nodo, various locations: Home of the famous gluten free, baked-not-fried donut, nodo is also famed for its delightful breakfast offering. nodo opened Australia’s first gluten-free doughnut bakery on the corner of Ella and Chester Streets in Newstead in 2015, immediately setting tongues wagging across town. Current favourites on the menu include the eggs Benedict with szechuan braised ham hock, cumquat hollandaise, chewy tapioca waffle, poached eggs, kale and citrus salt, and the coconut-and-cornflake crusted pumpkin French toast with sencha yoghurt, citrus maple, cherry blossom pearls, freeze dried cherry, nashi pear and flowers. Java lovers can also delight in sips from the venue’s in-house coffee blend, Roasted by Nodo – it’s a beautiful, ethically sourced blend with notes of butterscotch, stonefruit and milk chocolate (that pairs perfectly with doughnuts, FYI). You can also indulge in nodo’s delicious treats in The City, Camp Hill, Hawthorne and South Bank.
Farmhouse, Kedron: Few cafes have earned as much praise as Kendron mainstay Farmhouse. Known for championing local and regional producers, the menu here is chock-full of seasonal farm-fresh ingredients and is also inclusive of all dietary needs. It’s hard to pass up an opportunity to devour the always-satisfying Farmhouse Potato Cake with charred sweetcorn, cheese, grilled bacon, poached free-range eggs and fresh hollandaise. That said, we’ve also got a soft spot for the one-pan ricotta hotcake with raspberry mascarpone, peach syrup and strawberries, and the warm black-rice pudding with coconut cream and grilled banana.
Morning After, West End: A respite for heavy-headed revellers, sprightly early birds and everyone in between, Morning After has earned a reputation for being a breakfast go-to. Morning After’s head honchos Soula and Yianni Passaris know what makes breakfast great, with a menu that features healthy day starters (warm coconut red rice and chia pudding with mixed nut granola, caramelised pineapple, berries, coconut yoghurt and lemon balm), decadent dishes (souffle pancakes with honeycomb ice-cream, berries and Bee One Third honey ), savoury winners (panko rosti mozzarella cake with pig head sausage, blistered heirloom tomato, caper cream, spinach and poached egg) and the tantalisingly peculiar (breakfast carbonara with 63-degree hens eggs, mushrooms, smoked pancetta and manchego).
Bear Boy Espresso, Windsor: Although a relative newcomer to Brisbane, Bear Boy already boasts a formidable reputation built at its coastal flagship in Helensvale. So when Bear Boy landed in Windsor’s Colwill Place in early 2021, its selection of specialty coffee and brunch menu has a readymade audience. Long-time fans of Bear Boy’s fare will be pleased and punch to know they can score OG eats like the Big Bear Benny with crispy potato hash waffle topped with poached eggs, smoked bacon and house hollandaise, or go off-piste with seasonal additions like the thick-cut apple French toast with strawberry and thyme gel, and the A Fungui Affair, which sees a medley of mushrooms invigorated with truffle mayo, lemon tarragon gel, fresh heirloom tomatoes and a fried egg. Single O‘s Killer Bee blend is currently Bear Boy’s house go-to for espresso brews, and is also providing beans for its filter and pour-over sips.
The Maillard Project, Brisbane City: What happens when the team behind beloved Brisbane City coffee spot Coffee Anthology decides to take on breakfast? Magic, that’s what happens. The Maillard Project is where specialty caffeine and cafe fare collide, delivering a one-two punch of perfect pours and primo eats like the free-range savoury pork mince with hummus, baharat butter and tea eggs, and masoor dal tadka with pickled onion, tomato kasundi, coconut yoghurt, poached eggs and papadums. If you need a pick-me-up and something to fill you up, we suggest this place.
Plentiful Cafe, Graceville: Residents of Brisbane’s southwestern suburbs were quickly smitten with Plentiful when it opened in Graceville back in March 2020, and it’s easy to see why. Cool vibes, an eye-catching interior and a drool-worthy menu makes for a killer combo. When it comes to the eats themselves, each dish has character and flavour to spare – especially stand-out options like the Get Some Pork On Your Fork (free-range eggs, crispy potato rosti, spicy grilled pork, spinach and hollandaise), Pop-It Chicken Croffle Benny (popcorn chicken served on a croissant-waffle hybrid with poached eggs. chipotle hollandaise, jalapeno maple, toffee walnut and fresh melon) and the Pretty GR8 Pancake (buttermilk pancakes served with seasonal fruit, vanilla ice-cream, praline, butterscotch and a sprinkle of pistachio). As for coffee, those needing a jolt can quaff cups of 5 Senses brew.
Halo Ground, Fortitude Valley: Forget about your eggs and bacon or avocado toast – Halo Ground on Brookes Street is invigorating breakfast with an experimental and appetising approach. Texture, colour and taste is all taken into account here, from the zesty orange-blossom hotcakes with pineapple custard, mascarpone, coconut and pineapple jerky to the decadent prawn carbonara, which features house made fettucine, double-smoked bacon, salmon roe and grilled Mooloolaba prawns. Though the flavour and ingredients will morph with the season, a flair for the creative is guaranteed to feature across Halo Ground’s offering year round.
Groundhog Social, Manly: The team behind bayside breakfast stalwarts Banter Coffee House expanded in early 2020 with Groundhog Social – a colourful corner cafe boasting close proximity to Manly’s waterfront. With ocean views sorted, guests can cosy up with a serve of something scrumptious and cup of Coffee Supreme brew. We’re smitten with the breakfast burrito, which is filled to bursting point with chorizo, halloumi, crispy potato, spinach, eggs and chilli jam, and we have a hard time saying no to Groundhog’s version of the quintessential Japanese cabbage pancake, okonomiyaki – complete with grilled local prawns, fried egg and bonito flakes. If you’re eager to start your day on a sweet note, might we suggest the blueberry ricotta pancake? It comes with lemon-myrtle caramel, wattle seed ice-cream and caramelised white chocolate. Heaven!
Joedy’s Cafe, New Farm: A stone’s throw from New Farm Park sits Joedy’s Cafe, a charming breakfast and coffee spot that has won over locals with a spiffy combo of specialty coffee (supplied by local superstars Bellissimo Coffee), all-day breakfast and snappy service. Joedy’s seasonal menu makes great use of Southeast Queensland produce, especially across dishes like the XO Scramble (master stock pork belly, kai lan, crisp shallot and an Asian herb salad on sourdough), miso mushrooms with beetroot relish, onion jam, salsa verde, porcini-dusted egg and parmesan, and the Nourish Bowl, which is loaded with miso pumpkin, quinoa, edamame hummus, avocado, crispy kale and beetroot relish.
Goodfolk Cafe, Bardon: This community focused cafe is all about good times, great coffee and gorgeous food – and it shows! Bardon’s rustic charmer is a popular weekend destination thanks to its menu of simple classics (like the gooey cheese and ham toastie with double cheese, bechamel, carrot pickles and leg ham), nourishing nosh (including the Açaí Goodness Smoothie Bowl loaded with maple-baked clusters, almond butter, roast cashews and seasonal fruit) and hearty standouts (such as the creamy folded GoodFolked Eggs topped with slow-baked tomato, speck ham, green salsa and grated pecorino).
Honourable mentions: We could include more than 30 cafes on this list and still not have scratched the surface of Brisbane’s breakfast scene. A round-up like this absolutely requires some honourable mentions, so we’d also like to give love to Annerley icons Billykart Kitchen and Cafe O-Mai, Scout in Petrie Terrace, Sister Cafe in Hawthorne, Miss Jones, Pablo and Dicki’s in New Farm, Peach Cafe in Auchenflower, Smoked Paprika in Bardon, My Mistress and Let Minnow Cafe in Clayfield, Felix For Goodness in The City, Naïm and Chapter IV in Paddington, Huskk Cafe in Grange, Wilston’s Willow & Spoon, The Gift Shop in Mount Gravatt, Gramps Cafe in Red Hill, Lady Marmalade in Stones Corner, Plenty, Lokal + Co and West End Coffee House in West End, Hellenika and King Arthur in Fortitude Valley, Industry Beans in Newstead, Wild Canary in Brookfield, The Corner Store Cafe in Toowong, Pawpaw in Woolloongabba, Dovetail Social and Lucky Duck Cafe in Highgate Hill, The Jam Pantry in Greenslopes, and Dandelion & Driftwood in Hendra.
Keen for just a light bite or are down for a grab-and-go brekkie? Be sure to check out our round-up of Brisbane’s best bakeries!
