The best breakfasts in Adelaide

Order the: Triple scramble on sourdough with cranberry and onion relish.

This charming West End café is always buzzing, and no, it’s not because of the electrical substation next door. Overflowing with greenery and those ready to seize the day, Peter Rabbit is a crowd-pleaser from brunch to lunch. Their all-day food menu has something to tick everyone’s boxes. Try their creamy triple scrambled eggs on local fresh sourdough from Prove's with sumac salt and cranberry and onion relish. Ask for it with chilli for an extra morning kick, and a side of bacon if you're extra hungry.

Where: 234-244 Hindley St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Mon-Fri from 7.30am; Sat-Sun from 8am

Price: Expect to pay more than $20 for breakfast.

Perks: Their cocktail menu riffs on café classics and is the perfect excuse to have a boozy brunch.

Order the: Corn fritters with bacon and avocado salsa.

We reckon UR Caffe slings the best corn fritters in Adelaide, but you might just have to come see for yourself. These golden crisp stacks of goodness, like the rest of the UR Caffe menu, are classic Aussie brunch fare at its finest. Coming on the scene when 'brunch' was the hottest new thing in 2011, they’ve had time to nail their generous, homely menu – with other favourites like their 'g'day waffles', pork katsu sando and smoked salmon omelette. No matter what you order, you won’t regret adding their spicy coconut sauce.

Where: 117 Melbourne St, North Adelaide

Opening hours: Mon-Fri from 7.30am; Sat-Sun from 8am

Price: Expect to pay more than $20 for breakfast.

Perks: It’s walk-in only – perfect if, like us, you're bad at planning ahead.

Order this: Don't limit yourself to just one thing.

After a long night on the Barossa reds, you may feel 150 years old. But make the effort. This Adelaide institution has been around just as long and blasts away morning-after malaise better than a Berocca and a lie-in. Shouty vendors will sell you a glowing tangerine or a fancy banana from more than 80 stalls with the freshest fruit and veggies. Nibble unctuous Brie, sweet balsamic figs or a stick of spicy cabana while you stock up on fresh kataifi from the Providore. Embrace the Laminex aesthetic at Asian Gourmet for the alpha and omega of laksa and watch the world forage. Grab a seat at Lucia’s, Zuma Caffe or Big Table for exceptional coffee and a gourmet fry-up. Walk and wonder with Sunmi’s spring onion pancakes, Dough's almond croissants, or half a dozen fresh local oysters from Angelakis Bros. Open every Tuesday through to Saturday, Adelaide Central Market is an early bird feast for every sense. 

Where: 44/60 Gouger St, Adelaide

Opening hours: Tue, Fri & Sat from 7am; Wed & Thur from 9am

Price: Pastries from $5

Perks: It’s undercover, free and Chinatown’s right next door.

Order this: Shakshuka with chorizo, cannellini beans, poached eggs and sourdough. 

A go-to for devoted, easy-going breakfasters, Mister Sunshine’s offers bubbles, ginger beers, Oreo milkshakes and immunity smoothies, along with bacon and eggs and their famous halloumi and tomato sandwich. The eclectic, vintage quirk that defines its playlist also inspires the décor inside. The owners support a variety of good causes, such as RSPCA Adelaide and Sea Shepherd. Expect great tunes, decent coffee and good vibes every day of the week.

Where: 32 George St, Thebarton

Opening hours: Daily 7am-2.30pm

Price: Expect to pay $25 for breakfast.

Perks: An outdoor happy space to dine with kids and pups.

Order this: House-made granola with passionfruit labneh and mixed berry compote.

A train runs every 30 minutes up the hill to Belair National Park. On arrival, eager ramblers fuel up first at the Sheoak. Sit for smashed avos topped with tomato and onion salsa, paired with fresh-squeezed juices. Then go walkies with a breakfast Turkish roll stuffed with eggs, bacon, cheese and aioli. On the return trip, pop in for an excellent coffee or restorative smoothie of the day. The hills, and you, are alive!

Where: 38 Sheoak Rd, Belair

Opening hours: Daily from 8am

Price: Expect to pay more than $20 for breakfast.

Perks: A five-minute walk to the historic Belair train station and park trails.

Order this: Chilli-spiced eggs with thick-cut brioche.

Don’t let appearances fool you. In the little hub they optimistically call ‘Highgate Village’, nestled among dentists and physios, is Mad.Good Café. Impeccable sources insist that their talented baristas craft, hands down, the most “spectacular” coffee in the land – at least in the city. Go for the righteous buddha bowl, and stay for the eggs Benny or the ridiculously good pancake stacks.

Where: 3/435 Fullarton Rd, Highgate

Opening hours: Daily from 8am

Price: Expect to pay more than $20 for breakfast.

Perks: No need to dress up first thing.

Order this: Seasonal salad bowl.

This renovated Victorian corner house provides Adelaide’s planet-loving morning people with local, ethically grown fare magicked into modern breakfast staples that satisfy every corner of your soul. Owner Lee Boys has created a bustling, dog-friendly community with a conscience for vegans, vegos, and ’vores of every stripe without a hint of earnest Birkenstock'd finger-wagging. For a health kick, order one of their seasonal salad bowls, including a burrito bowl with rice, chipotle chicken or mushrooms, black beans, corn salsa, smashed avo and corn chips. Big ticks for the virtuoso baristas and the option to add a nip of protein or maca powder to your smoothie. 

Where: 37 Broadway, Glenelg South 

Opening hours: Mon-Fri from 7.30am; Sat-Sun from 8am

Price: Expect to pay more than $25 for breakfast.

Perks: Sunny garden dining, followed by a virtuous beach walk.

Order this: Broken rice combination with roast pork and egg.

The western suburbs are famous for pho, but it’s the outstanding broth in this busy, family-run restaurant that makes every bowl a deeply flavourful start for late risers. Try the Phnom Penh soup with its little quail egg treasure tucked in among juicy prawns. Also freshest, pillowy bao, stuffed with crackly pork or tofu, crisp herbs and homemade pickles. Pair them with an avo smoothie or a nice pot of hot tea, and you’ll feel right at home wherever you’re from.

Where: 54 Hanson Rd, Woodville Gardens

Opening hours: Thur-Tue from 10am

Price: Expect to pay $20 for breakfast.

Perks: Trackie dacks and flip-flops welcome.

Order this: Buttermilk pancakes with blueberry compôte, double cream and maple syrup.

This is a swishy new hotel, with imported statement lights and subdued music. Breakfast is what you might expect – signature eggs benny, shakshuka, continental and full. So far, so so. What gives it the edge over other high-end hotel breakfast nooks is the sweeping, gobsmacking view of the Oval. You’re inside floor-to-ceiling plate glass, curled around the eastern stand, with a small, open-air lounge area among the corporate elite seats. If you can afford to stay on match days, it must be fabulous. But even when the Crows aren’t at home, it’s worth a gander. 

Where: Oval Hotel, King William Rd, North Adelaide

Opening hours: Mon-Fri from 6.30am; Sat-Sun from 7am

Price: Expect to pay more than $25 for breakfast.

Perks: Awe-inspiring VIP views inside the legendary Adelaide Oval.

Order this: Toasted mushroom melt.

Struggling to find your spreadsheets/lanyard/purpose in life? Fifty hectares of lush green magic and a slab of homemade banana bread might help. A decent coffee taken under an ancient oak or next to a glass Victorian palm house can work wonders when it comes to existential confusion, don't ya know? The newly-renovated Evergreen Deli sits at the heart of the perfectly formed, 150-year-old Gardens, right next to a super-birdy lake and dahlia garden. And it’s all just a ten-minute walk from Rundle Mall. Forego the morning shower and forest bathe away the blues every day of the week.

Where: Schomburgk Pavilion, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide

Opening hours: Daily from 8.30am

Price: Expect to pay around $15 for breakfast.

Perks: Entrance to the Gardens is free.