Why Tugun is quietly one of the Gold Coast's best brunch spots
Tugun sits in that easy stretch of the southern Gold Coast between Currumbin and the airport — close enough to the action, far enough to feel like a secret. It's the kind of suburb where the morning starts slowly: a walk along the foreshore, a swim, then the all-important question of where to find a good coffee.
For something more than a quick takeaway, the courtyard at Cornerstone Stores on the Gold Coast Highway has become a natural gathering point. It's a boutique precinct of nine independent shops arranged around an inward-facing courtyard, and at its heart is the café. This is our honest local take on brunch and coffee in the area — not a ranking, just the places and habits locals actually keep.
Specialty coffee, done properly
Good coffee on the southern Gold Coast isn't hard to find, but consistently good coffee is rarer. Stable, the café at Cornerstone, pours specialty coffee from early — it opens around 6am, so it suits both the pre-work crowd and anyone who's already been down to the beach.
If you're particular about your coffee, the usual advice applies anywhere: order a single-origin black if you want to taste what the roaster's doing, or a flat white if you just want the day to start well. Stable is licensed too, so a late-morning brunch can drift comfortably into a glass of something if the mood takes you.
Where to actually sit
The thing that makes the difference at brunch isn't only the menu — it's the room. Stable's tables spill into the festoon-lit courtyard and onto the grass, which means shade, fresh air, and space to spread out. It doesn't take bookings, so it's first-come, first-served; the trick on weekends is to arrive a little before the rush rather than at the peak of it.
Three details locals rely on: it's dog-friendly, with tables in the courtyard and on the grass where your dog is welcome; there's free parking on site with no meters; and it's open 7 days. For a southern Gold Coast brunch with kids, a dog, or a post-beach appetite, that combination is hard to beat.
Make a morning of it
What turns a coffee into a proper outing is everything around it. Cornerstone is built for a slow wander, so it's easy to stretch brunch into a few hours. After your meal you can browse the homewares and gifting at Kind Curations, or pick up something for later from the food shops next door.
If you're planning a picnic for the beach or the foreshore, Quince Cellar puts together cheese, wine, charcuterie and grazing boards, while Locavore Byron is an organic, pasture-raised butcher sourcing from Brooklet Springs Farm — exactly what you want for a weekend cook-up. There's also activewear at The Upside, a barber at Lost Boys, and movement classes upstairs at The Body Method if your morning runs longer than planned.
Breakfast near Currumbin & the southern beaches
Half the appeal of brunch here is what surrounds it. Cornerstone sits directly opposite Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, so it's an easy refuel before or after a visit. Within a short drive you've got Currumbin Beach and the Alley, Tugun Beach, and the headland walks around Elephant Rock and Flat Rock.
It's also a genuinely good stopover. Roughly six minutes from Gold Coast Airport and right on the highway, it's a sensible first or last stop on the drive between the Gold Coast and Byron Bay — a real breakfast instead of a service-station coffee. If you're new to the area, our wider southern Gold Coast guide maps out the rest.
A note for spring visitors
If you're planning a trip later in the year, time it with the SWELL Sculpture Festival at Currumbin Beach, on from 11–20 September 2026 — a free, walkable run of sculptures along the sand. It pairs perfectly with a morning coffee: see the works early before the heat, then settle in for brunch. For full directions and parking, see our directions page.
Good to know
Where can I get good coffee in Tugun?
Stable, the café at Cornerstone Stores on the Gold Coast Highway, pours specialty coffee from around 6am, seven days a week. It's opposite Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary with free on-site parking.
Is there dog-friendly brunch near Currumbin?
Yes. Stable at Cornerstone Stores has dog-friendly tables in its festoon-lit courtyard and on the grass, so you can bring your dog along for breakfast or lunch. The whole courtyard precinct is dog-friendly.
What time does breakfast start, and do I need to book?
Stable opens around 6am and serves breakfast and lunch through to roughly 2:30pm daily. It doesn't take bookings — seating is first-come, first-served — so on busy weekends it's best to arrive a little ahead of the mid-morning rush.
Is Cornerstone Stores a good stop on the drive to Byron Bay?
It's well suited to it. Cornerstone is right on the Gold Coast Highway, about six minutes from Gold Coast Airport, with free parking and food shops alongside the café — an easy, proper breakfast stop heading north or south.
Cornerstone Stores — 570 Gold Coast Highway, Tugun QLD 4224. Open 7 days, dog-friendly, free parking. Meet the stores →