Where the brunch bunch eat

James Viles eschews breakfast for brunch. The owner-chef of Bowral's Biota Dining, says: "I decided a while ago not to serve breakfast to our overnight guests. Breakfast has become a brunch served from 10am instead, allowing everyone to sleep in."

Guests can choose to start with a native pepperberry bloody mary. "We use bush tomato as the base. It makes for a refreshing, earthy drink and it is very popular with guests." An AM Martini is on offer, and the traditional brunch tipple, the mimosa (one part bubbly, one part citrus juice), is tweaked with pineapple juice infused with sage.

Biota serves brunch in the garden, or picnic-style on a rug by the lake. "It is a very simple menu, which means you can sit on the lawn if you feel like it," says Viles. The menu lists five options, including local Pecora sheep's milk yoghurt, with green almonds. "The yoghurt has been hung, and we whip warm brown butter through it," he says. "The almonds are so fresh that they are still a bit jellied in the centre, and we finish it with a thick carrot marmalade made with vanilla."

Eggs arrive as sliders. "We make heavily creamed scrambled eggs, which we place inside brioche buns with crab meat and caviar," says Viles. In addition to overnight guests, Viles says people drive from Sydney and Canberra on Saturday and Sunday mornings for brunch. "One couple come every second Sunday from Sydney."

When in Sydney, or holidaying in Byron Bay, Viles heads to Three Blue Ducks with his family for brunch. "I love those guys, and I love their food," he says.

Brent Savage, chef and co-owner of Yellow in Potts Point, and Bentley Restaurant and Bar, is another fan of the Three Blue Ducks brunch menu. Woollahra's Pinbone is another favourite, where scones come with smoked cheese, sausage, gravy and fried eggs and bacon, maple and pumpkin tart is a hit pick. But with two little kids, Savage doesn't get to either place as often as he'd like and tends to eat brunch more often at Yellow.

"We started out just doing dinners seven days a week, then because of the breakfast culture in Potts Point we thought we'd do breakfast, which became brunch because everyone gets out of bed late," he says. "Brunch has suddenly become an integral part of our business."

Savage and co-owner Nick Hildebrandt decided from the outset that brunch would be structured. "We wanted the menu to be very user-friendly, but we also wanted to serve composed dishes," he says. "We weren't interested in offering eggs three ways with a choice of mushrooms, bacon or spinach on the side."

The most popular brunch plate is slow-cooked eggs in onion broth served with puffed wheat and jamon. "It is an appropriate late breakfast – a little bit sophisticated but not unapproachable," says Savage.

Brunch drinks include strawberry tea, bloody marys and lots of coffee, says Savage. Breads are made in-house. "Instead of banana bread, which is on every cafe menu, we devised a licorice bread. It's brioche-like and we serve it with whipped butter, which we also make in-house."

Cheesemonger and Cheese Slices television presenter Will Studd likes to cook a vegetarian brunch for friends and family, especially when on holiday at Byron Bay. "I pan-fry some Aphrodite haloumi, which I toss through some baby spinach, or a mix of leaves, and top with a poached egg." When in Sydney, Studd heads to Kitchen by Mike in Alexandria, or Brickfields, Chippendale. "I am all about coffee: they have great filter coffees and terrific pastries."

Seafood marketer and supplier John Susman also likes to cook brunch at home. "If I am out of my swimmers by lunchtime I serve oysters and champagne to start," he says. "Some caviar is always popular with guests at that hour – fresh Yasa caviar from the Middle East – and then I'll cook eggs. After 20 years I've finally mastered a prawn omelette."

When in Singapore, Susman heads to the Maxwell Road Hawker Centre. "I'll either have nasi lemak, the killer fish head curry or a char kway teow with a few icy cold beers," he says. "Then I head over to Sydney boy Darren (Fuzzy) Farr's Lokal Cafe for coffee."

In Tokyo, Susman tries to squeeze in a visit to Restaurant Nakajima near the Shinjuku railway station. "They serve a traditional Japanese breakfast with fish, pickles, rolled omelette, sheets of nori and miso," he says. "Then a quick stroll to the Ginza Akebono shop for sticky, delicious Japanese sweets and a filter coffee with condensed milk."

Providore Simon Johnson likes to cook brunch at weekends, especially if there's something to celebrate. "Brunch often happens because it is someone's birthday, so it is an excuse to open a bottle of fizz."

Johnson likes to serve an array of vegetables. "I do things like big frittatas, or pappa al pomodoro (fresh tomato and bread soup), using organic tomatoes and yesterday's bread, with lots of reggiano and olive oil. It soaks up the champagne nicely."

The soup is often followed by eggplant baked with buffalo mozzarella, or a fennel gratin served with crusty bread. "I always make something with anchovies," he says. "And finish with a couple of big chunks of cheese, one hard and one soft."

If he's not entertaining, Johnson heads to Palm Beach. "I love the Boathouse overlooking Pittwater for brunch," he says. "They do such a great job. There is always a queue a mile long, but it is worth the wait. Andrew Goldsmith (owner) is so gracious and welcoming and everyone is so relaxed. It is the perfect brunch spot."