Best Adelaide Breakfast/Brunch

I had an extended stay – well 6 nights instead of my usual 2 in Adelaide last week.

I stayed at the Adelaide Intercontinental which I have reviewed before. It has one of the not-so-good hotel breakfasts, at a ridiculous price. Consequently, we have been sampling the delights of breakfasts and brunch at cafes and restaurants around Adelaide. I can report that the prettiest is the Rice Pudding at Crack Kitchen on Franklin street, the best traditional is at Georges restaurant on Waymouth street, the ‘Frenchiest’ is at Hey Jupiter, and the most innovative served on the most interesting ceramics is at Sibling on Gilles street. 

Disclosure

It occurred to me to do a bit of a summary of our dining experiences halfway through our visit, so let me apologise upfront that I don’t have images of everything we ate, and as a consequence, have used some images from the restaurant and cafe websites, or from previous visits.

Intercontinental Adelaide

This IHG hotel, unfortunately, has one of the worst breakfast services I have come across in a 5-star hotel. Although the buffet has the usual selection, the ordered hot food leaves a lot to be desired, and the service is a little piecemeal. As usual with hotel breakfasts, the cost is not cheap.

Given all of that, unless it comes with the room price – which it does when the hotel is not busy – we head out elsewhere for breakfast.

Peel Street

This is better known for its lunch and dinner service comprising large to-be-shared plates of Asian and middle eastern inspired deliciousness. However, it does open for breakfast, which you eat amongst the morning deliveries and kitchen preparations for the day ahead.

In my experience there are usually only a couple of other diners, so you get great service, great coffee, and great food, with 4 or 5 choices including something in the fruit and cereal line, some eggs, and that wonderful toastie pictured above.

Its a short walk from IHG Adelaide, so this is usually my go-to.

Mayfair Hotel

Not only is this hotel worth staying at, (here is my review) but it’s also worth coming here for breakfast. They have a good selection of a la carte options as well as a small but good looking buffet, and possibly the biggest and best fruit platter in Adelaide. This one above defeated me.

The ‘Mayflower’ room, downstairs from the lobby, is gorgeous, featuring some oversized portraits in bright tones. White linen table cloths, and friendly service, this is a joy. Oh, and they have good coffee too.

Prices are 5-star hotely, but not ridiculous.

Crack Kitchen

This demonstrates a little form-over-function. The room – I think in an old bank – has a mezzanine with clean, cool and airy decor. The room is long and thin, with a counter down one side, and a banquette with tables down the other.

The food is great, but the service, not so much. Either they are slightly understaffed, or there is a little too much standing and chatting amongst themselves. Take-away clients have to queue, and the wait for seated guests is longer than it should be.

The rice pudding above was served straight out of the fridge, although my poached egg was as requested, and reduced from the menu’s 2 to my preferred one with no squabble.

I’d be happy to sit here on my own, working on my computer and throwing back coffees, or meeting friends, but I would be wary if I had a restricted time window.

Hey Jupiter

This is a favourite of mine, especially for breakfast, brunch or lunch. The cuisine is French, as are at least some of the staff and the menu is French bistro – all printed on one large double-sided menu.

My favourite here is the Croque Monsieur – buttery, hammy, toastie goodness. My husband had a fried egg over a casserole of mushrooms, which he said was delicious (if he tells me about the pickling of the mushrooms one more time . . . ).

Oh, and did I mention they do a breakfast martini, and my favourite – a Bloody Mary with harissa? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the Bloody Mary is a drink suitable for any time of the day.

Georges

This Italian restaurant is better known for its lunch and dinner service, not to mention its newspaper executive habitues. They seem to have been replaced by financial types, judging by the cut of their suits. It’s still great for other times of day, but it is not generally known as a breakfast venue.

Breakfast was made up of excellent coffee, perfect poached eggs, bacon and buttered toast, with pepper and lemon on the side.

If you like a starched table cloth under some butchers paper, and a linen napkin, then this is the place. The lady in charge, with her streaked bob, is incredibly hospitable, and understands priorities, taking your coffee order on arrival. The menu is short and sweet, and the service excellent. This is a restaurant, so no bargain basement prices, but if you want a quick meet in nice surroundings, or want to impress a client – this is the place.

Sibling

We brunched here on Saturday with family members, including a couple with vegan predilections. That’s one of its strength. It has some great plant-based dishes, most of which can be adapted for vegans.

Located in Gilles street, it’s in the south-east corner (Paris end) of Adelaide amongst one and two-story commercial and residential buildings.

Coffee is excellent and served in handle deprived cups and saucers of Japanese design and manufacture. Dishes are divided by size under titles like ‘little siblings’ and ‘middle child’ and all are reasonably priced.

I chose a poached egg on sourdough with some avocado and bacon – thick-cut slices toasted and buttered were absolutely delicious. This was definitely the surprise hit of the breakfast/brunch options. My family – especially my second cousins and partners/wives are pretty good company, so maybe that helped.

2PAXfly Takeout

There are some outstanding breakfast options in the CBD. The Intercontinental hotel is not one of them. If you get breakfast included, well and good, but don’t add it into your booking unless something prevents you from going elsewhere.

You can have linen, you can have expensive, you can have vegan, and you can have price-efficient, and all are delicious and come with excellent coffee. (I always think that Adelaide punches above its weight in the food department anyway.)

A couple of tips for new players – some places that are open for breakfast during the week, are not open on the weekends, so check opening times.