With more than 700 locations around the world, including 50 in Australia, this seemingly unstoppable Brazilian chain must be doing something right. Boasting more than 30 add-ins, Oakberry gives you the opportunity to create a customised acai bowl to suit your tastes. Choose as many of the fruits, granolas, nuts and seeds as you like – there’s no limit – then throw on a few premium options (goji berries, protein shots) if you’re feeling fancy. Generous as the toppings are, the main draw here is the acai itself, flown out frozen from Brazil, humming with berry flavour and free from any artificial aftertaste. oakberry.com.au

With stores dotted throughout Sydney, from Marrickville to Liverpool, Thirsty Monkey has garnered a loyal following – and regular queues – enamoured with the smooth and creamy acai soft-serve, piled super-high in a satisfying swirl. The bowls are as Instagrammable as they are delicious, and come stacked with a generous amount of the usual granola, strawberry and banana, or an array of topping choices that include peanut butter, coconut, honey and Nutella. And though the acai has legions of followers, there’s just as much love for Thirsty Monkey’s range of juices and shakes, making it a one-stop-shop for feeling good. thirstymonkey.com.au

The racks of spectacular in-season fruit arranged outside these beloved neighbourhood grocers give a pretty good indication of the kind of vibrancy and freshness you can expect not only from your acai bowl – beautifully dark-purple and topped with generous collections of granola, strawberry and banana – but all the other goodies on offer. Smoothies, salads, great coffee and fruit-topped yoghurt served in a halved papaya, this is the kind of brunch spot that leaves you glowing all day. But back to that acai – cleverly, Fruitologist’s soft-serve isn’t overly sweet, so you can double down on toppings. Like more of that amazing fruit. fruitologist.com.au

What started as ‘Soul Bowls’ in Paramatta in 2017 has blossomed under its rebranded name to a number of popular spots across Sydney (and one in Melbourne), each dispensing a stacked range of colourful, wholesome and generous bowls, including vegie-filled green bowls and fruity smoothie bowls. But it’s the acai that keeps us coming back; smooth, rich and enthusiastically adorned with everything from matcha to macarons. Because finding the perfect balance of healthy and indulgent is what we think life is all about. solbowl.au

Some acai places try to lean into the purported health benefits of their hero product, supporting it with mellow tunes, protein balls and good vibes. Some, like this food truck in the car park of Revesby’s Four Seasons grocer, go very much the other way. If the brightly coloured van, adorned with an ice cream-wielding, dollar bill flashing Monopoly man doesn’t put you in the mood for acai, one look at the stacked cup of purple soft-serve, pistachio sauce, granola and fruit will. The sherbert-topped ‘Fizz Bomb’ and molten chocolate cookie ice cream trays will give you a sugar high that’ll last the whole week. 39-45 Selems Parade, Revesby @berrys_n_cream

Imagine a swirl of icy acai covered with peanut butter, almond butter AND a rich chocolately, hazelnut butter, studded with strawberries and banana slices, adorned with granola and cocoa nibs and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It’s called, appropriately, ‘The Ultimate’, and it’s the signature at this ‘healthy’ California-style eatery that started out in Bronte but has since exploded to almost 20 spots across Sydney. Want to keep things a little more simple? The ‘Little Acai’ pares things back to basics (acai, granola, strawberry and banana), while the MYO (‘make your own’) is choose-your-own-adventure of all things delicious and wholesome. calipress.com.au

We love acai, but sometimes you need to shake things up. That’s when we head to Purple Parrot, where acai is just one of four flavour bases you can build your bowl around. Once you’ve picked your soft serve – our go-to is the acai and coconut swirl, but the pistachio and dragonfruit have plenty of admirers, too – it’s onto the toppings, where you can customise your snack with 12 different fruits, 14 sauces and around 20 other goodies, including Nerds, macadamias and mochi. Prefer to keep things simple? The straight-up acai soft serve cone is perfect for a quick fix. purpleparrotacai.com.au

Some mornings call for an acai bowl, adorned with beautifully arranged strawberries, bananas, blueberries, coconut shavings, crunchy granola and a generous drizzle of honey. And then some mornings, you just want a big plate of scrambled eggs with crispy bacon, hash browns, haloumi, grilled mushrooms and tomato and buttery toast. However you’ve woken up feeling, Culture Bean has you covered with a big menu of colourful classics – including that stacked acai bowl – along with some top-notch coffee and other breakfast faves like shakshuka. Need an extra sweet hit? Those chunky Butter Boy cookies on the counter are calling your name. 15 Gray St, Kogarah

Sure, acai might come from the depths of the Amazon rainforest, but there’s something about this wholesome purple berry and a sunny Australian beach that feel like they were made to go together. That’s why, as soon as the sun’s out, you’ll find a constant crowd huddled around D.bowls. What sets these guys apart, aside from the coastal locations and mountain of strawberry and banana in every cup, is the denser style of acai, scooped into a solid quenelle rather than piped from a soft-serve machine. It’s a more concentrated, textural experience, particularly when topped with chunky peanut butter, perfect for enjoying at the beach. @d.bowls

We don’t know if it’s the crowds, the traffic or all the fast-food joints, but there’s something about being in the CBD that really makes us need an acai bowl. Thankfully, you’ll find Amazon Acai right there in the thick of it, dispatching acai, mango and pistachio soft-serves, or any two of your faves in a picturesque swirl (we’re big on the acai and mango together) from their Pitt Street store. Add the customary strawberry and banana, plus a generous pour of condensed milk over the top (or whichever sauce you prefer), and suddenly, the whole city doesn’t seem quite as hectic. amazonacai.com.au