Coolangatta’s quirkiest oceanfront café, The Black Sheep Espresso Baa, is changing things up, introducing some tasty new menu treats and another venue soon to be open in Currumbin’s industrial district.

The Cooly space is a skinny, hole in the wall decked out with weathered wood, surfing snaps and what may be the happiest crew on the Coast getting things done down the back. Best of all, the sparkling Coolangatta sea shines across the street. Once you’ve been, you’ll probably understand that The Black Sheep Espresso Baa is now your new home, best make yourself comfortable.

Back to the menu – overheard more than once within the hour were the words “the food is so good here” and indeed it is, particularly the new additions. Here’s a couple of must-trys.

Ever considered a roast for breakfast? Give Granny Garner’s Lamb a go. It’s a good old-fashioned herb marinated lamb shoulder with traditional sweet potato, leek and capsicum hash, roasted baby beets, spinach, Persian feta, a poached egg and balsamic reduction. It’s just like your Nan used to make, except for breakfast (and better – sorry Nan).

Catering to the ever-increasing number of vegos among us is the Uncle Cupcakes Mushrooms Eh Bro made with marinated seasonal mushrooms (so many different kinds guys) and truffle mayo, shaved Parmesan, brown rice, a poached egg and a parsley citrus dressing. Oh and you get a dollar off if you order in a Kiwi accent. Churr.

Tasty and fun, what more could you want.

With plans to go global, the Currumbin venue is the first of a few in the works for owner Dinesh and his team. Soon to be open on Traders Way, it will be trade at night too, a first for the Black Sheep brigade.

The team are of course passionate about coffee and they’re keen to introduce a few new concepts to their repertoire including more single origin beans and barista-fave, pour overs. For those who have no idea what pour overs are, it’s a simple concept with delicious results. It basically involves pouring water over and through the coffee grounds to extract the flavours. Try one and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.

The Black Sheep Espresso Baa have managed to create a vibrant, organised chaos-style culture that makes them one of Cooly’s most-loved treasures and lucky for us, the rest of the Coast is soon to get on board with those good vibes too.

LOCATION: Underneath The Strand, Marine Pde, Coolangatta
HOURS: Form 5am to 3pm daily

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

Better known for pies and deep fried everything, the scores of office workers in the vicinity now have healthy, wholefood options to beat that pesky 3pm slump.

The rustic, open, warehouse-style fitout features splashes of copper, exposed timber and rawhide rugs and almost everything within the space is made with recycled goods.

Serving Campos coffee, healthy breakfast and lunch options including wraps, acai bowls, savoury muffins and raw treats, Espresso 151 can be found next door to Burleigh’s newest workout hotspot, Elevation (hence the health foods).

Not only for gym goers though, there’s plenty of takeaway options for this warehouse district including chia bowls, yoghurt with fresh fruit and raw slices for dessert!

For those who need an extra energy hit, the Green Smoothie Bowl is packed full of protein.

If you don’t feel like jumping on the healthy eating bandwagon just yet (or if it’s cheat day) there’s a naughty corner filled with baked pastries – think croissants and crusty sweet treats.

Passionate about a holistic, healthy lifestyle owners Ali and Callum Davidson previously ran Project Sparta Fitness next door and when they decided to expand the space, the addition of a café was a no-brainer.

Stop by for a coffee and healthy breakfast or a tasty, wholesome snack on the go. There’s plenty of parking too, quite the bonus these days.

HOURS: 6am to 2.30pm seven days a week

LOCATION: 151 West Burleigh Rd, West Burleigh

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

Longtime Mermaid Beach favourite Vintage Espresso will launch their new autumn menu on April 1st and it’s sure to be a hit.

Colourful, comforting and with plenty of fun flavour combinations, you might find yourself scheduling a breakfast date every day of the week.

First up, there’s the Pumpkin and Feta Mash with pistachio dukkah on toast and poached eggs perched on top. It’s sweet and savoury and it will warm you from the inside out.

Grilled Madeira, a traditional English dish, is a rich, buttery sponge cake with honey mascarpone, fresh strawberries and coconut and is the perfect choice when you feel like something a little sweeter.

For the healthy breakfast lovers, the Rainbow Bowl is filled with sautéed kale, asparagus, green beans, roasted pumpkin, beets, cherry tomatoes, red cabbage and black sesame rolled poached eggs.

Last but certainly not least try the Quinoa Crusted Chicken Burger with slaw and house pickles. It comes with a side of chips – the Smiths crisp kind – for a unique crunchy spin on your lunchtime burger.

All in all, the new menu is perfectly balanced with a long list of delicious choices that you should definitely hot foot it down to try.

As a pre-launch bonus, small takeaway coffees are only $2 Monday to Friday from 6am to 8am until the 1st of April.

HOURS: Monday to Friday 6am to 2.30pm. Saturday and Sunday 6am to 3pm.

LOCATION: 43 Alfred Street, Mermaid Beach

Words and photos by Kirra Smith.