Marhaba Cafe
Brisbane City
Updated: Jun 25, 2025
Marhaba Cafe is a warm inviting social enterprise cafe tucked away in the basement of Brisbane City Hall, where once upon a time the Red Cross Tea Rooms (and later Commix Cafe) used to have their home.

Taking its name from the casual Arabic greeting Marhaba, meaning hello or welcome, the cafe is staffed by people facing barriers to employment, including refugees and those with mental health issues or disabilities, an initiative of the award-winning Nundah Co-op, in collaboration with the Australian Red Cross.

Open weekdays for breakfast and lunch, well-priced breakfast dishes include Breakfast bruschetta (poached eggs, cherry tomatoes, dukka, basil pesto, Danish feta & fig glaze on sourdough toast); Eggs Benny; Bacon & Egg sandwich; Eggs Your Way, toast or fruit & nut toast.

The lunch menu features multicultural dishes such as Lamb Toshka with salad (spiced ground lamb w halloumi in a grilled flatbread w dressed leafy salad & yoghurt sauce); Hummus Bowl (roasted vegetable, Danish feta, pita bread & yoghurt sauce on bed of hummus) or Thai red chicken curry and rice. There's also sandwiches (fresh or toasted) made to order, from just $7, hot chips, onion rings and a couple of small dishes (fish and chips or chicken nuggets and chips).

You can also enjoy a well-brewed coffee or pot of loose leaf tea with some fresh baked goodies like baklava, biscuits or pear & raspberry almond bread while cold drinks include ice long black, latte, coffee, chocolate, tea or iced tea and milk shakes.
Need to know - the entrance to Marhaba Cafe is off Adelaide Street and down some steps past the old City Hall Rest Room signs.
Image credits - courtesy of Marhaba Cafe Facebook page.
Still hungry for more suggestions on where to eat out in Brisbane, head to our comprehensive Eat & Drink section HERE! Happy grazing!