Coffee, breakfast and brunch: Northern Beaches cafes to try right now

If you’ve worked up an appetite after an early morning swim at Narrabeen Beach, you can step straight off the sand and straight into the Cabana Beach Kiosk at South Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club.

Treat yourself to the signature Cabana roll, packed with double bacon, egg and cheese as well as tomato, rocket, relish and aioli. Or, if you’re after something a bit healthier, the Buddha bowl with quinoa, kale and chickpeas, amongst other superfoods, will hit the spot.

It’s not just for breakfast either – stop by for lunch or dinner and enjoy beach views with a menu featuring pulled pork tacos, fish and chips or a bucket of just plucked from the sea prawns.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Bucket of prawns ($34)

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Both a busy, cosy cafe and a licensed organic grocer, the vision behind Ruby Lane is to make wholefoods fresh, fun and available to everyone.

Dishes here are designed to be both delicious and nutrient-dense. The superfood banana bread, with almond meal, macadamia oil, local honey and walnuts,  is a perfect example of this.

Other offerings include a triple stack of buckwheat, chia, and banana pancakes, and a smash ‘n’ hash of sweet potato fritters topped with smashed avo. Eggs benny here comes with pasture-raised eggs and toasted gluten-free focaccia, while the pulled pork burger features free range pork.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Superfood banana bread ($8)

This sunny Dee Why beachside cafe is perfect for a light bite and summery drink after a morning swim. True to its name, The Beach Shed is a converted shed, and the fit-out is gorgeously rustic.

On the menu are classic brunch options from fruit toast and bircher muesli to smashed avo on sourdough toast and brekkie burgers. With a prime seaside locale, you don’t need to stray too far from the glistening ocean for a taste of urban cafe culture.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Brekkie burger

A favourite of Manly locals, The Bower not only serves up some of the best coffee in the area, but the view is stunning with a sprawling vista across Shelly Beach.

If the view doesn’t get you, the perfect alfresco menu will! There’s all day breakfast and all day lunch on offer, and you can’t do much better than the corn and zucchini fritters for brekkie or the Bower burger at midday. Don’t forget to order yourself an extra coffee before you leave, and you’ll be set for a happy, sunny day out.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Southern fried chicken burger ($26)

While Rollers is technically more of a bakery than a cafe, you can’t discuss the Northern Beaches and cafes without an honourable mention of this local legend.

The purveyors of crispy golden croissants that have a Sydey-wide cult following, this cute cafe has a Palm Springs fit-out complete with a pastel pink terrace. The star of the show are those croissants and they sell out pretty quick, so as you know, the early bird gets the worm. The twice-baked almond croissant with almond frangipane and spices plus a cuppa from Okay Coffee will no doubt have you smiling for the rest of the day.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Plain croissant ($6)