The 9 best breakfasts in Adelaide

Best for: Every. Damn. Thing. 
Eat this: Don't limit yourself to just one thing.
Perks: It’s undercover, free, and Chinatown’s right next door.

After a long night on the Barossa reds, you may feel 150 years old. But make the effort. This Adelaide institution has been around just as long and blasts away morning-after malaise better than a Berocca and a lie-in. Shouty vendors will sell you a glowing tangerine or a fancy banana from more than 80 stalls with the freshest fruit and veggies. Nibble unctuous Brie, sweet balsamic figs or a stick of spicy cabana while you stock up on fresh kataifi from the Providore. Embrace the Laminex aesthetic at Asian Gourmet for the alpha and omega of laksas and watch the world forage. Grab a seat at Lucia’s, Zuma Caffe or Big Table for exceptional coffee and a gourmet fry-up. Walk and wonder with Sunmi’s spring onion pancakes, Dough's almond croissants, or half a dozen fresh local oysters from Angelakis Bros. Open every Tuesday through to Saturday, Adelaide Central Market is an early bird feast for every sense. 

Best for: Fancy seasonal food in a working-class ex-warehouse.
Eat this: Meatball pizza sando.
Perks: Big fridges stacked with local cult wines and pet nats, plus luxe coffee syrup.

If you can drag yourself away from the wine label eye candy on the way in, or the brownie sandwich cookies stuffed with honeycomb buttercream, you’re a better person than we. This roomy, light-festooned spot is a hard favourite for those whose morning glory includes inventive, beautifully presented Mod Aus. Browse the succulents and groovy houseplants at Little Pricks, part of the “studio collective” housed behind the café and make a few new fronds as you enjoy the most important meal of the day.

Best for: Thoughtful, inventive seasonal food.
Eat this: Shakshuka with chorizo, cannellini beans, poached eggs and sourdough. 
Perks: An outdoor happy space to dine with kids and pups.

A go-to for devoted, easy-going breakfasters, Misters Sunshine’s offers bubbles, ginger beers, oreo milkshakes and immunity smoothies, along with bacon and eggs and their famous halloumi and tomato sandwich. The eclectic, vintage quirk that defines its playlist also inspires the décor inside. The owners support a variety of good causes such as RSPCA Adelaide and Sea Shepherd. Expect great tunes, decent coffee and good vibes every day of the week.

Best for: Pre- or post-bushwalk breakfast, all day.
Eat this: House-made granola with passionfruit labneh and mixed berry compote.
Perks: A five-minute walk to the historic Belair train station and park trails.

A train runs every 30 minutes up the hill to Belair National Park. On arrival, eager ramblers fuel up first at the Sheoak. Sit for smashed avos topped with tomato and onion salsa, paired with fresh-squeezed juices. Then go walkies with a breakfast Turkish roll stuffed with the eggs, bacon, cheese and aoili. On the return trip, pop in for an excellent coffee or restorative smoothie of the day. The hills, and you, are alive!

Best for: Coffee, coffee, coffee.
Eat this: Chilli-spiced eggs with thick-cut brioche.
Perks: No need to dress up first thing.

Don’t let appearances fool you. In the little hub they optimistically call ‘Highgate Village’, nestled among dentists and physios, is Mad Good Café. Impeccable sources insist that their talented baristas craft, hands down, the most “spectacular” coffee in the land – at least in the city. Go for the righteous Buddha bowl, and stay for the eggs Benny or the ridiculously good pancake stacks.

Best for: Fiercely local all-day breakfast and groceries.
Eat this: Smoked salmon bowl with herbed potatoes, pickled cabbage, side salad and goat's cheese.
Perks: Sunny garden dining, followed by a virtuous beach walk.

This renovated Victorian corner house provides Adelaide’s planet-loving morning people with local, ethically grown fare magicked into modern breakfast staples that satisfy every corner of your soul. Owner Lee Boys has created a bustling, dog-friendly community with a conscience for vegans, vegos, and ’vores of every stripe without a hint of earnest Birkenstock'd finger-wagging. For a health kick, order the smoked salmon bowl with beetroot hummus, herbed potato, pickled cabbage, a side salad and crumbled goat's cheese. Big ticks for the virtuoso baristas and the option to add a nip of protein or maca powder to your smoothie. 

Best for: No-frills late breakfast soup.
Eat this: Broken Rice Combination.
Perks: Trackie dacks and flip-flops welcome.

The western suburbs are famous for pho, but it’s the outstanding broth in this busy, family-run restaurant that makes every bowl a deeply flavourful start for late risers. Try the Phnom Penh soup with its little quail egg treasure tucked in among juicy prawns. Also freshest, pillowy bao, stuffed with crackly pork or tofu, crisp herbs and homemade pickles. Pair them with an avo smoothie or a nice pot of hot tea and you’ll feel right at home wherever you’re from.

Best for: Impressing yourself at an early hour.
Eat this: Buttermilk pancakes with blueberry compôte, double cream and maple syrup.
Perks: Awe-inspiring VIP views inside the legendary Adelaide Oval.

This is a swishy new hotel, with imported statement lights and subdued musique. Breakfast is what you might expect – signature eggs benny, shakshuka, continental and full. So far, so so. What gives it the edge over other high-end hotel breakfast nooks is the sweeping, gobsmacking view of the Oval. You’re inside floor-to-ceiling plate glass, curled around the eastern stand, with a small, open-air lounge area among the corporate elite seats. If you can afford to stay on match days, it must be fabulous. But even when the Crows aren’t at home, it’s worth a gander. 

Best for: Glorious vegetation and abundant birdlife.
Eat this: Toasted mushroom melt.
Perks: Entrance to the Gardens is free.

Struggling to find your spreadsheets/lanyard/purpose in life? Fifty hectares of lush green magic and a slab of homemade banana bread might help. A decent coffee taken under an ancient oak or next to a glass Victorian palm house can work wonders when it comes to existential confusion, don't ya know? The newly-renovated Evergreen Deli sits at the heart of the perfectly formed, 150-year-old Gardens, right next to a super-birdy lake and dahlia garden. And it’s all just a ten-minute walk from Rundle Mall. Forego the morning shower and forest bathe away the blues every day of the week.