Best brunch cafes in Kensington

Best brunch cafes in Kensington, ranked

1. #1Cafe YS9 for a slow weekend brunch

   $$Outdoor seating🌳 Raleigh Park, 2 min walk

   Cafe YS9 is the place for a slow weekend brunch. Order the prawn patty burger first, then the big breakfast, which diners call generous for the price. The iced matcha is the drink to pair with either. It opens at 7:30am on Saturdays and Sundays and closes at 3:30pm, so a late start still works. Raleigh Park lies two minutes away for a walk after the meal.

2. #2Cafe Jack's for an early family breakfast

   $$Outdoor seating🌳 Kokoda Memorial Park, 1 min walk

   Cafe Jack's is the early choice for a family breakfast. Its Zucchini Breakfast and Brekky Bowl are the dishes named most, and the plates arrive large and neatly presented. Milkshakes and cookies suit a table of children. Saturday mornings start at 4:30am here, and Sundays at 6am. Kokoda Memorial Park is a short stroll, one minute by foot. Busy periods are common, but the service keeps moving and tables turn over.

3. #3Bar Lucio for a long sit outside

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Wills Reserve, 3 min walk

   Bar Lucio is the cafe to pick for a long sit outside. Regulars order the wood-fired panino and the mortadella focaccia, with the avocado bruschetta as a side. Customers often stay a while on the covered balcony. It opens at 7am on Saturdays and Sundays and closes at 3pm, and Wills Reserve is a three-minute walk away. Dishes come neatly presented, so it also works for a long catch-up with children.

4. #4MAZE Coffee & Food for a quick weekday wrap

   $🌳 Alumni Park, 1 min walk

   MAZE Coffee & Food is the quick option for a weekday breakfast or a lunch wrap. The chicken, spinach, cheese and tomato wrap is the item named most often. Food arrives wrapped in paper, so it is easy to carry to Alumni Park, a minute's walk away. It opens at 6:30am from Monday to Friday and closes at 4pm, except Friday at 3pm, and it is closed at weekends. Some customers find the counter service curt, but waits for takeaway orders are short.

5. #5Stable Talk Cafe for a hearty family meal

   $$🌳 Kokoda Memorial Park, 5 min walk

   Stable Talk Cafe suits a family meal or a table with mixed tastes. Its menu runs from eggs on a roll and eggs Benedict to prawn linguine, steak with chips and burgers, so one table can order widely. Portions are described as good, but recent visits flag inconsistent mains and coffee, so ask which dishes are best on the day. It opens at 6am on weekdays and 6:30am on Saturdays, and high chairs are available. A walk to Kokoda Memorial Park takes about five minutes.

6. #6Home Ground Kiosk for a weekday lunch bowl outdoors

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Merilyn Sleigh Lawn, 1 min walk

   For a weekday lunch outdoors, Home Ground Kiosk sits on Science Road beside the sports centre. The coconut chicken bowl is the lunch to order, and a cappuccino is the coffee most often named. Outdoor tables sit on the lawns, in a calm spot. It is open 7:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday and closed at weekends. Prices run a little above other campus outlets, which customers say is worth it for fresher food. Its closest green space is Merilyn Sleigh Lawn, a minute off.

7. #7The Little Marionette at UNSW for quick espresso

   $🌳 Michael Birt Gardens, 1 min walk

   The Little Marionette at UNSW is the stop for espresso when speed matters. Find it behind Clancy Auditorium at Gate 9. Weekday hours run 7am to 4pm, with no weekend trading. The iced mocha with hazelnut syrup is the drink customers ask for most, and a long black suits anyone who wants plain espresso. Drinks come off two La Marzocco machines, so the line moves even when busy. Michael Birt Gardens is one minute on foot.

8. #8Caffe Brioso for a takeaway oat latte on campus

   $🌳 Library Lawn, 1 min walk

   Caffe Brioso is the takeaway stop for students and staff in the Morven Brown Building. The oat latte is the drink to order, and chai and iced matcha come in takeaway cups for the walk across the lawns. It opens at 7am on weekdays and closes at 6:30pm Monday to Thursday, and it does not open at weekends. Library Lawn is one minute on foot. Some customers find drinks from the library cart weak, especially near closing, so an early order is the safer bet.

Compare best brunch cafes in Kensington

The table below sets out price, weekend opening, outdoor seating and the nearest park for each cafe.

How we picked best brunch cafes in Kensington

The order follows a score that gives more weight to cafes with more reviews. Each listing was also looked at for brunch on the menu, weekend opening times, dogs inside or outside where recorded, and outdoor tables. What to order, and how the food and coffee suit a slow morning, come from each cafe's own page and are rewritten here. Cafes that close at weekends stay in where breakfast or lunch is served.