Brisbane’s Top 15 cafes for breakfast and lunch

From cosy suburban haunts to up-market inner-city hot spots, here are Brisbane’s best cafes as chosen by our resident food critic

From the north to the south, east to west, we’ve scoured Brisbane in search of the best cafes.

After sipping countless cups of coffee, dining on dozens of eggs and more potato hash cakes than can be good for the heart, we’ve discoverd the city’s most vibrant and exciting eateries.

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From cosy suburban haunts where altruistic service is the key to their success, to slick inner-city hot spots loved by hipsters, here are Brisbane’s Top 15 cafes:

Farm House in Kedron. Picture: Tara Croser.

1. FARM HOUSE KEDRON

9 Somerset Rd, Kedron, 3861 1956

Open Mon-Fri 6.30am-3.30pm, Sat-Sun 6.30am-2.30pm

farmhousekedron.com.au

Channelling its namesake, this hugely popular cafe has earned a reputation for serving hearty and wholesome, country-inspired fare with a modern twist.

Using the best of local produce, the dishes run from light and bright coconut panna cotta to the comforting and nourishing breakfast gnocchi that rivals what’s on offer at many Italian restaurants.

Coffee is consistently well made but it’s the old-fashioned milkshakes and monstrously large smoothies that really bring a smile to diners’ faces.

Combined with benevolent, top-notch service that goes above and beyond and its distinctive fit-out, which replicates a charming, authentic timber and iron-clad farm house, this is an eatery that not only stands out from the pack but leads it.

The Jam Pantry, Greenslopes. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

2. THE JAM PANTRY

2/575 Logan Rd, Greenslopes

3158 9570

Open daily 7am-2.30pm

thejampantry.com.au

The Jam Pantry is all about eating locally, sustainably and seasonally, while proving this can be damn tasty too.

Guided by what produce is at its best at the time, the menus change constantly to accommodate it, with dishes anchored in the classics, but pimped up for the modern day. Think everything from sensational cheese and bacon waffles with hollandaise to brioche French toast crowned with orange marmalade, custard and berries.

Staff are as bright as the light-filled cosy cottage the cafe sits in, offering friendly chitchat while ensuring food hits the table with metronomic timing.

Coffee Supreme brews are well made and generously proportioned, or try the choc fudge milkshake which delivers a taste of childhood bliss.

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Fruit sashimi at Industry Beans, Newstead. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

3. INDUSTRY BEANS

18 Proe St, Newstead, 3180 1190

Open seven days 7am-3pm

industrybeans.com

Owned by Melbourne specialty coffee house Industry Beans, this namesake Brisbane roastery-cum-cafe is for the caffeine connoisseur. It’s also for normal people, with the expansive, multi-level, industrial-chic space attracting everyone from business folk to Newstead hipsters.

Brews are, of course, the star and there’s an entire pamphlet on the different varieties available in filter or espresso, plus their delicious signature bubble cups comprising coffee-soaked tapioca, condensed milk and cold brew. As fussy as the coffee is the food, with an almost fine dining approach taken to the dishes and their plating. Expect everything from a pandan bubble waffle with gels and foams to a stunning dish of pork served three ways.

With personable and knowledgeable staff, this is not breakfast, it’s an experience.

Peanut butter waffles at Morning After in West End. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

4. MORNING AFTER

Cnr Vulture and Cambridge streets, West End

3844 0500

Daily 7am-3.30pm

morningafter.com.au

On a weekend, expect this slick, Scandi-designed eatery to be aflutter with diners enthusiastically tucking into elegantly plated fare, as long queues stretch down the footpath.

Morning After is a progressive cafe that has made its name setting trends and being unafraid to push boundaries in the all-day dining scene. The menu is a multicultural affair running from European-inspired

signature carbonara to Thai-influenced pad kra pao or blue swimmer crab omelette. The well-made 5 Senses coffee has customers jumping out of bed, while a tight but quality wine and cocktail list can turn breakfast into a fun, boozy brunch.

Family owned and operated by passionate and knowledgeable staff, this cafe is worth the line-up.

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Halo Ground in Fortitude Valley Picture: John Gass

5. HALO GROUND

100 Brookes St, Fortitude Valley

Open Mon-Fri 7am-noon, Sat-Sun 8am-2pm

haloground.com.au

Butterflied prawns lie on a twirl of creamy fettuccine scattered with pearls of salmon caviar – this is breakfast at sleek and sharp inner-city cafe Halo Ground.

Inspired by dinner favourites from across the globe and driven by flavour, the contemporary all-day offering is one for the keen foodie, as well as those who appreciate bending from convention.

Diners can choose from, say, wild mushroom gnocchi or the silky riches of just-cooked eggs over rice in a Japanese curry sauce crowned with seared beef.

Service is as slick as the cookery, and although diners have to order at the counter before taking a seat in the industrially glam indoor-outdoor eatery, the staff is well-trained, welcoming and attuned to the finer details of creating a great hospitality experience.

Florence Cafe in Camp Hill. Picture: David Clark

6. FLORENCE

54 Martha St, Camp Hill

3901 6983

Open Mon-Fri 6am-2pm, Sat-Sun 7am-2pm

florence-cafe.com

A favourite of Brisbane’s top chefs and foodies, Florence is for the bold, brave and culinary curious.

Standard breakfast fare is given the flick in favour of intelligent and technically savvy dishes that take inspiration from the far corners of the globe. Think the brilliant Ethiopian kitfo lining up raw beef, silken cottage cheese and braised greens on a soured teff pancake; or the Sri Lankan-influenced parippu dal curry on toast.

Parallel Roasters coffee is well made, while the likes of kefir, kombucha and turmeric lattes are all made in house.

Diners can even buy many of the eatery’s beverages and condiments from a retail space at the back of the Scandi-leaning, contemporary cafe, with upbeat, helpful staff taking care of purchases.

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O-Cha Chinese dumplings at West End Coffee House. Picture: Annette Dew

7. WEST END COFFEE HOUSE

80 Vulture St, West End

0410 421 063

Open Mon-Fri 6.30am–2.30pm, Sat 7am–2.30pm, Sun 7am–2pm

Quintessentially West End with its mismatched furniture and back-to-basics style, West End Coffee House is a tiny cafe delivering big things.

Customers order at the counter from friendly and gracious staff who go the extra mile, keeping customers caffeinated with exceptionally well-made Campos brews.

On a hot summers’ day an iced latte is a star, or choose from Thai iced teas, milkshakes or even a beer after 10am.

But it’s the pan-Asian menu moving from Laos sausage to fried rice that ensures the hordes keep coming. The O-Cha Chinese leek dumplings are an all-time favourite, while the roti tacos are rave-worthy, with the sensational rendition of the crispy, flaky bread enveloping carrot, cabbage, herbs and your choice of protein.

Willow and Spoon in Wilston. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

8. WILLOW & SPOON

190 Newmarket Rd, Wilston, 3352 7927

Tue-Sun, 7am-2pm

willowandspoon.com.au

Whether sitting in the pretty Queenslander-style storefront upstairs, or the covered deck area out the back, this suburban cafe is comforting and inviting with homely charm.

Reinforcing the hospitable vibe are the friendly and highly professional staff, who run diners through the globally inspired all-day menu that’s heavy in technique and big on flavour.

Take, for example, brioche French toast inspired by the Argentinian biscuit alfajores with a shortbread crumble, almond chocolate soil, coconut gelato and dulce de leche caramel, or perhaps cured pork belly with truffled scrambled eggs.

Coffee using Supreme Roasters beans arrives smooth, while old-fashioned thickshakes are a signature. There’s a small selection of wine and beer available.

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9. LADY MARMALADE

269 Logan Rd, Stones Corner, 3324 2480

Open daily 7am-2pm

ladymcafe.com

Raisin pain au lait French toast at Lady Marmalade Cafe, Stones Corner. Picture: Ric Frearson

Owners Sonja and Howard Searle are passionate about the culinary arts which means breakfast at their Stones Corner cafe is a gourmet delight.

While classics like eggs benedict and savoury mince on toast make the menu for traditionalists, it’s the off-piste dishes that ensure this character-filled, warm and cosy old girl is a favourite. Think sweet potato, zucchini and feta borek pastry with sumac labne, carrot hummus and a fried egg; or the falling-off-the-bone confit duck on a chilli corn bread waffle that’s fluffier than a freshly groomed pomeranian.

Coffee comes rich and creamy, or let the warm and smiling staff talk you into a nostalgic caramel milkshake from the broad drinks list, running from freshly squeezed juice to basic wines and beers.

Petrichor & Co, Hamilton. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

10. PETRICHOR & CO

1/33 Racecourse Rd, Hamilton, 3194 9185

Open daily 6.30am-2.30pm

petrichorandco.com

Petrichor, taken from Ancient Greek, refers to that distinct earthy scent of rain falling on dry ground. But at Hamilton’s Petrichor & Co, it’s the heady smells of onion, garlic, cumin and coriander synthesising in hearty, spice-driven Colombian cookery that lures diners in.

That and the warm and cheery staff.

Though a simple space of Besser block walls and concrete ceilings, odd trinkets bring a sense of personality. Take a seat along one of the colourful banquettes or on the sun-drenched footpath, and peruse the all-day breakfast offering that combines South American favourites, such as empanadas and sensational arepas served alongside pulled pork and guacamole, with on-trend dishes like the irresistible spiced pumpkin pancakes. Coffee is from Dramanti, and wine and beer are on offer.

Mica Brasserie, Newstead. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

11. MICA BRASSERIE

The Promenade, 194 Breakfast Creek Rd, Newstead

3559 2670

Open Wed-Sun 7am-2pm

micabrisbane.com.au

Waiters in button-up shirts and vests, linen napkins on the tables and service akin to a fine-dining restaurant greet guests at this flash cafe-cum-patisserie perched on the edge of

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Breakfast Creek at the base of the Mercedes-Benz Brisbane showroom.

From the team behind French institution Montrachet in Brisbane’s Bowen Hills, the eatery follows the same ethos of quality and precision, with delicate and refined fare, say, Ora King salmon with a runny poached egg and whipped fromage blanc; or try the well-priced, multi-course tasting menu for just $55.

Coffee is well made and complements the patisserie’s pastries, breads, pies and cakes, but at lunchtime, rosé from the concise but quality wine list seems like a more fitting choice.

Pork meatballs at Cafe O-Mai at Annerley. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

12. CAFE O-MAI

15 Cracknell Rd, Annerley

3255 9778

Open Tue-Fri 6.30am-3pm, Sat-Sun 7am-2pm

cafeomai.com.au

Cafe O-Mai is a lively, buzzy, Vietnamese foodie den, where mismatched tables and chairs keep things eclectic and casual, while efficiency focused staff ensure orders are taken and delivered swiftly.

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Alongside its raved over, value-for money pho, sit signature classics such as claypots, banh xeo and a terrific pork meatball dish; more Western options like brioche French toast and corn and zucchini fritters, plus their famous banh mi (the crackling pork version is a must) using baguettes they bake in-house daily.

A Vietnamese iced coffee from Toby’s Estate beans is the perfect pairing, or choose from the likes of juices cold pressed on-site, milkshakes, and homemade iced tea, plus cocktails, wine and beer after 10am.

Corner Store Cafe, Toowong. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

13. CORNER STORE CAFE

113 Sylvan Rd, Toowong

3870 2223

Open daily 7am-2.30pm

cornerstorecafe.com

Its courage to stray from convention is what diners queue for at this breezy suburban cafe.

Take a seat inside in the cute former corner store with its buzzing open kitchen, or in the peaceful outdoor space and let the well-drilled, helpful staff take care of the rest. Start with coffee, the beans from Marvell Street made into silky milk brews or low-acid filter versions, or try one of their fantastic shakes (salted caramel and peanut butter please). Just be sure to come hungry as the servings are huge.

Alongside classics like eggs your way and muesli are out-of-the-ordinary dishes, such as the Greek scrambled eggs known as strapatsada or perhaps the Moroccan eggplant and tomato stew zaalouk. All are executed with restaurant precision.

New Farm Deli. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

14. NEW FARM DELI

900 Brunswick St, New Farm

3358 2634

Open daily 6am-5pm

newfarmdeli.com.au

After 45 years in operation, enduring fire and a pandemic, this Brisbane dining institution continues to win fans.

Owners, the Anello family, welcome diners into the shiny, up-market European eatery and deli with flashy brass and timber detailing like they’re part of the family – and many almost are having been regulars for decades.

The menu runs from pasta to soups and sandwiches, with customers ordering at the counter filled with cheeses, olive, sweets and meats. The wagyu panini starring peppy horseradish cream and mayo is a must, as is the signature crab lasagne in a salty, tomato, bisque-like sauce paired with a glass of wine from their succinct list.

Just be sure to fill a basket with gourmet groceries before heading home.

Nasi goreng at Picnic Cafe, Camp Hill.

15. PICNIC CAFE

12 Martha St, Camp Hill

3398 6600

Open daily 7am-2pm

picniccafebrisbane.com

A multicultural, flavour-packed affair awaits guests at this homely, cottage-style cafe in Brisbane’s south.

Travel to Italy with the likes of tomato bruschetta, or head to Indonesia with the generously portioned quinoa nasi goreng, sweet with kecap manis and bulging with prawns, pork belly and egg.

There are classics, too, such as mushrooms on toast and pancakes more pimped up than a hip hop star.

Service is swift, focusing on efficiency over refinement, while the Paradox coffee is for those who like it bitter – perhaps to go with the wide range of sweet treats in the cabinet. A family-friendly hot spot, kids will love the babycinos blinged up with sprinkles or one of the house-made smoothies like the tropical Bali breeze.