The kick in the pants that a strong cup of coffee provides is enough for us to muster up the energy to surmount most obstacles – be it mundane office tasks or tackling a lengthy hike. Base Camp South, a brand-new coffee spot located on Commercial Road in Newstead blends rustic elements of the great outdoors with modern bells and whistles to create a caffeine-drenched experience unlike most others. The newly open nook – a sibling location to Base Camp North, which opened in North Lakes last year – draws inspiration from the expeditionary camps situated on the Tibetan and Nepalese sides of Mount Everest. Boasting an aesthetic reminiscent of a cosy cabin or lodge (courtesy of its earthy materials, textures and colour scheme), Base Camp South feels equal parts mountainside respite and inner-city hideaway. This is intentional, according to Base Camp general manager Taylor Heslop – a coffee scene veteran who has helped establish numerous cafes (including Newstead neighbour Salt. and inner-city favourite ESPL) around Brisbane. Base Camp’s goal is to provide a simple but high-quality offering centred around great coffee, tasty snacks and a welcoming experience – a grounded and nourishing oasis in the heart of one of the city’s busiest hubs.

Both Base Camp locales comprise the Brisbane cafe arm of Latitude Coffee Roasters, which already boasts a substantial commercial clientele thanks to its work in the realm of automated coffee technology. Aspects of that work are on display at Base Camp South, which is equipped with a futuristic X-shaped machine from Eversys that can be dialled in to pull shots to percentages and temperatures that are hard to nail consistently by hand. That being said, the Latitude team acknowledges that baristas will always be needed to calibrate the taste factor, so Base Camp South also boasts a Synesso MVP Hydra as its main workhorse machine. Flip open a leather-coated menu, made by the team at Namu Leather Goods, and you’ll be greeted by a bevy of options. The cafe’s beverage list featured milk-based coffees, batch brews and V60 pour over sips, with the chocolatey Base Camp Blend and rotating single origins available daily. Coffee purists will likely gravitate towards Base Camp’s reserve menu, which features a selection of vacuum-sealed and frozen beans available via filter pours. Hot chocolate from Heirloom and Birdsnake, and tea from The Steepery and Taylor’s own 180 Degrees Tea will cater to non-coffee drinkers. Snack seekers can pick a perch and enjoy artisanal pastries (think croissants, pain au raisin and danishes) from Reno Fine Patisserie in Eight Mile Plains or order from Base Camp’s four-strong selection of golden toasties, including ham-and-cheese, truffle-mushroom and a pair of rotating flavours. Soon Base Camp South will add a secondary camping-inspired drinks menu (including hot chocolates with marshmallows) and will add branded camping cups to its retail offering.

Base Camp South is open now – click here for operating hours and other important links.