What Sydneysiders really do on the weekend … and it has nothing to do with the CBD

It's a universal understanding amongst those who reside in Sydney that the CBD is a place to avoid on the weekend, with the fervour of dodging a zombie zone.

In fact, after we leave the city centre on a Friday evening after work, we aren't heading back until Monday morning.

Why? Well, in our minds it is the most boring, ugliest part of the city.

The CBD is for tourists who aren't quite sure what Sydney is about, bouncing around George Street, Circular Quay and the Opera House, with Google Maps on their iPhones.

So, how do we start our weekend?

With brunch.

An expensive, over-the-top brunch at some picture-perfect cafe, which offers a variety of milks including soy, almond and coconut. Yes, it's pretentious. Yes, we're brunch snob nitwits. But we don't care.

And after a couple of days in Sydney, it won't be long until your querying if there's Bonsoy for your latte because it's the best, and why should you settle for anything less?

And distance is no issue. We all drive here. A jaunt to the Boat House, an hour out of Sydney to Palm Beach, isn't unusual.

It's the most popular and Instagram-worthy breakfast spot going. Our recommendation is the green eggs, which is homemade pesto, bacon and poached eggs stacked on some recently baked sourdough.

But for those who don't want to travel the hour before breakfast (understandable), the best brunch spots are littered throughout the eastern suburbs, which is every spot from Bondi to Coogee.

In Bondi, we're calling out the pancakes at the Porch and Parlour, in Bronte head to the Bogey Hole Cafe for field mushrooms and feta on toast, in Coogee it has to be the Mexican baked eggs at Barzura.

But every cafe, in those beachfront locations, will offer the best of the best because it's a competitive market and Sydneysiders can't and won't deal with a substandard brekkie.

Exercise and brunch go hand-in-hand

So, if you're brunching in the eastern suburbs, the natural next step might be the ever-popular Bondi to Coogee?

Unless you're hitting that path at 7am, like us locals, we'd actually recommend you avoid. It gets too busy, and the walking pace is too slow and at times, it comes to a complete standstill as someone decides to use the width of the path to tee-up a photo.

If a 7am wake-up call is too early, then after brunch head to Coogee to do the other half of the path, and walk to Maroubra. The views are breathtaking, the path is almost bare and there's the Ivor Rowe Rockpool, found halfway along the 6km walk, to cool down in on a sunny day.

The calmer waters of the Sydney Harbour beaches

The other side of town, those who reside in the Potts Point, Rushcutters and Double Bay suburbs, also have the same morning schedule.

Many walk to Rose Bay before hitting the Tide Cafe for some seriously amazing coffee and endless views of million dollar yachts. The queues may look long but they do go quickly.

The baked eggs are a favourite here, with feta, roasted vegetables and of course, an obligatory side of sourdough toast.

To work off our breakfast, we head around the corner for stand-up paddle boarding, at just $20 an hour, it's an opportunity to glimpse at those yachts a little closer.

Reject shopping centres for markets

With brunch and exercise done, it's now time for a bit of shopping and that comes in the form of the cute markets spotted around Sydney.

Favourites include Paddington Markets for jewellery and craft, Potts Point for fresh produce and an amazing bacon and egg roll (only Saturdays) and Glebe Markets for something with an antique-feel special.

Then there's the Kirribilli Markets, on the fourth weekend of every month, which overlooks the harbour while offering second-hand fashion. It is the most popular of the markets, so get in early.

And then the real fun starts

As the day turns into evening, the city's landscape changes and the biggest question is: What neighbourhood should we party in?

For those wanting dinner and intimate bars, we'd hit Crown Street in Surry Hills. It's a great early evening start, with our dining recommendations being The Winery, Bills and Essenza.

Fancy some quirky bars, then it's all about Darlinghurst, with cocktail bar favourites Pocket Bar, Love Tilly Devine and Shady Pines Saloon.

Sometimes we're not completely pretentious gnats (yep, it happens) and when we're not, we head to Newtown, easily accessible by train.

The vibe is a lot more laid back, with a student feel to the bars. A must-try is Mary's burgers, arguably one of the best burgers in Sydney, and then there are a few music venues to try, like Newtown Social Club.

The aim of the game here is to hit King Street and just stumble across what you fancy. There are bistros, bars, clubs and old man's pubs, suitable for every taste.

And then at the end of the night, you can enjoy an alcohol-fuelled debate on what is the best suburb of Sydney or the best place to get avocado on toast.

Believe us, everyone has an opinion.