Smashed avocado on toast has been the defining Australian cafe dish for the better part of a decade. It deserved its moment, and a well-made version remains a genuinely good thing to eat. But the avocado monopoly has crowded out dozens of equally worthy toast toppings that deserve their place on cafe menus and home breakfast tables. Here are the ones I keep coming back to.

Ricotta, Honey, and Figs

This combination is almost embarrassingly simple and absolutely beautiful. Spread thick, fresh ricotta over properly toasted sourdough. Add sliced fresh figs (or good-quality dried figs when fresh aren’t in season). Drizzle with honey, the darker and more flavourful the better, and finish with a crack of black pepper and a few torn mint leaves.

The key is the ricotta. Buy the good stuff from a deli or Italian grocer, not the watery supermarket version that’s been sitting in plastic for weeks. Fresh ricotta should be creamy, slightly sweet, and have a gentle tang. It’s a completely different product from what most people think of as ricotta.

This toast works particularly well with a pour over coffee, especially something with fruity notes. The sweetness of the figs and honey complements the brightness of a light-roasted African single origin beautifully.

Labneh, Za’atar, and Olive Oil

Middle Eastern breakfasts have been slowly infiltrating Australian cafe culture, and labneh on toast is one of the best expressions of this influence. Labneh, the thick strained yoghurt that’s somewhere between cream cheese and sour cream in consistency, provides a tangy, creamy base that pairs brilliantly with savoury toppings.

Spread a generous layer of labneh on warm toast. Sprinkle with za’atar (the herb and sesame blend that’s become increasingly available in Australian supermarkets). Finish with a generous drizzle of good olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt.

Variations abound. Add sliced radishes for crunch. Top with soft-boiled egg halves. Include pickled onions or a few olives. The labneh base is so versatile that you can build almost any Mediterranean or Middle Eastern flavour profile on top of it.

Mushrooms on Toast

Properly cooked mushrooms on toast is one of the great simple pleasures of breakfast, and it’s astonishing how rarely it appears on Australian cafe menus outside of a full breakfast plate. Done well, it’s a dish that stands entirely on its own.

The secret is cooking the mushrooms properly. Use a hot pan, good butter, and don’t overcrowd. Mushrooms release moisture, and if the pan is too cool or too crowded, they’ll steam rather than brown. You want caramelised edges and concentrated flavour, which means high heat and patience.

Use a mix of mushrooms if you can: Swiss browns for earthiness, king oysters sliced thick for meaty texture, and regular buttons for bulk. Season with salt, pepper, a touch of garlic toward the end of cooking, and a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten everything up. Pile onto thick sourdough toast and finish with chopped parsley and a shaving of parmesan.

Tahini, Banana, and Cinnamon

This one sounds unusual but works remarkably well. Toast your bread, spread with a thin layer of tahini (the unhulled variety has more flavour but either works), layer sliced banana on top, and finish with ground cinnamon and a drizzle of honey or date syrup.

The tahini adds a nutty, slightly bitter counterpoint to the banana’s sweetness, and the cinnamon ties everything together. It’s satisfying, filling, and a genuine alternative to the peanut butter and banana combination that’s been done to death.

For the best version, lightly toast the banana slices in a dry pan until they develop caramelised spots. This takes thirty seconds per side and transforms the banana from soft and one-dimensional to warm, sweet, and complex.

Sardines on Toast

Before you scroll past this one, hear me out. Sardines on toast is a classic that deserves revival. Good tinned sardines, the ones packed in olive oil from reputable producers, are a completely different product from the cheap, fishy tins that gave sardines a bad reputation.

Mash them lightly onto hot toast with a squeeze of lemon, a few capers, and some thinly sliced red onion. Add a handful of rocket or watercress for freshness. The result is savoury, umami-rich, and incredibly satisfying.

Sardines are also among the most sustainable seafood options available, which gives you an environmental argument alongside the flavour one. Look for brands like Ortiz, Jose Gourmet, or the excellent Australian-packed options that have appeared in delis recently.

Whipped Feta and Roasted Tomatoes

Whipped feta has been appearing on cafe menus as a dip, but it’s even better on toast. Blend good feta with a splash of cream and a tablespoon of olive oil until smooth and fluffy. Spread generously on toast and top with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes.

The roasted tomatoes are worth the effort. Halve cherry tomatoes, toss with olive oil, salt, and a pinch of sugar, and roast at 160 degrees for an hour until they’re concentrated, sweet, and slightly caramelised. Make a big batch; they keep in the fridge for a week and improve almost anything you put them on.

Miso Butter and Eggs

Miso butter is having a moment, and for good reason. Mix equal parts white miso paste and softened butter until combined. Spread on hot toast and top with a fried or scrambled egg. The miso adds a deep, savoury umami quality that transforms ordinary buttered toast into something genuinely special.

This combination works particularly well with a strong, full-bodied espresso or a rich flat white. The umami of the miso and the bitterness of the coffee complement each other in a way that’s hard to explain but immediately obvious when you taste them together.

The Case for Better Toast

The common element in all of these is the bread itself. None of these toppings will work on flimsy supermarket bread. Invest in proper sourdough from a good bakery, something with a thick, chewy crust and an open, slightly tangy crumb. Slice it thick and toast it properly, golden and crunchy on the outside, still slightly soft within.

Good bread is the foundation, and Australian bakeries are producing some of the best sourdough in the world right now. Your local bakery is almost certainly making something that will elevate any of these toppings from good to exceptional.

Avocado toast isn’t going anywhere, and it shouldn’t. But your breakfast deserves more options, and these toppings prove that the best things you can put on bread are often the simplest.