If brunch was in the Olympics, Sydneysiders would be lining up to participate. We take brunch seriously, which is why we’re willing to wait for 45 minutes for a Croque monsieur or a lobster-loaded croissant with shaved truffle.
Curious to find the dishes everyone is swooning over, we scoured the Sydney streets to bring you the best brunch dishes with a cult following that are a must-try.
Crab Soufflé Omelette at Loulou Bistro
Loulou is a major favourite for Sydneysiders. Its legendary lunch and dinner offering proved to be not enough, and now Loulou is serving breakfast. What’s on the menu? Well, diners can expect Loulou’s take on a buttery Croque Madame and Bloody Maries served on the sun-drenched terrace. They will also serve croissants and baguettes slathered in butter and jam to be dipped into coffee or hot chocolate — Parisian style. At the Boulangerie, we suggest ordering the indulgent crab soufflé omelette. Made with delicious Gruyère cheese and spanner crab, it’s finished with chopped chives, lemon zest and espelette pepper. Oui, it’s as decadent as it sounds. Loulou Bistro weekend breakfast and brunch are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 11 am.
Croque Monsieur at The Mayflower
Since its opening, The Mayflower has been flooded with brunchers, hungry diners, and Instagram influencers. Apart from the floral aesthetic, their brunch dishes are the main attraction. One of its most popular items, the Croque monsieur, is stuffed with Jamon Serrano, gruyere, smoked mozzarella, truffle paste, and a few shavings of truffle on top. The Mayflower Roll is also a popular dish for its extravagance. Expect butter-poached lobster covered in a dijon sauce on a potato roll. Of course, you can add shavings of truffle too.
Deep Dish Pancakes at Percy Plunkett
Out west, Percy Plunkett always has a line of locals and visitors lining up for a table. While they have some amazing brunch dishes, including a lamb eggs benedict and a garden bowl with sweet potato fritters, the deep dish pancake keeps them coming back. Imagine a thick fluffy pancake drizzled with a rich butterscotch sauce, white chocolate mousse, caramelised banana, fresh berries, and crushed pistachios. If you’re not sweets for brunch kind of person, this is a game-changer.
Smashed Avocado Toast at Bills
Bills is the sunny cafe that made the smashed avocado toast a global hit, so it’s only fitting Bills should be the number one spot on your list for the best-smashed avo in Sydney. Here, they smash avocado on toasted rye, sprinkle it with chilli and coriander, and a squeeze of lime and a poached egg can be added.
Falafel Crumpet at Nour
Nour is known for its reimagined Lebanese cuisine and Sunday brunch menu. The falafel crumpet is the highlight and a twist on a brunch classic. Expect a falafel crumpet with tahini, pickled onion, and a soft-boiled egg on top.
The Seven Cheese Toastie at Penny’s Cheese Shop
Every day Penny slings around 20 to 30 cheese toasties, and every day she sells out. They are the epitome of what a toasted sandwich is. While the menu changes depending on what ingredients she has that day, you can expect to see a seven-cheese toastie daily. The cheese types change, but the flavour is phenomenal and a must-try in Sydney.
Bacon and Egg Roll at SOUL Deli
SOUL Deli offers a taste of Korea in Surry Hills. Every weekend, hungry customers line up to try their inventive menu, including the smashed avo with white kimchi and omelette with Korean caviar. A must-try is their version of a bacon and egg roll, which features American cheese, a dollop of house chilli oil, and the option to add a hashbrown and stir-fried kimchi.
Taro Hotcakes at Social Hideout
One of the most colourful cafes in Sydney, Social Hideout echoes their knack for hues in their food. One look at the milkshake in a bathtub is enough to convince diners that they love a fun brunch. Here, be sure to try the taro hotcakes, which is topped with black sesame ice cream, taro lychee ganache, and mango cubes.
Ducks-mite Toast at Three Blue Ducks
Sometimes, brunch doesn’t have to be eggs and bacon. It can be as simple as Vegemite on toast. At Three Blue Ducks, their homemade ducks-mite is better than Vegemite and one of the main reasons people flock to the restaurants. It has been known to convert Vegemite haters into lovers.
Pandan Croissant At Boon Cafe
This all-day Thai restaurant adopts a traditional attitude to dinner, but during the day, you will find a play on Thai tastes and Australian or European dishes. The pandan croissant, a buttery, flakey croissant pasted with a big slab of pandan custard, has cult status. They also make pandan custard toast and Chao Guai, a grass jelly dish with ice and sugar cane.
The Hemp Seed Fried Prawn Sando at Woodcut
Woodcut’s new Sunday brunch offering is the perfect reason to venture to the harbourside venue. The New York-style brunch is a decadent affair, with a champagne trolley where you can jazz up your champagne with cassis, peach nectar, rhubarb, and nectar, all served table side. The menu channels a touch of Asia, a sprinkle of Europe, and everything in between. The hemp seed fried prawn sando is a highlight, as is the wood over-baked eggs with zaatar, bread and butter pudding with grilled blueberries and hot custard.
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