There's nothing better than starting the weekend with a lazy brunch with friends – and there are plenty of options among SA's thriving and creative cafe scene.

Words Melissa Keogh, Angela Skujins, Gretel Sneath and Belinda Willis

Adelaide Hills: Organic Market Cafe
A long-standing Stirling institution, the Organic Market Cafe is a hotspot for brunch, lunch or cake and coffee. The cafe follows a flavoursome and wholefood focus, cooking up home-style hearty meals. The atmosphere is homely, warm and inviting. Grab a spot under the trees outside or nab a table away from the elements. Check out the cake cabinet – it’s a little more guilt-free than your usual sweet selections. The back of the cafe is an organic market store, the state’s longest-running organic store with a wholefood focus.

Adelaide Hills: FRED Eatery
When asked for a breakfast or lunch recommendation, most Hills locals won’t hesitate to suggest Fred Eatery in Aldgate – a favourite that continues to evolve, with a diverse menu driven by experienced chef and co-owner Todd Langley. There are in fact three menus – early breakfast (until 11.45am), all-day brekkie offerings (until 3pm), and lunch (noon-3pm). The chef himself recommends the signature all-day breakfast options of Malaysian Bang Bang (gluten-free and dairy-free) or Happiness in a Bowl (gluten-free).

Adelaide Hills: Harvest Mylor Cafe
A popular stop on the Hills brunch scene, Harvest Mylor Cafe is a hotspot for locals, visitors, cyclists and families. Pretty much everything dished out of the kitchen is made from scratch, with a big focus on healthy, local and seasonal ingredients. The sourdough bread from Mylor Bakery is worth the visit alone. Set in a small cottage on Strathalbyn Road, the space has charm and warmth that makes sitting with a latte and some fruit toast irresistible.

Barossa: Darling’s Cafe
Darling’s Cafe in Tanunda prides itself on using as much locally grown and made produce as possible. Suppliers include The Barossa Valley Cheese Co, Apex Bakery, Eleni Barossa Hand-Made and Linke’s Butcher. The cafe is even supported by home-grown fruits from wonderful community members. Darling’s delicious muffins are made fresh every morning in-house and there is also a wide range of house-made breakfast items such as granola, muesli, baked beans, poached or scrambled eggs or toasted sandwiches to go. The cafe is in its fifth year and is committed to making a great cup of coffee supplied by outstanding SA roaster, Kindred Coffee by David Trotta and Alex Loft.

Barossa: Fleur Social
Fleur Social’s food story is about being local, fresh, and simple. The Nuriootpa-based cafe has created a menu showcasing Barossa ingredients with a North American twist – yes, you can have eggs for breakfast at any time of the day. There are meals to suit all dietary requirements, fresh-baked muffins, breads and pastries all served with coffee from Barossa Coffee Roasters.

Kangaroo Island: Cactus Kangaroo Island
Opened by best mates Louis Lark and Yen Aun Leow in 2017, Cactus Kangaroo Island prides itself on making some of the best coffee on the island, alongside a delicious menu of breakfast and lunch offerings. Louis and Yen have increased their trading hours to seven days a week, year-round, opening at 7.30am for breakfast, and taking lunch orders up until 2.30pm. Sample sweets freshly baked in-house, and check the specials board for creations such as blue swimmer crab and Kangaroo Island Free Range scrambled eggs on locally-baked sourdough, with house-made chilli oil, radish and Asian herbs. “Our food is fresh, simple, light and local,” says Louis.

Eyre Peninsula: Alicia’s Coffee, Cake and Flowers
Rustic benches are filled with locals nibbling on homemade brownies or tucking into a breakfast bacon and egg Turkish roll. This comfortable spot in the small central town of Wudinna is constantly changing its seasonal menu from dumplings to curries or spaghetti and meatballs. Fresh coffee, baked treats and flowers are all on sale.

Limestone Coast: The Adventurous Spoon
This little stone cottage cafe is a brunching and lunching institution in Robe. The Adventurous Spoon loves to bend the rules with breakfast cocktails from 8am, crumbed poached eggs and brie and maple baked beans among the gourmet offerings. In 2019, the owners opened Black Swan Bar, Wine & Tapas just around the corner, adding a new night-time venue to the booming seaside town.

Adelaide: UR Caffe
Pronounced “your cafe” this cheery breakfast spot on Melbourne Street, North Adelaide, offers fresh and delicious menu options for breakfast, brunch and lunch. UR Caffe is run by husband and wife team Kate and Boyd Pattarapongkasame, with a menu offering staples through to more extravagant creations such as acai bowls and eggs benedict with Thai-style pulled pork. There are also plenty of gluten-free options. For lunch, there is a range of open sandwiches, salads and brioche bun creations. Boyd and his team of trained baristas make consistently good coffee as well as nourishing smoothies.

Adelaide: My Kingdom For a Horse
Known as one of Adelaide’s original boutique roasters and best brunch spots, My Kingdom For a Horse produces high-quality coffee, food and hospitality. The cafe and coffee company was founded by Emily Raven five years ago, originally located exclusively in the city’s southwestern pocket on Wright Street. Last year the team expanded My Kingdom to a second location on Waymouth Street, with a more grab-and-go focus for its coffee and food offering.

This information first appeared in the SALIFE Food & Wine List 2020.