Thanks a Brunch – Try These 6 Venues to Appease Weekend Cravings

Brunch – that lazy weekend meal where catching up over the week’s news is obligatory along with delicious dishes and perhaps even a glass of bubbles.

Once a week we all scramble to find our brunch location, how many of us can make it and what time we are eating. As is the case with many culinary traditions, brunch’s origins are a bit hazy. 

Many consider it a byproduct of England’s hunt breakfasts where a smorgasbord of goodies was laid out for hungry huntsmen after the chase, while others consider it comes from the practice of Catholics to fast before mass and then sit down to a huge midday meal.

Here are six spots sure to appease brunch cravings this weekend:

A French bistro bouillon, bakery and patisserie awaits discerning Adelaide foodies at Maison Clement on Currie Street in the heart of the city. A bistro bouillon is a French eatery that serves delicious food, quickly and cheaply and that’s this restaurant’s mission to provide an affordable French food experience using local SA produce as well as imported produce.

 

Apart from picking up your fresh baguette and pastry for the day, stop awhile and delve into brunch plates like chilli prawn scrambled eggs, topped with crispy shallots, served on a toasted croissant, or Benedict Bourguignon with poached eggs, spinach, beef Bourguignon and Hollandaise, on toasted sourdough.

Artisanal coffee and crafted Japanese cuisine are what you’ll find on the menu at Kaede: Japanese Café on Johnston Street in Abbotsford. This cosy café always provides a warm welcome to local foodies with a rustic vibe of polished concrete, salvaged timber, trailing greenery and exposed brick walls; stop in early to pair a chai latte with a scrambled egg pan, or fluffy milk bread chicken katsu sando with white and red cabbage, Kewpie mayo and tonkatsu sauce.

 

Drop in for all-day brunch plates like a chicken sausage pan – free-range chicken sausage, lettuce and housemade teriyaki sauce, in a milk bun – perhaps wrap your hands around a Japanese fluffy milk bread sandwich with eggs, Kewpie mayonnaise, shiro miso and baby cucumber, or Panko crumbed chicken katsu, with white and red cabbage, Kewpie and tonkatsu sauce.

Inspiring, inclusive and healthy, Guyala Café on Smith Street in Cairns acts as an integration between the broader community and Spinal Life Australia. Named after the white-breasted sea eagle, this first-of-its-kind fully accessible community centre for the Spinal Life facility has a beautiful fit-out, thoughtful menu utilising local and indigenous ingredients and an experienced team of professionals.

 

Expect creative dishes from morning to night, perhaps starting your day with a pina colada waffle stack with grilled pineapple, macadamia, mango and coconut dukkah, coconut caramel and sorbet and Davidson plum dust; or take the savoury option of lemon myrtle eggs Benedict – poached eggs, toasted ciabatta, wilted spinach, lemon myrtle Hollandaise and smoked barramundi.

Soak up sea breezes and start your day on the sunny side at Tidal Café on Seaport Boulevard in Launceston. This well-loved local café oozes rustic charm with well-worn brick, recycled timber and seaside accents, or sit alfresco under colourful market umbrellas and take in the marina action as all manner of watercraft pass by.

 

Stop in after an early morning walk for ham and cheese croquettes served with Romesco sauce, poached eggs and Hollandaise, or refuel later on brunch plates of a Mediterranean-style lamb pita with feta, mushrooms, baby spinach and minted yoghurt; Perhaps a BLAT hits the mark with crispy bacon, fresh mesclun, tomato, avocado and mayo plus a side of fries.

Life is always better with a little fun and flamboyance, that’s what you’ll get when dining at The Birdcage on Kingsway in Miranda. Drawing inspiration from its leafy surroundings and a beautiful fig tree which dominates the restaurant precinct playing host to many colourful birds, this café embodies this vibrancy, delivering dishes as pretty on the plate as the palate.

 

Kickstart your day with all-day brunch choices such as an halloumi stack – artisan bread, rocket pesto, roast tomato, poached eggs, grilled halloumi, pine nuts and truffle dressing – or signature corn fritters with creamy avocado, rocket, crunchy bacon strips and tomato relish, enjoyed with a sunrise frappé of strawberry, mango, kiwi and pineapple.

No trip to Portland is complete without a coffee stop and bite to eat at Margaret & Agnes café on Bentinck Street. Soak up all the Great Ocean Road has to offer alfresco while sipping a brew of choice, or dine indoors where blond wood table settings, trailing greenery and cabinets overflowing with all manner of temptations await.

 

Early risers refuel for the day ahead with the Mega Beast – eggs your way, roast tomato, mushroom, bacon, housemade beans, avocado, wilted spinach, chorizo and a hash brown on sourdough – or Oooh la la French toast, with walnut fruit loaf, cinnamon egg mix, berries, maple syrup and ice cream.