Here in Sydney, brunch is one of our ultimate pastimes. It's our favourite weekend sport, an excuse to catch up with mates, and one of life's best hangover cures all rolled into one.
At Urban List, we've sipped, scoffed and savoured our way through the city to bring you the very best breakfast and brunch spots in Sydney—cause let's be real—nothing kickstarts the day quite like top-notch espresso, a soul-reviving green juice, or a cheeky round of mimosas.
Here’s where to find the best spots in Sydney for breakfast and brunch.
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- The Best New Breakfast And Brunch Spots In Sydney
- The Best Breakfast And Brunch In The Sydney CBD
- The Best Breakfast And Brunch In Surry Hills
- The Best Breakfast And Brunch In The Inner West
- The Best Breakfast And Brunch In Bondi
- The Best Breakfast And Brunch Spots In Manly
- The Best Breakfast And Brunch In Western Sydney
The Best New Breakfast And Brunch Spots In Sydney
Bar Julius
6 Baptist Street, Redfern
Image credit: Bar Julius | Dexter Kim
Wunderlich Lane is overflowing with buzzy new eateries, including Bar Julius; the European-style lobby bar inside The EVE Hotel Sydney, from the same crew behind modern Mexican marvel Lottie (which you’ll find upstairs), and Sydney icons Bistecca, The Gidley, Alfie’s and The Rover.
Designed to suit all hours, Bar Julius caters to catch-up coffees, leisurely breakfasts, long lunches, happy hour wines and late-night cocktails.
Brunch staples are dolled up here: free-range dippy eggs with pork hock toast soldiers, oozy folded French omelettes, and fluffy buttermilk pancakes drizzled in strawberry gum maple syrup. Book online.
INSIDER INTEL
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No matter the time of day, order the self-proclaimed world's best Crystal Mimosa—it may look like wine, but its heady fragrance and orange-packed punch say otherwise.
A.P Bread & Wine
32 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
Image credit: A.P Bread | Instagram
A.P Bakery has been steadily staking its claim across Sydney with cult-fave bakeries like A.P Place and A.P Bakery. The latest of the bunch is A.P Bread and Wine, a round-the-clock diner set inside a sandstone, heritage-listed cottage in Darlinghurst.
On the brekkie menu, you’ll find toasted baguette paired with drowned eggs in chicken broth, toasted brioche with whipped ricotta and berries and Darlinghurst-exclusive breakfast pizza. Then, lunch and dinner kick into blue mackerel sarnies and leftover-bread pasta with zucchini and anchovies, with plenty of wine to match. Walk-ins only for breakfast, or book dinner online.
INSIDER INTEL
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The outdoor garden courtyard is coveted real estate, especially with toasty fireplaces taking the edge off the Winter chill.
The Best Breakfast And Brunch In The Sydney CBD
The Grounds Of The City
Shop RG12, The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The Grounds Of The City | Instagram
This dimly lit 1920s-esque joint may feel like downtown New York, but it's smack-bang in the centre of the Sydney CBD. You've likely visited The Grounds of the City's sibling venues at The Grounds of Alexandria or The Grounds Coffee Factory, but this edition is tucked down an alley off George Street.
The Grounds is an all-day hotspot serving breakfast and brunch till 11.30am with fluffy buttermilk pancakes, stacked brekkie burgers, and focaccia toasties, with a separate lunch and dinner menu served from 11.45am. You can even grab brekkie cocktails after 10am. Book online.
Insider Intel
- "I love stepping into this cosy little escape," says our Sydney editor, Georgia Condon. "The coffee's always great, and I'm a savoury girl—so the lobster omelette with shimeji mushrooms, spinach, and burnt caper butter is my ideal way to start a day in the city."
Edition Roasters
Various locations
Image credit: Edition Roasters | Instagram
Edition Roasters is a collection of slick Japanese cafes with outposts in Wynyard, Darling Square, World Square, and Mid City. The vibey Sydney CBD venues are doused in dark tones, charcoal concrete slabs, and horigotatsu recessed floor seating.
Heading the brunch lineup are airy souffle pancakes, miso banana bread with yuzu curd, and a big brekkie with eggs, bacon, hash brown, fennel salad and charred avocado on shokupan, before the menu dives into lunch. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- Coffee is everything here, so you're guaranteed a good brew whether you order a frothy flat white or rich espresso, but they also do one of the best strawberry matcha lattes in Sydney.
Tessuto
32–34 York Street, Sydney CBD
If carbonara scrambled eggs with crispy pancetta on sourdough and tiramisu lattes sound like your kinda brunch, hit up Tessuto, an Italian cafe in the Sydney CBD. Bathed in terrazzo and timber, the space has been converted from a 190-year-old former textile warehouse to a stunning modern eatery.
Impeccable coffee is accompanied by pistachio croissants and stuffed sfogliatelle, and there are house-made pastas and heaped paninis for lunch. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- The star of the show is the Sicilian-inspired Picciriddu, layering pistachio cream with an espresso and milk froth, served in a pistachio-rimmed glass.
more Of The Best breakfast and brunch in the Sydney CBD
The Best Breakfast And Brunch In Surry Hills
Paramount Coffee Project
80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Paramount Coffee Project | Instagram
Paramount Coffee Project isn’t just a cafe—it’s part of Surry Hills’ coolest clubhouse in the jaw-dropping Art Deco Paramount House.
The coffee is excellent, sourced from top-notch local and international roasters, and brewed to perfection. But make no mistake, the menu has lots more going on, dishing up baked eggs, loaded avo on rye, and legendary fried chicken waffles. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- The open-plan space has a big sense of community, and it's one of our Sydney Editor's favourite places for a brunch meeting.
Bills
Various Locations
Image credit: Bills | Instagram
Bills is an absolute staple on the Sydney breakfast and brunch scene, created by the chef who practically invented brunch in Sydney, the late Bill Granger.
These days, there are four locations in Darlinghurst, Bondi, Double Bay, and Surry Hills, with the original Crown Street outpost shuffling down the street with a refreshed look featuring honey-coloured walls, jewel tones, and rattan chairs. Iconic brunch staples like ricotta hotcakes are still there, as are the sweet corn fritters and those silky scrambled eggs. Book online.
Insider Intel
- Bills also knocks dinner out of the park with a range of modern Australian dishes, drawing inspiration from around the world and using fresh seasonal produce.
Reuben Hills
61 Albion Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Reuben Hills | Instagram
Reuben Hills sets the standard when it comes to the calibre of coffee. The awarded roastery leverages its sprawling Surry Hills base to serve breakfast and brunch inspired by the team's coffee-sourcing trips around the world.
Chow down on fried egg tostadas with LP's chorizo, ricotta pancakes with seasonal fruit, and a "Not Reuben" with salted Wagyu, manchego and horseradish mayo. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- Give the Nutella hot choccy or vanilla oat cold brew a go.
more of the best breakfast and brunch in Surry Hills
The Best Breakfast And Brunch In The Inner West
Valentinas
132 Livingstone Road, Marrickville
Channelling a retro roadside stop somewhere in the States, Valentinas is a Marrickville staple dishing up old-school diner breakfasts and brunches. Perfectly round pancakes crowned with a melting butter slab sit alongside stacked brekkie sandwiches and the Tina classic—heapings of crispy bacon, potatoes, scrambled egg, and pancakes—which all wash down well with a tall glass of maple iced coffee. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- DIY your plate with a bunch of sauces, spreads and sides like a cheesy folded omelette, onion rings or French fries for a true American diner experience.
Kurumac
107 Addison Road, Marrickville
Image credit: Kurumac | Facebook
Kurumac is a vibey walk-in only Marrickville cafe where the brief is Japanese comfort food backed by hip-hop beats and moody jazz. There’s not one dud dish on the menu, with top picks like a spicy cod roe melt—made with thick-cut Japanese milk bread, roe, and tasty cheese, it's a contender for one of Sydney's best toasties—an eggplant katsu sando, or the vibrant chirashi bowl loaded with fresh sashimi.
"If I'm going out for breakfast or brunch, I want something beyond bacon and eggs," says Urban List's Sydney editor, Georgia Condon. "The spicy cod roe melt at Kurumac is such an unexpected but comforting brunch dish, and the vibes at Kurumac are always welcoming."
Insider Intel
- Alongside all your coffee staples, the Mapo Gelato-spiked drinks are a must, from matcha ice cream lattes to hojicha gelato milkshakes, nothing disappoints here.
Superfreak
Shop 2/333a Enmore Road, Marrickville
Image credit: Superfreak | Instagram
A visit to Superfreak is always abso-fricken-lutely worth it. The trendy Marrickville cafe is jammed with funky decor, Inner West brunch addicts and the owner's vinyls spinning on repeat. The no-frills menu has dolled-up brekkie and brunch classics like thick Fabbrica sourdough smothered in creamy ricotta with spiced nuts and pear, an Insta-viral market plate, plus colourful salads and jumbo sandwiches. Walk-ins only, or order pick-up online.
Insider Intel
- To drink, there's the usual coffee and matcha fixes alongside healthy juices and even an adaptogen hot choccy with medicinal mushrooms.
more of the best breakfast and brunch in the Inner West
The Best Breakfast And Brunch In Bondi
Harry’s
2/136 Wairoa Avenue, Bondi Beach
Image credit: Harry's Bondi | Instagram
Once a hole-in-the-wall espresso bar, Harry’s is now one of the busiest brekkie and brunch joints in Bondi. The menu has expanded over the years to include brunch picks like eggs Benny with a twist, blueberry and ricotta hotcakes, and a prawn omelette with fermented chilli butter.
As for drinks, you can't go to Harry's without ordering a canned smoothie or matcha latte with seasonal mango, strawberry and blueberry editions. Book online.
Insider Intel
- Harry's is always collabing with different brands, bringing out new canned drinks that Sydney can't wait to get its hands on.
Lox In A Box
Various Locations
Image credit: Lox In A Box | Instagram
Lox In A Box dishes up a modern take on the traditional Jewish deli, with the added convenience of takeaway bagels and home deliveries if you live nearby. Hits for breakfast or brunch at their Bondi cafe on Blair Street include the classic lox bagel, brunch bowls—our Sydney editor, Georgia Condon, is obsessed with the crispy latkes topped with eggs and brisket.
You can also build your own bagel with more than 20 sides to throw in a takeaway lox box (including one of the best herb cream cheeses Sydney has ever seen), plus an extra creamy potato salad. Walk-ins only.
INSIDER INTEL
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Smash burgers and fried chicken take over the menu from 5pm for After Hours, Lox In Box’s after-dark dinner menu, available Wednesday through Sunday.
Porch And Parlour
17-18/110 Ramsgate Avenue, North Bondi
Image credit: Porch and Parlour | Instagram
North Bondi’s Porch and Parlour has earned its stripes as one of the best brunch spots in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Sitting pretty on Ramsgate Avenue for over a decade now, this beloved beachside gem is all about wholesome food, served on its very own ceramics range.
The menu heroes local produce with cult-favourite dishes like bright green pea pancakes, Baja fish tacos, and a mushroom and three cheese grilled toastie. Fresh juices and smoothies fill the drinks menu, alongside all the usual coffee orders. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- You can sip breakfast cocktails like Bloody Marys, mimosas, Aperol spritzes and margaritas here.
more of the best breakfast and brunch in Bondi
The Best Breakfast And Brunch In Manly
Noon
Shop 1/18 Raglan Street, Manly
Image credit: Noon | Instagram
Just a few blocks back from Manly Beach you'll find Noon, a sun-drenched cafe with a retro fit-out from the crew behind favourites Chica Bonita, Busta and Sunset Sabi. Chilli scrambles, bacon egg butties and ricotta crepes are constantly roaming out of the kitchen at breakfast and brunch time, alongside strawberry matcha lattes and their signature tahini espresso latte—offering a proper morning pick-me-up.
Finish with a dip in the ocean, and you've got yourself the ultimate Northern Beaches local starter pack. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- Don’t skip the hashbrown—it comes with a ‘dippy thing’ that’s kind of like tomato relish, but better.
Girdlers
Various Locations
Image credit: Girdlers | Instagram
Girdlers is a group of laid-back cafes spread across four bases on the Beaches in Manly, Dee Why, Avalon, Narrabeen, Warringah Mall and beyond in Castle Hill. Known for their breakfast and brunch dishes like sweet and savoury crepes, Girdlers also does insane smoothie bowls, cauliflower shakshuka, and a bacon and egg roll on a black, organic charcoal bun, followed by salads, burgers, burritos and tacos. Book online.
Insider Intel
- Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diners will be happy here.
Barrel One
Various Locations
Image credit: Barrel One | Instagram
Barrel One is a tip-top spot for breakfast or brunch on the Beaches, with locations in Manly, Brookvale, Cromer, and further in Potts Point and Lane Cove.
Pull up a chair, enjoy a brew or two, and pick from grilled cheese toasties or bagels with fillings like pastrami, egg and cheese, avo, salmon, cream cheese or peanut butter and jelly. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- For a perfect morning, pre-order online and sit by Manly Beach.
more of the best breakfast and brunch on the Northern beaches
The Best Breakfast And Brunch In Western Sydney
Iftar
Main Lane, Merrylands
Image credit: Iftar | Instagram
Iftar is a family-run Middle Eastern eatery that's spicing up Sydney's brunch scene. The space itself is absolutely gorgeous, splashed with marble tables and rattan chairs, but it's the food that shines the brightest.
The kitchen kicks into gear at 7am daily, whipping up hot and cold mezze with fun creations like shawarma tacos, cheese cigars, pan-fried Wagyu kofta dumplings and macaroni bi laban with lamb mince and a minty yoghurt. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- The Big Brekkie Board will have you thinking ‘bout it days later, stacked with fried eggs, labneh, cured meats, zaa’tar manoush and more.
MISC.
Little Coogee, Parramatta Park, Byrnes Avenue, Parramatta
Image credit: MISC | Website
Housed in a light-filled atrium in heritage-listed Parramatta Park, MISC. is the perfect place for breakfast or brunch with your crew. The sophisticated, 300-seater venue serves separate menus over the day, all with modern Mediterranean flair.
You can do up your own breakfast spread based around pita, dips and eggs, or opt for dishes like jam doughnut hotcakes with strawberry jam, cinnamon, strawberries and double cream, or the salmon and potato hash with remoulade and herb salad. Book online.
Insider Intel
- Pull up a chair outside to enjoy the leafy surrounds of Parramatta Park.
Circa Espresso
21 Wentworth Street, Parramatta
Image credit: Circa Espresso | Instagram
Circa Espresso is a Parramatta staple with a well-deserved rep for offering one of Western Sydney's best breakfasts. Middle Eastern-influenced comfort food is served on the daily with baked eggs, beef sujuk, Danish feta, Roma tomatoes, harissa gravy, and chilli on house-made focaccia, or corn and halloumi fritters with poached egg, avo, tomato and ginger chutney. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- The modern cafe also spills out onto the footpath, offering plenty of outdoor seating, making it super dog-friendly too.
MORE OF THE BEST BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH IN WESTERN SYDNEY
More Of The Best Breakfast And Brunch In Sydney
Piña
4/29 Orwell Street, Potts Point
Sister venue of the equally as popular brunch spot Room 10, Pina is a Sydney cafe icon that requires patience—you will almost always have to wait for a table.
Their famous silky tornado eggs can be paired with pastrami, smoked trout, or Sicilian caponata and stracciatella, and they do absolutely enormous pancakes and rostis, and epic bagels, brekkie burgers, and sandwiches. Try the signature bubbled iced mocha or the matcha float with matcha ice cream, crunchy caramel, espresso and a choice of milk. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- Culinary Director of Applejack Hospitality, Patrick Friesen, told Urban List he and his family are big fans of Pina: "It’s Sydney's best cafe and run by our lovely friends Andrew and Yuvi. If it’s winter, you have to get the congee or the roesti."
The Grounds Coffee Factory
Bay 4, 2 Locomotive Street, Eveleigh
Image credit: The Grounds Coffee Factory | Instagram
The Grounds Coffee Factory is a massive Sydney roastery, cafe and immersive coffee experience all in one, located in the South Eveleigh precinct. Fluffy hotcakes, chill scrambles and triple-decker club sandwiches fill out the brunch menu, with lunch kicking in just before midday.
As expected, there's a huge range of coffee-based drinks and treats, including affogatos and shakes, plus fresh juices, smoothies, and house-made iced teas for those skipping the caffeine.
Insider Intel
- This place does one of the best bottomless brunches in Sydney too.
Theeca
1 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
Image credit: Theeca | Instagram
Home to the perfectly round pancakes you've probably seen splashed across your socials, Theeca is a charming inner-city cafe under tall swaying trees behind Oxford Street. Order 'em up with a choice of crème fraiche, house-made seasonal jam, and maple syrup or crispy bacon, fried egg, maple syrup and whipped butter. Then do yourself a favour and order a matcha latte, cause this place does one of the best versions in Sydney. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- Theeca turns into a vinyl bar by night, with DJs spinning tunes 'til late alongside a fab dinner menu. And, if you're looking for a spot to host your next special occasion, Theeca puts on an absolute spread and a half.
Goodfields Eatery
Shop 4/5, 37 Lindfield Avenue, Lindfield
Image credit: Goodfields Eatery | Instagram
Goodfields Eatery is a Lindfield all-day brunch stop that serves up feel-good food—and by that we mean in the healthy, nourishing sense as well as in an indulgent, carb-filled way.
There's sweet picks like hotcakes, acai bowls, bircher muesli, French toast and smoothies, or savoury satisfiers like breakfast burgers, omelettes, and avo toast—providing top-tier meal options for all moods. Walk-ins only.
Insider Intel
- Goodfields' lobster Benedict is a must-order, decked out with butter-roasted lobster bites, poached eggs, crustacean hollandaise, asparagus, and grilled brioche.
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Main image credit: bills | Instagram
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