Your guide to coffee in Launceston

Come for the show, stay for the fresh pots.

Famed rockers Foo Fighters are bringing their only Australian show to Launceston this Saturday. Not Sydney. Not Melbourne. Launceston.

If you're making the trip, here's something you might not know about frontman Dave Grohl: the man is seriously into his coffee. There's a behind-the-scenes video of him frothing over coffee being made in the studio, yelling ‘fresh pots!’. It became a meme. It went viral. It's very Dave Grohl.

Tasmania's coffee community shares Dave’s enthusiasm, only in a slower, more purposeful way. It’s all about the craft, not the quantity (although no one’s judging – go ahead and order that extra shot).

Coming down for the show? Here’s another reason to linger – northern Tasmania's caffeine culture is about making each cup count. Read on for the best coffee in Launceston.

The roasters

Ritual Coffee Roasters

Walk into this Invermay space and plonk yourself onto a chair made from in-house coffee sacks. This kind of detail tells you everything you need to know about Ritual Coffee Roasters.

What started as a small operation selling at farmers’ markets has become one of Tasmania's premier coffee roasters – a beloved popular choice staying true to their small-batch roots.

Their space is filled with Scandi-modern lighting and the scent of beans roasting, ranging from a chocolatey Strongman blend to passionfruit Colombian. You can watch the process. You can ask questions. You can actually understand what you're drinking. You can even find them at the local Harvest Market, a Saturday morning staple serving up Launceston gastronomy at its grassroots best.

Where and when

• Ritual Coffee Roasters: 6/31a Churchill Park Drive, 8am–4pm weekdays.
• Harvest Market Launceston: 72 Cimitiere Street, 9.30am–12.30pm every Saturday.

Tatler Lane by Sweetbrew

Over on St John Street, Archana and Tim Brammall changed the game back in 2014. Before they opened Sweetbrew, finding traceable, high-quality coffee in Tasmania wasn't as easy as it is now.

"Thousands of hands touch the coffee bean before it gets into this cup," co-owner Archana says.

Fast forward to today and their second venue, Tatler Lane by Sweetbrew, complements the original – a sociable, colourful roasting house with a hearty all-day Middle Eastern brunch menu to boot. And for a local’s recommendations on what to do while you’re here, check out Archana’s Launceston weekend guide.

Where and when

• Tatler Lane by Sweetbrew: 5/74–82 St John Street, open from 7.30am daily, closing 3pm weekdays and 2.30pm weekends.
• Sweetbrew cafe: 93 Cimitiere Street, 6.30am–3pm weekdays, 7.30am–1pm Saturday.

The cafes

Bread + Butter

This inviting space on Elizabeth Street sources its coffee from Single O: single-origin beans treated with the same respect as everything else they make. Which happens to include some of Launceston's best croissants, all made with Tasmanian Butter Co's cultured butter. Hand-churned, traditional methods, small batches. The attention to detail carries through.

Where and when

• Bread + Butter: 70 Elizabeth Street and 20 George Street: open from 7am daily, closing 2pm Monday–Saturday and 1pm Sunday and Public Holidays.
• Bread + Butter Bakeshop: 65 Cimitiere Street, 7am–2pm Monday–Saturday.

Frankie’s Coffee House

This welcoming George Street space keeps things uncomplicated. Frankie’s Coffee House feels lived-in, with exposed brick, communal tables and a healthy dose of natural light bouncing off the sunshine-yellow coffee cups.

Savour their specialty coffee: Tattooed Nun by Tassie roasters Zimmah. It’s rich and buttery with that dark-chocolate, caramel and raisin flavour. The baristas will talk you through tasting notes if you ask, but they won't lecture you if you just want a flat white.

Where and when

• Frankie’s Coffee House: 42 George Street, 7am–2pm weekdays, 7.30am–2pm Saturdays, 8.30am–2pm Sundays.

Le Petit Chou

This French patisserie on George Street does indulgence the way it should be done. Experienced pastry chef Prosper makes chouquettes filled with diplomate crème – hazelnut versions with praline, coffee with fondant and lemon meringue torched to order. It’s French technique with Tasmanian ingredients.

These precision pastries pair nicely with their coffee, sourced from Lottie Lane in Hobart. Medium roast lets the flavour shine through. Espresso or filter, both work alongside chocolate caramel eclairs and proper mille-feuilles.

Where and when

• Le Petit Chou: 76 George Street, 8am–6pm Wednesday–Monday (closed Tuesdays).

Not a coffee person?

Launceston's caffeine alternatives get the same quality, craft and care:

• Tinka Coffee Brewers does specialty matcha pours alongside their coffee. 147 St John Street, 8am–1pm daily.
• Earthy Eats has turmeric lattes and house-made chai if you're after something warming. 19 Kingsway, 8am–2.30pm daily.
• Or pick any cafe mentioned on this page and try something on their menu that isn’t coffee to hype you up for the show, or revive you afterwards – tea, matcha, hot chocolate, even the sugar rush of a pastry.

Why it matters

Small-batch roasting means monitoring every batch individually. Single-origin focus means tasting the difference between regions, farms and processing methods. And relationships with producers mean fair pricing and sustainable practices.

Launceston's clean air and pure water help. But mostly, it's locals who care enough to do it properly and share it with people who get it. And if Dave Grohl can appreciate a good cuppa, so can we.