Brisbane's best weekend breakfast spots of 2016

Heading out for weekend breakfast – preferably a long breakfast with cake at the end – is a necessary pleasure to delete the memory of every tedious email, meeting and public transport experience of the working week. It's a meal that can be Paltrow-healthy or Uncle Buck-heavy and these days there's a lot more to it than bircher and bacon. Here are 10 places raising the breakfast bar in Brisbane.

King Arthur

A short but hearty seasonal menu packed with local produce is what makes this petite two-storey warehouse cafe great. Head chef Andrew Tolley's creative dishes include a bulgogi beef salad with cold rice noodles and kimchi, and a mighty roast pork sanger with grilled pear, pickles and aged cheddar. We're not adverse to a chilled bottle of Pat Sullivan's Jumpin' Juice to start the day in good health either.

164c Arthur Street Fortitude Valley, 07 3358 1670, kingarthurcafe.com

Billykart West End

Celebrity chef Ben O'Donoghue arrived at West End with the Aussie-Asian eggs in tow. His second Billykart restaurant embraces a laid-back vibe and fresh take on the original's menu. There's more waffles, house-made crumpets and a spanner crab and scallop congee.

2-4 Edmondstone Street, West End, 07 3177 9477, billykart.com.au

Gauge

A unique take on breakfast from the Brisbane Times 2017 Good Food Guide Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year has proven a hit with daring black fermented garlic bread becoming an instant BNE classic. There's a lot more to Gauge's morning menu than that bread though, and your day might start with a bowl of Berkshire pork belly, smoked eel, toasted rye and egg, or an I-can't-believe-this-is-breakfast number of blood pancake with pickled fish, soft egg, goat's milk skyr and daikon. Brilliant.

77 Grey Street, South Brisbane, 07 3852 6734

Gerard's Bistro

Ease into the weekend with a breakfast mezze board at this James Street favourite. A pick-and-mix plate of za'atar flatbread, tomato, cucumber, mint labna and air-dried beef won't weigh you down for the rest of the day, and becomes even more delicious when paired with Damascus rosebud iced tea. Chef Ben Williamson also rocks more filling breakfast gear such as black pudding with with manchego custard, flamed grapes and smoked almonds. We love dropping into neighbouring food-focused bookstore Scrumptious Reads afterwards to stock up on cookbooks and Lucky Peach.

Shop 14, 15 James Street Fortitude Valley, 07 3852 3822, gerardsbistro.com.au

Pho Hien Vuong Pasteur

There's a lot to be said for the benefits of a sausage McMuffin and 10 hash browns when you're hungover. Same goes for bacon and egg rolls, fried chicken sandwiches, Bloody Marys administered intravenously and crying in the shower. But nothing - NOTHING - beats a revitalising and nutrient-rich bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup when you're dealing with a mental dust storm (It's even better with fresh chilli and a Coke on the side). We reckon Pho Hien Vuong has the best pho in Brisbane (the sweet and salty balance is bang-on) and the Sunnybank eatery opens at 10am so you can make a late morning adventure out of your medicine mission.

Shop 21, 319 Main Road Sunnybank, 07 3219 5688

85 Miskin St

Cinnamon and tonka bean porridge, cured salmon with confit potato, sour cream, toasted rye and bottarga, and wattle-seed waffles with violet ice-cream – this is what happens when a fine dining restaurant gives breakfast a run. Avoid making pre-coffee decisions by ordering the four-course breakfast degustation.

85 Miskin Street Toowong, 07 3371 4558, 85miskinst.com.au

Wild Canary

Being connected to a garden centre certainly has its perks. The kitchen grows seasonal herbs, vegetables and edible flowers that star alongside local produce. Strategically choose a lighter dish to save room for a slice of its gorgeous Instagram-worthy cakes.

2371 Moggill Rd, Brookfield; 07 3378 2805; wildcanary.com.au

Pearl Cafe

The 2017 Good Food Guide Cafe of the Year won our hearts for beautiful cakes showcasing Queensland fruit, cockles-warming porridge, en pointe coffee and gorgeous interiors. Pearl's magic lies in its timeless simplicity. It doesn't need to resort to the kind of Nutella-filled gimmicks that make bloggers #haemorrhage #hashtags, which is perhaps why it's still going strong after almost a decade. Check out the bircher with sorrel, green apple and sheep's milk yoghurt or – at the heavier end of the health pyramid – Byron Bay pork cotoletta with slaw, mustard and fried egg. More breaded cutlets at breakfast, please.

28 Logan Road Woolloongabba, 07 3392 3300

Sourced Grocer

Hot, bothered, cranky and tired? Come to Sourced Grocer and turn that mood around. The breezy space glows with natural light and it's the perfect spot to collect your thoughts and cool down over cold-drip coffee. House-made rye crumpets with fresh honeycomb are must (a side of bacon bordering on ham steak is optional, but you probably should), while cabbage pancakes with goat's cheese dressing and crisp-fried brussels sprout leaves have their own legion local.

11 Florence Street Teneriffe, 07 3852 6734, sourcedgrocer.com.au

The Balfour Kitchen

Raising the bar on hotel breakfast (not a bain-marie of sweaty scrambled eggs in sight), head chef Will Wallace presents a creative menu of seasonal dishes with ingredients from select small suppliers. With a name like William Wallace, you would expect the bloke to know what he's doing with Cumberland sausages in a fennel and apple cider braise, and, by Jove, he does. Also try the smoked barramundi omelette al fresco on the wrap-around Queenslander verandah.

37 Balfour Street New Farm, 07 3358 8888, spicersretreats.com/spicers-balfour-hotel/dining