But Sydney need not despair over its third-place ranking; for in the battle of quality verses quantity, it takes the win.
According to Travelbag, Sydney is the highest-rated city in Australia for coffee, boasting an average review rating of 4.72/5 for its 2,324 cafés.
But Melbourne and Brisbane are both nipping at Sydney's heels in this category, with reviews averaging 4.71 and 4.58, respectively.
The Gold Coast, meanwhile, proved to boast the most coffee shops per square metre.
And if frugality is the order of the day, Blacktown was named as number one for the country's most affordable brew, averaging at about $4.50 per cup.
This study comes a week after Australia cemented itself on the world stage as a bona fide coffee destination, receiving seven nods in the rankings for World's 100 Best Coffee Shops awards for 2026.
Four of the featured venues were located in Sydney, while Melbourne fell just short of the harbour city with two nods.
Over 15,000 cafes around the world were judged by an international panel of coffee experts alongside more than 350,000 public votes.
Just last week, Australia was named seven times in the World's 100 Best Coffee Shop awards. Getty
The only other country to beat out Australia for most-placements in the rankings was the United States - who received a total of nine mentions.
And Australia not only hosts some of the best cafes and coffee brands in the world – it's also home to award-winning baristas.
Melbourne's Jack Simpson was named the 2025 World Barista Champion, while Gabrel Tan took out the 2026 Australia Barista Championships after five years of competing.
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