A “no bullshit” sandwich deli doing cold-cut layered paninis, cracking chicken-schnitty rolls and spectacular salad sangas. Served from a canteen-style window next to a smash-repairs workshop in Rockdale.

Anchored by its owners’ Polish heritage, this new-wave deli and cafe is big on sandwiches with sliced cheese, pickles, and thick cuts of meat. Be prepared to queue though, the weekend lines here can get pretty wild.

A formidable sandwich shop meets-deli-and-bakery. And this isn’t your average sanga store – think kangaroo mortadella with fermented chilli, and chicken sandwiches with plenty of heft. Plus lamingtons, fancy Vegemite scrolls and house-made jams and pickles to take home.

A sophisticated American-style diner that's all about the sort of fuss-free food that you’d find in a New York or LA diner: biscuits and gravy, vegan sloppy joes and short stack pancakes. By the team who brought us Grumpy Donuts.

This Surry Hills bagelry is inspired by the bagels of New York icon Russ & Daughters. Owner Mike Samaha spent three years perfecting his recipe. The result? A small-but-mighty bagel that's crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Go for a classic filled with gravlax and cream cheese, or try one of the heftier steak or chicken numbers.

An unpretentious corner cafe serving all day crowd-pleasers and Single O Coffee. Batch brew on tap – served cold, hot, or topped with whipped cream – is about as fancy as it gets here. For food, try the comforting black-sausage sanga, or the vegan tofu scrambled “eggs”.

Enjoy Skittle Lane's full-bodied seasonal blend and pastries from Tuga, then sidle next door to shop Assembly’s casually luxe pieces.

The expansive industrial space houses a tasting bar, training space and roastery.

This is the younger sibling of Maybe Sammy (arguably Sydney’s most acclaimed cocktail bar). It’s an all-day cafe and bar, where you can have cocktails at 10am and coffee ‘till 10pm. Come for half-serve cocktails on tap, strong coffee and a tight menu of versatile snacks.

This corner store and cafe is in a space that once housed a classic general store. Now, it serves coffees, fat double-bacon-and-egg toasties and Snickers slices out of its takeaway window.

Haberfield’s new sunshine-yellow-hued cafe feels a little like an American diner, with its vinyl booths, filter coffee and stacks of pancakes served with real Canadian maple syrup. And a lot of thought has gone into those pancakes – its owner tells us that the perfect pancake can be folded twice and is no more than a half-pinky thick. But the real standout is the atmosphere – it's just a pleasant place to spend a morning.

Small Talk Glebe is the second outpost for the Dulwich Hill favourite. This light filled, dough-smelling space is great for everything bagels, tomato focaccia and cinnamon doughnuts. Plus suburb-specific sandwich specials, and ferments and pickles to take home.

Come to this hole-in-the-wall Manly bakery for sourdough loaves and wholewheat pastries. Once you've grabbed your goods, order a coffee and stroll over to enjoy it by the beach. If you're down to try baking your own bread, Staple's hand-ground flour is available here, too.

Don't pay attention to the name – Super Okay far exceeds the expectations set for it by its moniker. Come for spectacular jaffles and coffee in a vast warehouse. The jaffs are filled with the likes of smoked ham and cheddar, truffled mushroom and ricotta, and bolognaise.

Deluca Marrickville take coffee seriously- so seriously that they serve coffee and only coffee. Choose from full cream, oat or black. For milk-based coffees, there’s Sweet Spot, Deluca’s core blend that uses beans from Colombia and Indonesia.