Three Monkeys Cafe on Darby Street is well-known for its all-day breakfast menu, as is Hippo Espresso at Warners Bay, and Merewether Surfhouse Cafe. In Hamilton, The Village Newcastle (2/44 Beaumont Street, Hamilton) has earned a following with its all-day breakfast menu, where Greek influences find their way into the dishes thanks to owner Sam Tsolakis' background.

"The demand is there these days for all-day breakfast," Tsolakis says. "People want it, especially on a weekend. They get up a little bit later, but they still want to be able to go out and order a hearty breakfast."

There's the cafe's Insta-famous blueberry pancakes and a classic bacon and egg roll on the menu, but it's the pulled lamb (yep, lamb for brekky) that's the favourite.

"Anything with pulled lamb on it is the most popular," Tsolakis says. "Usually it's a Greek breakfast with pulled lamb or the eggs benny with pulled lamb."

The Greek Brekkie is worth checking out if you're feeling particularly famished: lemon fried eggs, grilled haloumi, mushrooms, spinach, cumin tomato, olive tapenade and sourdough with a choice of smoked bacon, smoked salmon or pulled lamb. (All-day breakfast is also offered at their sister cafe, The Verandah Newcastle Cafe, at Poppy's Home & Garden Centre at Gateshead.)

Whether you've had a lazy weekend sleep-in or a big night, here's a few to try:

61 Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle Cosy in winter and the best seat in the house on a summer's day, Estabar is all about serving super fresh and nourishing meals, with a focus on using local ingredients and producers. The breakfast menu can be ordered from all day, with choices such as smoked salmon or smoked ham, labneh, sourdough and eggs supplied from the Hunter's Just Been Laid. For winter warmers, there's Baked Uprising fruit and nut loaf with vanilla ricotta and peach and passionfruit jam, or their bircher muesli.

2/36 Bolton Street, Newcastle Come for the coffee, stay for the all-day breakfast menu. Xtraction owner Kenn Blackman is one of Newcastle's most passionate baristas, serving Veneziano Coffee Roasters' specialty coffee (including two house blends) which go down a treat with their street food-style menu. Their breakfast tacos (scrambled eggs, herbs, crunchy cabbage, avocado, rocket and chipotle aioli) are the runaway favourite, and they also offer a tasty selection of toasties, omelettes, acai and pitaya bowls. They also do breakfast bolognaise (slow-cooked bolognaise mince served with a poached egg).

Maitland Regional Art Gallery, 230 High Street, Maitland The gallery cafe serves breakfast from 8am to 2.30pm and, like their lunchtime offering, the brekky menu boasts a range of enticing dishes.Try the French toast with banana, fresh berries, vanilla marscapone and salted caramel or the omelette with roast pumpkin, caramelised onion, fetta, pine nuts and spinach. For a heartier breakfast, the farm brekky plate has bacon, poached eggs, potato hash, mushrooms, chipolatas, pumpkin poppy seed loaf and relish. Our pick is the Buddha bowl with avocado, quinoa, corn, edamame, roasted cauliflower, kumara, kale, beetroot hummus, seeds and pomegranate. It's super tasty, satisfying, and full of texture.

2 Market Street, Newcastle The all-day breakfast menu has 13 items that range from a classic smashed avo on sourdough to green eggs and ham (pesto scrambled eggs, in case you're wondering). But owner Tony Bowen says three dishes rate as most popular: the full Irish breakfast with bacon, pork sausage, eggs, Clonakilty black and white pudding, mushrooms, tomato and brown soda bread; Three Bears breakfast stack on a muffin with bacon, tomato, poached egg, cheese and potato rosti (vegetarian option also available); and Moroccan eggs with Moorish spiced vegetable and chickpea braise, poached eggs, yoghurt, dukkah and hummus on sourdough.

89-93 City Road, Merewether (and 2/450 The Esplanade, Warners Bay) There's a whopping 22 choices on the all-day breakfast menu, ranging from a simple plate of bacon and eggs to their extreme breakfast plank which consists of two poached eggs, spinach, avocado, bacon, chorizo, hash brown, haloumi, Mexican beans and tomato relish served with sourdough on a plank board. There's an international flavour to the menu, with choices such as the Persian eggs (dukkah rolled poached eggs, hummus, goats cheese, wilted kale, chorizo, pomegranate and beetroot relish served with sourdough) or Portuguese baked eggs with spicy tomato salsa, onion, chilli, cannellini beans, truss tomatoes and mozzarella served with sourdough (our tip: make sure you try this one). As always, everything is generously proportioned.

792 Hunter Street, Newcastle Newcastle West cafe Umami Bar is in the process of a transformation, including a name-change (it's soon to begin trading as Estratto), but one thing that won't change is the option of an all-day breakfast menu. The cafe has a focus on serving simple food, done well. Think avocado toast with lemon, sea salt and chilli flakes; pan-fried garlic mushrooms on toast with baby spinach; and eggs benedict. Sticking around on the breakfast menu will be their signature Umami Sunrise breakfast plate: crispy potato, poached eggs, prosciutto, fried mushrooms and hollandaise. Plans are in the works to open on weekends, too. Stay tuned.