Stairwell Coffee

Sometimes you need to venture into some quirky places to find a truly excellent cup of coffee. Those of you who loved Harry Potter or Being John Malkovich will love Stairwell coffee, a cute sea-green hole in the wall literally tucked under the stairs in the Central Arcade halfway down Asian Alley in Surfers Paradise. 

This place is an institution for superb coffee, specialising in espresso and cold brew, and is your ideal coffee hideaway, away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Cavill Avenue, Orchid Avenue & Surfers Paradise Boulevard.

Located within one of the oldest commercial buildings in Surfers Paradise, The Centre Arcade is an interesting attraction in-itself.  It is a landmark of local Asian culture, with Asian eateries, salons, massage, clothing and internet cafes, thus the name “Asian Alley.”  Stairwell Coffee nestles in and fills a niche for quality coffee as it pipes out soulful tunes and bootleg jazz in this vibrant cultural thoroughfare.  There are a few tables in this cute space bordered by a fairy lit leaf screen and watched over by a hilarious painting of Ben Stiller’s Derek Zoolander giving you a blue steel.

Stairwell’s uses Windomal Roasting Co. beans care of Clayton Dalton (Stairwell’s original owner), who proudly picks and chooses the single origin beans which he roasts, provides to Stairwell and sells to a few other lucky local coffee shops.  The coffee brewed in Stairwell’s beautiful matte black La Marzocco espresso machine gives earthy leather-like notes, with a hint of citrus and hidden marshmallow tones balancing and mellowing the beautiful brew.

Stairwell Coffee offers a dozen hot brew options, half a dozen cold brews (you have to try Clayton’s nitro coffee, currently being made from single origin beans from Guatemala), with a dozen milk alternatives, plus thick shakes, coffee frappes and frappes.  You can also grab the perfect bite to complement your beans from Stairwell’s simple menu – with seven jaffle options, bagels and sourdough, and plain, fresh, toasted or loaded banana bread.  The fresh pastry cabinet also offers tasty treats like Avo fetta smash bagels or Halloumi with rocket, beetroot and hummus bagels, along with croissants, shortbreads and other baked goodies.

Find Stairwell Coffee and this hidden gem will be your ticket to quality coffee in central Surfers. 

By Michaela Lyons