Hustl. Cafe is a cozy, warm neighbourhood cafe on Grant Road in Queenstown Central, keeping things simple and doing them well: breakfast, lunch and coffee. Doors open at 7am every day of the week, the kitchen cooks through to 3pm, and the cafe itself stays open until 4pm — with late summer nights until 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
The menu is built to suit all diets, with ample vegan options and a team happy to cater to gluten free and just about any other requirement — in their words, the whole lot. Classic cafe fare gets playful twists, with the bubble and squeak benny standing out as their take on eggs benedict, while a colourful, fully stocked cabinet covers anyone after something quick alongside their coffee.
Hustl. is also fully licensed, so a cheeky breakfast cocktail, a beer from the team's mates at Altitude Brewery just down the road, or a local Gibbston Valley wine are all on the cards. True to its sustainability ethos, the cafe is disposable cup free and keeps plenty of alternatives on hand if you forget your keep cup. Dine in or take away — regulars like Natalie Potter call it their favourite cafe to date, praising the friendly staff, the super-cosy atmosphere and the coffee.
Hustl. Cafe occupies a corner of Queenstown Central at 19 Grant Road, and its pitch is refreshingly simple: breakfast, lunch and coffee, served in a space the team describes as cozy and warm. The doors open at 7am every single day of the week and stay open until 4pm, making it an easy first stop whether you're heading out to the trails or easing into a slow Queenstown morning.
The kitchen runs from 7am to 3pm and turns out what the cafe itself calls an amazing breakfast and lunch menu, built with options to suit all diets. Vegan diners are specifically looked after — there are ample vegan options — and the team is upfront about catering to every dietary requirement, whether that's gluten free or, in their words, the whole lot.
Hustl. doesn't just play the classics straight, either. Their twists on cafe standards include the bubble and squeak benny, a playful spin on eggs benedict that has become one of the things the cafe is known for. Alongside the plated menu sits a colourful, fully stocked cabinet selection, so if you're in a hurry there's always something ready to grab and go with your coffee.
Coffee is clearly a point of pride here. One reviewer, Natalie Potter, calls Hustl. her favourite cafe to date, crediting the super-friendly staff, the super-cosy atmosphere and — in her words — the best coffee she has ever had. That is high praise in a town that takes its flat whites seriously.
Something many visitors don't expect from a daytime cafe: Hustl. is fully licensed. Fancy a cheeky breakfast cocktail? That's on offer. Prefer something with lunch? The beer comes from the team's mates at Altitude Brewery, just down the road, and the wine is local too, from Gibbston Valley. During summer the cafe leans even further into the evening, opening until 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays with a dedicated summer evening menu.
Sustainability is baked into how the cafe operates. Hustl. is disposable cup free — an initiative they brand SUC Free — and they keep plenty of alternatives on hand in case you forget your keep cup. It's a small thing that says a lot about the place, and it's worth remembering when you swing by for a takeaway coffee: dine in or take away both work, just bring your cup if you can.
Hustl. Cafe is open Monday to Sunday, 7am to 4pm, with the kitchen closing at 3pm. You'll find them at 19 Grant Road in Queenstown Central. Takeaways and dine in are both on the table, and questions can go to [email protected] or 03 4414495 — or follow along on Instagram at @hustl.qt.
Whether you come for a benny, a cabinet treat, a locally brewed beer or simply what one regular calls the best coffee she's ever had, the formula is the same: friendly faces, a warm room, and food and drink that aims to suit just about everyone.