Pancha Cafe & Restaurant • Hamilton — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I was not planning on doing a coffee review today in a professional capacity as it is my day off, however, the lovely staff at the Hamilton post office said after finding out I am a coffee critic, said I must try this place. Now the following first part is in no way meant to come across as mean, it is just facts and what I do as apart of my living. So I will break up the review into 2 parts. First part: I have found here in Brisbane, the term specialty coffee is thrown around way too much, so I will educate as to what is specialty coffee. Specialty coffee is a term for the highest grade of coffee available, typically relating to the entire supply chain, using single-origin or single-estate coffee. Specialty coffee is related to the farmers and the brewer what is known as the third wave of coffee, especially throughout North America. This refers to a modern demand for exceptional quality coffee, both farmed and brewed to a significantly higher than average standard. The Specialty Coffee Association has a series of more detailed specifications (SCA is the union of the Specialty Coffee Association of American (SCAA) and Europe (SCAE). The SCA sets standards for specialty coffee at every stage of the coffee production, including allowable defects in green beans, water standards, and brew strength. The SCA also sets clear standards on the coffee grading process. A minimum requirement for a specialty coffee is the number of defects: to be considered specialty a coffee must have 0 to 5 defects every 350 g (12 ounces) of milled beans. I am a taster for specialty coffee of the above standard and review based on them, so that people who really love coffee can see the places to go and what to expect. With the above standards being in play against Pancha Cafe, you would not fall under the guidelines of specialty coffee as the beans used are of a mixed origin and on the bags do not give any guidance as to where they are from. Parts 2: As an overall experience however, which is also apart of my guidelines to reviewing, being new to the Hamilton area and tasting a lot of what is on offer, my rating of the coffee and cafe experience is as follows. The staff member Elliot who made my coffee and the lovely girl who was only new to the business, I would rate each of them for their service an easy 5 stars, beautiful aura between the 2 of them and made me feel so welcomed. The cafe itself, very nice, clean, great atmosphere and did I mention the 2 staff! just great! bravo the 2 of you. The coffee, again please keep in mind this is what I do. It can not be classed as specialty coffee as it is not of single origin or passes the guidelines of that as specialty coffee, but! That being said, as it is not specialty coffee I ordered a latte in which as I mentioned Elliot made it for me (If it was specialty coffee of a single origin and a graded bean I would of had it black) Elliot is a very talented barista, his knowledge of the many years of making coffee's, his emulsification of the milk and pouring process blended the coffee perfectly. In terms being no sugar needed as Elliot was able to capture that from the milk emulsification and gave the coffee a beautiful creamy taste, which brought out the flavours of the chocolate from the coffee beans. Back to what I was saying about based on what I have had of my local area so far.......... I would put this up there as the best standard everyday go to coffee in Hamilton. (standard being not specialty coffee) I would say as well that if being my local coffee shop would I go here regularly! Absolutely!, if the coffee is made the same every day, I would never be disappointed with that quality. Rating on a specialty coffee rating is out of 10, but as this is not specialty I could not rate! However, for the coffee lover who is just looking for a phenomenal coffee with great staff, I rate out of 5 stars...

Updated Review, August 2025

Pancha Café has long been one of my favourite local spots in Hamilton. For months, I raved about their exceptional service, consistently delicious food, and some of the best coffee around. It always felt like one of those rare places where everything just clicked—welcoming service, vibrant flavours, and coffee that was smooth and reliable no matter who was on the machine.

Recently, though, I’ve noticed a shift. I brought some family members along for breakfast, excited to share the Pancha experience, but the service fell short of what I’d come to expect. It was noticeably slow and not as attentive in clearing tables or checking in with customers.

I also grab takeaway coffee here weekly, and I’ve found it consistently slow. Even when it’s not particularly busy, the wait times feel longer than they should be, which takes away from the convenience of popping in for a quick coffee.

The food, usually a standout, was hit and miss on this visit. The omelette came out overcooked and drowned in bacon, which was disappointing given the high standard I’d experienced before. On the upside, the team happily accommodated a request to put the Margherita on Turkish bread, and it tasted great.

The biggest change has been with the coffee itself. They’ve switched beans, and unfortunately, the quality isn’t quite the same. The old beans delivered smooth, creamy consistency every time, no matter the barista. Now, it feels less reliable—sometimes good, sometimes underwhelming.

Overall, Pancha is still a solid neighbourhood café with plenty of charm, but the last few visits have left me a little disappointed. I really hope they find their way back to the consistency and standard that made this place such a standout.

January 2025 Pancha Cafe is hands down one of the best spots in Hamilton! The service is absolutely refreshing—genuinely friendly and welcoming, which makes every visit feel special. The food is exceptional every single time, with fresh, flavourful dishes that never disappoint. And let’s not forget the coffee—it’s DELICIOUS. This is my go-to local for coffee, and I honestly can't...

We went in for a quick brunch on a Sunday. Service was on point. Everyone was really welcoming and friendly. Especially the staff member who greeted us with a big bright smile on her face. There was a bit of wait, but didn’t take long before we were taken to our table (it was almost 11am when we got there).

Their menu was diverse with a bit of everything and multiple vegan and vegetarian options to choose from. There were quite a few things that caught our eyes, but we ended up having their cheesy omelette with mushrooms and chicken and woodland mushrooms. It may not look like a lot of food in the photos, but we were struggling to finish them. The omelette was nice and tender, cheesy but not smothered by cheese; chicken was pan fried and sitting a bit more on the drier side but was overall delicious; given they used chicken breast, which is notoriously difficult to cook to a perfection. We were really happy neither of the dishes was heavily seasoned, which allowed us to taste the ingredients. I had a bit of the woodland mushrooms and especially loved the tapenade on the side. It was so yum and went really well with the bread that came with the dish.

The experience was smooth and highly enjoyable. No hiccups or any sort of disturbances. It was table service and the staff came around to take our orders fairly quickly but not so fast that we were not ready to order. Thank you girls for the fabulous brunch....