Cafe 63 — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

I don't know why I keep going back to Cafe 63 at Ross Evans Nursery, Coombabah expecting something different, only to be disappointed time after time. The lovely nursery and easy parking is the only actual drawcard. The menu is vast and confusing. The food is quite acceptable but I don't know why it can never come out of the kitchen in a reasonable time and in order. On past visits Some of our party of 6 had finished their meals before others came to the table.) The cooked breakfast I ordered on my last visit came out before the cold muffin (served in its wrapper on a large dinner plate with no side sauce, cream or garnish - just a dry, cold muffin.) My tea cup was dirty - I had to send that back. The "tea" consisted of a dry teabag and a pot of hot (not boiling) water. It's difficult for tea to draw in water that's hardly warm enough to drink, let alone brew tea). The wait staff, while not rude, are about as invested in customer service as one might expect they would be in a tooth removal. No conversation, just the most bare of interaction. Catching someone's attention is a challenge - they walk past blind to a waving patron. I had to ask for cutlery, then I had to ask for S&P (and, of course, a clean cup) Even getting someone to take our order was a challenge. Orders are confused (whole meals forgotten or not as requested on past visits.) It seems they're all just students working to pay their way and they have zero emotional investment in the business. The property (once a beautiful Balinese oasis in suburban Coombabah) was painted when cafe 63 took over (about 10 years ago??) and the place hasn't seen a paint brush since. It's tired, bland and, dare I say, grubby. The atmosphere was scuttled in that alleged "makeover" and now needs some serious work to bring back even that dull feel. (Sadly, it will never be what it once was.) Grubby, flat fake grass, fold up tables, plastic cloths and stackable chairs from Bunnings does not an inviting cafe make. My final point, is more on a potential health issue. It's lovely to see Cafe 63 supporting another Australian company by providing Beerenberg sauces, made from fresh ingredients in SA. However the label clearly states that the product must be refrigerated once opened and yet every table has opened, half / partially used bottles sitting there all day in the SEQ heat. That seems like a mildly dangerous way to provide condiments when not stored as per the manufacturer's instruction. I love Ross Evans Nursery but I'm done...

I really genuinely want to rate this place higher. I love the ambience - it is beautifully set beside the nursery and a water feature. HOWEVER.... the service and food is genuinely disappointing, stingy and over priced. No food presentation and unfortunately not value for money. Their coffee is decent. I am a regular being just next door, it is convenient. I regularly bring full tables of my family and interstate travellers and everyone always walks away disappointed so I am writing in the hope that this will be read and perhaps improvements made. The menu is ridiculously long - it is overwhelming and the chefs obviously can't keep up. They need to have a smaller menu and do it well, employ or train better chefs and rework their menu. If management take this on board they could easily be one of the best places to meet up for lunch/ a cuppa in the area. Even basic things like their fruit salad (mainly old honey dew) has on two occasions been served with watery, discoloured... defrosted looking melon and defrosted tasting berry compote which is hard to get wrong but genuinely not good. The banana bread - prepare for what is the size of half a normal slice anywhere else. It wasn't even served with butter. Every time without fail I have had to approach staff to get their attention and ask for customer service. It's exceptionally frustrating. The staff love to have a nice chat with each other though. Today the kitchen closed early due to the running out of supplies (so I was told by staff). One staff member said I could order kids pancakes and another said we couldn't. I don't write this review wanting to be negative I actually genuinely want to leave constructive feedback as I really do hope that the cafe can consider bettering these components because I'd love to love this place and keep bringing people here over finding...

I recently visited Café 63 at Ross Evans Garden Centre in Coombabah, and it turned out to be a really nice spot for a casual brunch. The atmosphere is lovely—sitting among all the plants gives it a peaceful, garden-like feel, which I really enjoyed. It’s definitely a great place to take a break if you’re already wandering through the garden centre.

I ordered the classic bacon and eggs, and I have to say, the portions were generous, especially for the price. The food came out fresh, and the coffee was pretty good, although it could’ve been a bit hotter for my liking. I’ve heard rave reviews about their pancakes, so I’m already planning to try those next time.

That said, being outside, it can get a bit hot, especially on warmer days. The fans help a little, but if you’re not a fan of the heat, it might not be the most comfortable spot during summer afternoons. Plus, it does get pretty busy on weekends, which means a bit of a wait for your food. The staff are friendly and try their best, but they seemed a bit stretched with the crowd, so service can be on the slower side during peak times.

Another thing to note is that it can get quite noisy when it’s full, so if you’re after a quiet coffee break, this might not be the place, especially on weekends. Still, the relaxed garden setting makes up for it if you’re not in a rush.

Overall, Café 63 is a great little spot to grab a bite if you’re already at Ross Evans or in the area. The food’s solid, the atmosphere is laid-back, and I’m definitely coming back to try more of their menu—just maybe on a cooler, quieter...