Studying abroad in Sydney is truly better than studying in any other destination (sorry, I’m biased) for many reasons, especially when it comes down to FOOD. You might not be consuming Italian pizza or Spanish paella, but you will consume endless amounts of delicious cuisine. In specific, brunch or “brekky” in Sydney is unreal, and you will dream about it every day after you arrive back in America.

Breakfast to go at Glebe Markets

A huge part of my experience in Sydney was tracking down the best brekky hot-spots, typically found on Instagram or recommended by friends. Therefore, a lot of our days spent exploring revolved around not only finding cool places to visit, but also finding good places to brunch.  Everything in the land down under is fresh and oftentimes topped with avocado, and you truly cannot go wrong with any brunch option. I tended to lean more toward the breakfast (“brekky”) bowls and poached egg options. You will eat more brekky bowls and poached eggs during your 5 months in Sydney than you will during any period of time in your life, I assure you.

A tribute to the poached egg. Photo by Allie Vandegrift who studied abroad in Sydney

My best advice is to eat as much brunch as you can. Read below for photos of some epic Sydney brekkies and some of my favorite brunch spots.

Grounds of Alexandria

An old warehouse and parking lot transformed into a lively assortment of food options in a garden, ranging from brunch, to coffee, to dessert. Eating here is an experience. There are live animals, including a pig named Kevin Bacon, and small carts to take-away freshly baked goods and coffee, as well as delicious breakfast options – especially the avocado toast!

The Grounds of Alexandria, beautiful food and surroundings. Photo by Hannah Schube, DePaul University

Bondi Wholefoods

Great place to brunch when you’re shopping in Surry Hills or doing the coastal walk from Coogee to Bondi, both locations are AMAZING. Once I had their brekky bowl, I never looked back. Bondi Wholefoods was my favorite brunch place, and I must have consumed 10 breakfast bowls during my time in Sydney. The breakfast/brekky bowl has yogurt, granola, fruit, and muesli, it’s basically heaven in a bowl. Highly recommend!

Speedo’s Cafe

Cute spot to dine when you are in Bondi Beach. They have a really yummy (and healthy) menu that is unique. I loved the pancakes (pictured below) as well as their coco whip. Definitely worth a visit.

Bare Naked Bowls

My friends and I found this place on Instagram and they actually have the best acai bowls EVER. Manly is probably my favorite beach in Sydney, so when you get off of the ferry, this should be your first stop! The photo speaks for itself…

Top Juice

I loved going to Top Juice, which is known for its smoothies. While it’s a chain, I found it to be my favorite place to get breakfast/brunch during days that I had class. My go-to was the yogurt with granola and strawberries topped with an assortment of fruit. I went to the Central Park location because it was on campus and right by my apartment.

Fork & Grind

Sadly, we did not discover Fork & Grind until the last month of our abroad experience. This cafe is located basically across the street from Urbanest, which is TEAN housing for many students who study at University of Sydney and UTS (where I studied). They have awesome acai bowls and poached eggs, also a great brekky option between classes.

Jolie Pepperman is a TEAN Alum and student at the University of Pittsburgh, she studied abroad in Sydney, Australia.