Bills is a Sydney institution created by the late Bill Granger, who is (obviously) the namesake of the restaurant. It’s one of the best cafes in Sydney.
They’re known for their brunch food but also serve lunch and dinner. The famous pancakes though—those are sold all day.
One nice touch about bills is the flowers they have in the bathrooms. 
The flowers are always changing!
The pancakes are genuinely good, and they’re the reason to visit. They’re light and fluffy and probably better than any other pancakes I’ve had in Sydney.
The only problem is they know they’re the best, and they come with a top price tag. $32 when I last checked. (I remember when they were $24 or $25)
I think that price is as much a way of them dealing with demand as it is really valuing the pancakes. On Saturday and Sunday there are large lines, and you may wait for 30 minutes to an hour for a table.
The inside tables are nice, padded, tasteful, expensive couches inside with some sort of wicker chair-esque hard chairs. The couches are great but the hard chairs are just okay, so try to grab a couch seat.
Service is very good though sometimes overwhelmed by how busy it gets. On the weekends it can get too loud inside, but only when they have a full house.
Look, Bills is Bills and Bills is famous because it’s nice and because its nice and famous, lots of people go there—everyone from tourists to locals. All these words put together mean that it’s crowded on weekends, and the pancakes are slightly too expensive, but they’re great so you’ll pay it and be happy.
Coffee is also great, with nice matcha. Smoothies are good but too small. Fresh squeezed orange juice is good I like to add ginger.
Basically nothing there is truly bad, but the stuff like the fruit plate is not special at all and I really wouldn’t go there for that.
The cookbook is actually fantastic though. It’s only like $40 and it even has the recipes for the pancakes. I don’t make those though. I make a plum + overnight oats dish which is actually truly fantastic.
If you are a tourist in Sydney for more than 24 hours, yes, you should take a taxi/bus/walk here. It’s a classic for a reason.
They also have outlets in Bondi, and Darlinghurst in addition to Surry Hills. Darlinghurst is probably the most local’s only type vibe, because it’s in kind of an awkward location for tourists—but it’s fine if you uber there. But if you want the full experience and you’re visiting Australia I really would go to either Surry Hills (my top choice) or Bondi (also good if you want the beach, which is nearby but not viewable from the restaurant).
Take Risks Be Happy Rating: 9.5/10
