12 excellent cafes in Orange for coffee lovers and foodies

You’re never too far from a well-brewed coffee and delicious meal in Orange.

It’s no great revelation that the fertile lands surrounding Orange are a magnet for food lovers, who come to relish the locally grown produce and world-class wines. Beyond the city limits there’s a virtual buffet of wonderful restaurants to discover at wineries and cellar doors, but you’ll also find an excellent peppering of incredible cafes and coffee joints in and about town. Inspired by seasonal harvests and energised by a perpetual parade of city visitors and relocators, there’s a ravenous energy in Orange’s cafe scene. Here’s our pick of the top spots.

1. Good Eddy

Get your coffee with a side order of city chic at this town centre cafe that grinds Reuben Hills beans in its light and bright digs.

The light-filled digs at Good Eddy is the perfect place to start your day.

Set yourself up at the window and watch Orange open up for the day as you savour your cuppa and tuck into cafe classics such as a bacon and egg roll, toastie and bagel. The kids will go (hazel) nuts for the Nutella milkshake.

Good Eddy serves Rueben Hills coffee beans at its store.

Price: $
Opening hours: 6.50am–1.45pm Monday to Friday

2. Anything Grows

Take tea in the country-chic courtyard amid blooms and branches at this nursery and cafe near Cook Park.

Anything Grows exudes country charm.

From something sweet to accompany your brew to larger plates of baked eggs and chicken wraps, you can pop into Anything Grows until 2pm for a meal, and enjoy afternoon tea of coffee and cake until 3pm.

The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

There’s also a gift shop, so you can leave with a posy tucked under your arm or a new pair of gumboots.

The cafe is set in a plant-filled courtyard.

Price: $
Opening hours: 8am–3pm Tuesday to Friday; 8am–2pm Saturday and Sunday

3. Lakeside Kiosk and Cafe

Lake Canoblas, just 10 minutes from Orange, is perhaps one of the most picturesque spots for a morning cup of coffee. Pop into the Lakeside Kiosk & Cafe to caffeinate for a gentle stroll by the lake or pre-order your picnic provisions.

Pop into the Lakeside Kiosk & Cafe for incredible food with a view.

If you’d rather take in the serene view as you enjoy a leisurely sit-down lunch, the cafe will service your needs with a menu ranging from duck breast to gruyere croquettes.

Tasty dishes like duck with eggplant are on the menu.

Price: $–$$
Opening hours: Kiosk 8am–3pm; Cafe 8am–2.30pm Tuesday to Sunday 

4. Millthorpe Providore

If you’re in the vicinity of Orange, it’s almost mandatory to take the 25-minute drive to charming Millthorpe to peruse its heritage loveliness and antique stores.

While you’re there, grab yourself a coffee and a little something from the local favourite, Millthorpe Providore.

Price: $
Opening hours: 6am–3pm Monday to Friday; 7am–3pm Saturday and Sunday

5. Byng Street Local Store

For more than a decade this all-rounder cafe has been firing up the espresso machine to fortify customers with their daily brews, just as they like it.

Find a spot to sit out front to enjoy brunch at Byng Street.

Serving breakfast, lunch and quick takeaways, the bright-red door is always open for locals and visitors alike.

The menu is full of a range of delicious options.

Settle in at a communal table, perch at the window or mill about outside having a chat – this beloved corner cafe is here for it all.

Try this beloved corner cafe for yourself.

Price: $
Opening hours: 7am–3pm daily 

6. Groundstone Cafe

If you’ve allocated time to take in the town’s museum and cultural precinct, be sure to build in a couple of hours to sit and savour at this light-flooded, glasshouse-like eatery.

It’s a hive of activity inside this light-flooded cafe.

With a considered focus on local produce and seasonal ingredients, breakfast lunch or brunch here is an exercise worth lingering over. From a son-in-law egg salad to sweet and savoury crumpets or a more robust peri peri chicken burger, flavours are bright and finessed.

Take your time to enjoy the atmosphere over brunch or lunch. (Image: Emily Murphy)

Price: $$
Opening hours: 7.30am–3pm Monday to Friday; 8am–2pm Saturday and Sunday

7. The Village Bakehouse

Fortify for a day touring Orange’s agrarian beauty and celebrated cellar doors with a stop at this bakery cafe. Bread has been the business here since 1918, so one can be assured they’ll rise to the occasion when it comes to baked goods. Breakfast is available until a leisurely 1pm to catch those late risers and may be as simple as sourdough toast or a ‘stella’ smoked bacon and egg roll with trimmings of Swiss cheese, caramelised onion and chilli jam.

Devour some baked goods at The Village Bakehouse.

Price: $
Opening hours: 5.30am–5pm Monday to Friday; 5.30am–4pm Saturday; 6am–3pm Sunday

8. Academy Coffee Roasters

It’s all about the bean at this specialty coffee roastery, which has been extracting the best for the Central West of NSW since 2015. Pop into their Woodward Street digs for a cup of consciously and carefully sourced coffee and a small bite, from toast to toasties and a pastry treat. If you’re fond of a sweet riff on your usual order, try the Biscoff latte.

Try the Biscoff latte at Academy Coffee Roasters.

Price: $
Opening hours: 6am–1.30pm Monday to Friday; 8am–12.25pm Saturday

9. Bills Beans East Orange

If you’re in the east of Orange and hankering for a well-made coffee, you’ll find Bills Beans at the heritage corner digs of the former Hackett’s Butcher Shop. Here the brews have a golden crema and you’ll be well-supplied with a fresh menu from breakfast through to lunch.

Price: $
Opening hours: 6am–4pm Monday to Friday; 7am–1pm Saturday; 8am–1pm Sunday

10. Factory Espresso

Sporting an array of personalities as a cafe, a comedy club and a roastery for Kite Coffee, Factory Espresso’s vast, industrial-style digs makes it well-suited to all three versions of itself.

Factory Espresso is the perfect place to start (or end) the day.

There’s a rotating roster of some of Australia’s best comedians, but if that doesn’t suit your jam, you can also just come along and watch the coffee roasting in action as you sip the end result.

The breakfast menu hits all the right notes.

Price: $
Opening hours: 6am–2.30pm Monday to Friday; 7.30am–2pm Saturday; 7.30am–1pm Sunday.

11. Racine Bakery

While many have heard of Orange’s much-adored Racine Restaurant, now sadly closed, less know of its spin-off bakery. Firing up the oven in 2012 to shape handmade loaves for the restaurant and other small businesses in town, the bakery soon moved into its own bricks-and-mortar digs in town. Stop by for beautifully bubbled organic sourdough, all-butter pastries, cakes and biscuits and, of course, excellent coffee. You can also order whole cakes, flans and tarts to enjoy at home.

Don’t miss the pastries from Racine Bakery. (Image: Destination NSW)

Price: $–$$
Opening hours: 7am–2pm Monday to Friday; 7am–1pm Saturday; 8am–1pm Sunday

12. Spilt Milk Bar

One for the sweet-toothed lickers and lovers of creamy goodness, this Aussie gelateria churns local and fresh ingredients to make their icy scoops incredibly delicious and opens until later for those post-dinner cravings.

Gelato is always a good idea.

They also have milk bars in Canberra and Tamworth.

Price: $
Opening hours: 2pm–9pm Monday to Wednesday; 2pm–10pm Thursday to Friday; 12pm–10pm Saturday; 12pm–9pm Sunday