John Mills Himself in Brisbane, Queensland

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Telephone:	Not provided
Website:	www.johnmillshimself.com.au
Address:	40 Charlotte St, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000 CBD
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	230 ftElizabeth Street stop 81 near George Street 240 ftElizabeth Street stop 82 270 ftQueen Street platform A7
Categories:	Bars Cafes Coffee & Tea

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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations	No
Delivery	No
Take-out	Yes
Accepts Apple Pay	No
Accepted Cards	Credit, Debit
Good For	Breakfast
Good for Kids	No
Good for Groups	No
Attire	Casual
Ambience	Hipster
Noise Level	Average
Good For Dancing	No

Alcohol	Full Bar
Best Nights	Mon, Wed, Fri
Coat Check	No
Smoking	Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating	No
Wi-Fi	No
Has TV	No
Waiter Service	No
Caters	No
Good for Working	No
Has Pool Table	No

Today

Today	6:30 am – 3:30 pm Open now
Local time (Brisbane)	8:40 AM Monday, June 23, 2025

Business hours

Monday	6:30 am – 3:30 pm
Tuesday	6:30 am – 3:30 pm 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wednesday	6:30 am – 3:30 pm 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Thursday	6:30 am – 3:30 pm 4:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Friday	6:30 am – 3:30 pm 4:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Saturday	4:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Sunday	–

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20 reviews of John Mills Himself

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Lily O.

Place rating: 4
Perth, Australia

Great service, everyone here is so friendly and the hot choccies are wonderful. It’s a tiny velue that gets very busy but the line goes quickly. Loved the selection of fancy hot chocs although they were just infused with essential oils however great value considering.

Marcus G.

Place rating: 4
Brisbane, Australia

The best place around Brisbane.
Jamie’s the best coffee shop in the city. Their coffee is always aromatic, non-acidic and smooth. Staff are informative and attentive.

Andrew R.

Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia

Go here and try their Cocktail and Coffee. This place is fantastic. Excellent food, drinks, service and staff.

Melissa L.

Place rating: 5
Brisbane, Australia

I have been fortunate to visit John Mills in the day for a coffee, and in the evening for a cocktail.
Day trip: John Mills is a bit unassuming. You have to really KNOW about it to be able to find it. There’s a tiny sign off Charlotte street and you have to navigate through a building with a Koala rescue organization (and pass a giant koala) in order to find it. OR, attempt to find it off Elizabeth street. I ordered my coffee, service was good and fast, and coffee was tasty. The space isn’t massive, and at the time I went there were no free bar stools, so I had my coffee to go. The café also sells coffee in bags so you can brew at home.
Night trip: I just had to see if the cocktails matched the goodness of the coffee, and it did. My first cocktail was the Bees Knees, and it speaks for itself! It’s a gin cocktail that is a bit sweet, really tasty, and has a honeycomb as garnish– what!!! My second cocktail was the Va Va Gina (Rinehart) and had vodka, lemon curd and lemon juice– also VERY good. The cocktail artist was also very attentive and always checked in on my friend and me.
To sum it all up-GO HERE! You’ll be glad you did!

Matt G.

Place rating: 5
Brisbane, Australia

The best coffee is Brisbane CBD. There is often a line at the counter and for good reason. These guys know coffee. They are constantly rotating between house blends and have 1 or 2 single origin options too.
As well as great coffee they serve a variety of hot chocolates and tea and a selection of bottled iced coffees and iced chocolates.
The café is small and the tables are little more than shelves for your coffee next to bar stolls but John Mills is the real deal.

LeAn P.

Place rating: 4
Brisbane, Australia

Checked out their bar scene on a Saturday night… it’s a tiny good-looking bar with friendly crowd. Their cocktails are a bit pricier than other bars, however they are well made and worth the money. They didn’t just throw a bunch of ingredients together and slap on a price and label. The cocktails were well balanced (strong but didn’t taste strong?!) and fun (the drinks we ordered had honeycomb and lemon curd!). Good service, atmosphere and drinks… you can’t go wrong with a visit!

Comila R.

Place rating: 5
México, D.F., Mexico

Awesome café by day | Cool little bar by night
During the summer you must grab an iced coffee from their fridge, freshly brewed right here in Brisbane. You can choose from full cream, low fat, or soy variations.
During the winter if you would like to mix up your hot beverage intake they offer an epicurean range of hot chocolates. Chilli, mint, peanut butter, etc.
Of course their coffee is the bomb. They also sell keep-cups if you’d like to be a little more sustainable with your coffee run.

Mitch E.

Place rating: 5
Brisbane, Australia

I wouldn’t consider myself a coffee snob by any means, but as far as coffee goes, this is my go-to in the CBD. The fit-out is industrial and sleek, and the staff display a wide knowledge of coffee and their different varieties of beans. The amount of space inside leaves a little to be desired, but considering the location, quality, and overall feel of the place, this is easily overlooked. I’ve also heard they open late some evenings for drinks, but I’ve yet to make it in for that.

Tammy L.

Place rating: 5
Arcadia, CA

Looking for the best coffee in Brisbane’s CBD? You’ve found it here! Associated with Bunker by the Milton train station, John Mills Himself has established itself as one of the best, if not the best coffee stop in the city. Fitting right into Brisbane’s café scene, this café by day and bar by night is one part rustic one part era. The brick interiors and dim lighting, along with its set up transports you into an intimate nook in the city. With that being said, it can be a bit difficult to find. I always walk down through the parking lot on Elizabeth street side, but I’m pretty sure you’re not really supposed to…
Their baristas are knowledgable and their coffee is always smooth, always aromatic, and never acidic. They also bottle coffee for those who are interested in coffee afterhours (which I never understood about Brisbane cafes — I want coffee later in the day too!). By night, they are a bar that I unfortunately never got to try, but they look like they have a good selection of libations! Only downside is they don’t really have tables, and space is limited, otherwise, A+ on the coffee, service, and ambience!

Emma C.

Place rating: 5
Brisbane, Australia

Always outstanding coffee and service

Liz Y.

Place rating: 3
Brisbane, Australia

Cocktails for $ 15 – 20, worth it? Unsure. If you compare them to other similarly priced places they the answer would be an astounding yes. The cocktail maker extraordinaire knows what he is doing from smoking the honey, to mixing the perfect blend of honey infused cocktails for a taste sensation. I recommend the Va va gina… Gina Rinehart lemon curd cocktail.
It’s hidden, it’s secret… they sell flowers outside? I’m not sure being this secret is all that great, the place is small, 6 people sitting at the bar and 3 other people placed randomly against the back wall will fill this place to the hilt. It’s a good quiet romantic drink with 2… not a group. Worth checking out.

Gosia M.

Place rating: 5
London, United Kingdom

I have been quite a frequent visitor in JMH since my last review, and I wouldn’t change my 5 star rating.
Especially since I started visiting them in the evening, when the drinking part is open.
By drinking part I mean still the same space, but with tasty booze included.
What’s so cool about it you ask? Well first of I’d say, is that all their alcohol is from around here. As you know. Local. All the beers and all the wines and all the other alcohols are made usually not too far from Brissy. Awesome! And don’t fret, it’s all VERY tasty. The cocktails have pretty cool names too (my favourite is Va va Gina.).
If you think that JMH looks cool during the day, just wait until evening. It gets even cooler. There is this nice ambient lights, and everything is just kinda dreamy.
It is a great spot, so it might get quite busy, especially on Friday nights, but we always managed to squeeze in.
But you know. Still awesome coffee during the day and even more awesome drinks in the evening! Me likes!

Janny S.

Place rating: 4
North Adelaide, Australia

Taken here by a true local, couldn’t have found it by ourselves! We had beers and a margarita, great service, excellent flavours and a nice spot to hang out!

Peri C.

Place rating: 3
Brisbane, Australia

This place is practically the poster café for the Look at this F*cking Hipster website. Tucked away in a laneway off a carpark (I said it was hipster!), is this little coffee shop gem. Staffed by people with moustaches so large they have to drink their coffee with a straw (I’m not joking), you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped onto the set of a Wes Anderson film.
As a non-coffee drinker, it’s really lovely to go somewhere that coffee is not the feature of the restaurant. John Mills Himself has a hot chocolate menu — with such exotic flavours as lavender hot chocolate. Choose from milk, dark or white hot chocolate, and add your flavour. The end result is a smooth blend — I had the lavender dark hot chocolate. I’ve always been a fan of lavender boiled sweets, but this was different altogether. It gave the drink a pleasant savoury aspect. I will definitely try it again.
The prices are also pretty good — we got two tall drinks for under $ 10.
I will be back, but I might put on my hipster novelty jumper first.

Amber M.

Place rating: 5
Brisbane, Australia

The best coffee I the CBD. Very friendly staff and super quick service. There’s nearly always a line at peak hours, but once you get to the counter there is never a long wait for coffee. Do yourself a massive favour, and try one of the bretzels which normally reside on a post on the counter. The bretzel guy is on holiday at the moment and I am jonesin’ for my bretzel fix! Luckily I am informed that he should be back in a couple of weeks. Edited — happy days, the bretzels are back!

Jean B.

Place rating: 5
Melbourne, Australia

As a self confessed coffee nerd from Melbourne I’m so in love with this café. Amazing coffee, great service and some delicious cakes on offer. Due to the crazy heat in the afternoon and rush to get to the airport I grabbed a cold milk coffee and cake.
Couldn’t have been happier after finally locating this place. I’ll definitely be back here on my next Bris-vegas trip.

Ron B.

Place rating: 4
Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Funkiest rectangular box I’ve ever set foot in. The simplicity of this place is endearing. 4 walls. A pretty long bar. 4 tiny wall-mounted tables. A big mirror. A piano (I’d love to hear it used).
John Mills is by now well known for its back-alley location, great coffee, great staff, and great cocktails. The beers on offer may be underrated. Some great hops out there, including the thick stout.
Any place that is so small that it thrives on quality (rather than survives on quantity) is worth a visit in my book.

Laura D.

Place rating: 4
Perth, Australia

Bruce Wayne by day, Batman by night. Café by day, bar by night!
I visited the venue in both its forms, the cocktail bar version was what really impressed me. Particularly the Gina Rinehart lemon curd cocktail, which was essentially a lemon tart squeezed into an oh so delicious cocktail. I’d fly back to Brisbane just for one sip of that drink again.
The bar staff definitely deserve a shout out for being friendly, and awesome enough to give their cocktails funny names. And also a shout out to Lani P for shining the Bat Signal on this spot for me.

Sandra D.

Place rating: 5
Brisbane, Australia

8 ozs of smooth coffee goodness. I couldn’t wait to try this as I have seen the reviews for the Bunker and John Himself. My expectations have been met and exceeded. I am über happy that I am working in the city again and can put this on my list of regular coffee pit stops.
I am looking forward to winter visits as it is tucked away from the George Street breezeways, offering a warm safe haven. Hoever it is a little the opposite on hot days as it is a bit of a hotbox desptite the air conditioner.
The interior is a lovely reference to old Brisbane with the art deco welcome tiles, brickwork and high ceilings.

Terry V.

Place rating: 5
Nashville, TN

What a fabulous find down the alleyway! Big kudos to my friend who suggested this location.
It was the first night they were a bar so we decided to check it out! They were super friendly and let you enjoy the space and your company. They serve you water as soon as you are seated and then ask you what you’d like. I had the Lucy while my friend had the Coffee Ale. The sizes come in Pony, Mare, or Stallion! My friend loved the coffee ale. I’m not the biggest beer fan but the Lucy was light.
We started to chit-chat with the bartenders and they showed us this chili vodka! He had me at «Chili…» My friend had the Bloody Mary and she kept raving how it was tomato soup for adults. She loved it! The bartender was great and nervous about creating a drink for me. We went with a pineapple chili vodka with a touch of mint. Yum! It needs some fine tuning but the foundation is set.
We were having a great time and as if beer to vodka wasn’t enough, we moved right along to tequila! Yes, some quality tequila and verdita. I’m a huge fan and they explained to us how quality tequila is for sipping.
We didn’t want to leave but the time had come. Thankfully, I know I’ll be coming back very soon. Thanks for a great Introduction.