Thievery’s new Middle Eastern brunch is worth getting out of bed for

The rulebook-razing team behind Glebe bar and eatery Thievery have launched a brunch service that will shake you out of your bacon-and-egg rut. Executive chef Julian Cincotta (ex-Nomad and Rockpool) has devised a breakfast menu featuring the same creative, contemporary approach to Middle Eastern cuisine that you know and love from dinner. Arabic ingredients take centre stage in loose interpretations of familiar breakfast dishes, such as a crumpet made of fermented chickpeas, or a halloumi and potato hash. Eggs come with za’atar butter or smoky charred eggplant, or cracked into a chickpea foul (a stew more commonly made with broad beans) in their take on a shakshuka. You didn’t think they’d play a shakshuka straight, did you?

Even their popular kebabs have found their way onto the brunch menu, with a fried egg and hash brown as accompaniments. If you’re more of a sweet breakfast type, you can’t go past the tahini “panned cake” with halva, nuts, ginger, burnt honey and sesame ice cream; it gives the desserts a run for their money. When some hair of the dog is called for, the bottomless brunch gets you unlimited cocktails for $32 per person. Brunch is available 9am-4pm on weekends, and bookings are recommended.