The Best Weekday Breakfast Spots in Sydney's CBD
Never turn up to work hungry again.
The Best Weekday Breakfast Spots in Sydney's CBD
Never turn up to work hungry again.
We're all familiar with the joys of popping into one of Sydney's cafes for a late morning (or, let's be real, afternoon) brunch on Sunday. But during the week, it's sometimes overlooked in favour of a few more snoozes and a couple of extra minutes in a warm bed. We're all about those zzzs, but it's no excuse for skipping the most important meal of the day — especially if you work or study in the city.
Brekkie options are boundless in the CBD, with cafes opening early during the week, ready to ply you with good food and even better coffee to start your morning. So for the sake of nutrition, productivity, and your tastebuds, we've put together a list of Sydney CBD's best breakfast spots during the week. Take a moment to sit down, read the news and digest before you get locked into the weekday grind.
Recommended reads:
The Best Coffee Shops in Sydney's CBD
The Best Cafes in Sydney
The Best Bagels in Sydney
The Best Bakeries in Sydney
-
13
The CBD outpost of the Alexandria favourite opened its antique doors in 2017 and has since maintained The Grounds’ rep as a bangin’ Sydney breakfast hotspot. The lavish 1920s-themed coffeehouse’s menu has a range of great brekkie options. Cravings from savoury to sweet are catered for with dishes like lobster benedict and smoked mackerel on a toasted crumpet, alongside classics like pancakes and bacon and egg rolls. Despite lacking a luscious garden like sister venue The Grounds of Alexandria, there are enough aesthetic touches here for many an Instagram opportunity.
-
12
Located on the ground floor of a heritage building (formerly the headquarters of Red Cross Australia), Cross Eatery has been offering up healthy eats and great coffee since 2016. The cafe’s chalkboard menu changes seasonally, but promises reliable, healthy meals for both breakfast and lunch. Grab a signature brekkie roll, take a seat at one of the communal tables and enjoy a bright, minimalist aesthetic to kickstart a productive day at work.
-
11
Having cemented its status as one of Melbourne’s most celebrated coffee roasters and cafes, Industry Beans opened its first interstate venue on York Street in 2019. Watch baristas whip up a mix of signature brews at the customised La Marzocco Modbar, where you can get a good view of the process that goes into creating drinks like cold-brew Bubble Coffee, featuring coffee-soaked tapioca pearls and condensed milk. As for food, the venue’s seasonal lineup of dishes is far from boring. Try the stacked reuben, complete with seeded coffee mustard, or treats spanning almond croissants to a pistachio white chocolate slice.
-
10
Regiment is a busy glass-walled cafe smack-bang in the middle of George Street. You won’t be able to escape the hustle and bustle here, but it’s one of the best places in the CBD to enjoy a cup of coffee. Given its location, the venue is generally filled with office workers on coffee breaks or taking meetings — but that doesn’t mean this is any old CBD cafe, and certainly doesn’t rule out a pre-work brekkie. A pair of toastie options include a double-smoked ham, provolone and pickle number, and there are other brekkie staples like bacon and egg bagels. With hot and cold matcha, turmeric lattes and cold-pressed juices, this health-focused venue has plenty to fuel you for the day.
Image: Kimberley Low.
-
9
Tucked away behind King Street, Skittle Lane Coffee is a welcome breath of fresh air for CBD dwellers. The Sydney breakfast joint’s high ceilings and large steel windows demand attention from the casual passer-by. Yet, once you push through those sleek glass doors, the store makes you feel right at home. Here, excellent coffee is certainly the main focus. But alongside the workstation is usually a small selection of pastries and light bites, perfect for when you’re on the go. With a bunch of caffeine options on the menu, including cold brew and espresso, Skittle Lane is part of the Sydney laneway cafe scene giving Melbourne a run for its money.
-
8
If you’re looking for a way to cheer up your working week in the CBD, pop into June’s Shoppe. Where so many of Sydney’s cafes take themselves pretty seriously, this bright yellow cafe is all about putting a little sunshine into your day and having a little fun. On the simple and tasty menu, you’ll find pastries, toast and open sandwiches with all kinds of toppings. Fuel up for the day with a bacon and egg roll or the brekky wrap: scrambled egg, cheese, hash brown, sausage and more. If you’re looking for a sugar hit, there are daily pastries to get your morning started.
-
7
Bar Mammoni is the final piece to join Circular Quay’s expansive multi-storey venue Hinchcliff House. Located one street over from the flagship venue, Mammoni is a 30-seat cafe and bar hidden within the Quay Quarter Lanes precinct. Offering coffees in the morning, cocktails in the afternoon and snacks throughout the day, it’s an all-day winner. With bread made fresh at sister venue, Grana, guests are welcomed with delicious morning sandwiches and toast options, alongside granola with coconut yoghurt and berries.
Image: Steven Woodburn
-
6
While the CBD is awash with morning coffee spots, Pablo & Rusty’s on Castlereagh Street is top of many city workers’ lists. With an appealing façade, matched with a chic interior and top-notch menu to boot, it deserves to be. The designer fit-out is adorned with potted plants that hang from high ceilings, and the glass wall floods the room with light. The atmosphere of this beloved Sydney breakfast spot remains soft thanks to low lighting and caramel wooden furnishings. Both takeaway and dine-in orders are done at the front counter, which also holds an array of sweet treats. The big black coffee bar takes pride of place, brewing everything from single origins and filter to its seasonal espresso blend.
-
5
When the talent behind Reuben Hills and Paramount Coffee Project expanded to the CBD, it was great news to those who work around Martin Place. As well as serving up the seasonal house blends that have given Reuben Hills its good rep, it’s also slinging an interesting menu to match. Fuel up before work with avo toast with super fluffy crumpets, doughnuts and pastries from local bakers like Tuga and L.A Donuts, or even chicken tacos. Fitted out with concrete-slab benchtops, striking black marble panelling and wooden stools, Hills Bros carries on the tradition of sleek design found in its Surry Hills siblings inside a Martin Place office building.
-
4
New York and Sydney may be almost 10,000 miles apart, but when it comes to capturing that iconic American panache so many of us know and love, Bowery Lane aims to prove distance is relative with the right ingredients. With an emphasis on locally sourced produce and taking cues from Manhattan’s restaurants and breakfast diners, the Sydney breakfast menu features chilli scrambled eggs with chorizo and pecorino, and signature French toast with fresh berry compote, granola and white-chocolate mascarpone. On the lighter side, there’s also a house-made green bowl packed with labneh, avocado, seasonal greens and a poached egg so that you can head into your day feeling fresh.
-
3
The team behind The Grounds of Alexandria has brought a slice of old-school America to the CBD. Park St. Diner is a glass-walled, American-style diner on the corner of Park Street, complete with themed uniforms, an ’80s pop soundtrack and a menu that leans hard into the classics. Their honey butter pancakes are thick, fluffy, and the size of a dinner plate. There are cheeseburgers, hash browns, and Coke floats on the menu. It’s often busy, so don’t expect a hushed workspace, but it’s a fun spot for answering emails over a long breakfast or squeezing in a casual meeting.
-
2
AP Bakery has solved the CBD lunch break with pizza you can eat with one hand. Its Martin Place outpost brings the bakery’s cult pastry program into the city, with rectangular pizza bianca, rosso and burnt cream bianca made for eating on the go. There are also closed pizza bianca sandwiches filled with house-made porchetta, chicken salad or avocado, plus the bakery’s rotating selection of pastries. It’s a handy spot for a quick work session when you need to escape the office without going too far, particularly if you’re working around Martin Place. Just don’t leave it too late. AP Bakery is open Monday to Friday, and everything is served until sold out.
-
1
Already a popular spot for business lunches and date nights, Grill Americano has another trick up its sleeve: breakfast. The Caffè at 1 Chifley Square brings the restaurant’s polished Italian style to the morning, with quick counter coffees, classic pastries and buttery LODE pastries for an easy start to the day. Grab a coffee and pastry for a quick email session, or move in for a longer morning before the business lunch crowd arrives. It’s a particularly good option when you want your work-from-cafe day to feel a little more like a European espresso bar than a CBD office. There’s even $2 espresso at the counter.
Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
Top image: Single O by Alana Dimou.
