Joburg is brunch central and what better way to start the weekend than with a long, lazy brunch at a local café? Strong coffee, fluffy eggs, freshly squeezed juices, and a mimosa or two make for a fine start to the day, especially when enjoyed on a sunny terrace. Here's a look at some of our favourite places to enjoy brunch in Joburg.
ARBOUR CAFÉ & COURTYARD
Birdhaven's cute, French-inspired courtyard café and restaurant, Arbour Café, is a great spot for a long and lingering brunch. Their weekend brunch menu features classics like the royal Benedict with smoked Norwegian salmon, poached eggs, and hollandaise on fresh brioche, and their signature French galette with wild mushrooms, spinach, and béchamel.
Enjoy 90 minutes of bottomless mimosas and your choice of brunch main for R375 p.p. Booking is essential.
BREEZEBLOCK CAFÉ
Breezeblock is a retro café that calls the historically rich suburb of Brixton its home. Find a cosy corner in their quirky, sun-filled interior or lap up the blue skies in a breezeblock-and-succulent-dappled courtyard while indulging in their refreshingly affordable and delicious breakfast and brunch menu. Specialities include their meppel baked pancakes served with lashings of bacon, Persian-inspired baked eggs with smoky aubergine and fragrant garlic-turmeric tomato sauce, and huevos rancheros. They also have an awesome list of wallet-friendly classic cocktails to put a smile on your dial.All-day breakfast/brunch is served every Sat and Sun from 08:00 – 16:00.
FATHER COFFEE KRAMERVILLE
Affectionately known as 'Father Coffee HQ', Father Coffee Kramerville is a chic, urban café and coffee-roastery-come-wine bar that also offers an all-day weekend brunch. With toasted sourdough croissants filled with eggs and bacon, blueberry and basil crêpes with vanilla crème fraîche and lavender honey, and delectable breakfast buns, toasties, and burgers on offer, Father Coffee is a #winning brunch spot. The coffee is of course top-notch, but you should also grab a Lindt ball hot chocolate or a flat white Russian cocktail while you're there.All-day brunch is served on Sat 08:00 – 20:00 and Sun 08:00 – 17:00.
FLAMES AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL THE WESTCLIFF
Flames is the terrace restaurant at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff known for its staggering panoramic views across the city, especially when the jacarandas are in bloom. Flames has an all-day a la carte dining menu, but their Sunday brunch is their most popular affair and for good reason. Their jaw-droppingly lavish buffet includes freshly baked pastries and breads, artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, oysters, a sushi station, pasta station, a host of hot starters and mains, as well as extravagant waffle and crêpe stations. There's also their Chef's Playground, showcasing an ever-changing array of quiches, salads, and bruschetta, as well as an abundance of petit fours and desserts.
Brunch is R850 p.p. on Sun from 11:00 – 15:00. Reserve a table for brunch online.
FORUM KITCHEN AT L'ANTICO GIARDINO
The Forum Kitchen at L’antico Giardino is a weekends-only breakfast and lunch venue created by top events organisers The Forum Company, located at their beautifully restored Lanseria farm called White Light. Around a 30-minute drive from Sandton, the 'ancient garden', or l'antico giardino, spreads out under tall trees and into a lush garden filled with statues, fountains, and flowers. The majority of the seating is outdoors, and there's also a pretty indoor greenhouse-style dining room. As a special occasion venue for an al fresco baby shower or birthday party, it's a winner. Everything is made with fresh produce sourced from nearby farms and producers, and the menu is regularly updated to reflect the seasons.
Booking is essential; book online here.
LIBERTÉ FRENCH FOOD & WINE
Liberté is a French-inspired restaurant in The Woods Shopping Centre serving breakfast, lunch, and dinners in Parisienne style, with a twist. If you prefer to skip breakfast and do brunch in boozy style, Liberté does a bottomless mimosa brunch every first Saturday of the month. R295 gets you bottomless mimosas for 120 minutes and a brunch item of your choice. Booking is essential; email bookings@liberterestaurant.comNAKED KITCHEN AND COFFEE BAR MORNINGSIDE
Naked Kitchen and Coffee Bar is a trendy brunch spot in Morningside Shopping Centre (there are also branches in Kramerville, Sandton City and Melrose Arch). With their neon signs, array of plants and bespoke tiled walls, it's hard not to fall in love with their Morningside space. Naked Coffee prides itself on producing coffee that’s small batch and hand-roasted and also offers an exceptional brunch menu. Opt for the gluten-free pumpkin flapjacks with fresh seasonal berries and banana, New York buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, Greek yoghurt and sour cherries, or their savoury breakfast stack with a poached egg, smashed avocado, burnt butter and bacon on a potato rosti. Can't go wrong here.
OLIVES & PLATES HYDE PARK
Nestled within Exclusive Books at upmarket Hyde Park Corner, Olives & Plates is a gorgeous, feminine space with views over leafy suburbia. Their expansive menu offers something for every taste, from healthy breakfast bowls with gluten-free granola, to eggs Benedict with bacon, mushrooms and truffle-infused hollandaise mousse; vegan shakshuka with portabello mushroom and vine tomatoes, to some of the best peri-peri chicken livers in town.
Bookings are recommended and can be made online.
PABLO DOS MANOS AT PABLO HOUSE
Inspired by their travels in Italy, the Pablo Dos Manos team has created a sensational brunch offering entitled 'From Amalfi with Love'. You'll find all your most beloved Pablo Eggs-Go-Bar favourites alongside delectable Amalfi-inspired dishes brimming with fresh lemon and truffle shavings. You certainly won't regret ordering their lobster and prawn roll with sriracha mayo or the linguine with parmesan, cognac, cream lemon and fresh truffle, both are sublime. Pair these with one of their Amalfi brunch cocktails like their sweet and scintillating Capri cooler or Limoncello spritz. You can also go all-in with their bottomless bubbly or mimosas.
Brunch is every Sat and Sun from 10:00 – 14:00. The last brunch booking/seating is at 12:00 and the last order on the brunch menu is at 13:00. Booking is essential; email info@pablohouse.co.za
THE POT LUCK CLUB JOHANNESBURG
The Pot Luck Club puts the 'boujee' in Sunday brunch, or in their words, it's "Sunday brunch done proper". Highlights from the sharing plate set menu include bloody Mary oysters, their take on the Arnold Bennett (named after the author who would order a haddock omelette when perennially staying at The Savoy in London), brioche with porcini, asparagus, hollandaise, and a selection of salacious sweet bites. Their DIY bloody Mary station is just plain magic, plus you can make them bottomless for a little extra.Brunch is from 11:00 – 12:30 and is R850 p.p. (available in vegetarian and pescatarian options). Last orders at 13:00 and bottomless Cap Classique or DIY bloody Marys can be added at R490 p.p.; booking is essential and can be made online here.
PROUD MARY
One of Rosebank's most visually impressive venues, Proud Mary at the eye-catching voco Hotel The Bank is a self-proclaimed "modern-day eatery" with one of the sexiest bar counters in the neighbourhood, and an impressive drinks menu to match. For brunch choose from their extensive breakfast menu (available until 11:30) or their enticing lunch menu of small plates and 'cafe plates'. If you're feeling extravagant, order some oysters too. The terrace is prime people-watching territory and the façade opens onto the street, bringing in lots of air and light.
SALVATION CAFÉ
This busy café at 44 Stanley in Milpark is surrounded by enticing design and fashion stores. Tables flow outdoors onto a covered veranda and into a picturesque courtyard, perfect for a relaxed weekend brunch. There's a good selection of salads, sandwiches, and wraps, and an excellent vegetarian chilli with nachos or pick something from the breakfast menu that presents a choice of 'healthy', 'sweet' and 'savoury' options. Fresh and healthy ingredients are top of the list and everything is free-range.
No bookings can be made on Sat or Sun for breakfasts; walk-ins only.
PANTRY BY GEMELLI
A brunch oasis in the heart of Bryanston, Pantry by Gemelli is a playground of beautifully plated, moreish all-day breakfasts and cocktails. What sets Pantry by Gemelli apart is their embodiment of the New York brunch atmosphere with a menu that celebrates brunch classics, some with a delectable South African twist. The house shakshuka has a spicy beef mince ragu instead of the usual tomato base, and instead of the usual toast or croissants, amagwinya and dombolo are served with a selection of their signatures. On the sweeter side, their churro-style brioche French toast with macerated strawberries, maple syrup and vanilla mascarpone is a pillow of sugary perfection. The atmosphere is buzzing, the service is always on point, the cocktails are vibrant, fresh and fruity, it's safe to say it's a guaranteed good time.
Breakfast is Mon – Wed at 07:00 – 16:30, Thu – Sun at 07:00 – 17:30. Walk-ins only.
THE WHIPPET
Those in the know credit this buzzing coffee shop for putting the suburb of Linden on the culinary map. The food at The Whippet is bountiful and tantalising, and the coffee and cocktail selections are tops. Every morning their doors open early for delicious breakfasts and all-day brunch; it's a showstopper of a menu made with the utmost love and attention, and on weekends you'll need to get there early to get a table. Everything from Benedicts to burgers is up for grabs, along with bowls, stuffed croissants, open sandwiches, and their signature banana bread.
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