Made famous by its craft market that’s been running twice-weekly since 1979, Eumundi in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is well worth visiting. But what else is there to do here once the stalls close? Here are 7 things to do aside from Eumundi Markets.
Bubbling with creativity, excellent food and a firm sense of local pride, the town of Eumundi in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has a strange magnetism that draws more visitors than a town of its size or location really has a right to.
In 1979, the first stalls of Eumundi Markets opened and slowly grew to the gargantuan size it is today, pulling tens of thousands of visitors every week.
Not bad for a market.
But when the maze of stalls selling beautifully hand-crafted, baked, stitched and sculpted goods close, what else is there to do in this surprising little town in the hinterland?
7 things to do in Eumundi Qld that aren’t the famous markets
In order of how we discovered these delights around Eumundi, here are some of the things well worth coming here for outside of the Wednesday and Saturday market days.
1. Coffee
We were really impressed with the coffee offerings around town. For somewhere that’s essentially one main street, having at least three cafes brewing some of the best coffee we’ve had is no mean feat.
Eumundi Coffee Roasters
With an impressive range of single origin coffee as well as cold drip and filter coffee, and the regular stuff—flat whites, espresso, caps—are all superbly made. You often get a little palate-cleansing tea with your coffee too, and the courtyard offers a bit of peace away from the busy main street, especially on market days.
Humdrum Espresso
Even the devastating fire that burnt its original location down just after these guys moved in in early 2022, this cafe has such a lovely feel. The coffee is perfectly made and the pastry offerings all look very tempting.
Berkelouw Eumundi Bookshop & Cafe
Part of the town’s beautiful book shop, filled with new and second-hand books, the cafe here serves some of the best breakfast options in town as well as quick, well-made coffee.
2. Dining
Even more surprising than the wealth of good coffee here is the unbelievable quality of food offerings. But that seems to be the way the Sunshine Coast operates generally.
There are at least three places we’d recommend in an instant and would love to go back to ourselves.
Popina
Serving beautifully reimagined southern European dishes beneath the twinkling lights adorning the overhanging trees of its courtyard, Popina is a delight to dine at.
The front of house ticks over effortlessly with owner Penny using her impressive experience from some of the best restaurants in Sydney and her husband and co-owner Alex running the kitchen often single-handedly, this duo have created a wonderful food experience here in Eumundi.
Check out our full review of Popina here.
Bask
Shrouded in flowing white fabrics and accented with the deep greens of tropical plants, Bask has carved out a grotto of fine-dining in Eumundi. The look of this almost ethereal space—right down to the beautiful plates and serving bowls—is thanks to the skills of co-owner and interior designer Jessica Coolican.
The food, however, is down to the brilliance of Jess’s husband and chef Jack Madden, who cut his teeth from some of the top restaurants in Melbourne. The food, service and general ambience of Bask is a clear indication of how seriously the Sunshine Coast takes its food.
Check out our full review of Bask here.
The Bungalow
The light, bright and airy cabana-style dining at The Bungalow has the feel of an endless summer with a menu to match. Italian and Greek style fare makes us yearn for Southern Europe.
Chef and owner Jonathan moved from Sydney in 2016 and met his wife Claire here. They opened Bungalow in late 2021.
Dishes like the calamari fritti, chargrilled king prawns, grilled zucchini, and a marinated apple salad with olive oil and a balsamic reduction all add to the fresh feel of this bright, beachy diner in the tropical hinterland.
Check out our video run-down of the best places to eat on the Sunshine Coast here:
It’s amazing that there are so many places in Eumundi that are owned and run by a husband-and-wife team. Which reminds me, the food at the Imperial Hotel, owned and run by Nicky and Mark Thomas, also looks excellent.
3. Pub, brewery and distillery
On the corner of Etheridge Street and Memorial Drive, the beautiful Queenslander style building that houses the Imperial Hotel is also home to not only a craft brewery but a distillery too.
The beers from the brewery—Eumundi Brewery no less—are all on tap and worth a tasting. Owner-brewer Mark Thomas has a great job with his IPAs. You can also book tours of the brewery.
At the front of this magnificent old pub, the glint and gleam of copper hints at the distillery here too. Turning out a delicious line-up of small-batch gins and liqueurs, Eumundi Distillers is also the house pour at the bar. You can pick up a bottle to take away too!
4. Art in the HOLA Lounge
Not content with the busyness of running a pub, a brewery and a distillery, Mark and his wife Nicky Thomas also have the keys to HOLA—Hotel Of Local Art—just round the corner. As the name suggests, this boutique hotel is focused on the artisans of the area.
Everything from cups and cutlery to art on the walls and even the sink in the elegant bathrooms all come from the minds and hands of local artists.
You can see our full review of HOLA here. We also have a video walkthrough of the hotel here.
Down the alley leading to the main street is the HOLA Lounge, which is crammed with local art and is worth checking out.
5. Shopping
All along the main street of Eumundi—Memorial Drive—are beautiful little shops selling everything from elegant hand-made homewares in Eumundi Emporium to crystals and geodes at Cinnabar Soul.
6. Street art tour
Beyond HOLA, art and creativity is all over the streets of Eumundi. Indeed, there’s a self-guided street art tour you can do, following various artists and their murals around the town. It’s a great way to learn the lie of the land and see beyond the main street of this fascinating little town.
7. Live music
Apart from local talent showing what they’re made of all over town and even more so when the markets are on, Eumundi is home to Offbeat Music Festival, which runs every March and brings a host of musicians to town.
Usually held in the Imperial Hotel (yes, Mark and Nicky Thomas are involved in this too because they’re not busy enough!), there are often break-out sessions before the festival, so it’s worth getting town before it kicks off.
It seems wrong to talk about Eumundi and not mention the markets. This long-running market with its tagline of ‘Make It, Bake It, Sew It, Grow It’ only sells wares that are hand-made here in Australia—preferably in the Sunshine Coast itself.
There is another set of markets further back from the main street, but they’re not affiliated. Look out for the ‘Make It, Bake It, Sew It, Grow It’ stickers on the stalls to make sure you’re in the right place.
And make sure you arrive at the markets hungry; the food on offer throughout is too tempting even if you’re feeling full!
