Yonder Espresso

St Lucia was lacking in specialty coffee options until Adam Murphy opened Yonder Espresso in September 2021.

Situated amid the tightly packed restaurants and cafes of the Hawken Drive shopping precinct, Murphy has used a background in nutrition and experience working in venues in Brisbane, Scotland, Iran and Northern Ireland to take the old Joseph Highland coffee-and-crepes spot and turn it into a snazzy al fresco spot of reclaimed timber and recycled kerbside furniture.

As the name suggests, Yonder focuses mostly on the black stuff, Single O espresso backed by rotating guest roasters on batch brew and filter. Food is a slick selection of cabinet items and grab-and-go eats, much of it vegan. Expect bean and cheese quesadillas with spicy Mexican sauce alongside lemon poppyseed cakes and raspberry croissants. Yonder also runs a Hash Brown Friday, with your housemate’s favourite hangover food going for $1 a pop.

The cafe produces as much as possible in-house, including almond milk, chai syrup, turmeric and hot chocolate mixes, and tepache (a fermented fizzy drink made from the peel and rind of pineapples).

Yonder’s other point of difference is a retail wall packed tight with beans sourced from across the country. Expect superstar independent Australian roasters Proud Mary and Reuben Hills alongside locals such as Neighbourhood and Almanac, and up-and-comers like Newcastle’s Floozy Coffee.