Sydney Brunch Spots Guaranteed To Make You Drool (Even With a Toddler on Your Lap)
Sydney and brunch. It’s basically a love story at this point, so much so that it is hard to pin down the best brunch in Sydney. But, I’m always up for a challenge, so I’m giving it my best shot.
Back in my solo travelling days I thought I understood brunch. Bottomless bellinis, a lazy 11am start, zero interruptions. Then I had two kids and discovered brunch has an entirely different meaning when someone under the age of five is demanding you cut their toast into “the right kind of triangle.”
The good news is that Sydney’s brunch scene is big enough for everyone. There’s still plenty of room for a long, boozy weekend brunch if that’s your vibe, and there are now more genuinely kid-friendly spots than ever if you’re the one wrangling a highchair and a packet of rice crackers just in case.
This list has had a proper refresh. Some of my old favourites have stayed because they’re still that good, a few new spots have earned their place, and I’ve added a whole section for the parents who need a play area more than they need a mimosa.
If you’re visiting from out of town and still working out logistics, I’ve also got a full guide to where to stay in Sydney and things to do in Sydney worth a read alongside this one.
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Why Sydneysiders Are Utterly Obsessed With Brunch
Honestly, I still don’t fully understand it, and I say that as someone who has happily queued for forty minutes for eggs.
Breakfast is too early on a lazy Saturday and lunch feels like admitting the morning is over, so brunch sits in that perfect in between spot. 11am is my kind of hour, or these days, whatever time we manage to get everyone dressed and out the door.
Where to find the best brunch in Sydney?
Grown-Up Sydney Brunch Favourites Worth the Queue
Indigo, Double Bay
Indigo looks like a modest little Eastern Suburbs cafe until you see the Ocean Bowl arrive at the next table, glowing blue from the organic spirulina. It’s rarely too busy, there’s outdoor seating for warmer months, and the coffee holds its own even if you skip brunch altogether.
Fave dish: the Ocean Bowl. It photographs beautifully and tastes even better.
Flowerchild Café, Chatswood
Tucked inside Chatswood Westfield and easy to miss, Flowerchild is the kind of find you want to keep to yourself.
It was started by a former manager of The Grounds, uses the same coffee, and gets a daily pastry delivery from them too. The acai bowl is lovely, but the French toast and tiramisu waffles are the real reason to detour through the shops.
Fave dish: the tiramisu waffles. Dessert for breakfast, no notes.
Butter, Surry Hills
Fried chicken and champagne for brunch, and honestly, why not. Butter is a Surry Hills institution known for its late night chicken and booze, but the weekend brunch banquet is where it’s at if you want something a bit different from the usual eggs on toast. Pay extra and you can add free flowing bubbles for the whole sitting.
Fave dish: the fried chicken, ideally with a glass of Verve Cliquot in hand. Go big or stay home.
Goodfields Eatery, Lindfield
New to this list and worth the trip north. Goodfields does the full range from hotcakes and bircher muesli through to a properly indulgent lobster Benedict with poached eggs and crustacean hollandaise. It’s walk-ins only, so go early on weekends.
Fave dish: the lobster Benedict, obviously. It’s the whole reason to make the trip.
Bills, Darlinghurst, Bondi and Surry Hills
Bills more or less started Sydney’s brunch obsession, and it’s still a rite of passage. Order the scrambled eggs, they’re famous for good reason, and if you’re doing it properly, a spiced Bloody Mary is compulsory. If you prefer a sweet treat, I’m still dreaming about the ricotta hotcakes.
Fave dish: the scrambled eggs. Simple, but there’s a reason they’re legendary.
The Winery, Surry Hills
For a bottomless brunch that actually feels worth the price, The Winery offers two hours of bellinis and three courses for a set price. The food leans towards the lunch end of brunch, but the setting makes up for it.
Fave dish: whatever the haloumi stack looks like on the day’s set menu, plus as many bellinis as the two hours allow.
Lox In A Box, Bondi
If you love a Jewish deli style brunch, this Bondi spot is doing some of the best in the city right now. The lox bagel is the classic order, but the brunch bowls topped with crispy latkes, eggs and brisket have quietly become the thing people drive across town for.
Fave dish: the crispy latke bowl with eggs and brisket. Worth the drive across town.
Cà Phê Mai, Double Bay
A newer addition to Double Bay with real heart behind it. The menu traces back through generations of the owner’s family, and it brings a Vietnamese influence to brunch that Sydney didn’t really have before. Go for the coffee as much as the food.
Fave dish: the egg coffee, paired with whatever bánh mì is on the specials board that day.
Ikaria, Bondi Beach
If bottomless is the whole point of your outing, Ikaria has become one of the most talked about options in Bondi. Mediterranean shared plates, free flowing wine, beer and spritzes, and a burrata that’s worth going back for on its own.
Fave dish: the creamy burrata with heirloom tomatoes. Order two if the table can handle it.
Brunch That Doesn’t End in a Meltdown: Kid-Friendly Picks
This is the section I really wish existed back when I was a bleary eyed new mum trying to find somewhere that wouldn’t judge me for the crumbs under the highchair. These spots all genuinely welcome kids rather than just tolerating them, and most pair nicely with an indoor activity if you need a full rainy day in Sydney plan too.
The Grounds of Alexandria, Alexandria
No Sydney brunch list is complete without The Grounds of Alexandria. Who would have guessed that a converted industrial site in Alexandria would become the city’s most photographed brunch spot, but here we are.
It leans more breakfast than lunch and brunch wraps up by 11.45am, so you do need to get moving, but it’s worth setting an alarm for. If Alexandria is too far, the sister cafe in the CBD, The Grounds of the City, is nearly as pretty and a lot more central.
The Grounds is incredibly popular for its themed laneways, so if you’re able to visit on a weekday you’ll give yourself the best chance of avoiding the crowds. For the kids, there’s a mini farm with goats and chickens and a play area with soft play equipment and a ball pit.
Fave dish: the corn and haloumi fritters with poached eggs. Get there before 11am or you’ll be queuing for a while.
Avocado, Brighton-le-sands
A proper beachy favourite south of the airport. Avocado is dog friendly, easygoing about kids, and does some of the prettiest brunch plates in the area. It’s an easy pairing with a walk or paddle at Lady Robinson’s Beach right across the road.
Fave dish: the smashed avocado and feta, or the Biscoff pancakes if anyone at the table is feeling hedonistic.
La Bottega, Leichardt
An old favourite that deserves its own category now. This little Italian inspired cafe in the inner west has always been brilliant with my toddler, and the resident dog is basically a built-in entertainment system while you catch up with friends over coffee. My pre-schooler orders the Spaghetti Napoli every single time and my almost-one year old loves chomping away on the crusty bread that comes with it.
Fave dish: the Steak Foccacia for me, Spaghetti Napoli for my daughter. We’re both happy every time.
Vitaland Kids Cafe
Part play centre, part cafe, and honestly a bit of a lifesaver. The kids can burn off energy for hours while you actually get to finish a coffee at a normal temperature. The menu covers healthy options alongside the usual kid favourites.
Fave dish: the kids’ fish and chips, plus a smoothie for you while you finally sit down.
Ripples, Australian National Maritime Museum
Combine a museum visit with brunch and everyone wins. After exploring the exhibits, Ripples serves up fish and chips for the kids and something more grown up, like a yellowfin tuna poke bowl, for you.
The open-air setting makes it feel like less of an ordeal than a regular restaurant outing. If you’re already at Darling Harbour, it also pairs nicely with a stop at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium to turn it into a full morning out.
Fave dish: the yellowfin tuna poke bowl for me, fish and chips for the kids. Everyone wins.
The Boathouse, Balmoral
Right on the calm waters of Balmoral Beach, so the kids can run around the sand or the grass while you drink your coffee in peace. It’s the kind of spot where nobody bats an eyelid at a toddler having a moment. It also sits right along one of the routes in my best walks in Sydney guide, if you want to stretch your legs afterwards.
Fave dish: the fish and chips, eaten with your feet basically in the sand.
BuKu Eatery, Zetland
The adjoining park is the real drawcard here. Swings, climbing structures and a slide right next to the cafe means the kids can play while food is being ordered, and there’s a proper family-friendly menu to match.
Fave dish: a brunch bowl for you, hot chocolate with extra marshmallows for the kids.
Rree’s, Balmain
A local favourite I’ve taken my own baby to more than once. The outdoor area is properly pram friendly and has a lovely casual vibe, so you’re not stressing about squeezing past tables or finding somewhere to park the pram.
Fave dish: the prosciutto scrambled eggs. My go-to order every time.
Bitton, Alexandria
Bitton does breakfast right through to dinner, so it fits around nap times and unpredictable toddler schedules. There’s a dedicated Kids Terrace so little ones have their own space to move around in.
Fave dish: the all-day breakfast plate. Reliable no matter what time you actually make it out the door.
Kiss the Barista, Sandringham
This was my saviour during maternity leave, and it still holds up as one of the best beachside brunch spots for parents. It looks out over the Dolls Point lagoon and beach, it is walking distance from Depena Reserve’s fantastic playground, the staff are relaxed about prams and mess, and it’s a lovely one for a slow morning walk before or after.
Fave dish: the waffles or the eggs benedict, both equally good for a bleary eyed morning.
Good Days Play Cafe, Tempe
A newer find in the Inner West and a genuine lifesaver if your kids are under six. It’s a cafe with a proper dedicated play area built in, so you can actually sit down while they run around, rather than the usual game of chasing a toddler between tables.
Fave dish: the avo toast with feta and a pomegranate molasses drizzle, or the steak sambo if you’re after something heartier.
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Sydney’s brunch scene will probably never stop growing, and honestly I’m not mad about it. Whether you’re after a long, boozy Saturday or a spot that won’t stress you out with a toddler in tow, there’s somewhere on this list for you.
Wherever your next brunch takes you, even if it’s just the local cafe with a babyccino in hand, I hope it’s a good one.
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