Click any Café to view their full image gallery & menu…
A quintessential part of any holiday in The Whitsundays is waking up in the morning, cruising into town, and making the most of a lazy, sunny breakfast at one of the best Airlie Beach Cafés. The aromatic waft of freshly ground coffee and sizzling bacon lather the streets and are matched with chill lounge music and a humming chit-chat of the previous day’s boat trip around the Whitsunday Islands.
Choosing a café on a bimble down the main road will likely produce a good result, but making the most of the café scene in Airlie Beach sometimes requires going just a skip off the beaten track. We’ve compiled the best cafés in Airlie Beach that each brings something unique to the table and the best experience available.
Click any of the cafés images listed below to be taken to their product page showcasing their full menu, full image galleries, and any other information you may need.
Treehouse Airlie Beach
Contemporary • Brunch • Sea Views
If modern Australian breakfast classics overlooking the azure waters of the Airlie Beach lagoon is a sign of a good morning then Treehouse is what you’re after. Eggs Benedict, Smashed Avocado & Buttermilk Pancakes line the menu along with other creative meals such as their epic Corn Fritters, Green Bowls & Breakfast Chilli. A stacked lunch menu follows with a moreish range of burgers, pizzas and international salads. Being licenced from 10am means a refreshing Bloody Mary is never too far away either!
Our favourite dish: Corn Fritters With Halloumi
Our favourite drink: Grant’s Resolution
Pro Tip: Bring Something To Go Swimming In After
My Rainbow Bakery & Cafe
Brunch • Dessert • Seaside • Catering
Perched up high in the tree canopy with the broadest marina view in town, My Rainbow Bakery & Cafe is one who appreciates the finer things in life. An Airlie Beach specialist in unique & delicate sweets that can only be matched by the warming homemade pies, rolls and pastries the kitchen also bakes. High Tea is also available for those that want the royal treatment and for those that are hungry their extensive breakfast menu will satisfy the largest of appetites.
Our favourite dish: Mediterranean Flat Bread
Our favourite drink: Almond Cappucino
Pro Tip: Book A Seat By The Window
Cafe One 3
Creative • Funky • Dietary Specialists
A 1 minute walk from the Main street is the dietary specialist and creative master class that is Cafe One 3. With a strong emphasis on fun and health the menu is one that always keeps you guessing. With a Doctor Suess theme permeating the establishment it’s great for the young ones as it also comes with a kids corner stacked full of interesting books and games. The plant based meals are genuinely dedicated to the craft of making a dish magic without meat and the drinks push the limits of what’s possible with antioxidant rich coffees such as beetroot cinnamon lattes. Their acai bowls are some of the best in town and for those that just can’t bear the idea of a meat free breakfast, the breakfast burger is killer. Check their page for location.
Our favourite dish: Anything New On The Black Specials Board
Our favourite drink: Spiced Matcha Latte
Pro tip: Pick What’s Fun!
Fat Frog Beach Cafe
Healthy • Fresh • Contemporary
A Cafe that needs no local introduction is the suburb of Cannonvale’s favourite, Fat Frog Beach Cafe. Any seat here comes with an expansive sea view of anchored yachts bobbing in the sparkling shallow waters of the bay. Arguably some of the best coffee in the region, it’s worth the 3 minute drive over the Airlie Beach hill or better yet, the half an hour stroll along the ocean boardwalk from the middle of town. The food matches the mood and is summery, laid back and does the simple things perfectly. Creamy and fruity Brekkie Panacotta sits alongside Spanish Beans with crusty sourdough and joins the coffee in making a down to earth Airlie Beach café experience like no other.
Our favourite dish: Smashed Avocado With Hashbrowns
Our favourite drink: Long Black
Pro Tip: Make A Morning Of It & Walk There Along The Boardwalk
The Hangar Cafe and Bar
Cafe • Tasty • Island Flight Airport
If a scenic flight around The Whitsunday Islands is on your itinerary this holiday to Airlie Beach then make sure once you land that you take the time to treat yourself to the lavishly decadent menu that lives at The Hangar Cafe & Bar. They’re all about flavour and don’t hold back when it comes to this goal. The service is as friendly and local as it gets and the view of planes and helicopters whizzing about makes for an exciting morning that’ll be sure to wake you up just as quickly as their hot coffees!
Our favourite dish: Breakfast Bruschetta
Pro tip: Great For People That Love Engines & Planes
22 Buttercup Lane
Cafe • Contemporary • Catering
Admittedly, outside the circle of the Airlie Beach bubble but impossible not mention, 22 Buttercup Lane is worthy of the list. As you drive into or leave Airlie Beach, you will travel through our neighbouring township Proserpine. If you have time on your hands on you are simply just can’t wait, turn off and take the 30 second detour to the only cafe you need to visit in Proserpine, 22 Buttercup Lane. Their small menu changes regularly with the seasons and produce that comes in which makes for wholesome, down to earth food that you just can’t ignore. From homemade gourmet pies to classic bacon and eggs on daily baked focaccia it’s worth stopping in for. Sweet tooth? Their house vanilla slice is the best in Australia.
Our favourite dish: Bacon & Eggs
Our favourite drink: Iced Coffee With Cream
Take your time, you’re on holiday.
Sharing meals with your friends and family and reliving memories of the past day’s adventures is a cornerstone of any great holiday in The Whitsundays. With so many choices of Airlie Beach Cafés, we hope this guide has informed you of the amazing options often hidden or not known. More importantly, we trust you’ve gained a sense of adventure and are ready to try something new!
Bon Appétit.
