Coffee icon Jamie’s Espresso Bar has reopened in new day-and-night digs on Robertson Street
Before James Street became Brisbane’s hospitality and retail epicentre, it was home to a clutch of cafes and boutiques that laid the groundwork for the strip’s eventual rise in prominence. One of James Street’s OG residents is Jamie’s Espresso Bar, a beloved mainstay that’s been serving invigorating caffeinated drinks since the late 90s. After decades operating in the thick of the action, Jamie’s Espresso Bar has moved a few spaces away to a new site on Robertson Street, where it is serving stellar coffee during the day and wine and snacks on Friday nights. Take a look inside …
Jamie’s Espresso Bar has been a fixture of James Street long before The Calile Hotel added a decadent dose of high-end glamour to the strip. Jamie Bellas opened his treasured hole-in-the-wall coffee spot on the corner of James Street and Robertson Street in 1998 at 24 years of age, where it became a pillar of Brisbane’s nascent coffee scene and remaining a constant source of quality caffeine as as luxury hotels, ritzy restaurants and a swathe of boutique retail outlets sprouted up around it.
What made Jamie’s Espresso Bar special? If you ask the man himself, he’ll demur – telling us in 2015 that it was the people that made Jamie’s Espresso Bar special all along. Ruggedly informal and charmingly casual, the art- and graffiti-coated haunt endured as a meeting spot for shoppers, corporates and locals until 2019, when Jamie closed the long-running joint and reopened it as a piccolo-sized pouring station near At Sixes & Sevens. Jamie’s operated here throughout the pandemic era, but it was always envisioned as a stopgap step before an eventual return to Robertson Street.
Last year the cafe moved again, this time for good. Jamie’s Espresso Bar 3.0 quietly opened for a few sneaky services in late 2022, 50-odd metres from where it first made its bones 25 years ago.
For Jamie, the relocation aimed to return the business to its neighbourhood-centric roots, where people could drink, dine, converse and kick back without the bustle of James Street filtering in. Architecture firm Twohill & James has worked with Jamie on the cafe’s design, honing in on a clean and minimal aesthetic reminiscent of the original iteration’s vibe, boasting windows that open to the street, an L-shaped and cream-tiled bar, timber banquettes, a mix of window and bar seating, and lick of dark blue-green paint on the walls creating a space that is polished, but not uncomfortable.
“It just feels like an old pair of slippers,” says Jamie of the fresh digs. “Even though it’s only new, I feel like I’ve been in here for years. A lot of people feel very comfortable in here. Though [the cafe] is further away from James Street than it used to be, it feels the same because James Street is a bit busier. It feels like I’m in the same spot.”
During the day, Jamie’s Espresso Bar pumps out the same killer coffee as it’s always done, slinging cup after cup of smooth Seven Miles brew alongside a small menu of simple breakfast and lunch items – fare that’s easy to munch on while you chat or relax.
Toast topped with your choice of spreads, avocado, boiled egg, haloumi, goats cheese, tomato and leg ham is on offer alongside natural muesli and yoghurt cups, while toasted sandwiches (ham and gruyere, haloumi and eggplant, and brisket and pickle) and ploughman’s lunches become available in the afternoon. On Friday evenings, Jamie’s Espresso Bar opens as a low-key neighbourhood watering hole serving a selection of boozy beverages and bar snacks to all comers.
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A 13-strong wine list showcases mostly Australian drops, with a few internationals in the mix as well. There’s also a selection of tinned beer and cider, and a tight back bar range that filters into a concise clutch of cocktails. Snacks like vegetable samosas, chicken-liver pate and toasties keep bellies lined, but a delectable array of desserts – think affogato with Frangelico, lime and coconut cake, bougatsa and Greek biscuits – are the perfect sweet finish for those wandering in after dinner or a movie.
With everything now in place, Jamie is eager to ensure Jamie’s 3.0 remains an accessible oasis in the heart of Brisbane’s buzziest precinct – not only for regulars that have patronised the coffee spot since the late 90s, but also younger generations of coffee drinkers.
“The nice thing about my place is that everyone is welcome,” says Jamie. “I look forward to growing old with all of my customers. I look forward to all of my kids and the kids from the area coming through and making the shop cool again.”
Jamie’s Espresso Bar is open during the day from Monday to Friday and at night on Fridays. The entire space can be booked for private events during the week. Head to The Directory for operating hours and contact details.