Australia’s Best Brunches
No weekend is complete without a leisurely brunch. Whether on a beautiful back patio bathed in sun, a bright and airy front dining room or a dark and cozy bar, you’re sure to run into people you know while flipping through the paper, tucking into a hearty breakfast, recharging with a coffee or sipping a refreshing iced tea.
Speaking of refreshment and keeping cool, we love the above advert from our friends at Lipton Ice Tea.
No country does brunch better than Australia: the unbeatable climate, variety of dishes and the belief that smashed avocado doesn’t need to arrive with a litre of mimosa or bottomless prosecco to be enjoyed. In the land Down Under, the meal between breakfast and lunch always turns out sunny side up.
But with so much competition (Googling 'Brunch Australia' returns over 30,000,000 results), you need trusted recommendations on where to visit, so we asked our Australian ExtremeFoodies contributors and lifelong brunch lovers to recommend their favorite spots where they live. From pancakes to egg-centric masterpieces, there’s something for everybody in this guide to the country’s best brunches.
Cities
Perth
Kristy Kinzett is a food devotee living in Perth, Western Australia, and the author of Queen of Bad Timing, which showcases her passion for food, friends and life. With parents hailing from New Zealand and Taiwan, she has grown up eating a diverse range of cuisines. She enjoys dining out, whether on street eats, in cafes or restaurants, and is always looking to try something new.
tbsp.
It might be out in the burbs of Bayswater, 15 minutes from the city, but tbsp. is definitely an incredible brunch location to try in Perth. The decor is bright and welcoming, with big open windows, a mouthwatering menu and the heady scent of coffee wafting as you walk inside. The food is well priced comparatively to other brunch venues, and the menu is an interesting combination of innovative Australian-meets-Asian fare. Take your appetite with you and indulge in the giant sized congee, which is packed full of flavor. The confit chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tender, the crackling skin on top crunchy and salty. The use of a wobbly slow cooked egg, fresh coriander and spring onion is a welcome addition, as are the slices of piquant pickle, which are refreshing and sharp. If you're headed down on the weekend, bring your appetite and your patience. The line is usually out the door!
Address: 10 King William St, Bayswater WA 6053, Australia
Getting there: Bus or train to Central (multiple services)
Contact: +61 8 9371 9334; Facebook
Opening times: Tuesday – Sunday 7AM–3PM, Monday Closed
Prices: Brunch around A$16 per person
Payment type: NA
Reservations: Table reservation recommended
Adelaide
Dee Bites is a full-time diner with a hunger for all things delicious. Anything with the mere mention of green tea, cheese, scallops, tartare, steak, parfait and wine will have her sniffing and sussing out what the fuss is about. The mere mention of food will get her ears perked and attention caught. She is delighted to share all the fresh and amazing food her state has to offer.
Bar 9
Bar 9, a specialist coffee boutique, is a must-visit in Adelaide, not just for perfectly brewed coffees, but for its delicious food offerings. Classic brunch options include toast with spreads, toasties, porridge, a house-made muesli, fruit salad and bacon and eggs. But then things get fancy with cured ocean trout, truffled mushroom ragu and house-baked beans and chorizo. The menu changes seasonally to ensure the food is fresh, local and delicious. The No. 1 recommended dish is the creamy truffled mushroom ragu. Absolutely delicious, even meat eaters will be impressed. There are two locations to pick from, the original in Parkside, just on the outskirts of the city, or Bar 9 Central in the Adelaide City Centre. Both house communal tables and lounge chairs with plenty of seating, perfect for a casual catch up with friends and family or for a quick brunch stop.
Address: 96 Glen Osmond Rd, Parkside SA 5063, Australia
Getting there: Bus or train to Central (multiple services)
Contact: +61 8 8373 1108; Website
Opening times: Mon – Fri 7:30-4pm Sat & Sun 8:30-2pm
Prices: Ranges from A$10 to A$20, including coffee.
Payment type: Cash and Cards accepted
Reservations: Limited reservations available
Canberra
Food Porn Journal is a food blogger living in Australia’s capital, Canberra, who enjoys eating at the numerous restaurants popping up in the city. She loves all things food, mainly eating it, taking photos of food and telling people about her experiences on her food blog, FoodPornJournal.com. She hopes people enjoy reading it to find the next great place to eat.
Garden Pavilions at Pialligo Estate
Garden Pavilions at Pialligo Estate serves a wonderful, two-course Sunday breakfast for $32. There are several items on the menu, which changes monthly according to what is available in the Pialligo orchard and what is in season. A must-try is the Pialligo Estate bacon, which won Australia’s Best Artisan Bacon, and is available on certain dishes, as a side, and can be purchased from the store. Another favorite is the hotcake with fresh fruit from the orchard, mascarpone and maple syrup. The hotcake is fat and thick, but oh-so fluffy. The Pialligo Estate farm has an artisan smokehouse, vineyard, herb garden and olive grove, so the majority of items are grown on site. The food, service and atmosphere are exquisite. The pavilions look out onto the lusciously green grounds, and it truly feels like you’re not in the city anymore.
Address: Pialligo, 1/18 Kallaroo Rd, Canberra ACT 2609, Australia
Getting there: Bus or train to Central (multiple services)
Contact: +61 2 6247 6060; Website
Opening times: Monday - Wednesday Closed, Thursday 6–9PM, Friday – Saturday 12–3PM, 6–9PM, Sunday 8AM–3PM
Prices: Brunch around A$32 per person
Payment type: Cash and Cards accepted
Reservations: Table reservation recommended
Sydney
Simon Leong is a Sydney food blogger, photographer and international cuisine lover who strives to whet appetites with comprehensive reviews of restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, festivals and products. He loves discovering the best and most authentic dishes. If a restaurant is known for a signature dish, he wants to share it with the world.
Three Williams
Now considered a local gem, the ever-popular Three Williams is a large kid-friendly cafe with a tempting menu and freshly baked goods on the counter to enjoy with your coffee or tea. For breakfast, it's hard to go past the “The Merchant” with chilli fried egg, crispy bacon, ranch dressing and pickled slaw on a warm brioche bun ($14). But for something sweeter, the crunchy brioche French toast, finished with fresh berries, yogurt, roasted pecans and organic maple syrup ($18), is a worthy favorite. And adding bacon for $4.50 makes it even more epic. If you're in lunch mode, the crispy beer-battered chips with house aioli ($5) is a must to share with house-made naan-style flat bread with a filling of your choice. Kids are welcome with high chairs available and a large chalkboard to show off their creativity.
Breakfast is served all day, every day.
Address: 613A Elizabeth Street, Redfern, Sydney, NSW
Getting there: Bus or train to Central (multiple services)
Contact: +61 2 9698 1111; Website
Opening times: Wednesday – Tuesday 7AM–4PM
Prices: Breakfast around A$20 per person
Payment type: Cash and Cards accepted
Reservations: Table reservation recommended
Melbourne
David Hagger is a former rock vocalist with a penchant for finery, convivial dining and festive culture. He consults in the areas of content, digital media and marketing to businesses, including the hospitality industry. The author of The World Loves Melbourne, he says Melbourne is often referred to as “the brunch capital of the world.” Queueing for your favorite brunch establishment is not uncommon.
Top Paddock
The Blueberry & Ricotta Hotcake with berries, organic maple, seeds and double cream at Top Paddock in Richmond is a stunning brunch dish that belongs in the arts center as a colorful masterpiece. The Rembrandt and Monet of brunch dishes, one in three customers order this for brunch and it is one of the most photographed dishes in Melbourne. The taste is as amazing as its appearance. This perfect fluffy hotcake with indulgent organic maple syrup arrives with the freshest of berries and crunchiest of seeds. Scoop it all up with a dollop of double cream. An all-day menu wonderfully rewards those who sleep in. The ambience is chic, light and airy featuring a coffee station axis and semi-industrial ceiling. Owners are Melbourne café maestros and the staff are hipster but engaging. It’s a designer brunch at affordable prices.
Address: 58 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121, Australia
Getting there: Bus or train to Central (multiple services)
Contact: +61 3 9429 4332; Website
Opening times: Monday – Saturday 8AM–4PM, Sunday 8AM–4PM
Prices: Around A$20 per person
Payment type: Cash and Cards accepted
Reservations: No reservations on Sat, Sun and Public Holidays, other days reservations only for group of 4 or more
The Gold Coast
Marj Osborne, a blogger at Good Food Gold Coast, is fascinated by all things food. When her nose isn’t sniffing out fresh seafood or truffles, it’s looking for the story behind the plate. She believes food involves passion, and it is her conduit to discover people who care about what they do, and explain how they bring color and flavor to other people’s lives.
Elk Espresso
Elk Espresso wins friends, first of all, for being a world away from slick modern cafés of Broadbeach. Once an unremarkable shop, it is now a minimalist shopfront overseen by the stencil of a giant elk standing in splendor on the distressed paint wall. There’s a rough but timeless elegance that says “I dare to be different.” The well-chosen eclectic menu is rustic and retro with a modern twist. Changing with the seasons, brunch standouts include a completely gluten- and dairy-free passionfruit and coconut breakfast panna cotta with granola, summer fruits and cinnamon yogurt, as well as Brekkie Tacos. Whether you stop in for an early morning breakfast, leisurely brunch or a decadent afternoon tea, Elk has a welcoming charisma all its own, calling you off the beach to the fern forest beyond.
Address: 16 Chelsea Avenue, Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD
Getting there: Bus or train to Central (multiple services)
Contact: +61 7 5592 2888
Opening times: Monday -Sunday: 6:30am - 4pm
Prices: Around A$40 for two people
Payment type: Cash and Cards accepted
Reservations: No reservations
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