Caitlyn Spanner

The idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day may have been the result of a ridiculously successful marketing campaign in a bid to sell cereal and bacon in the 19th century, but the tagline holds true for the good people of Brisbane. It’s no secret that you lot love breakfast, from your piccolos to your pancakes. That’s why, when coming up with this list of the best breakfasts in Brisbane, we lost far more sleep deliberating over who and what to include than we’d rather say.  Just know that it came down to strict criteria including flavour, innovation, freshness, ambience, service and presentation (to name a few). These are the venues you will go to with friends visiting from out of town to show them just how ‘in the know’ you are, and the dishes you’ll order time and time again, no matter what new additions grace the menu. From Hungarian-style meals reimagined for an Australian palate to aesthetically pleasing venues you’ll want to photograph for the ‘gram, this list proves once more that breakfast is the far superior meal of the day after all. Want more cafés? Go chasing the best beans with the best coffee in Brisbane. 

You know those rare dishes that you randomly get cravings for at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon? Just us? Try the Brekkie Bagel from Scout and you’ll know exactly what we're talking about. Gooey golden egg melts over the top of thick-cut kaiser bacon that’s accompanied perfectly by fresh tomato, rocket, cheese and a sweet relish made in-house. If eating in, it comes with a good serrated knife that cuts through the chewy bagel like a scalpel. It's a small thing, but small things make a big difference here at this essential Brisbane café, such as service so smiling and helpful that you'd swear the staff were about to ask for your autograph.  The cosy interior is reminiscent of a wood cabin and somehow makes your craving for bagels and black coffee even stronger. It occupies an old shopfront on Petrie Terrace opposite Hardgrave Park, and has the vibe of one of those gorgeous country town cafés – never mind that you're a stone's throw from the skyscrapers of the CBD. Bagels are the main event here, but they have a little display cabinet of fresh-made brownies, biscuits and cakes too – check out the housemade muesli bars for something to put Uncle Toby's to shame. It's a dream of a place – scout's honour. Discover more of the best places in Brisbane to eat breakfast.

Cosy up to Gramps, Red Hill’s home of comfort food and damn good coffee. Unpretentiously delicious dishes make up the menu, like the peachy French toast or the Pumpkin Dreams complete with two eggs, walnut and barberry crumble, picked red cabbage and just the right amount of zest. Breakfast mince and beans isn’t the most beautiful dish at the best of times, but Gramps challenges that with the addition of a sweet capsicum chilli jam and fresh Asian slaw. On the run? Treat yourself to a Single O coffee and one of their famous cookies that are as big as your face. Plus, any café that’s dog-friendly is a winner in our books. Discover more of the best places in Brisbane to eat breakfast.

Take a stroll through the tiny locality of Rosalie on a Saturday or Sunday morning and not only will you encounter three ice cream shops within 140 metres (yes, really) but an unassuming café that’s proven itself to be one of Brisbane’s busiest. Smoked Paprika doesn’t need fancy marble countertops or trendy letterboard signage to win over the hearts and stomachs of the discerning Brisbane diner. Generous servings of high-quality Hungarian-style breakfast is all that’s required to draw a crowd. The Smoked Paprika breakfast with a rich Hungarian beef stew, Turkish bread, grilled halloumi, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce is naturally the most popular dish on the menu. Belly-filling breakfast classics can also be found in the likes of zucchini fritters, eggs benny and even a Vegemite and cheese toastie for the littlies. Discover more of the best places in Brisbane to eat breakfast.

Wooloongabba’s Paw Paw café manages to celebrate the nuances of Asian cuisine while nailing contemporary breakfast all at once. The usual suspects – from omelettes to pancakes – take on an Asian variation with ingredients such as kalamansi (Philippine lime) and spicy tom yum dressing. If a slow start is on the cards, the lunch menu – available from 11am onwards – includes a Malaysian yellow curry complete with potato, spiced yoghurt and roti. The venue itself is light, bright and modern with ample space for groups or cosy corners for two. You can’t miss the white weatherboard cottage located conveniently on Stanley Street, just a few kilometres southeast of the CBD. Discover more of the best places in Brisbane to eat breakfast.

If you live on the south side – or any side of Brisbane, for that matter – and you’re yet to visit the Gift Shop in Mount Gravatt, do yourself a favour and get there before the secret’s out. Their most popular dish, golden eggs, is two fluffy boiled eggs encrusted in a delicious crisp coating alongside a flavourful enoki mushroom goulash, potato waffle and smoky chipotle mayo. Add bacon for those extra-hungry (see: hungover) mornings. The light and tropical panna cotta will keep your sweet tooth happy and any of the toasties are perfect if you’re chasing comfort food. Chances are you’ll be planning your next visit long before your plate’s even been cleared by the uber-friendly staff.

What do you get when you serve authentic Middle Eastern fare in a quintessentially Queenslander-style corner café? The answer is Naïm, one of Brisbane’s favourite all-day breakfast spots serving modern Australian takes on Arab-world classics. Perch yourself up in the quaint dining room overlooking Paddington’s jacaranda-lined streets and be transported to Tunisia with their most popular dish, a traditional shakshuka (baked eggs).  Other Middle Eastern-inspired meals include a breakfast pita board with light and fresh housemade hummus and a hearty chicken shawarma gnocchi – add zhug for a spicy hit. If it’s something closer to home you’re craving, Naïm also serves a mean smashed avo toast with an unexpected pomegranate gel, plus quality coffee by Blacklab. There’s also the option to turn any of the dishes into a plant-based alternative – yep, even the meatballs. Discover more of the best places in Brisbane to eat breakfast.