5 RCA-winning Cafes to Find Your Own Culture

Australian café culture is a unique blend of laid-back charm, artisanal passion and multicultural influence.

Renowned globally for its coffee obsession, Australia has transformed the humble café into a lifestyle hub. From inner-city laneways to coastal towns, cafés serve as social sanctuaries - places to meet, work, relax or refuel.

The flat white is a national icon, but menus often feature single-origin brews and experimental blends crafted by expert baristas. Food is just as important, with all-day brunch, seasonal produce and global flavours defining the modern café plate.

Here are five Readers’ Choice Award-winning cafes to find your own culture:

Known as one of the Eyre Peninsula’s most-loved dining destinations, head to L’Anse French Café on Liverpool Street in Port Lincoln for all things croissant. Eat, drink and relax at this stylish venue, where a glass-fronted bakery allows guests to watch the Chef in action creating delicious sweet and savoury treats. 

 

Setting an ambitious standard for breakfast and brunch from an ever-evolving menu, expect to be tempted by dishes where an Australian staple has been mixed with a French twist such as this version of a cinnamon roll – a flavour bomb, expect sweet, creamy and crispy – while those with a savoury bent, opt for chilli scrambled eggs on sourdough toast or a croissant.

Inspired by age-old artisan trades, Butcher Baker on Byron Street brings honest food and good times to Bangalow. Located in a heritage-style building on the main street, this trendy café boasts an in-house bakery, with the aroma of sourdough and sweet treats enticing guests through the doors. Settle in on a comfy couch and chill out under an embossed plaster ceiling and warm glow of festoon lights, while checking out a daily breakfast and lunch menu.

 

Make sure to try the beans on toast with tomato and herb-spiced cannellini beans, pecorino and a dollop of sour cream on sourdough – add a fried egg and you are good to go. Stop by later for a crispy pork banh mi with pickled vegetables, cucumber and coriander, on a baguette with chilli caramel fries.

 

Linger over sumptuous fare or hold an impressive soirée at Funkey Monkey café, situated in Lakes Entrance on Victoria's south-east coast. Pop inside this locally-loved cafe on Myer Street to grab a coffee or freshly squeezed juice from friendly staff; perhaps cosy up on a couch for longer visits and enjoy a retro theme of spritely red and white decor. 

 

Sophisticated culinary techniques are used to create a range of classically simple meals, adding a refined element to a menu with options like potato and salmon croquettes with whipped feta, housemade tartar sauce, cheese chips, lettuce greens and cherry tomatoes. Burger lovers opt for a local beef patty, American cheddar, pickle, onion, ketchup, special sauce, mustard and chips.

Wander up from the surf at Torquay Beach for a caffeine fix and bite to eat at Pond Café on The Esplanade. Welcoming surfers, locals and visitors alike with cheery planter boxes full of flowers outside, step indoors to find a bright and breezy dining space filled with natural light and a rustic fit-out of recycled timber and potted greenery.

 

Pond rocks an all-day menu sure to quell any sized hunger waves with tempters like avocado toast with za’atar dukkah, sticky pomegranate pearls, rocket and Parmesan; perhaps wrap your hands around a tender beef brisket sandwich, or devour the Kyoto sloppy Joe on a bagel with radish and cress.

For gourmet delights and Mod Oz cuisine in Tasmania's Lenah Valley, visit Whisk & Co cafe on Augusta Road. Grab one of a handful of chairs outside on sunny days, or be welcomed by attentive staff to a friendly setting inside filled with rich timbers and Parisian features, warmly lit by drop globes. With everything made on site right down to baguettes, guests can be assured that all fare on the menu is fresh, with most dishes featuring local Tasmanian produce. 

 

From an enticing all-day menu, jump right in with corn fritter Benedict with poached eggs, smashed avocado, basil pesto, chilli jam and paprika Hollandaise; or join a lively later crowd for a Reuben sandwich with silverside, sauerkraut, slaw, Swiss cheese, horseradish mayonnaise and pickled cucumber.