Best Breakfasts in Sydney to Kickstart Your Morning

Breakfast is way  more than the most important meal of the day – it’s a national pastime, and a treasured tradition. Really, there’s nothing better than sitting in the sunshine and catching up with friends over eggs or a stack of fluffy pancakes. And with our coffee culture and sky-high standards, Sydney’s cafes are setting the breakfast bar high. Whether you’re craving sweet, savoury or something a little out of the box, there’s an aromatic, artfully arranged plate that was made for you.

Skip the pre-midday scramble and bookmark this page for your next brekkie date. These are Sydney's best breakfasts and are worth the wake-up (and in some cases, the wait).

Blackwood Pantry

When you’re south side, make a beeline for Blackwood Pantry. The all-day breakfast menu is as inventive as it is mouthwatering. If you’re starving, the Mr Miyagi Burger will sort you out with crispy chicken karaage, crunchy cabbage slaw, melted Swiss cheese with sriracha mayo on a toasted milk bun. For a vegetarian brekkie, the Miso Avo is a winner, served with sliced avocado, miso and cashew butter, chilli and black sesame on sourdough. Yum!

5/33 Surf Lane, Cronulla

Bread & Circus Wholefoods Canteen

In Alexandria, this wholefoods café is bright, cheery, and bustling every weekend. Served in colourful cups and crockery, the menu focuses on fresh, seasonal produce, with many vegetarian and vegan options. If you can, ask for a table in the sunny outdoor area, then tuck into the Parmesan Not-So-Scrambled Eggs (drizzled with fresh chilli and truffle oil) or the Foxy Porridge with caramelised banana, toasted coconut, blueberry, pistachio and a dollop of clotted cream – organic, of course.

21 Fountain Street, Alexandria

Three Williams

Top of the morning! Start yours with the maple bacon blini at this warehouse-chic café in Redfern. A buckwheat pancake served with maple bacon, wilted baby spinach, poached egg and apple hollandaise, it’s ridiculously good and will keep you feeling full well past lunchtime. Or, opt for The Joe, made up of a fried egg, bacon, potato scallops, tasty cheese, house smoked tomato relish and kewpie mayo on a milk bun.

613A Elizabeth Street, Redfern

Cornersmith

The heartbeat of the inner-west brekkie scene, Cornersmith is a sustainability star, sourcing produce from local growers as well as its own beehive and picklery. The result is a best breakfast that’s as fresh and flavoursome as it gets. Order a coffee courtesy of Mecca, and follow up with the Scando plate – a bowl of boiled eggs, cheddar, cultured butter, fruit and jam. Meat-lovers, get the Ploughman’s Plate, featuring ham off-the-bone pickles, cheddar, fruit, and toast.

Annandale, Marrickville

Girdlers

One of the Northern Beaches best cafes, Girdlers is made for lazy brunches. This local Dee Why favourite delivers a menu that isn't just delicious- it's also nutritious. From the acai bowls and kombucha on tap, to the cauliflower rice shakshuka and vegan bowls, there are plenty of choices when it comes to breakfast. In our humble opinion, Girdlers' range of sweet and savoury buckwheat crepes are an absolute must.  The 'cacao split' and 'down under' for the win.

Dee Why, Manly and Warringah Mall

Acre

Prioritising sustainable produce (including their coffee), you can be sure that every dish at Acre features produce that is literally harvested from the farm next door. Part of Camperdown Commons, the sprawling space features a sit-down restaurant as well as a bar, terrace, and a shipping container for takeaway treats. The Garden Terrace is just the place to enjoy a toasted croissant with smashed avo, smoked salmon mousse and garden leaves, or bacon and egg brioche with a farmer's mary.

31A Mallett Street, Camperdown

Three Blue Ducks

On weekends, there’s usually a line of people chatting away while they wait for their name to be called. They’re waiting happily, because they know what’s coming: a breakfast that hits the spot every single time, coupled with a Single O coffee. The question is, will it be the signature scrambled eggs with black sausage, dill, cucumber yoghurt, and redcurrant jam on toast, or the vegetarian house made halloumi with grilled zucchini, tomato, capsicum and chilli bruschetta?

Bronte, Rosebery, Byron Bay

Kepos St Kitchen

Tucked away in Redfern, Kepos St Kitchen has mastered the Mediterranean breakfast with a Middle Eastern twist. The crowd favourite is the Falafel for Breakfast, a plate piled high with a soft-boiled egg, falafel, hummus, and labneh. The Moroccan duck cigar comes in at a close second, with poached eggs, goat's cheese an pistachios. Make your meal even sweeter with a serving of churros for dessert, or the labneh, honey and cinnamon milkshake. 

96 Kepos Street, Redfern

Shuk

In the mood for Middle Eastern? Go straight to Shuk, a warm and welcoming Bondi café that dishes up the best shakshuka in Sydney. The eggs are baked in a thick, spicy tomato sauce and served with fresh, housemade bread. Then there’s the Israeli Breakfast, a filling feast of eggs, olives, labneh, hummus, avocado, tahini, granola, yoghurt and jam. If you’re craving something sweet, the teff pancake will satisfy that with the help of ricotta, sweet dukkah, maple, mixed berries, banana and bacon.

2 Mitchell Street, North Bondi

Bills

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In the early 2000s, Bill Granger burst onto the scene with his best breakfast menu at Bills Darlinghurst, and has been busy opening cafes in Bondi, Surry Hills, and globally. The signature dishes are still going strong, including Granger’s most famous, the ricotta hotcakes. Topped with bananas and honeycomb butter, they’re delightfully fluffy and filling. For a savoury start to the day, order the sweet corn fritters with roast tomato, spinach and bacon.

Darlinghurst, Bondi Beach, Sydney