Nooks Place

Nooks Place is the sort of cheerful neighbourhood cafe you probably wouldn't travel across town to visit but you sure are pleased to be able to stumble in on a Sunday morning. Plenty of natural light flows through the big front windows, making the space brighter - as do the colourful striped cushions, paintings on the wall, framed New Yorker covers and vintage prints with witty little mottos about coffee.

Outside are tables, chairs and umbrellas and inside the soundtrack is breezy and chilled. But the best feature is the beautiful handcrafted pine front counter. Opened 11 months ago by Daniel Neumann, the place buzzes with regulars, mostly families and couples.

The menu includes an all-day breakfast with eggs every which way including a selection of omelettes - chorizo and mushroom being the standouts. The big breakfast is really rather large. The best bits are the tasty homemade baked beans and the marinated mushrooms amid the egg, spinach, bacon and chorizo feast. The corn fritter stack with added poached egg and bacon, sour cream, rocket and roasted tomatoes is wholesome and filling.

We can't finish our meals, so although we eye off the homemade sweets, including a delicious-looking apple cake and peach slice, we just can't do it.

The Toby's Estate coffee ($3.50) is good and there's also a range of teas, chai lattes, freshly squeezed juices, milkshakes and frappuccinos.

Service is friendly, if a little slow. And it's always a bonus when you don't need to ask for water to be brought to the table - we had to ask. Still, it's an easy Sunday morning; full to bursting, we're not in a terrible hurry anyway.

Nooks Place Address 105 King Street, Randwick, 0421 034 393 Open Tues-Fri, 7am-3pm; Sat, 7am-4pm; Sun, 8am-4pm