Bills Darlinghurst

The man with the dazzling Colgate smile and tighty-white jeans to match may have built his reputation on silky scrambled eggs and fluffy ricotta hotcakes, but these days Bill Granger is best known for his sunny TV shows and string of best-selling books. To see where it all began, hightail it to his sun-drenched cafe in Darlinghurst.

Each weekend, queues snake around the corner as locals and tourists alike jostle for a spot at the central communal table and petite, banquette-lined back room. Though the man himself doesn’t spend much time in the kitchen these days – with further interests in Japan and the UK – his no-fuss approach is clearly evident in the pared-back white and blonde wood spaces and crowd pleasing line-up of cafe favourites.

For a long time, the cafe’s legendary breakfasts have been the yardstick by which other cafes are measured, as chefs around town loudly spruik time spent at the pans either here, or at the sister eateries in Surry Hills and Bondi Beach.

Bloody Mary-fuelled brunches give way to laidback lunches of parmesan-crumbed schnitzel with kohlrabi slaw, or a generous Wagyu beef burger with beetroot, relish and zucchini pickles.

There’s a short and sharp wine list of local wines, with the odd New Zealand and French appearance. But if it’s too early for a cocktail or a glass of sparkling, opt for an espresso, made using an in-house blend from Single Origin Roasters or a glass of homemade lemonade.