There is a lot of difference between a good coffee and a bad one. The smell, the taste, the balance of foam and milk and, of course, the skill and passion of the barista. Here are five places to trust in the search for the best coffee.

Let’s start with a little place in Gowrie, a coffee shop far away from the better-known competitors for the title of Canberra’s best coffee. Common Grounds is unassuming with a relaxed vibe matched by some excellent coffee. Common Grounds also exhibit some of the lesser-known traits of a good coffee shop, moist cakes, blackboard art and interesting food to accompany a cup of coffee art.

At Harvest the team has self-diagnosed a severe obsession for coffee. Lucky for Canberra – and especially coffee lovers in the vicinity of Marcus Clarke Street – these crazy coffee loving baristas know their craft. I have often visited this place with my more coffee-focussed friends and delighted not only in their cups of liquid caffeine, but also in their décor.

The low hanging lights for those of us aware of the tired circles under our eyes and the stools with individual pasted pictures. There’s always something new to hold my attention while waiting for my late fellow coffee fanatics.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Lonsdale Street Roasters. Not only was this one of the leaders in Braddon’s hipsterisation, but watching over time as fascinating shops cropped up around it, LSR has remained a very good coffee shop. Roasted and poured on the premises, this is where the coffee gods live and work. You can also buy coffee beans to take home… with names such as Johnny Cash and Mojo Rising; it’s reason alone to visit the famous coffee shop.

Ona Coffee believes they are in a relationship with their product. One hopes this is an emotional relationship rather than a physical one, but this delusion would still not deter the hardcore coffee fiend! Growing from a suburban garage into a multi-faceted coffee making project, involved in the growing and picking of the beans long before they reach the store, Ona Coffee are dedicated to making coffee so good that you will fall in love with it as well.

The best coffee gets its reputation by word of mouth and coffee drinkers are chatty, especially the fully caffeinated beings I call friends. When asked they pointed, shakily, in the direction of The Cupping Room; a beneficiary of Ona Coffee’s skills and passion. Cozy, and brown coloured like every coffee shop should be, The Cupping Room caters to the senses providing food and wine as well as coffee and of course, tea.

There are lots of tests for coffee and many differing opinions on what place is better. These are just a few options… now it’s up to you to get out and try them!