5 of Brisbane's best breakfast and brunch spots
Explore the ultimate breakfast and brunch destinations around Brisbane.
By Amy Bryant
Brisbane is sprawled with funky cafes and stylish eateries that are constantly innovating traditional breakfast and brunch dishes into something deliciously creative.
From healthy greens to gluten-y goodness, the Brisbane ‘brekkie’ scene will, without a doubt, satisfy your tingling tastebuds. We’ve listed just a few of our favourite spots.
Gauge, South Brisbane
A casual yet sophisticated eatery, Gauge perfectly combines fine dining eminence with laid-back café vibes. The venue dishes up inventive creations and twists on classics, served at reasonable prices. On the all-day menu, the signature dish to try is the heavenly black garlic bread with brown butter and burnt vanilla. For something more savoury, sample the soft eggs with smoked almond cream, crispy kale and parmesan or the brioche with spicy pork bolognese, cabbage and fried eggs. Pouring all day is speciality coffee from Byron Bay, and cocktails are shaken from 10am, so whether it’s for a quick brekkie fix or a lazy brunch, Gauge will satisfy your hunger.
King Arthur, Fortitude Valley
Hidden amongst Fortitude Valley’s trendy dining and shopping quarter, is a World War II army hangar, where King Arthur eatery resides, luring in passers-by with its delicious scents of freshly baked breads and pastries. Sustainable produce takes centre stage on the imaginative all-day breakfast menu, with dishes ranging from coconut sago pudding with fermented berry jam, to avocado with house kimchi bread, sriracha honeycomb and yuzu miso custard. Something that will catch the eye is the tuna tartare taco with pickled egg, sweetened with watermelon rojo and grapefruit pearls.
Picnic Cafe, Camp Hill
A neighbourhood gem and a brunch-lover's go to, Picnic Cafe ticks all the boxes. With a combination of classics and exciting house creations, there’s a reason it consistently keeps locals and Brisbane visitors returning. The all-day breakfast menu is divided into simple, sweet and savoury, with dishes like eggs on toast, chai vanilla panna cotta and house beans with smoked cheddar, eggs and spring roll pastry. Whether you're dining for breakfast or brunch, you can devour dishes like the Nasi Goreng or the Caveman’s Feast, which boasts a great plate of chorizo, Serrano prosciutto, eggs, beans and spinach.
Little Loco, New Farm
In the nook of the leafy laid-back suburb of New Farm, you’ll find Little Loco dishing up big flavours. With a variety of healthy offerings, hangover cures and tasty classics, they’ve nailed the breakfast and brunch ritual. From the all-day menu, try the wholesome Green Bowl with poached eggs, feta, spinach and broccolini, or the thyme roasted mushrooms with eggs, pesto and dukkah. Poke bowls are all the trend and they’ve created one with a fresh breakfast-appropriate twist with poached eggs, mushrooms, pickled ginger on brown rice. For the sweet-tooths, the activated charcoal waffles will tempt you with smashed meringue, textures of strawberry, a dollop of vanilla mascarpone all drizzled in oozy maple syrup.
Paw Paw Café, Woolloongabba
Decked out in Thai interiors and flooding with natural light, Paw Paw Café is an inviting space to dine and enjoy pan-Asian inspired dishes. Each day you can expect something new on the menu, with a combination of daily seasonal specials, hearty classics and healthy delights. The Nutrient Bowl is a mix of sweet potato, cauliflower, edamame, eggs and avocado with options to add falafel or smoked salmon, while the Mexican Mince heats up with baked beans, poached eggs, haloumi and chilli guacamole. Add the brioche French toast to your must-try list, with irresistible sweet flavours of mascarpone, pink pitaya powder, white chocolate crumble and vanilla bean ice cream.
