At Stef & Co, co founder – Roberto Volgo isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel – he’s just giving the region something it didn’t have.
Set on the waterfront, the venue splits itself in two. Upstairs, it’s a pizzeria built for long, easy dinners – the kind of place you bring a group and settle in. Downstairs, it flips. The bar leans looser, more casual, designed for drinks that stretch from mid-afternoon into late.
“The idea was always to create two different environments,” Volgo says. “Something that could work for different occasions but still feel connected.”
The downstairs bar is where things get interesting. It opens into the water, runs a 3–5:30pm happy hour, and trades heavily on atmosphere – music, movement, and a steady flow of locals who’ve already made it part of their weekly rotation. Wednesdays pull a mixed crowd for salsa, Thursdays lock in repeat groups for trivia, and weekends shift into live music and DJs. It’s less about one identity, more about giving people a reason to come back for different ones.
That flexibility matters in a place like Coffs Harbour, where the drinking scene has historically been dominated by pubs and low-key venues. Opening a cocktail bar here wasn’t about following a trend – it was about filling a gap.
“Coffs has always been more pub-driven,” Volgo says. “We wanted to create somewhere you could get a properly made drink, listen to good music, and sit by the water – something different.”
It’s a calculated shift. Cocktail bars in the region are still few and far between, which means Stef & Co isn’t just another venue – it’s part of a slow push towards changing how people drink locally. And while tourists pass through, especially around public holidays, the core crowd is local – the kind of regulars that build habits quickly when something new lands well.
The drinks list walks a line between familiarity and identity. There’s a clear Italian thread – the owners’ background shows up in the wine list, which leans on both Italian and Australian producers – but the cocktails are built with a local audience in mind.
“We didn’t go too heavy into aperitivo culture,” Volgo says. “It’s not a huge thing here. Instead, we’ve taken what people already know and drink, and added our own spin.”
That approach plays out across the menu. The Stef and Cosmo reworks the classic with pomegranate, lime, and a softer rhubarb sweetness, while the Yuzu 2.0 pulls in pisco, sake and mandarin for something sharper and more lifted. They’re not trying to challenge the guest – they’re trying to meet them halfway, then nudge things forward.
Across the board, the focus stays consistent: fresh juice, balanced builds, and drinks that are clean rather than complicated. It’s backed by a solid spirits selection and a clear understanding of what works – not just technically, but commercially.
For Volgo, that balance is the point. Stef & Co isn’t chasing big-city cocktail theatrics – it’s building something that fits its environment while quietly raising the bar.
“You can come in for a quick drink, or stay all night,” he says. “It’s about creating a space people actually want to spend time in.”