Spicer Street Cafe

Woollahra's best cafe has been staying the course since new owners took over last year. An intermarriage of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours delivers a menu that's a welcome respite from same-same brunch fare, from cilbir - a Turkish take on eggs benedict with yoghurt, ham and paprika - to turmeric, coriander, paprika and zaatar-spiced shakshouka. Another boon is the airy space, where a handful of tables look out from an elevated front verandah shaded by canopies. Indoor types can wander through a high archway into the small black-and-white striped dining room and perch on the wall-length lime-green banquette. Skilful pours of Giancarlo coffee keep the well-heeled clientele calm and content.