There are few trendier postcodes in the Harbour City than 2010, and Darlinghurst’s dozens of stylish cafes are a big part of its appeal. From landmark coffee shops that have dominated Sydney’s brunch scene for decades to cutting-edge eateries that are quickly making their mark, these are the best breakfast joints Darlinghurst has to offer.
Bill Granger’s cafe empire spans Japan, London, Korea and Hawaii, but it all began with a humble cafe in Darlinghurst way back in 1993. Join the queue on a Saturday morning to nab a seat at the huge communal table, which abounds with Bills’ signature ricotta hotcakes and sweetcorn fritters, as well as a selection of fruits, grains and cereals.
The Rusty Rabbit’s comic-themed brunch menu is divided into The Basics, The Creative, The Cultured and The Smashed, which all pair perfectly with healthy smoothies and fresh juices including the Carrot Cleanser and the kale-flavoured Green Goblin. You can even take home a souvenir from breakfast — the Rusty Rabbit also sells a fun merchandise range of socks, T-shirts, coffee cups and windbreakers.
There’s a bright-red mural on the corner of Crown and Goulburn Streets that attracts coffee drinkers like moths to a flame. The reason? Pablo’s Vice, the hole-in-the-wall cafe that’s been one of Darlinghurst’s most popular purveyors of caffeine since 1996. Take a seat to add brunch to your morning coffee. Make sure you don’t miss Pablo’s Stack, a tower of bacon, avocado, spinach, aioli and poached egg on sourdough.
This Oxford Street eatery promises Sydney’s best Brazilian food. Its largely South American clientele agree. Ovo – ‘egg’ in Portuguese – dishes up authentic Brazilian fare that you’d struggle to find anywhere else in Australia. Try the feijoada (slow-cooked pork ribs, beans and rice), the ham-and-cheese tapioca crepes or the Sunday breakfast buffet to stuff in as many traditional Brazilian dishes as possible.
Chez Sun feels like a little Parisian patisserie that’s been transported onto busy Crown Street. Occupying a light-filled space with a leafy upstairs terrace, this elegant French cafe offers Darlinghurst’s most refined brunch menus. Try the house-made potato waffle with poached duck egg, Earl Grey-flavoured hot cakes with seasonal fruits and the Chez Sun deep-fried egg with activated charcoal batter, prosciutto and chipotle pulled pork.
This Victoria Street establishment isn’t your average Italian cafe. Fitted out with chic exposed brick, huge archways and a long, wooden coffee bar, Son of Frank’s breakfast menu is sprinkled with subtle Mediterranean touches such as the mortadella, salami and provolone in the ‘Reu-bene’ sandwich or the prosciutto, crumbed mozzarella and charred melanzane puree in the Son of Frank eggs. There’s also a creative cocktail list for a boozy brunch on the weekend.
Located on Darlinghurst Road in the heart of the neighbourhood, Fable Coffee specialises in healthy dishes with sustainability at their core. With light pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, tuck into organic poached eggs with house-pickled radish, golden pork belly open sandwich or sweet potato and corn rosti – all using the finest local produce.
This Riley Street cafe isn’t easy to find, but the huge mural of an octopus-legged coffee pot points you in the right direction. Stop Valve serves an all-day breakfast menu featuring all the classics: avocado toast, bacon-and-egg rolls, fried chicken waffles and the like, alongside coffee from Reformatory Caffeine, tea from T Totaler and freshly squeezed orange juice.
This Liverpool Street hole-in-the-wall isn’t spacious (what else would you expect from a place called the Bunker?) but its breakfast offering is big on flavour. The Bunker dishes up rustic, home-style brunches like the bacon and house-made crumpets, mince on toast, and sweetcorn fritters with avocado and tomato salsa. Plus everything’s available to take away if you’re in a rush.