Update - October 29th 2023: Came back here with the whole family and family dog, had another nice brunch at a table on the patio in the corner by the ramp for my mum (who was recently injured). The staff were very accommodating and patient with us during seating and ordering. BUT there were a couple of things that need to be addressed: My brothers and I ordered the same dish and all agreed that the sourdough toast was very dry and lacked butter or maybe needed more hollandaise sauce because there was very little sauce on the eggs. It just needed something extra. My fried chicken was crispy and very good, however my poached eggs had a large piece of egg shell in it, but I didn't realize it until I was chewing on it and half swallowing it. Kinda gross. My mango smoothie was delicious and refreshing, everyone else was mostly happy with their food. Septemer 2023: I've been trying different cafes for brunch in this area and so far Daark Espresso has been the best one yet. Lovely atmosphere, nice outside shaded deck, very friendly staff, nice variety on the menus, great coffee and refreshing smoothies. Love that their hollandaise sauce is actually good quality and not artificial from a jar or box like a lot of other cafes do. We had breakfast and lunch dishes, the southern fried chicken burger was spot on delicious. The poached eggs, potato rosti, roasted mushrooms and crispy bacon were perfectly cooked. We will definitely be back.

It's definitely a nice local cafe to catch up with friends and have a delicious meal. I've been to this place along with my friends during the weekend for the first time, and we spent a pleasant time talking while enjoying from high quality food. I loved "Bacon and Egg roll" which was more than tasty. The coffee was great as well. The staff was friendly, and the overall customer service was beyond expectations.

2 stars is for the coffee. Scrambled eggs came out Grey looking and like an omelet the chefs know they have overcooked it due to hot pan but still send it out. Plate had so much grease on it I had to use napkin to pat down bacon and wipe plate. As I thought I had paid for it up front I genually forgot she had told me table service she calls out as I am leaving you haven't paid so that the whole of outside could hear. She could of said to me you pay at counter. Wont be back.

Friendly service, great coffee and tasty breaky! We had breakfast here 3 days in a row! Jackson the manager is awesome! Great filming with you guys for House Hunters International! We will be back.

We were greeted quickly and asked to take a seat. A staff member delivered menus and asked for our drinks order. Drinks delivered just before food. Food was lovely however we requested a half serve and got a full serve of bruschetta. Would return for drinks again though.

Stopped in here for breakfast on a Sunday morning with my husband and daughter and we were lucky to get a table without a reservation as it was very busy and a line formed not long after we got there. Table service is provided and the food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. My caramel latte was slightly on the bitter side but my husband’s chai latte and daughters babycino were perfect. Although the two waitresses were very busy they were friendly and didn’t seem flustered at all. Super impressed with the food and would definitely come back again.

This cafe is a real gem! The staff here are incredibly friendly, they really make you feel at home. You might find a queue here especially on weekends but it’s well worth the wait. Must try the southern fried chicken waffle and egg Benedict, their hollandaise sauce is just sooo good! You’ll definitely ask for extra.

Daark is on my list of must go cafes for people visiting the Gold Coast, and if you're a local, you should know it already, surely. They always have a great menu with regular offerings that seem to continue to be tweaked and taken to a new level. The food speaks for itself, it's always made fresh and it's always good. They make fantastic coffee and other beverages as well. Service is always friendly with a smile, table checks, and water glasses filled at intervals, which is convenient. Highly recommend

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Daark espresso Labrador, and it was an experience that left me feeling both satisfied and pleasantly surprised. From the moment I walked through the door, I was greeted with a warm smile from the friendly staff. The food was delicious and you feel very comfortable there. A visit there is definitely recommended.

Seriously, don’t bother thinking that you’ll just have one coffee and never be back! If diamonds are made under pressure than amazing breakfast and brews are made at Daark! Table service is quick and delightful (by the handsome bearded gent) and coffee was everything you expect the hot cup of gold to be! Breakfast… never try things you can remotely make at home… the corn fritters were packed full of corn and hit the spot but the smooth avo that was delivered with the perfectly poached eggs was out of this world! Seriously…. Almost used my finger to clean the plate but I resisted as the lime muffin needed my attention and… well…. Head on down and be grateful to yourself you did!! Enjoy

Friendly service, good coffee guaranteed, good chance of securing a table from just walk in, parking aint hard- no wonder why this place does so well, it just makes sense to come here! Lamb salad is deeelicious Pictured is the salmon croquette, it’s yummy. Looks are deceiving also because it’s very filling.

Cannot count the number of times I have returned to Daark over the years. The best coffee you can find on this end of the coast. They do consistently great breakfast and lunch, with a seasonally changing menu. My favourite would have to be porridge, I just always go back for it on a cold winter morning! Staff have always been very friendly, it’s busy but they’re always accomodating and it’s never a long wait for a table.

Wanted to try a new place for lunch and support a local business so heading to Daark for an early (11:30am) lunch. Server who greeted and seated me was super friendly however my positive experience ended there. Another of the servers seemed completely off with the fairies and kept forgetting orders as simple as two drinks. I ordered the beef brisket toastie which sounded amazing!!! The chips were far too salty to eat and the sandwich, because it had been cut in half and stacked was soggy due to the heavy rich sauce. Was only able to eat 2 bites - sauce/onions were very rich and very sweet. When I went to pay, the server didn’t check what the “remaining” meals were and I was charged for someone else’s meal after stating what I ate and wanted to pay for. Very disappointing..

Cannot go wrong at Daark Espresso. Prompt and proactive service, and delightful meals and drinks. Highlight was the Cinnabon French Toast - wow. Thai chicken salad was a winner, frappes are delicious. Will be back to keep exploring the menu!

Consistently great food and coffee - probably my favourite cafe! The smashed avo is my go to here.

First time to this place. My partner took me to this place because of all the good reviews on google, and I have to admit- all were correct. Incredibly friendly staff, sorted menu and good ambience. Way to go guys. Five stars 😋

At last, found a place that’s definitely going to be on the return list! Food fabulous, only one slight problem, there’s a wait…at least whilst we were there BUT well worth it!

Been there 4 times just for the waitresses to walk passed you countless times for 20 minutes while you sit and wait to be served. There seems to be a lack of urgency with the staff and a lack of awareness as to who has been served. I say this while looking around at other customers only to see them whisper to each other, constantly checking their phones and watches for the time. Once we did order it took 45 minutes for our fruit toast to arrive to our table on a quiet day as well. I will say the food and coffee at this establishment is 10/10 but the customer service is lacking.

Tried their iced mocha, not strong enough even I requested another shot, but overall the coffee shop is nice and cool!

First time here yesterday, will not be or last. Was very busy, but understand it's a great place with top service, and the food is to die for. Coffee was excellent. They have a loyalty card for coffee purchases, which i love. Waited a bit for our breakfast, but was worth the wait. We'll see you in the near future. Thankyou Daark!!

Shout out to the chefs amazing food, really yummy and good portion sizes we really enjoyed our meals, hope to be back soon. If you are around soutjport I recommend you to give a try

The only negative I can think of is the parking but it was worth the drive around to get a park! The food was delicious, and you hardly had to wait for anything despite it being busy with both dine in and take away. Staff were friendly also! A great atmosphere.

Amazing food, service and coffee. I had the hash brown Benedict and it was such a good twist on the traditional Benedict. The smoked salmon that came with it was also amazing. Definitely recommend- will probably come back for lunch

It is so popular with the locals that there is even a wait for brunch during a weekday! My coffee and chilli scrambled eggs were just perfect. All the staff were so friendly and made sure that I was well taken care of! Must visit when you are down at Griffith Uni GC campus!

I drove down twice this week from Brisbane to eat at this restaurant/ cafe ambience is amazing the food is creative coffees good

A great experience I had here at DAARK. The service was amazing and friendly staff. Food was fresh and delicious. So much to choose from. I will be coming back. It’s the best cafe I’ve been to. Coffee bean was excellent 🥇👌

Amazing coffee! This is my go to spot for breakfast. Every breakfast option is so good! Recently, I tried the Chicken Thai Beef Salad - from the lunch menu (lunch available after 11:30 AM) It is delicious. I'll have to try more of what they have to offer for lunch. The lunch options might be just as good as all the breakfast options I've been so obsessed with for years! Haha. I didnt bother trying the lunch for so long because I didn't think it could beat the breakfasts 😅 If you want to go somewhere for a coffee, meal or a snack that you know you'll be satisfied with, you don't want to be adventurous with trialing a new place and possibly leaving with disappointment then go to Daark. You won't be disappointed. The service is usually great. Often there is a wait to be seated but it's usually only short. It is dog friendly. Wheelchair friendly (ramp is over on the side, not out the front. Front entrance is about 5 steps, maybe.)

Yummy food with huge portion. We got the croquette and potato hash. We also ordered coffee, but this is my first time getting curdled soy milk coffee, and the coffee taste burnt. For record, I always have soy cappuccino. But the food saved the day.

Great coffee! Great Food! Top experience! I was staying in the area and was looking for a cafe that was open for breakfast early. I’m glad I looked at pounding the pavement just a little further to reach Daark Espresso. My experience was so good the first morning, I have to come back for more the next day. On top of great food, I appreciated that they were able to accommodate my allergy issues. Awesome experience!

Have been here twice and each time the food has been delicious and the service has been friendly! Will be back!

Coffee was amazing, service was amazing, cafe was dog friendly (with an out of the way outside seating area and dog water) and the food was amazing. Our order got a little mixed up but the staff were awesome about it, brought us another two coffees while we waited for it to be fixed and removed the charge on all of our coffees so it was still definitely a 5 star experience for us and our dog. We got the cheese cake French toast and the zucchini and sweet corn fritters and a soy mocha and cappuccino. The eggs are free range and there were plenty of vegan options available too.