Once the reserve of those with a hangover or reason to celebrate, this leisurely mid-morning spread has become a national staple.

Market research from consumer trends analysts the NPD Group shows that brunch is currently the most popular daypart for restaurants. Its vagueness of time, fuss-free factor and the option of adding a mimosa are all part of the appeal.

Those looking to venture off the tried and true smashed avo path are well catered for, as restaurants and cafes in the east raise the creative stakes.

Nour, Surry Hills
Brunch is big in the Middle East according to Ibby Moubadder. The Beirut-born restaurateur, who was a runner-up in Channel 7’s My Kitchen Rules this year, recently rebooted his popular Surry Hills restaurant, Nour, with a new Sunday brunch menu and Ben Williamson of Brisbane’s touted Gerard’s Bistro and The Bridge Room’s Mike Dierlinger at its helm.

East meets west in dishes like Nour’s falafel crumpet: the puffed, buttery cushions are made with ground chickpeas and falafel spices and ferry a punchy smear of tahini, parsley and an egg.

The wood-fire oven gets a workout in snacks like the manoushe (za’atar breakfast pizzas) with a spiced, almost buttery house-made sujuc sausage.

There’s the rich awarma (lamb confit) and eggs, best mopped up with their charry wood-fired bread. It’s based on the foods Moubadder grew up eating.

Sweet tooths can’t look past Nour’s knafeh: the stringy dessert pastry is made with haloumi and lands with a scoop of cardamom ice-cream for a salty-sweet double-punch.

Moubadder recommends pairing the plates with a pot of boozy tea, like the apple juice, mint, Earl Grey and bourbon-infused Baharat.

“Sometimes, you just want something new and exciting,” he says, “rather than walking down to the local cafe and grabbing the avo toast you had last week, and the week before that.”

Barbetta, Paddington
If Carbonara for breakfast sounds like a good idea, make for the terrazzo-floored Barbetta by the brothers who brought you Cipri. Their Carbonara Australiana sees scrambled eggs, pecorino and pepper get piled onto sourdough for a brunch-time take on the Roman pasta favourite.

If you’re keen for the real deal, linger a while until the clock strikes lunch. Leave room for sweets — a dedicated pastry chef churns out Italian bombes (sugared doughnuts) and cannoli, prime for espresso dunking.

Shuk, Elizabeth Bay
Middle Eastern brunches are no revelation but a few are offering more exciting, regional takes, and Shuk Lizzy Bay is one of those.

Their teff pancakes (teff is an ancient African grain) are a must-try, zhooshed up with maple syrup, ricotta and a sweet dukkah. There’s also shakshuka and an Israeli smorgasbord.

Little Jean, Double Bay
Forget ho-hum eggs Benny: this Double Bay favourite is spicing up brunch. Take their umami-loaded brown rice, almond and miso porridge laced with roasted pear, maple and granola, for instance.

Or their brekky sambo of Vietnamese pork, fried egg and sriracha slaw.

Their Peruvian black beans and rice with avo, plantain, egg and aji Amarillo (yellow chilli pepper) will keep you going all day, just like their brekky eye fillet with soft eggs and chimichurri.

Lankan Filling Station, East Sydney
This buzzy eatery’s black crab curry jaffle is a hot contender for the best toastie in town so if it’s on the menu, grab it. For a sweeter starter, go their famous hoppers: those lacy, Sri Lankan-style rice flour crepes — loaded with caramelised jaggery (cane sugary) and whipped coconut cream. Cruisy afternoon planned? Cap it all off with an arrack-spiked lassi.

Yellow, Potts Point
At Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt’s award-winning plant-based diner, vegies steal the brunch-time show. Poached eggs with kohlrabi and an intense vegie broth, or a goat’s milk ricotta with perilla leaves and dates infused with Earl Grey steal the show. If you’re going to splash out on a pre-noon bloody Mary, this is the place to do it. Brunch on weekends only.