An avid foodie was left stunned after breakfast with a friend at a cafe cost almost $150 – or the equivalent of a plane ticket to the Gold Coast.
Mark, who shares cafe reviews on social media for his Breakfast Shirts brand, visited Piña in Potts Point in Sydney’s inner city with his friend John on Saturday.
He spent $47 after making his own breakfast where he ordered the $32 steak and egg dish before adding $6 of avocado, $4.50 of bacon and $3 of fries.
The couple also ordered and shared the cafe’s popular congee bowl, priced at $26.
Their bill totaled $143.55, which also included three coffees and a weekend surcharge.
The exorbitant bill is higher than a Jetstar flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast, with airfares starting at just $132.
Sydney resident Mark, who shares cafe reviews on social media through his business Breakfast Shirts, shared his experience at renowned breakfast and lunch spot PIÑA in Potts Point.
‘I’m not criticizing anyone for prices or anything like that. I’m just saying $47 each for this dish,” Mark said in a TikTok video.
“Fifty dollars for breakfast, before coffee, crazy, man.”
Piña is a popular breakfast and lunch spot that attracts lines every day.
Mark praised the cafe’s food and service despite the cost and having to wait 20 minutes for a table.
‘The coffee was sensational, this rice soup is out of this world. Credit where credit is due, this place is a fucking slap in the face,” she said.
‘I love it when a place lives up to its reputation. That was fucking amazing. Coffee It was perfect, (the) breakfast was one of the best I’ve had all year.
‘That’s when I’m happy to spend $150 on breakfast for two people. That’s more than fine when it’s that good.’
Social media users criticized the breakfast bill, with many agreeing that $47 for a plate was “outrageous.”
Others explained that the customers were dining at an upscale cafe in an affluent suburb and urged Mark to visit lunch spots “out west” for a cheaper meal.
Meanwhile, some defended the prices, adding that Piña had earned a reputation as one of the best breakfast places in Sydney.
“Pina is the best coffee in Sydney,” one person wrote.
‘You said it: it lives up to the reputation. As a local who LOVES Pineapple, slap everyone in the face. single. time,” commented another.
A third added: “Pineapple is the best breakfast in Sydney (in my opinion) and it sure has earned the fame.”
Despite waiting 20 minutes for a table and paying $143.55 for breakfast for two, Mark said it was worth it and he would definitely eat at PIÑA again.
In another video shared on Breakfast Shirts’ Instagram, Mark defended coffee prices.
“People who make good food and good shit should charge accordingly,” Mark said.
‘There should be a spectrum of what is spent on breakfast. Like shoes, you can buy $20 shoes or you can buy $200 shoes, but as soon as you talk about an expensive breakfast people get defensive.
‘Cafes must also make money. The place was packed… because they do good things. “Cafes and entrepreneurs should be rewarded for being good at business.”
“If you can charge because you’re good and you offer something that’s good and you make more money for that than for fucking fair play.”
The self-confessed “breakfast overspender” said he wouldn’t hesitate to spend $143 on breakfast at Piña again.
‘Would I pay $143 for two people again? Yes, I would. It was crazy. “I had a crazy morning with my partner… ate amazing food,” Mark said.
‘I spend too much on breakfast. Yes, it was expensive, but I back it and will definitely come back.’
Mark also noticed that there were cheaper items on the menu and that his bill reflected his preferences when ordering breakfast.
He added that the location of the cafe should also be taken into account when considering the price customers pay, as Points Point is an affluent suburb with high rents and competition between cafes.