The Most Healthyish Breakfast City in the World Is Sydney, Australia
Something happened to Sydney a few years ago. And that something was breakfast. Technically speaking, we’ve been nailing the concept for years—that smashed avocado on toast you’re ordering, America? Yeah, we started that. (One day you may even get into Vegemite, too.) But then a line was drawn in the Bondi sand. We went Paleo. And gluten-free. Superfood smoothies were no longer just for Pilates people. As a city we started caring more about our food. And our cafés responded with morning menus reflective of a lifestyle that, to the casual observer, hinged on the opportunity to wear athleisure all day. The results are lighter, savory breakfast dishes that are packed with fruit, grains, and protein. Sometimes smoked, sometimes fermented, always inventive—and likely coming soon to a city near you. Until then, here are the spots making Sydney the best place to start any day.
Photo by Alana Dimou1/6Fratelli Paradiso
Welcome to the all-day Sydney institution that has cured more than a decade of weekend hangovers. Maybe it’s the baked-overnight bread slathered with fresh ricotta and fig, or any of the eggy choices. Breakfast here is as much about the egg white omelet as it is the people watching: Olympic swimmers gone to seed sit near artists and local, sorta-famous actors.
Alana Dimou2/6Meet Gerard
Smack in the middle of Alexandria—land of the converted warehouse and semiprofessional architect— you’ll find this pocket-size gem. They’re slinging exceptional coffee at the front counter, but the clear blond dining room really lets chef Sarah McWilliam’s menu do the talking. She excels at anything smashable, like the 2.0 avocado toast—jazzed up with pickled chili, lime, coriander, and yuzu sesame seeds—or the crisp bacon and egg that’s set on a miche roll with aioli and blackened tomato relish.
Alana Dimou3/6Bills
The ultimate in breakfasting culture meets the ultimate in Sydney beach culture at this Bondi outpost—the third Bills to open. The staples are here, and they’re still delicious, whether fluffy ricotta hotcakes smothered in honeycomb butter or corn fritters that’ve been copied by all and sundry. But there’s a distinctly new style to this location: food that’s raw, pickled, spicy, and veg-heavy. The crisp fried rice with kimchi is ideal after a morning spent wrestling waves.
Alana Dimou4/6Ruby's Diner
This sun-soaked patch of the bronzed eastern beaches was an empty shop until barista Ed Devlin and chef-food stylist Emma Knowles got their hands on it. They’re all about bulletproof coffee (made with grass-fed butter) and chia seed muffins, but the real trick is to roll a few friends deep. Groups share breakfast salad—there’s something hilarious about its “massaged kale”—or the poached eggs with buckwheat risotto, then end with a giant gingerbread shake.
Alana Dimou5/6Paramount Coffee Project
Once the Paramount Studio complex, it now offers everything your upwardly mobile fixed-gear-bicycle enthusiast could possibly want. Cold-brew coffee? Check. Instagram-friendly light and airy interiors? Check. House-made almond milk? Checkmate. As is the current city trend, it’s all about the high-low mix. So yes, folks order the carb-y things, but they get turmeric lattes, too.
Alana Dimou6/6Kepos Street Kitchen
Sydney: the city that’s always hungry for new food to line up for. Chef Michael Rantissi answered in kind with this Middle Eastern–inspired café. Inside an old terrace house, you’ll find a roster of shakshuka, lamb roll-ups, and perfect falafel, but the true star is the date-friendly dish of wood-fired smoked salmon with olives, soft-boiled eggs and za’atar. The queue outside—composed of hip young families that live nearby in Redfern—starts early and ends late. Enter past 9 a.m. at your own risk.
