Semester two is upon us and On The Record has scouted out some of the cheapest coffee in and around Adelaide to get you through the rest of the year. (Image: Chevanon Photography)
By Jade Woollacott | @jade.woollacott
Uni students are no strangers to caffeine, but it is no secret that the price of a good cup of coffee has soared.
When OTR last looked at Adelaide’s affordable coffee in 2018, prices were closer to the $4 mark, but now it feels lucky to find anything under $5.
Worse still, earlier this year CityMag reported Adelaide’s coffee prices are only expected to rise.
Of course, alternative milks incur an extra charge and, as a general rule, iced lattes tend to cost more.
Nonetheless, OTR has compiled a list of some of Adelaide’s most affordable — and aesthetic — coffee spots where you can get your caffeine fix for under $5.
Whistle and Flute
136 Greenhill Road, Unley
On the cusp of the CBD’s south, Whistle and Flute is hidden on the ground level of one of Greenhill Road’s corporate-looking buildings. An oasis amid the 9–5 grind, this cosy cafe is also within reasonable distance of UniSA’s city campuses.
Small coffee: $4.50
Small iced latte: $4.50
Alternative milk: + $1
Lockwood General
35 High Street, Burnside
With the same owners as popular Adelaide cafes Bloom and Peter Rabbit, Lockwood General knows its way around a good cup of coffee at a reasonable price. Located a stone’s throw from the Magill campus, this tiny cafe is the perfect respite from studies.
Small coffee: $4.50
Small iced latte: $4.80
Alternative milk: + $1
Lockwood General. (Image: Jade Woollacott)
My Grandma Ben
5 Third Street, Bowden (Plant 4 Bowden)
My Grandma Ben is a sustainable pioneer nestled among the mini market scene of Bowden’s Plant 4. Because of its unique, sustainable philosophy, this cafe does not offer takeaway services to reduce waste. However, you can take a reusable coffee cup or, even better, set up shop for a short study session only a short tram ride west of UniSA’s city campuses.
Small coffee: $4.80
Small iced latte: $5.50
Alternative milk: + 80c
Joe’s Henley Beach
Esplanade, Henley Beach
Moving further west, you could not enjoy a coffee any closer to the ocean, unless you were in it, than at Joe’s Henley Beach. While this laid-back beach shack cafe offers a quiet reprieve from the hustle and bustle of busy Henley Square, it’s probably best to book if you’re planning on eating (or drinking) in.
Small coffee: $4.50
Small iced latte: $6
Alternative milk: + $1
Local Crowd
14 The Strand, Colonel Light Gardens
Local Crowd delivers exactly what its namesake suggests: a small crowd of friendly locals. Add on to that some decently priced, good coffee; photogenic food; some local products on offer; and the leafy green background of Colonel Light Gardens and it makes for the perfect coffee spot.
Small coffee: $4.50
Small iced latte: $8
Alternative milk: + $1
Peter Rabbit
234–244 Hindley Street, Adelaide
Located within what some call the “concrete jungle” of UniSA’s City West Campus, Peter Rabbit is a rustic garden refuge. With such a convenient location for City West–goers there is no excuse to pay more elsewhere when a well-priced cup of coffee is on your doorstep.
Small coffee: $4.80
Small iced latte: $5.50
Alternative milk: + $1
Frankly Bagels
60 Belford Avenue, Prospect | 88 Magill Road, Norwood
Frankly Bagels know their way around a damn good bagel, but they also know how to make a cup of coffee that won’t break the bank. The original tiny cafe — if it’s even big enough to call it that — in Prospect has recently expanded to a second location on Magill Road. It’s quite literally down the road from UniSA’s Magill Campus.
Small coffee: $4.50
Small iced latte: $5.50
Alternative milk: + $1
Sublime Cafe
55 East Avenue, Clarence Park
Proudly female owned, the recently reopened Sublime Cafe in Adelaide’s southern suburbs sits next to the train line and only a short distance from the tram line. Besides providing an affordable cup of coffee, Sublime also claims they are home to Adelaide’s best bottomless brunch.
Small coffee: $4.80
Small iced latte: $6
Alternative milk: + $1
ontherecordunisa.com 