Nothing says breakfast more than a couple of gooey, soft poached eggs atop perfectly toasted sourdough bread. Slather it in the rich, buttery goodness of hollandaise sauce and you’ve got yourself a plate of everyone’s favourite, eggs benedict.
Named in honour of Pope Benedict XVI, this holy (pun definitely intended) brunch staple continues to win over the stomachs of Brisbanites, so it's a good thing that almost every brekky place in the river city is serving up their own take on the dish.
To make your life (and brunch plans) easier, we asked you to give us your top benny recommendations on Instagram and you certainly brought your best. Keep scrolling for 10 of Brisbane’s best takes on eggs benedict, as voted by you.
Chapter IV
Paddington
The last, but definitely not least, of your top benny recommendations comes from none other than Paddington’s Chapter IV. The restaurant’s subtle yet delicious Asian flare has manifested itself in their house signature Singapore Style chilli crab benedict, with poached eggs, spinach, hollandaise and toasted turkish bread. For a breakfast that feels just a little bit boujee, you won’t want to eat anywhere else.
Pawpaw Cafe
Woolloongabba
Many of you are saying oh là là to Pawpaw Cafe’s Parisian take on the beloved benny. Just when we thought the traditional dish couldn’t get any better, this Woolloongabba cafe has surpassed our gastronomic expectations by switching out toast for a buttery, flaky and housemade pastry and adding a splash of sriracha spice in their croissant eggs benedict. The hardest decision you’ll have to make is having to choose between adding bacon, salmon or avo.
Halo Ground
Fortitude Valley
Get some pork on your fork and level up your breakfast game at Halo Ground with their pork benny. This Fortitude Valley cafe has transformed the humble eggs benedict into an ethereal meal fit for the gods—think cheddar-infused, crispy waffles crowned with gooey poached eggs, guacamole and spicy chipotle hollandaise. And who could forget, two slabs of melt in your mouth pork belly to top it off. Available in both half and full size, with loads of delicious add ons available, this dish is guaranteed to appeal to all types of appetites.
Smoked Paprika
Rosalie
For those who can’t decide whether they're vibing a foolproof, traditional benny or something more exotic, Smoked Paprika has you covered. Don’t get us wrong, there’s something so comforting about a good ol’ eggs benedict on toasted sourdough with homemade hollandaise sauce, and the Rosalie institution makes no exception to this. However, we can’t stop drooling over their fried mac ‘n’ cheese balls, complete with succulent pulled pork, sweet potato hash, pumpkin puree, crispy kale, poached eggs and signature smoked paprika hollandaise. This otherworldly re-invention of the classic benny will have all you adventurous eaters coming back for one (or many) more magical mouthfuls.
Kitchen 8
Northgate
Slow and steady definitely wins the race at Kitchen 8, where a 14-hour slow-cooked brisket is the hero of their K8 Brisket Benedict. Indulge your breakfast fantasies and dig your fork into their signature dish, complete with two poached eggs, sriracha hollandaise, fried shallots and of course, succulent slow-cooked beef brisket atop a toasted croissant. For a dish this good, a trip to Northgate is a no brainer.
Plentiful
Graceville
For a benny that definitely lives up to the cafe’s name, Plentiful’s Spork 2.0 will have you, well, plenty-full and in a delightful food-coma. It seems that pork is the way to your hearts, and this benedict makes no exception, serving up juicy, slow roasted pork belly and poached eggs on fresh apple and celeriac hash, pickled cucumber, house-made hollandaise and fermented chilli sauce. You may have to wear loose-fitting jeans for this one.
Nana & Da’s
Kedron
What happens when the humble hash cake meets our beloved benny? An explosion of cheesy, salty and gooey goodness that is Nana & Da’s Hash Benedict of course. The love child of two brekky faves combines mozzarella stuffed hash cakes with hollandaise, poached eggs and your choice of bacon or hot smoked salmon for a decadent dish that many of you (and us too) would die for.
Blue Bear Coffee House
New Farm
For a sweet and salty combo that many of you are falling stomach over heels for, we’d be crazy not to include Blue Bear Coffee House’s Waffle Benny. Delightfully confuse your taste buds as you chow down on a sugary, crisp Belgian waffle, topped with salty smoked bacon, grilled halloumi, poached eggs and smoked paprika hollandaise. Head on down to Blue Bear and get your bite of a brekky combo you didn’t know you needed.
Kasina
Morningside
Morningside’s newest breakfast spot on the block, Kasina, has brought the international flavours of the Balkan region to Brisbane, which of course includes their own take on eggs benedict. Inspired by the diverse flavours of Eastern European food, the Balkan Benedict invites you to choose between cevapi (a traditional minced meat dish), halloumi or thick cut bacon, to accompany spinach and house-made hollandaise on lepinja. One bite of this benny and you’ll be picturing yourself on a beach, lapping up the sun in Croatia.
Musk Cafe
Milton
Yet another cafe hopping on the pork belly train, Musk Cafe is serving up an Asian-fusion, braised pork belly benedict that has your (and now our) mouth watering. With six-hour slow-cooked pork belly, coleslaw, two poached eggs, miso hollandaise and apple sauce on toasted sourdough, this is one Belly of the Beast you’ll definitely want to devour.
Want more recommendations by you? Check out your picks for Brisbane’s best Indian restaurants here.
Image credit: Ranyhyn Laine