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Uchi Lounge
Dress up creatively - your server certainly will, and the decor will reflect that. Blissful Japanese food takes centre stage; however, start with chilled udon with lime ponzu and follow with kingfish sashimi, seared tuna or tempura oysters. The raspberry lychee or ginger sake goes down real smooth.
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Uliveto
Beautiful breakfasts, fresh juices, great coffee and muffins are the staples of this chilled-out café, set in a tree-lined plaza. The people-watching's not bad either.
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Una's Coffee Lounge
A true stayer, Una's has almost 30 years of experience in serving European comfort food and heavenly all-day fry-ups for brekky. Order your goulash, bratwurst, schnitzel or strudel, or steer towards the more mainstream omelettes and crepes, all the while enjoying your kitschy ski-lodge surroundings.
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Vamps
This romantic little old-style French restaurant serves classics such as duck à l'orange and Crêpe Suzette in the evenings. However, it's the weekend Breakfast Club that keeps us coming back. After a hard night out grab a seat in the pretty courtyard, order lots of coffee and a hearty breakfast (around A$4 - A$13 ) and vamp it up with the waiters.
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Varga Bar Espresso
This cute little dark pink café with an electric blue coffee machine is a great place to sit and watch Newtown's black parade. It's a mission to choose from the tantalising brunch options but the breakfast burrito usually wins out.
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Wahwah Lounge
With its über-modern interior, friendly staff and great name, this is a dependable spot for a first-rate cooked breakfast or lunch, a healthy sandwich or a daytime wine tipple.
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Wharf Restaurant
Located above the Sydney Theatre Company wharf in Walsh Bay is this airy restaurant set in a converted warehouse space. Score a covered patio table and order the nashi-pear salad with goat's cheese, and follow it with the roasted five-spice chicken and shallots. Or just sit back and enjoy the awesome bridge and harbour views.
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Wildrice
In Paddington's obscure western reaches, Wildrice is a glorious exaltation of contemporary Thai cooking. Rice arrives in moulded conical mounds, which you smother with red chicken-breast curry and grilled sweet-chilli scampi. Coriander by the bushel; absolutely sensational.
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Xic Lo
Serving up authentic favourites such as pho bo (beef rice-noodle soup) and rice paper rolls, this slick diner is a worthy crowd-pleaser. The food is excellent - fresh, tangy and as well-balanced as Vietnamese cuisine is supposed to be.
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Yellow
Yes indeed, it's yellow. The cheeriness continues inside where bouncy/touchy/feely staff enthusiastically proffer the finest olive oils, homemade pastas, cakes, quiches, jam, polenta and sausages. The bistro next door throws it all together and comes up with winners. Hey, is that Paul Keating in the corner?
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Yuga
This is an odd combination - not just florist and café, but stylish and reasonably priced, fancy and friendly. Set in a beautiful old house with tables on the front terrace, Yuga offers healthy Western-style breakfasts morphing into Japanese-flavoured lunches (soba and udon).
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Zaaffran
Indian food doesn't come fancier than this, with Chef Vikrant Kapoor (of Singapore's Raffles fame) whipping up an unfaultable assortment of both traditional dishes and his own creations. Case in point is the tempting dessert menu featuring Indian twists on European favourites. The Darling Harbour views spice things up even further.
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Zenith
Started by Mario Percuoco, son of Armando of Buon Ricordo fame, Zenith delivers bellissimo thin-crust pizzas and contemporary Italian dishes in an improbably gorgeous two-storey Victorian corner terrace, complete with overhanging balcony. Weekend breakfasts are mayhem.
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Zinc Bar
Corner bistros don't come fancier than this joint, and if you score an outdoor table you'll be sitting among the prettiest people in Potts Point. Luxurious breakfasts (think pancakes with spiced plum sauce and creme fraiche, or poached-pear muesli) are served until mid-afternoon on weekends, when you'll fight for a spot.
