Kova Coffee Brisbane — Restaurant in Brisbane City

TL;DR - Excellent coffee, excellent food, excellent staff. Open most public holidays.

When our local closed a year ago, my grandfather and I started frequenting Kova. You'll find us dining in nearly every morning for the best coffee around (we tried at least six other spots in the area before settling in here).

The coffee is consistently high quality (every barista meets an exceptional standard) - which is particularly important to our group as our coffee orders vary from espressos to vanilla almond lattes (and hot chocolates for our caffeine-free companions).

We watch the comings and goings each morning and feel we know the place pretty well. The busy periods come in pretty regular waves so if it's really busy one morning - try and get there 5 mins earlier the next day and you'll find your sweet spot. Tables will be full - and then suddenly everyone will leave at the same time! These wild fluctuations means it may take a moment for the staff to clear a table but I've never waited more than a few minutes for a fresh table (and if I need one cleared, I have just asked while placing my order).

I highly recommend booking ahead for weekend brunch during peak times (8:30am-11am), public holidays, or if you have a large group (so staff can arrange tables for ahead of time). The staff have always been courteous and responsive to any special requests. If you are in a rush and ordering from the cabinet, we love the Brekkie Wrap or Ham & Cheese Croissant. If you are dining in for a nice social brunch, the all-day menu is excellent - we particularly love The Sunrise and Vegetarian Hash Stack. If you are looking for something decadent, the special croissants are divine (we particularly loved the Biscoff one a few weeks back and I enjoyed the strawberry one for my birthday).

The best atmosphere is in the alcove, where live plants create a nice barrier from the Woolworths entrance, away from the main walkway. The dining areas are covered alfresco and dog-friendly (no seating is inside the shop space but there are stools to wait for takeaways). The pet owners we've encountered have all been responsible and respectful of other patrons (we don't have dogs ourselves).

But most importantly, we are grateful for Leo and the staff who have consistently created a welcoming place for us to relax every morning (which is tricky to do in a shopping centre setting). We enjoy our little chats and love getting to know you all!

Oh - and they open most public holidays for those of us who are...

I am a Mum and I work as a person who goes to different restaurants, cafes etc and check them out so I can recommend or not to others. I have visited this place for over 2 weeks now and I am absolutely loving it. The only downside is that when busy, orders may be missed or wrong/something is wrong but other than that it’s great!! I definitely recommend a business expansion rather than a small business. The staff are amazing too!! There’s a girl (sorry I don’t know her name!) who is much younger than everyone else who does amazing for her age! She has served me on the register a few times and she was polite and enthusiastic (customers look for that in a worker). No matter the day she is kind to everyone of every age! Even though the staff make mistakes, each person is very very good (making mistakes helps you grow!!). I will definitely recommend this place to clients. The owner/boss should be very proud of each and every person and the place they have...

I ventured into Kova while grabbing something from the Butcher within the complex. I grabbed a large coffee and a Turkish avocado chicken toasty.

The coffee is strong, earthy and made well. I usually prefer a lighter coffee bean, so to enjoy this stronger blend speaks to its quality. Kova are also one of the only cafes that have a 16 ounce large cup which I think is way better than your usual 12.

The Turkish was freshly made, but slightly under toasted. There was no crust or hardness to the sandwich. Personally, eating Turkish bread without it being properly toasted is a bit of a downer. I think they could have done better here.

Overall a better than average local. But...