Brisbane’s best brunches on the northside revealed

Are you searching for the perfect brunch spot in Brisbane’s north? We have pulled together our top picks for the northside for you to test out!

Are you searching for the perfect brunch spot in Brisbane’s north? We have pulled together our top picks from our ultimate guide of Queensland’s Top 50 Brunches.

BRISBANE’S BEST BRUNCHES ON THE SOUTHSIDE

QLD’S BEST PET-FRIENDLY BRUNCH SPOTS REVEALED

TOP 10 BEST BRUNCH SPOTS IN QUEENSLAND

FARMHOUSE

9 Somerset Rd, Kedron

3861 1956

Instagram @farmhousekedron

Smiling staff, happy customers, contented pets — the good vibes abound at this bright little pocket of country character in Kedron. If pretty is your thing, the vegan pink coconut yoghurt pannacotta will please. More robust but equally colourful is the baby tomato bruschetta, a riot of scarlet cherry tomatoes on black sourdough with vivid green tahini. The Farmhouse green bowl is a satisfying savoury vegan choice and hearty appetites will appreciate the breakfast gnocchi and crispy cheese potato cake. Flavours, like the colours, are intense and on point. At the counter, generously proportioned cakes include carrot and red velvet options, elegant cake pops and rich, fudgy brownies. Coffee is good and smooth, while elaborate smoothies, frappes, shakes and juice are a specialty.

Farmhouse brunch.

FREJA’S

3/1 Macgregor St, Wilston

0458 159 945

Instagram @frejascafe

After landing with a bang (Freja’s lifted the Best New Cafe gong in last year’s 50 Best Brunches) this gem of a cafe has gone from strength to strength. From the welcoming smile on the face of Freja Rasmussen (who owns the joint with partner ex-Stokehouse chef Nathan Dunnell), to the cute Scandi-style fit-out, innovative menu and delectable baked goods, it is everything one could want from a brunch spot, and then some. “Forest Floor” is a visual feast of field mushrooms, rosti, eggs and young leeks, while the brisket croissant with Cape Grim beef, macaroni, fried egg and chilli chutney is the hungry bruncher’s friend. Freja’s sweet game is strong with the zesty crumpet a star — a thick house-made crumpet with tart lemon curd, caramelised macadamias and crisp meringue shards. Lattes come in matcha, chai,

and cacao beetroot varieties, with alternative milks from Milklab.

SOURCED GROCER

11 Florence St, Newstead

3852 6734

Instagram @sourcedgrocer

Sourced Grocer is both a providore of gourmet goods and a busy cafe serving up cheffy fare that heroes seasonal produce from local farmers. First-time visitors must try the freshly made rye crumpets, which make you never again want to eat one from a packet, served with a side of whipped butter and honeycomb. They pair well with a strong, smooth espresso pour coffee from Byron Bay’s Marvell St Coffee. The cabbage pancake is another winner, with charred broccoli, goat’s cheese, and a runny-centred poached egg. Caffeine-free drinks include tea and house-made sodas, or choose from two smoothies; green or banana and deluxe chocolate. Let friendly staff wait on you from the sunny front deck or eat in-store to watch the chefs work their magic from a tiny narrow kitchen.

Housemade rye crumpets from Sourced Grocer

PUTIA PURE FOOD KITCHEN

4/17 Royal Pde, Banyo

3267 6654

Instagram @putiapurefoodkitchen

Putia epitomises the strength of Brisbane’s suburban cafe game. Chef Dominique Rizzo leverages her high profile to draw visitors to northside Banyo, where chic surrounds, skilled and welcoming wait staff and excellent food combine to deliver a brunch experience you’ll be eager to repeat. A light and fluffy vegan crumpet is piled with bright vegies and smoked cashew cheese; chocolate-studded baked doughnuts come loaded with vanilla gelato and chocolate espresso sauce; or try the three-egg Italian omelette with pancetta, charred cauliflower, cherry tomatoes and truffle-infused parmesan. Prices are above average but so is the execution, while the plant-based focus makes for healthy, colourful dishes. Drinks include Hrvst St juices, kombucha, blended frappes and coffee from Wolff in nearby Hendra.

WILLOW & SPOON

190 Newmarket Rd, Wilston

3352 7927

Instagram @willowandspoon

In a pretty Queenslander-style storefront, Willow & Spoon boasts a menu that pushes the boundaries while front of house keep it friendly and laid-back. It’s a winning combination for long-time owner Keith Nunn. So, yes, you can order granola or bacon and eggs, but Willow’s menu urges diners to think outside the breakfast box — try The Willow, a wedge of cured pork belly with truffled scrambled eggs, barley toast and buttered leek; or indulge in the brioche French toast with peanut and chocolate Nutella butter with banana gelati and raspberry coulis. Coffee (Supreme Roasters) is made with care, while old-fashioned thickshakes are a speciality. A small selection of beers, ciders and wines is available and would sit well with the more substantial menu items.

Cured pork from Willow & Spoon.

SCOUT CAFE

190 Petrie Tce, Brisbane

3367 2171

Instagram @scoutcafebrisbane

Housed in an old art-deco brick shopfront, Scout Cafe has an adventurous all-day brunch menu, but what keeps customers coming back is the New York-style bagels. Those and the strong brews from Supreme Coffee in either a cold or hot filter or espresso pour. The mainstay is the brekkie bagel: wedged in a white toasted bun is a fried egg, kaiser bacon, cheddar, rocket, house-made relish, fresh tomato and aoli. It’s terrific. Healthy types would love the huge brekkie burrito with its satisfyingly chewy spiced roast cauliflower, freekeh, fried eggs, almonds, pops of sweet currants, rockets and olive tapenade wrapped in a wheat tortilla. There’s a bambino’s menu plus fresh juices, and shakes in salted caramel, chocolate or strawberry. It’s worth a visit, scout’s honour.

ANOUK

212 Given Tce, Paddington

3367 8663

Instagram @anoukcafe

Dinner for breakfast is becoming quite the cafe trend and Anouk owner Justine Whelan is among those doing it best. She plates up an all-day seasonal menu that rethinks what the first meal of the day can be. Think slow-cooked boozy beef cheeks on pearl couscous or za’atar-spiced lamb with warm pita, fried egg and lemon herb pesto. For a wintry brekkie dessert try the brioche French toast with roast pear and cinnamon mascarpone or start the day in decadence with the fudgy tiramisu. Waiters who know and care about the food they’re serving provide help navigating the menu. The extensive drinks list includes Chamellia organic leaf tea, Merlo coffee, homemade soft drinks, fruit sodas, fresh juices, smoothies and milkshakes. With its large windows, simple decor and plenty of greenery, it’s hard to beat the charm of this Paddington mainstay.

Anouk in Paddington. (AAP Image/Claudia Baxter)

HALO GROUND COFFEE & FOOD

100 Brookes St, Fortitude Valley

0402 777 545

Instagram @halo.ground

Invention — and a bit of cheek — are the stars of the show at this light-filled modern, minimalist indoor-outdoor cafe. Breakfast fare could double as lunch or dinner, with creative offerings ranging from a falafel plate with charry eggplant and hummus to the naughtily named, but equally delicious Cock Waffle with salty fried chicken topping a sweet potato waffle with wombok slaw, kimchi and poached eggs. Vegetarians, pescetarians, coeliacs and those who are dairy-free are also well catered for by the diverse menu from head chef Casey Poland (ex-Sake). A pastry chef is employed a few days a week to turn out stunning sweets such as florentine tortes, croissants, mini cakes and Nutella doughnuts, a welcome accompaniment to the cafe’s Cleanskin Coffee Co brews. Halo Ground is a cafe that impresses.

CHAPEL PARK

3/1180 Sandgate Rd, Nundah

0406 195 885

Instagram @chapelparkcafe

Hipster chic with its polished concrete floors, white subway tiles, Scandi furniture and touches of greenery, this modern, minimal cafe may look a little cookie-cutter, but its food is anything but. Take perhaps a classic pikelet, turned almost cake-like with specks of poppy seeds, tanned from the pan and ethereally light, served with spiced poached pear and silken vanilla bean-spiked ricotta cream. On the savoury side there’s Turkish eggs with charred tomatoes, kraut and yoghurt, or even a pimped-up avo toast with chevre, salsa verde, charred corn and hazelnut crumb. Coffee comes from Bryon Bay’s Moonshine and there are pressed juices, thickshakes, smoothies and iced elixirs delivered by a team that’s a step above standard cafe level.

Brunch from Chapel Park Cafe.

KING ST BAKERY

20 King St, Bowen Hills

3180 3980

Instagram @kingstreetbakery

This petite bakery-cum-cafe serves up a little slice of Paris just outside Brisbane’s city centre with its authentically simple, French-influenced offering. Ora King salmon — considered the wagyu of the sea — is a light, satisfying choice, cured in citrus and served with a boiled egg, toasted rye bread, pickled vegetables and creme fraiche. Or go for something more indulgent such as corn and chive pan-fried fritters with chorizo, dill fromage blanc, poached egg and roasted radicchio, or the classic French toast with plum and rhubarb compote, anglaise and honey cream. Another option is to fill up on rustic pies, traditional French pastries or beautiful bread. Coffee is so strong you could stand your spoon in it, but there’s also the likes of velvety chai latte, juice from Noah’s and iced tea.

SIX FEET UNDER

2 Masters St, Newstead

3257 4523

Instagram @sixfeetundernewstead

Don’t let its rather morbid name turn you off, this cool, contemporary cafe will only kill you with kindness. Affable staff welcome diners into the dark and moody basement space (for which the cafe is actually named), promptly taking drink orders with everything from green shakes to well-balanced Genovese coffee. There are also cheeky cocktails in play if you like your brunch boozy. But it’s the culinary line-up here that’s the star, with left-of-centre dishes on the menu. Think everything from a gluttonous take on eggs Benedict with spring onion and cheddar waffles topped with sweet and sticky char siu-flavoured pulled pork, acidy kimchi and poached eggs slathered in hot sauce-spiked hollandaise to French toast with cinnamon brioche, drizzled in miso caramel, with caramelised bananas.

The eggs Benedict at Six Feet Under in Newstead. Pics Tara Croser.

NODO

1 Ella St, Newstead

3252 3595

Instagram @nododonuts

Nodo stakes its reputation on its decadently rich, gluten-free doughnuts in flavours such as pumpkin maple and beetroot blackout. But stick around for its coeliac-friendly all-day breakfast and lunch menu and its inventive dishes won’t disappoint. There’s healthy appeal in the Harvest Bowl with its red rice, harissa hummus, charred veg, salad leaves, and a poached egg. But those looking for a calorie hit might tuck in to the organic beef brisket burger with its house-made sesame bun, smoked tender meat, pickles and a generous side of fries. Smooth, punchy brews come from Coffee Supreme, with alternative lattes, turmeric chai, matcha and organic hot chocolates. Superfood smoothies are a meal in themselves in flavours such as turmeric butter caramel and cookies and cream.

CAMPOS LONG ISLAND

18 Longland St, Newstead

3252 3612

Instagram @camposlongisland

Campos has come a long way from its humble, much-loved entree on the Brisbane cafe scene at Fortitude Valley’s Wandoo St, back in 2007. The Sydney-based coffee company now has three Brisbane locations (and a roastery), and Long Island is the largest. The breakfast menu is fuss-free. Coconut “risotto” with poached fruits and almond and cinnamon crumble is creamy and not too sweet. Chilli scramble packs a punch, with feta, avo and super-spicy induja kicking a breakfast classic up a notch. Extra hungry? Opt for steak and eggs or Long Island fry-up. Coffee would want to be excellent, and it is. With pour over, nitro and cold drip options available, it’s a coffee geeks’ paradise. Drinks include smoothies and juices, plus mimosas, a bloody mary and a Venetian spritz.