15 of the best Paddington cafes to indulge at (2024)

Renowned for its fashion and culture, Paddington offers leisurely brunch spots, freshly baked goods and specialty coffee that will keep you wanting more.

Elegant Paddington seamlessly blends historic charm with modern flair. Nestled close to the Sydney CBD, Paddington’s tree-lined streets and beautifully restored Victorian terrace houses achieve the perfect balance between bustling and peaceful. There’s plenty to see, and more importantly, to eat: browse through Paddington Markets that are on every Saturday from 10am to 4pm, pop into one of the many chic boutiques, book a table at one of Sydney’s best restaurants, Saint Peter, for delicious seafood, or cafe hop along Paddington’s excellent cafes. Whatever brings you into the suburb, the excellent coffee and cafe scene will see you stay a little longer. Read on for our suggestions for where to eat.

1. Jackies

Best for: light, al-fresco dining space offering Australian and Japanese food.
Price: $-$$

Located in the heart of the Intersection, Paddington, Jackies cafe has been an institution on the cafe scene since the late 1990s. All-day breakfast is served in the sunny outdoor courtyard, offering the classics and plates like lobster scrambled eggs. The lunch menu is a mix of gyoza, sushi, salads and sandwiches. A wide selection of drinks is available, ranging from coffee, juices, shakes, kombucha, cocktails and wine.

Pop by Jackies for a delicious brunch. (Image: Destination NSW)

Address: 1C Glenmore Road, Paddington

2. Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore

Best for: cosying up in a bookstore, enjoying fresh food and good coffee.
Price: $$

You’ll find Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore on bustling Oxford Street, and if in doubt, follow the trail of book lovers making a direct beeline for three levels of new and second-hand books. The tables nestled into cosy nooks and crannies on each level give a Parisian vibe, and diners are invited to lose themselves in the pages of a book with a coffee (and baked treat) in hand. Expect Little Marionette coffee beans, and the chai, bircher muesli, granola and juices are made fresh on-site. For breakfast, you’ll find things like smokey house baked beans and Turkish-inspired labneh eggs, with salads and burgers rounding out the lunch menu.

Address: 78 Oxford Street, Paddington

3. Funkis Köket Café

Price: $
Best for: cosy Scandinavian vibes with plenty of outdoor seating.

If you’re looking for an authentic taste of Scandinavia right in the heart of Paddington, head for the charming Funkis Köket Café. With a beautiful indoor aesthetic and sunny garden courtyard, it’s the perfect place to indulge your senses with an irresistible Kanelbullar – cinnamon bun – to embrace the Swedish coffee break tradition of “fika”, paired with one of their Allpress coffees.

Embrace a Scandinavian start to the day with breakfast at Köket.

Beyond the tempting baked treats (you’ll also find vanilla and cardamom buns too), the cafe offers a seasonal salad selection, and brunch dishes like Skagen-inspired salmon, and granola. The cafe adjoins Funkis, a Scandinavian design and lifestyle store, so pop in for a spot of shopping afterwards.

Köket adjoins Funkis, a Scandinavian design and lifestyle store.

Address: Funkis Köket cafe, 202 Oxford St, Paddington

4. MORRIS

Best for: when you need a menu that has something for everyone.
Price: $

The owners at MORRIS are keen to share their love for food and coffee with Paddington. Morris has an all-day menu featuring the classics, and dishes like bruschetta stracciatella and hot salmon toasties. While it’s not often you see hot milo on the drinks menu, you’ll also find a range of smoothies, shakes and juices alongside the coffee. With tables out the front that spill into the shady, green street, Morris Cafe is the perfect spot to casually enjoy your meal while the world slowly goes by.

Address: 33 Albion Ave, Paddington

5. Barbetta

Best for: classic Italian food in a nostalgic setting.
Price: $$

If you’re craving hearty Italian for breakfast, lunch and dinner; fancy moving onto a pasta workshop, and then want to bring Italian wares home afterwards, Barbetta is the place to be.

Pasta dishes reign supreme at night but banoffee ricotta pancakes steal the show at breakfast. (Image: Nikki To)

With an open space that is bustling and welcoming, the hardest breakfast decision is deciding on whether you want sweet or savoury, with choices like banoffee ricotta pancakes and carbonara Australiana – soft scrambled eggs with crispy bacon, ricotta and pecorino. The lunch menu covers all the favourites, from rigatoni al ragu di wagyu, to polpette – homemade pork and veal meatballs.

Discover a taste of Italy in the heart of Paddington. (Image: Nikki To)

Address: 2 Elizabeth St, Paddington

6. Daily Greens

Best for: grabbing a fresh juice and healthy green bowl.
Price: $

Daily Greens embodies the philosophy of ‘Grow, Harvest, Serve’ with its commitment to fresh food and zero waste. Head here if you’re hankering for a delicious, healthy meal – as well as the breakfast menu, there’s a range of seasonal sandwiches and salad bowls, with the option to ‘build-your-own’.

Enjoy a vibrant feast at Daily Greens. (Image: Luisa Brimble)

It’s not every day that you find a tree inside the back of a cafe, head inside and you’ll notice that the sun-drenched glass room has been built around it. You’ll also find outdoor seating out front, and a relaxing, leafy courtyard rounding out the seating out the back: a perfect city escape.

Address: 2/16 Glenmore Road, Paddington

7. Bake Bar

Best for: artisan bread and baked treats paired with a lazy morning coffee.
Price: $

A staple on Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs bakery scene, Bake Bar can be found just off Paddington’s Five Ways intersection. This classic artisan bakery has a range of bread, from sourdough, l’ancienne loaves and baguettes, as well as an extensive offering of baking goods ranging from scones to muffins, scrolls, danishes and croissants.

The artisan bakery serves up a range of delicious breakfast options.

There’s outdoor street seating if you choose to eat in, with an extensive rotating summer and winter menu serving the classics like shakshuka, salads and burgers. While you’re there, you may as well grab a few pastries to fuel a wander through Paddington’s boutiques – your future self will thank you.

Stock up on pastries and bread for the week ahead while you’re there.

Address: 226 Glenmore Rd, Paddington

8. Cafe Fiveways

Best for: big brekky out in the sun, people-watching.
Price: $

Cafe Fiveways is perched right off the iconic intersection, and the outdoor seating out front is the perfect spot for people-watching in the sun. It’s an all-day menu, with favourites like a big brekky, burgers, salads and pasta, and a kids’ menu available. There’s fresh juice and coffee on offer, and they’re fully licensed too.

Settle in for a morning of people-watching and delicious eats. (Image: Destination NSW)

Address: 2A Heeley Street, Paddington

9. Padre

Best for: a coffee sensory experience of the taste buds.
Price: $

Padre means business when it comes to coffee, which is excellent news for Paddington. The popular Melbourne-based coffee roaster opened the doors to its first Sydney concept store in June 2023 and has been an oasis for coffee newbies and enthusiasts alike ever since.

Padre Paddington is a taste of Melbourne’s best brew in Sydney.

Inside you’ll find a glossy espresso bar, featuring a hot filter and cold brew, a spot to buy signature blends and coffee equipment, and importantly, tasty baked treats available that have been freshly sourced from local Sydney bakeries.

Coffee and baked treats are the order of the day at Padre.

Address: 241A-241B Glenmore Rd, Paddington

10. Four Six Eight

Best for: classic, healthy meals in a modern setting.
Price: $

With friendly service, a cosy feel inside, and a tiny courtyard out the back, Paddington’s Four Six Eight is the place to go for a casual, relaxed meal.

Meals at Four Six Eight are colourful and comforting. (Image: Nikki To)

Husband and wife team, Cathy and Jacob Lo, have put together a tasty menu featuring a range of breakfast and lunch favourites to keep everyone happy. The beans are sourced from Pablo and Rusty, and organic tea from Rabbit Hole.

Four Six Eight cafe offers a bright and airy space or courtyard to dine in. (Image: Nikki To)

Address: 468 Oxford Street Paddington

11. Sonder

Best for: homely vibe with fresh food and good coffee.
Price: $-$$ 

Sonder’s cheerful yellow street umbrellas welcome you in from Paddington’s Five Ways intersection, and into the bright terrace building and courtyard out the back. The menu covers all the brunch classics, from ricotta hotcakes, shakshuka, bircher muesli and house-baked beans. There’s a range of drinks available too, from coffee to cocktails, milkshakes, smoothies and juices.

Address: 227 Glenmore Rd, Paddington

12. Paddington Alimentari

Best for: rustic Italian deli serving great coffee and a range of paninis.
Price: $-$$

For a slice of Italy, step into Paddington Alimentari, and be wowed by abundant deli counters that will serve all your antipasti desires. Originally established as an Italian delicatessen, you’ll now find a cafe, with limited seating, serving Allpress coffee, paninis and a range of fresh produce. With glass counters overflowing with baked treats and delicious food, be ready to take some to go so that you’ve got plenty of snacks for later in the day, too.

Come by Alimentari for Allpress coffee and paninis. (Image: Destination NSW)

Address: 2 Hopetoun St, Paddington

13. Omeio Artisanal Deli

Best for: a curated deli selection of local and international goods.
Price: $-$$

It’s hard to pick just one thing when you stop by Omeio, so come prepared to take home an assortment of tasty Mediterranean deli foods, baked treats and pantry essentials. Omeio considers itself a local purveyor of good food, featuring over 500 unique goods from skilled artisans who use high-quality ingredients. Think freshly baked portokalopita, spanakopita, delectable sandwiches and deli plates. Omeio’s has a strong sense of community, so take a seat on one of the crates out the front, or order one of their picnic boxes and head a few streets over to Paddington Reserve for a glorious picnic in the area.

 Address: 1/31 MacDonald St, Paddington

14. Juniper

Best for: a local boutique cafe with fresh brunch favourites.
Price: $$

You’ll find Juniper, a friendly neighbourhood cafe, just off the iconic Five Ways intersection in Paddington. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with friendly staff eager to be helpful. There’s an all-day breakfast on offer, as well as burgers, burritos and salads. On a sunny day, opt for a seat outside to watch the Paddington community go by.

Consume healthy greens at Juniper.

Address: 225 Glenmore Rd, Paddington

15. Berkelouw Café 1812

Best for: a sophisticated cafe/wine bar to people-watch or sink into a book.
Price: $$

Berkelouw Café 1812 draws inspiration from the very first Berkelouw Books to open in Rotterdam, Holland, back in the year 1812. The visionary forebearer understood that books were a precious commodity, so wanted to establish a salon for communities to gather and discuss books and ideas over books and wine. Today, Cafe 1812 has created its own space to do just that: a cosy place to enjoy books with robust coffee and good food. The dark timber panelling and polished floorboards of this first-floor cafe evoke a salon-esque space, and it is the best spot to perch with a drink in hand to people-watch those passing by on the street below. There’s all day breakfast, as well as a lunch and dinner menu with an accompanying wine list.

Address: Level One, Berkelouw Books, 19 Oxford Street, Paddington

Discover the best cafes in Surry Hills