Foxy Bean

Step through the signature red door and let the scent of caffeine guide you through the foxes' den — if the weather is the usual sunshine, try the courtyard out back. With large wooden tables and astroturf, there is plenty of space to kick back with the morning's papers and a coffee to lap up the sunshine.

If the idea of sunlight mixed with an ever-growing hangover make you flinch, the dimly lit main rooms will be your sanctuary. Inside the Queenslander-inspired venue the walls are an eclectic mishmash of colourful V-joint pine boards, silver pressed tin, fake hanging vines and murals of, well, foxes, of course.

Southside breakfast favourite, Foxy Bean, has been causing a stir in Woolloongabba for the past three years and has somewhat become a 'go-to' joint for guaranteed good food, good service and good vibes. Everyone needs a reliable breakfast cafe with chefs who can poach, fry and scramble like their life depends on it, and Foxy Bean might just be it.

One dish not to walk past is the Bushman's Benny ($16.90). A generous serve of savoury mince is piled high on the day's fresh bread, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce — perfection. As a sucker for an eggs benny (who isn't?) this variation would be enough to sway even the most loyal benny devout if it were not for the maple bacon served with the original one.

On the savoury side, a tried-and-tested favourite is the Halloumi Breakfast ($16.90) — a big breakfast platter of grilled halloumi, herb-roasted tomato, avocado, sauteed thyme mushrooms and lemon on sourdough bread — you'll see a few of this dish gracing the cafe floor. Those with a sweet tooth can opt for butter brioche or homemade granola.

Come nightfall, Foxy Bean's younger, darker and sexier sister comes out to play as Foxy Drop comes to life. Under dim lights, the venue turns on the charm with calming tunes and cosy window nooks. Say goodbye to eggs benny and hello to laidback sophistication. Day or night, the fox is here to stay and we like it.