The best breakfasts in Perth to start your day right

Order the: Homestyle Hinata set

Perched high on a hill deep in the quaint Fremantle neighbourhood lies Hinata Café, a peaceful Japanese kissaten (coffee shop) serving authentic, homestyle plates that’ll transport you to the island nation with every bite and sip. Follow the stairs up to the wooden deck where you’ll be met with traditional noren drapes (Japanese curtains), paper lanterns, checkered tablecloths and a warm-toned colour palette that blends harmoniously with the nearby treetops and rooftops of Freo. It’s a destination in itself. But let’s not forget the main affair, the Hinata set – a one-plate meal that you’d find on the breakfast tables of family homes, complete with a portion of protein, two veggie sides and tempura, green salad, miso soup, rice and a cheeky bit of dessert too. It’s the whole shebang, but the set changes monthly and rotates with the seasons, so don’t get too attached. Pair it with a black sesame soy latte and you’ll be all ‘set’, to say the least.

Order the: Sticky black rice pudding

It’s all happening over in south-of-the-river’s Lathlain behind the red-brick walls and roller door of Laika – a contemporary-industrial warehouse where magic is made by means of beans, magical beans indeed. The former washing-machine workroom retains its workshop heart, but with the addition of great food and just as great coffee. All-day brunch is the major Laika hit atop retro-ish custom crockery and mugs that take latte art off the charts. Modern dishes with Southeast Asian hints are all the go, and we can’t help ourselves when it comes to their sticky black rice pudding. It’s got poached red plums, puffed rice and a luscious coconut crème to balance things out. Rice as a sweet treat, who knew? But the slow-cooked, beef brisket eggs benny with potato rosti, spinach and chipotle hollandaise are just as good. Lurk around the back where you’ll find a space for shooting hoops, reminiscent of a schoolyard grounds.

Order the: Coconut, vanilla and lime yoghurt panna cotta

Serving up some of the prettiest breakfast plates in Perth, a morning meal at The Little Banksia is as much about the incredible menu as it is about the Instagram opportunity. Tucked along an unassuming Kensington street just south of the river, the converted cottage is a charmer with its exposed-brick and leafy touches tied in with sunlight-filled dining spaces and rosemary-lined curbside seating complete with a black and white striped awning. Seasonal and locally-inspired dishes are at the forefront of The Little Banksia’s menu, and you can expect plates as pretty as a picture with its Jackson Pollock-esque coulis splatters, strawberry dust, edible flowers and micro herbs. The buttermilk pancakes, for example, are not only a flavour bomb, with the stack accompanied by caramelised red apple, hazelnut praline cream, candied popcorn, pecan maple crumble and salted caramel too. But if savoury is high on your radar, the bacon and egg roll with house-made tomato chutney is hard to pass up. Sip on a cuppa of Perth’s very own Leftfield Coffee Roasters brew streetside or take it away for a springtime stroll beneath the neighbourhood’s magnificent jacaranda trees.

Order the: Turkish eggs

For breakfast options a little off the beaten track, head to Little Donkey Corner located just north of the city in Tuart Hill where you’ll find classics that have been given a little twist. The café rose to popularity all thanks to its fairy floss-topped French toast which was, at one point, an unavoidable sight on social media. These days, the offerings have been toned down a notch, but are equally as intriguing. Think dishes like chilli cheesy eggs that are scrambled with mozzarella over rye and topped by feta, crispy shallots, chives and chilli oil. And for the sweet tooths out there, the hot chocolate waffles are calling your name with melty ganache, mascarpone, mini marshmallows and whipped cream. But truth be told, the Turkish eggs always hit the spot, with two perfectly poached eggs served with garlic yoghurt, aleppo chilli butter sauce, fresh dill and toasted Turkish bread, for a dish that’s spicy while perfectly balanced.

Order the: Brioche French toast 

For breakfast south-east of the city, it’s tough competition with Fika on Brix over in Beckenham. While the menu is subject to seasonal change, the team has been plating up its signature brioche French toast since the early days. Thick slices of slightly sweet French toast are topped with a generous serving of black sesame custard, lemon curd, fresh strawberries and a housemade granola nut crumble. The result is a sweet, tangy, nutty amalgamation of flavour, in the best sense. The café is, however, perhaps best known for its creative weekend pancake stacks – think pandan with coconut custard or a pumpkin spice and cream cheese combination – and the cosy café is typically heaving on weekends with hungry pancake seekers. Follow that up with a mosey around the expansive Mills Park locale – the playground is one to be marvelled at whether you’re five or 35.

Order the: Hash brown benny

While there are many good eggs benedict to be found around Perth, none compare with Finlay and Sons’ creation. Perfectly oozing poached eggs sit pretty on a wilted spinach and hash brown base and are smothered in a creamy hollandaise sauce. Adding the thick-cut bacon is not optional, it’s a must, with the chunky slice of bacon a perfectly salty contrast to the rich creaminess of the dish. The classic menu melds seamlessly with the casual-cool cornerstore’s ambience too, not to mention the Beaufort Street locale. There’s something a little old-timey about the recycled timber tabletops, red brick innards and mid-century mirrors that hang about the place. And to top it all off, a wee wooden coffee window adjacent to the main ensemble is the place to be when you're on the go but in need of a brew by Perth small-batch roasters, Twin Peaks.

Order the: Chicken and waffles

Taking cues from New York eateries, you’ll find Soho Lane’s ever-changing menu stacked with elevated takes on American brunch classics, like diner-style pancakes and the classic cheeseburger, alongside some of the best cups of Joe you’ll find in Perth by +61 Coffee. The Beaufort Street café itself is a fresh and airy, pastel pink-hued dream of a space that invites you to linger over your meal, and over the terrazzo tabletops, too. While there’s plenty to tempt you both visually and menu-wise, the chicken and waffles offer a perfect salty-sweet combination that’s hard to beat. Succulent fried chicken is loaded on a crispy waffle and topped with whipped butter and chilli maple syrup that all just happens to be gluten-free (tell your intolerant friends immediately). Wash it all down with a beetroot or turmeric latte if you’re staying off the hard stuff (coffee, that is). 

Order the: Nourish bowl

Located snug on the bank of the Swan River, this Maylands café has quickly become a hotspot with the early morning crowd, earning a reputation as one of the most wholesome breakfast options in Perth. It’s all about the great outdoors at Peninsula Farm – expect a crowd of small children to be making use of the play kitchen and wooden playscape, and parents savouring a frothy cappuccino across the grassy flats beneath the gum tree-lined locale. It’s a very, very cute secluded nook. As for the café’s fare, the nourish bowl comes loaded with cauliflower fritters, roasted sweet potato, beetroot and harissa spiced nuts, all on a bed of brown rice, quinoa, spinach and celeriac, and coated in coconut yoghurt dressing. Optionally, add chermoula (North African-marinated) chicken breast. We feel healthy already. Speaking of, Peninsula Farm Café takes pride in their sustainable ethos, utilising organic, seasonal and local produce that equals ‘mindfully good food and delicious coffee’.

Order the: Spanner crab omelette

Having become something of an institution among Perth’s breakfasting crowd, Mary Street Bakery now has five locations, and each is likely to be buzzing with a crowd come Saturday morning. The menu differs between outposts, but the original Highgate location is the place for a dashing spanner crab omelette, which come served with a rich nam jim (Thai chilli sauce), sesame, herb salad and lime for a breakfast that feels decadent but not glutinous, which is perfect actually, as you’ll want to save room to sample the bakery’s insane selection of pastries. Alongside classic croissants and cakes, the team pumps out flavourful doughnuts and the jammiest, seasonal danishes for good measure. If you’re tight for time, make sure to get your grubby hands on a little something-something from the counter – a fresh-baked pie or buttery-flakey sausage roll, perchance? There’s a reason Mary Street Bakery has been going strong for more than a decade!

Order the: Hylin bruschetta

Hylin is all about breakfast classics and wholesome dishes, and its namesake bruschetta combines the best of both. The dish starts with toasted ciabatta and is made hefty by means of a poached egg, whipped stracciatella, cherry tomatoes and a verdant basil-walnut dressing. Adding chorizo or bacon is highly recommended, both flavour-wise and bulking-it-out-wise, while swapping out the glutinous bread is a no-brainer if you’re avoiding the wheaty stuff. If eggs aren’t your breakfast of choice, the menu offers plenty of South American-inspired breakfast dishes to tempt you, from a breakfast burrito to smoked chicken quesadillas. The West Leederville café is all about maximising the space they have, from the curbside dining (and they take the meaning seriously) to the industrial bar out the back that’s fit with a corrugated iron ceiling, steel rafters and polished concrete floors for a beer in the shed-like ambience.