Sydney is, notoriously, a morning city. Every Saturday, hundreds of people congregate at Bondi Beach for their 4am run. Bill Granger’s reinterpretation of brunch fare turned “Australian cafe” into an internationally recognised cuisine. And if there’s a universal complaint about the city, it’s how difficult it can be to buy a good cup of coffee after 2pm.
That complaint lost its sting this year as cafes across the city expanded their opening hours into the evening. Some transform into wine bars like Pocket (Bondi) and Theeca (Darlinghurst). Others pivot from counter service to sit-down menus, like Comeco (Newtown), or introduce a new specialty, as with the sake collection at TenTo (Surry Hills). Newtown even welcomed a new 24-hour cafe this winter with 03, a Ghibli-themed study spot.
Of course, late hours have never been a problem for Western Sydney, where it’s commonplace for bakeries and sweet shops to remain open past dinnertime. How else are you supposed to share a post-date knafeh from Afandi (Punchbowl), or stock up on “lady’s arms” and baklava from Abla’s Pastries for movie night?
What follows is just a small selection of the 100 Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2026, which you can find on Good Food’s app and website.
Afandi
We’re in Punchbowl after dark, on a quiet suburban street overlooking the T3 railway line. There are a few empty shopfronts, a funeral home and a small cafe, where the lights will stay on and the coffee will keep pouring until well after midnight.
This is Afandi Cafe, and its Palestinian knafeh is renowned – a textural interplay of soft, elastic cheese and the crunch of shredded, burnished pastry; sweet with sugar syrup, a lingering saltiness in the washed cheese. It’s prepared over three days, cooked to order, and best shared with a loved one over a pot of spiced tea.
19 Breust Place, Punchbowl, facebook.com/afandicoffeeonsand
Ca Phe Mai
From banh mi filled with bacon and soft steamed egg, to brekkie muffins served with lemongrass pork sausage patties, Ca Phe Mai combines Vietnamese flavours with Australian cafe favourites to create a menu unlike anywhere else in Sydney.
The ca phe muoi (Single O espresso sweetened with condensed milk and thick, salted coconut cream) is dangerously good with a thick slice of toasted banana bread, spread with Vietnamese coffee butter, but chicken broth dishes like pho ga and laksa are the real must-tries, made with a 40-year-old secret family recipe.
Good to know: This is a day-to-night venue, transforming into a wine bar after dark.
377 New South Head Road (enter via Kiaora Lane), Double Bay, caphemai.com.au
Comeco Foods
This organic Japanese cafe will change how you think about gluten-free and plant-based food. Stop by for a matcha latte sweetened with house-made strawberry puree, or one of those revelatory “sourdoughnuts”, filled and fried to order. Nourishment is the express goal here, and it’s done with deceptive deliciousness – who would have known the katsu curry roux is made with 11 vegetables if it weren’t on the menu?
Try a bite of (almost) everything with the tempura and onigiri plate, then return at dinnertime for the colourful sushi platter that might include grilled capsicum nigiri and aburi eggplant rolls.
Good to know: The new dinner service features specialty Japanese alcohol like yuzushu, available by the glass.
524A King Street, Newtown, comecofoods.com.au
Da Jian Chen
Desserts don’t get much fresher, sweeter or more colourful than the Hong Kong-style egg waffles at this popular noon-to-nighttime spot. Oh, and they’re huge, so come with an appetite.
Each one is made to order, rolled into a cone and filled with generous scoops of ice-cream, whipped cream, and your choice of sliced fruit, cookies or chocolate. It’s a daunting task, but don’t delay – the waffles are best warm.
Too much? Jump to the counter next door and split a serve of impossibly fluffy souffle pancakes, a little eggy but not too sugary, piped fresh onto the grill, then drenched in sweet or savoury flavours. Brown sugar boba is a crowd favourite, or try taro for ever-so-slightly nutty notes.
Shop 3b, 127-133 Burwood Road, Burwood
Happyfield
Talk about delivering on a promise. Towering piles of pancakes. Sunshine-yellow everywhere. Golden Arches classics remodelled with tastier sauces and produce. This Haberfield hot-spot creates smiles on the faces of guests of all ages, even when there’s a wait for brunch-time table (which is just about a certainty on weekends). North American diner favourites are treated with love and respect, as is the Single O coffee.
Good to know: Spin-off diner Happy Shop is two doors up for New York-style chopped-cheese sandwiches and beignet doughnuts.
96 Ramsay Street, Haberfield, happyfield.com.au
Jinius
Jinius is a one-two culinary punch delivered by Yeongjin Park (the baker-savant who co-founded Tenacious Bakehouse) and Jerry Jeong (a fine-dining chef fresh from six years at Quay). Their cafe, built into a rock escarpment, has a Korean minimalist aesthetic and a pastry cabinet so beautiful it’s practically art.
Queues form on weekends for thick, heady slices of brioche French toast with caramelised edges, figs and brown butter maple syrup, and porchetta banh mi in a crunchy charcoal-striped baguette. Care extends to drinks, from fresh watermelon juice to Ona espresso layered beneath clouds of salted caramel cream.
Best for: A weekday catch-up, when you can walk right in, without a wait.
16 Hickson Road, Dawes Point, instagram.com/jinius.au
If your ideal cafe is all about views and vibes, you’ll appreciate a slow morning at Pocket, watching the ocean waves roll in. Service is warm and casual – of course you can take the corner seat, of course your dog can sit there, of course you can order matcha with single-origin almond milk.
The QR code menu invites customisation, with a selection of simple but solid brunch dishes, including coconut milk porridge – the warming kind with cinnamon, hazelnuts and orange zest – and English muffins stacked with bacon, scrambled eggs and glossy slices of just-melted cheese. Come night you might not be able to see the waves, but there’s a dinner menu, with burgers, blackened chicken and Roman-style calamari.
266 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach, pocketbondi.com
Serva
Serva, a bright orange cafe in the Northern Beaches, is where owner-chef Miles Ackermans shows off his vast range of pickles and preserves – sold retail, or served in sandwiches, toasties, muffins and salads.
Join his growing group of customers-turned-mates, and start swooning over umami-rich mushroom toasties, laced with kombu butter and served with zucchini pickle; and marvelling at the meaty, crunchy, melty Reuben with apple and celery kraut. A Freshwater location has been announced to open sometime in winter 2026, too.
Good to know: Need a last-minute birthday gift? Pick up a pickle jar and locally crafted ceramics here.
Suite 1/538 Sydney Road, Seaforth, servasyd.com.au
TenTo
The courtyard restaurant-cafe is hemmed in by concrete and humming with morning energy, steam rolling off hand-built clay bowls of rich tonkotsu ramen and salmon ochazuke dressed in a delicate blend of green tea and dashi. This is TenTo’s high-impact take on Japanese brunch fare, informed by its mastery of soup stocks, specialty coffee and hand-whisked matcha.
Try the snack menu with crisp katsu eggplant and house made miso cheese; opt for the minimalist Mont Blanc, finished with clouds of Hokkaido-style vanilla cream; and return for dinner (with sake) when you invariably want more.
Good to know: Co-owner Ryota Kumasaka makes those gorgeous rough-hewn ceramics, and you can purchase them to take home.
3/8 Hill Street, Surry Hills, tento.com.au
The Shop & Wine Bar
Things come and go at Bondi, but this all-day cutie has been feeding locals since 2004. Maybe its “homey” vibes are the secret to its staying power – with a handful of tables (inside and out) and an efficient, barely there kitchen, it makes regulars feel like they’re eating in their own tiny apartments. Joking.
Kind service and a well-rounded menu keep the cafe busy throughout the day: eggs and strong coffee in the morning; salads and sandwiches after noon; and glasses of wine at happy hour.
Good to know: Happy hour is from 4pm to 6pm, with drinks from $9.
78 Curlewis Street, Bondi Beach, theshopandwinebar.com
Theeca
There is a perpetual queue of cafe-loving pilgrims outside the handsome sandstone building that houses Theeca. Jump in and be rewarded with one of Sydney’s most charming brunch experiences, from the team behind neighbouring coffee shop Eef.
The communal outdoor tables are a glorious place to tuck into perfectly folded, glossy omelettes and Theeca’s signature mega-pancake, dolloped with Jersey cow creme fraiche and organic blackberry jam. Come nightfall, it transforms into a soft-lit wine bar with seasonal pates and natural wine.
1 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, theeca.com.au
Can’t see your favourite cafe? Chances are it’s in another category. Explore the full list of the 100 Essential Cafes and Bakeries of 2026 in the Good Food app. It’s available as a standalone subscription and is included in premium digital Sydney Morning Herald subscriptions. Download it from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
Good Food reviews are visited anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the 100 Essential Cafes and Bakeries guide.
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