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Cafés here aren’t just cafés, they’re rituals. They’re where sandy feet meet strong coffee, where locals gather, gossip and refuel. This round-up dives into the spots that capture the Northern Beaches spirit, serving flavour, friendliness and a little coastal magic in every cup, plus the kind of food that keeps people coming back.
Pico at Curly
Pico in Curl Curl is a vibrant café brought to life by Brazilian local Toby, sharing a lively slice of his culture with the Beaches. “I wanted to blend the amazing, relaxed, healthy local vibe with our Brazilian culture, which is full of life,” Toby says. Mission accomplished. This bright spot on Brighten Street feels instantly uplifting, with its breezy outdoor garden-style seating that makes lingering over coffee almost guaranteed.
Life genuinely feels sweeter here. Toby’s homemade cakes, baked from treasured family recipes, confirm what we’ve suspected all along; Brazilians can bake. The menu ticks every box: wholesome, hearty and healthy, the true triple threat, and somehow there’s simply no such thing as a bad dish at Pico.
And yes, the cheese balls are worth every bit of their cult status. These gooey,
golden bites manage to be decadent while miraculously low in calories and gluten free. Add great coffee and seven types of bacon and egg rolls, and it’s easy to see
why Pico wins over locals again and again. In Portuguese, Pico means “peak of
a mountain”, a place to gather, celebrate and connect, something Toby and the
Curl Curl community embrace wholeheartedly.
1/31 Brighton St, Curl Curl 2096 | @picoincurly
Butterbox: Long Reef's Hidden Gem
Butterbox sits beside Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club at Long Reef Beach, and it remains one of our most-recommended cafés on the Beaches. It’s the kind of place where shoes come off without a thought, the breeze drifts through and the coffee lands perfectly. With refreshing drinks and simple, delicious food made for salty hair and sandy feet, Butterbox captures relaxed coastal café culture. A true Long Reef staple.
Long Reef Beach, Pittwater Rd Collaroy 2097
@butterbox_cafe
The Best Bacon & Egg debate
The best B&E debate never ends. Is it the perfect bacon-to-BBQ ratio, the soft roll, or the aioli that seals the deal? Maybe it’s the joy of adding a salty hash brown. Everyone has a theory, and every café swears theirs is the one.
That’s the beauty of a Bacon & Egg Roll: simple, nostalgic and personal enough to divide a table or unite
a crowd. Here are our go-tos:
- Pico Café
- Butterbox
- Zubi on Oaks
- Three Seagulls
- Chill Bar Avalon
- Nourished Wholefood Café
Three Seagulls: Meet the Crew Behind the Coffee
In Freshwater, Three Seagulls isn’t just a café, it’s a personality; warm and unmistakably local. The team behind the counter are as much a drawcard as the coffee itself, bringing humour, energy and a sense of community that keeps the place buzzing.
Dan
“Regulars, locals, randoms walking in off the street – if you’re breathing and ordering coffee, I will be excited to see you. And if you’re not breathing… please don’t come in.”
If you’ve ever stepped inside Three Seagulls in the morning, Dan has probably welcomed you before you’ve hit the counter. To him, Three Seagulls is a place where the coffee is strong, the staff are louder than the seagulls, and everyone knows your name.
His go-to is the Brown Rice Chicken Plate loaded with soft eggs – a high-protein, high-flavour delight. He’s confident he’d take out “Most People Greeted in Under a Minute” at any Café Olympics, likely with enough enthusiasm to set off a car alarm. His secret super power? He’s armed with a sixth sense for when the bacon levels are running low.
Serge
“I can guess someone’s coffee order before they speak. It’s a party trick that no one asked for but everyone gets anyway.”
What Serge lives for is “dialling in the machine perfectly and watching someone take that first sip where they realise they won’t find a better coffee today, or probably anywhere else.” He describes the café as
“a buzzing beachside café where good coffee is taken seriously, and everything
else is delightfully unpredictable.”
His go-to is the three-cheese mushroom toastie: rich, comforting, and the perfect fuel for a day of latte art, espresso lessons, and pretending the machine isn’t his entire personality. His Café Olympics title would have to be ‘Most Perfect Latte Under Ridiculous Pressure', because he doesn’t crack under chaos – he caffeinates it.
Chilli
“I’m secretly planning to knock out every seagull that steals food from our tables.”
When someone says, “I’ve been waiting for your coffee all week,” Chilli’s day is made. “Bonus points if they survive my energy without a punch in the face,” she adds.
Her order of choice is the Fancy Brekky Bruschetta on GF Nonie’s seedy brown, loaded with scrambled eggs because “training for boxing doesn’t fuel itself on vibes and sarcasm.” Oh, and throw in a side of chaos, of course.
In her Café Olympics? Chilli would be the victor of taking an order “without tripping over 14 tables at once.” And cold brew chugging, if it was an official event.
Emilie
“My giant water bottle is less about hydration and more because it’s so big I physically can’t lose it.”
Emilie brings warmth and wit to the floor. She loves “chatting to locals. I know I’m meant to be cleaning sometimes but… it’s not my calling,” she admits. Her view of the café is simple: “a cosy community café where I get paid to talk, smile at dogs, and avoid mop-related responsibilities.”
Her go-to is the Seagull Burger, “the bigger, the better”, and she owns the title of fastest table chat; “I can have a full conversation before the customer even sits down.”
Serving your coffee needs, 365 days a year
Head into Three Seagulls Freshwater, grab a cup of Paradox and say hi to the team while you’re there. Go bold with Poker Face or glide toward the organic gold-medal Purple Rain. Either way, you’ll leave with a great coffee and an even better connection with the crew who make this place what it is.
87 Harbord Rd, Freshwater | 0405 732 120 | @threeseagulls | threeseagulls.com.au
Positive Energy Smoothie Bar
Freshly launched, Positive Energy is Balgowlah’s new go-to wellness oasis. Replete with arched mirrors, high ceilings, and swaying palm fronds, the architectural and interior design masterpiece will have you feeling like you’ve stepped straight into Pinterest... or heaven.
The hardest part of the gym is often just working up the energy to get there, but when your fitness palace feels more like an island paradise than a sweat-slicked dungeon, coming back day after day feels like a privilege, never a chore.
More than just a gym, Positive Energy looks after you pre-, mid-, and post-workout. At its café and juice bar, you can fuel up and find friends before a session. When it comes to getting your muscles going, a variety of classes will suit every level and preference, from strength to spin, yoga, pilates and more. Each instructor is experienced both in their specialty and in adapting challenges to your abilities, keeping you moving safely and effectively. After you’ve stretched it out, their infrared saunas and ice baths will be the key to quick recovery. Private wellness rooms even accommodate massage therapists, practitioners and healers of all kinds.
“There’s something so special about Positive Energy,” says happy customer Lolanda, “the fresh air, the natural light, the open spaces surrounded by greenery. It’s like your whole body exhales.”
For their ultimate intro offer, new customers can enjoy seven days of unlimited classes for only $7. Getting in shape and finding a community that supports you has never been so easy.
5 Hayes Street, Balgowlah 2093 | 0414 738 033
@positiveenergy_health_fitness | positive-energy.com.au
The Best Smoothies
The best smoothies feel like sunshine in a cup. Maybe it’s the creamy blend, the bright hit of fruit or the little boost that keeps you going. Some are made for post-swim sipping, others for mornings on the run, all of them refreshing in their own way. Smoothies are simple, joyful and endlessly customisable, which is why they’ve become a staple across the Beaches. Here are our favourites:
- Positive Energy
Green juice - Any of Shakes at
Chill Bar at Dee Why or Avalon - Ruby Lane's Super Smoothies and Elixirs
- Three Seagulls Reboot Power Smoothie
- Curly's on the Corner Banana Power Smoothie
- Palmó Choc Shroom
Palmó
Palmó keeps it real with açaí that’s 100% natural and blended with care. Fresh, vibrant, and truly unmatched; this is açaí done right.They are located in two stores; Manly and Freshwater, which is perfect for a treat after a beach walk with mates or a dip in the water.
It all started with the dynamic husband-and-wife duo, Dani and Andreas, who were growing tired of high sugar-based products being marketed as ‘healthy’ so, four years ago, they set one mission; to create a community that celebrates nourishment, healthy living and good vibes.
Palmó comes from the Greek word Palmós, meaning heartbeat or pulse, perfectly capturing the essence of their work. Every açaí bowl is made by hand using real fruit blended with açaí, not a soft-serve machine. Each bowl is made fresh to order with no added sugars, then customised to each person’s liking. They see their açaí bowls as nourishing meals that not only look good but help customers feel good from the inside out.
Their menu goes beyond açaí, offering wholesome salads, superfood smoothies, yoghurt bowls, superfood toasts, raw treats, wellness tonics and specialty coffee.
Visit their cafés in Manly and Freshwater, where the experience, service and food are genuinely unmatched.
Treat yourself and discover why Palmó is the most loved açaí joint on The Beaches.
Baccino Bar Balgowlah
Baccino Balgowlah is the definition of a neighbourhood favourite, the kind of café you rely on without thinking. The coffee is consistently excellent, the food is fresh and familiar in all the right ways and the service feels genuinely warm. Perfect for a post-gym pick-me-up, a catch-up with friends or a quick takeaway on the run, it always hits the mark.
381-383 Sydney Rd, Balgowlah | @bacinobalgowlah
Zubi Bar
Zubi is an easy pick for one of the best cafés on the Beaches. Known for consistently great Campos coffee, generous food and warm, relaxed energy, it has become a go-to for locals. With four locations spread over the Beaches, there’s always a Zubi close to where you live, work or hang out.
Sustainability is part of their DNA. Every Zubi café is ocean-friendly accredited, committed to ensuring nothing they use ends up in the water and maintaining thoughtful recycling systems that protect the coastline they love.
Billy’s at Bilgola Beach is the classic sip-and-swim choice, tucked into a protected pocket made for long, salty days. In Dee Why, Zubi on Oaks delivers one of the best bacon and egg rolls on the Beaches in a laid-back, friendly setting. Over in Narrabeen, Zubi Espresso on Ocean Street offers smooth Campos coffee and a welcoming chat. And in Newport, Zubi Bar’s leafy courtyard invites you to relax with a burger and a cold-pressed juice.
Wherever you are, there’s a Zubi that fits your day.
Bilgola Beach: The Serpentine
Narrabeen: 207 Ocean Street
Dee Why: 11/13 Oaks Avenue
Newport: 323c Barrenjoey Road
@zubi_cafes.
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