WHERE TO GET YOUR Ballarat COFFEE FIX
Melbourne might be deemed by many as the coffee capital of the world, but what you might not know is the espresso culture in Ballarat dates back just as far as our metropolitan neighbours – and tastes just as good. Coffee palaces were established in Ballarat at the height of the temperance movement during the gold rush. Flash forward 130 years and we are really spoiled for choice, with a dream team of local coffee roasters, baristas and dairy farmers combining their crafts for the perfect cuppa.
Keep an eye out for Ballarat’s own Hellbilly Roasting or Karon Farm Coffee, and quality milk by Inglenook Dairy, which has been produced locally since the early 1900s and is now served at more than half of the city’s cafes and restaurants.
If you’re hitting the roads or trails in Ballarat, here’s a list of local coffee spots to kickstart your cogs.
Here’s a list of local coffee spots to kickstart your cogs.
For the Early Birds
- 1816 Bakehouse (Hellbilly Roasting) open 6am daily
- Common Ground (Allpress Espresso) open 6.30am Monday – Fri, 8am weekends
- Hideaway (Five Senses; the Cold Brew is single origin filter coffee), open 6am Monday – Friday, 8am weekends
- Cobb’s Coffee (Rumble Coffee) open 6.30am Tuesday – Friday, 7.30am Saturday
- Johnny Alloo (St Ali and Proud Mary), open 7am daily
- Hydrant Food Hall (Seven Seeds), open 7am Tuesday – Friday, 8am weekends
- Racers Bar and Cafe (Little Collins), open 7am daily
- Turret Cafe (House Roast Coffee – Coffee Pirates), open 7am daily
Open Every Day
- Restaurant Lola (St Ali), coffee window on Lydiard Street open 7.30am daily
- Tin Roof Ballarat (Code Black Coffee), Monday – Friday 7.30am, 8am weekends
- Hotel Canberra – The Stables Tea Room (Karon Farm Coffee), open 8am daily
- Pipers by the Lake, open from 8am daily
- The Yacht Club, open from 8am daily
Drive Cafe (Dukes), open 8am daily
Pipers by the Lake (Dimattina), open 8am daily
MONDAY CAFFEINE FIX
- East QTR Coffee Bar (Five Senses), open 7am Monday – Friday only
- Lydiard General (Coffee Supreme), open 7.30am Monday – Saturday
Fika Coffee Brewers (St Ali), open 6.30am Monday – Friday only
Clothesline Cafe (Code Black Coffee) open 7am Monday, Thursday & Friday, 8am weekends
TUESDAY CAFFEINE FIX
- Higher Society (Five Senses), open 7am Tuesday – Friday, 8am Saturday
- Yellow Espresso (Axil Coffee), 7.30am Tuesday – Friday, from 8am weekends
One hour coffee ride
Challenge your mates on some of the most sought-after Strava segments in Ballarat or take it at your own pace and enjoy the scenery through the Creswick State Forest. The 30.7km Coffee Ride starts at L’espresso Café (open from 7am daily) and ends at Webster’s Market and Cafe (open 7am Monday – Friday, 8am weekends).
There’s no shortage of cafes serving up locally-roasted or Melbourne-style coffee to keep you on pace.
Pick a new spot each day or plan your route around your favourite roasts. Discover more breakfast and brunch ideas on the Visit Ballarat website.
Before you set out on your ride, please double check individual café channels for their latest opening hours and any public holiday closures.
