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Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney's most iconic cafes and bakeries
Eating outEssential cafes and bakeries The must-visit legends, from game-changing pastry shops opened in 1979, to family businesses serving big-value brekkies and the Country Women's Association tearoom. , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. As featured in Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2. See all stories. These are the legends of Sydney's cafe and bakery scene – a non-exhaustive collection of the places that have stood the test of time, whether through consistent excellence, innovation or hospitality. Some, like bills, have become internationally renowned, expanding to far-flung cities such as Tokyo and London. Others, such as Yummy Yummy Bakery, have thrived in situ, building a loyal customer base spanning multiple generations. This category is one of our most loved entries in Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025. Presented by T2, the guide celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 11 categories, including those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. (These reviews also live on theGood Food app, and are discoverable on the map.) For those who've been to these before, maybe it's time for a revisit. If you've never been, consider this your hit-list for the next few months. 1 / 6 Owner Bun Hong Tang at Bar Sport in Leichhardt. Dion Georgopoulos 2 / 6 Bar Sport in Leichhardt. Dion Georgopoulos 3 / 6 Dion Georgopoulos 4 / 6 Bar Sport, Leichhardt. Dion Georgopoulos 5 / 6 Bar Sport, Leichhardt. Dion Georgopoulos 6 / 6 $3.50 espresso lives on at Bar Sport. Dion Georgopoulos Bar Sport We're into the final minutes of Inter against Barcelona, and Francesco Acerbi has just made it 3-3. The San Siro rocks. In Leichardt, where it's 7am, so does Bar Sport. Football and coffee: rules for life, in Italy and right here. There may be new owners, but the $3.50 espresso is still strong, the Serie A schedule still scrawled on the wall, with piccolo-sized brioche rolls and flaky sfogliatelle the star players. Forza. Best for: A caffe latte and a breakfast roll, with eyes on the big screen. 2A Norton Street, Leichhardt bills at Double Bay. Edwina Pickles bills Whether you've scored a coveted booth seat at the sunlit Double Bay restaurant, or seated at the communal table in Darlinghurst, Bill Granger's four cafes have become the home of brunch in Sydney. From fluffy hotcakes flecked with honeycomb butter to soft, custardy scrambled eggs on sourdough; the late, great Bill Granger perfected breakfast staples. And, knowing our love of a weekend lie-in, he made them available all day. Since there's no rush, follow your Single O coffee with a Korean chilli-spiked Bloody Mary. Best for: Best-in-class brunch classics. Multiple locations, The watermelon cake at Black Star Pastry, the most Instagrammed cake. Anna Kucera Black Star Pastry Black Star offers so much more than its Instagram-famous strawberry and watermelon cake, which kicked off a new wave of patisserie-forward bakeries in Sydney. Innovation continues at its contemporary Newtown cafe, where East Asian flavours are woven into aesthetically driven desserts including a black sesame cheesecake resembling a Japanese rock garden and a 'mug' made with rich cocoa pastry filled with airy, matcha mousse. Good to know: Return for monthly chiffon cake specials in flavours such as tiramisu or ube. 1/325 King St, Newtown, Circa Espresso in Parramatta. Circa Espresso Circa Espresso has been at the top of Parramatta's cafe scene for the past 15 years, steady in its Victorian terrace home as skyscrapers have risen around it. Whatever the weather, there are pram-toting, dog-walking regulars queuing for house-roasted coffee and brunch with Middle-Eastern touches. Baked eggs bolstered with sujuk soothe the soul, and there's soft house-baked focaccia for dragging through saucy remains. Good to know: The tea selection, sourced from is excellent. 21 Wentworth Street, Parramatta, Eastwood CWA President Margery East serves Devonshire tea at the volunteer-run tea room. Louise Kennerley Country Women's Association Tea Room Scones and tea and milk by the glass, the only CWA tea room in Sydney offers refreshments, handmade jams, pickles and knitwear. Prices start at a very competitive $3.50 for two scones with jam and cream or $6 for a Devonshire tea. Open Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 3pm, it's also a little less busy than the Country Womens' Easter Show canteen. Must order: If you don't order scones, can you really say you've been to the CWA? Women's Rest Centre, Corner of Hillview Road and West Parade, Eastwood Harrys in Bondi. Harrys Bondi There aren't any beach views, but this busy spot is as Bondi as tan lines. That equals lots of outdoor seating, four pages of drinks (mostly matcha and coffee, plus a spicy marg) and an easy, all-day menu that's generously portioned but not too heavy and complex. There are the usual culprits – ricotta pancakes, smashed avocado, burgers, big salads – plus a stack of add-ons, including fries, to ensure there's something for everyone. Service is friendly and efficient, and its location on the sunny side of the street makes it perennially appealing. Best for: Breezy all-day brunching with your pals and dog. 2/136 Wairoa Avenue, Bondi Beach 1 / 8 Lesley and Georgina Brull have been operating Wellington Cake Shop since the '70s. Dion Georgopoulos 2 / 8 Cinnamon scrolls at Wellington Cake Shop in Bondi. Dion Georgopoulos 3 / 8 Wellington Cake Shop, Bondi. Dion Georgopoulos 4 / 8 Wellington Cake Shop, Bondi. Dion Georgopoulos 5 / 8 The display cabinet at Wellington Cake Shop, Bondi. Dion Georgopoulos 6 / 8 Owner Lesley Brull is still on the tools. Dion Georgopoulos 7 / 8 Owners Lesley and Georgina Vrull, The Wellington Cake Shop in Bondi. Dion Georgopoulos 8 / 8 Owner and head baker Lesley Brull at Wellington Cake Shop. Dion Georgopoulos Wellington Cake Shop When Hungarian-born Lesley Brull and his wife, Georgina, opened in 1979, they had one cabinet of Austro-Hungarian cakes and tortes. As their popularity grew, so too did their selection, and the shop became a proud specialist of continental treats – goodies such as strudel, bagels, poppy seed slice, sour cherry crumble, kugelhupf, cheese pockets and biscuits, all of which are great. More than 45 years on, Brull is still on the tools by 2.30am each day at the modest, well-priced shop. Must order: The famous chocolate kugelhupf, a bell-shaped bready cake with rivers of chocolate. 157 Bondi Road, Bondi, La Renaissance Patisserie A fixture of The Rocks since 1992, when you've need a celebration cake or croquembouche, La Ren is at the ready. Layered with white chocolate and coffee whipped ganache, the opera cake is an all-timer, but no one is ever upset when you bring its gold-standard Saint Honore to a party either. Meanwhile, the shaded courtyard is a top spot for a quick sausage roll and eclair. Good to know: If you need to pick up a pre-ordered cake, La Ren's Waterloo location tends to be much easier for parking. 47 Argyle Street, The Rocks and 197 Young Street, Waterloo, Pasticceria Papa in Haberfield. Pasticceria Papa Thirty-five years after Salvatore Papa first opened the doors, it's difficult to overstate how cherished this family-run institution remains. Zuccherati, biscotti, cannoli, arancini and pizzette are all part of the reason. But if there's one thing keeping the queues coming, it's the ricotta cake, soft-centred inside a shortcrust shell. Make like a local and order one for a celebration, or split a scaled-down version with someone you love. Good to know: Diehards can visit their second venue at Five Dock and subscribe to Papa's podcast, Sweet Traditions . 145 Ramsay Street, Haberfield and 95 Queens Road, Five Dock, Outdoor seating at Single O, Surry Hills. Louise Kennerley Single O Single O is the platonic ideal of the neighbourhood cafe and, for more than 20 years, their Surry Hills outpost has attracted a steady stream of long-time locals and international tourists. The cafe doubles as a sustainable specialty coffee roaster, championing single origin beans and pioneering brewing technology. But it also does a great classic Aussie brunch, with a few twists such as yuzu in the eggs benedict and banana bread with espresso butter. Must try: The signature oat milk cold brew. 60/64 Reservoir St, Surry Hills, 1 / 6 Yum Yum Bakery owner Najib Haddad. Dion Georgopoulos 2 / 6 Breakfast at Yum Yum Bakery, Guildford. Dion Georgopoulos 3 / 6 The wood-fired oven. Dion Georgopoulos 4 / 6 Second generation owner Najib Haddad at Yum Yum Bakery in Guildford. Dion Georgopoulos 5 / 6 Haloumi wrapped in filo pastry at Yum Yum. Dion Georgopoulos 6 / 6 Yum Yum Bakery has T2 tea and barista-made specialty coffee. Dion Georgopoulos Yum Yum Bakery You know it's a great-value feed when the tradies turn up. They're seated in a booth between a group of well-dressed women and some old friends gossiping over T2 tea. It's a rainy weekday, the wood-fired oven is blazing and this revamped 35-year-old Lebanese cafe is pumping. There are fun menu additions, such as fried filo-wrapped haloumi, but the classics still hit. The big breakfast is a generously proportioned 'wow' moment, colourful with fresh herbs, puffy fried bread, perfect fried eggs and so much more. Good to know: The hospitality is as outstanding as the food. 273 Guildford Road, Guildford, Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2, celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 11 categories, including icons, those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. Download the Good Food app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to discover what's near you. Continue this series Explore Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries Up next The roasters and baristas are doing it better at these 10 venues. There's a cool basement CBD cafe, a next-gen spot with caffeinated raves and many smooth flat whites. These cafes cater to kids without compromising on quality. We love the spot with ace Brazilian cheesy bread rolls and a casual hangout with an excellent chip butty. Previous The queue-worthy pop-ups, food trucks and market stalls keeping cafe food casual. Catch them while you can. See all stories Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Metro
18-05-2025
- Metro
Everything I ate during a weekend pintxos hopping in San Sebastián
San Sebastián is the crown jewel of the Basque region that runs along Spain's dazzling northern coast. It's a beach town turned Michelin hotspot with world-class cuisine — seriously, wear loose trousers. The city, known as Donostia in Basque, lies on the Bay of Biscay, its Old Town flanked by two sandy beaches, where you'll find streets filled with photogenic bars serving up mouthwatering local tapas and cider. San Sebastián started life as a fishing village in 1180, and enjoyed a revival as a seasonal holiday spot in the 19th-century, when Queen Isabel II chose it as her summer residence. This is a place rich in history and scenery, with sweeping views of La Concha beach best enjoyed from high atop Monte Igueldo. Its winding streets come alive each September for the San Sebastián International Film Festival, but its star quality is, undisputedly, the food. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. With the second-most Michelin stars per capita and an enviable claim to the title of most bars per person, this is a destination for people who eat differently. The Basques even have a name for it: pintxo , aka hopping from bar to bar and sampling bite-size bits of culinary art. Fresh from a flying visit to the place known as Europe's most beautiful bay, here's everywhere I ate, and alternative things to do, in fabulous San Sebastián. San Sebastián's status as a contemporary food stop can be traced to the late Anthony Bourdain, who visited the city three times for his shows A Cook's Tour, No Reservations, and Parts Unknown. He spoke of the deep connection between cuisine and community, emphasising that meals are less about food, more about bringing people together. Bourdain made several repeat visits to restaurants across the city, something he rarely did. All of that said, ordering at a pintxos bar is not for the meek. Not only will you struggle to find an English menu at more old-school spots, you'll need to claim your space at the counter — make yourself known when you want to order, just as Bourdain would have done. Etiquette is everything, so move along swiftly once you've hoovered down your grub. Otherwise, you're at risk of attracting a brusque 'vamos!' from over your shoulder. The bars are set up so you order a pintxos (pronounced 'peen-chos') or two alongside a drink, at just a few euros each. They're essentially a small snack, typically served on a piece of bread and skewered with a toothpick. From anchovies and olives to jamon and seafood, the variety is astounding. Each bar is generally known for one particular pintxos, be it the fois gras or urchin cream at Bar Sport, grilled mushrooms with egg yolk from Ganbara, or anchovies at Bar Txepetxa. More popular spots will be crowded with tourists and locals alike; be prepared for a lot of shouting and pointing. It's almost like a sport, and the best thing to do is lean in and resign yourself to the chaos. While pintxos is designed to be eaten quickly, some bars have seating and in the case of La Cuchara De San Telmo, it's worth planning ahead to nab one of its four tables for the evening session. Having seen a lot of recommendations for this place on TikTok and beyond, we knew it would be a fight for the bar. Arriving 20 minutes before doors opened for dinner, we scored ourselves a spot outside, where we could spend a little longer enjoying glasses of red at €2.80 (£2.30) a pop and trying its specialties without getting an elbow in the ribs from other diners. Runaway winners were the suckling pig (€19, £16.10), expertly seasoned steak (€17, £14.40), salty, oiled peppers (€9, £7.60) and oreja de cerdo aka pig's ear (€14, £11.80). Don't knock it, it's delicious and looks more like a folded omelette than animal anatomy. While most of the famous pintxos spots are confined to the walls of the Old Town, a short walk opens up another realm of amazing eats. To the east of the Old Town is the Gros neighbourhood, where you'll find local-approved spots such as the unpretentious Ricardo Taberna. Here you'll be joined by old, suntanned men yelling at TV screens and punters enjoying a drink outside. Two ciders, two croquettes and a slice of the most delicious cod tortilla set me back €11.30 (£9.50). A street away is Casa Galicia, where a plate of paprika-seasoned Octopus will relieve you of only €4 (£3.30). Get two. The region is known for its cider (or cidre ), and a 10-minute taxi from San Sebastián's centre will take you to Astigarraga, the home of the drink. Book a long lunch at one of these cider houses before you visit and you're guaranteed an incredible afternoon. We took a table at Astarbe Sagardotegia, a cider house that's been in operation since 1563, with the 15th-generation producing the latest bottles while the kitchen turns out velvety T-bone steaks and cod omelettes. Once you take your seat, you're handed a glass and, without invitation, you can make your way to a small room with several giant barrels filled with various ciders. There you'll be met by a trained txotxero (or cider master), who uses a key to open one of the barrels as a stream of golden liquid arcs out, ready to be caught by your outstretched glass. Don't be alarmed if you get more on the ground than in your glass on the first attempt. San Sebastián may be known for pintxos, but that doesn't mean you should sleep on its desserts. The creamed buns of Otaegui patisserie will set you back €2.25 (£1.90), so it's financially prudentto indulge. We walked along munching slabs of its hazelnut-laden milk and dark chocolate, snapped into sizes of your choosing and paid by the weight. Basque cheesecake is a speciality of the region, and La Vina's claim to fame is that it was the first to make it. Despite its newfound popularity on TikTok, it's well worth a visit, but there is no need to wait longer than 20 minutes. We went at 9pm when it was arguably at peak service, and were hastily ushered in to find any available space and force our way to the bar. Politely, of course. At a time when few things live up to expectation, a slice of this dessert truly is worth the hype. Each forkful delivers a masterpiece of creamy, soft wonder. It was so good it felt wrong to wolf it down in the hotel room, and I wanted to return several times over my few days in the city. One set me back €6.50 (£5.50). Fed, watered and bursting at the seams, a short funicular ride will bring you to Monte Igueldo, where you're rewarded with breathtaking views of the region. More Trending There's a hotel and a restaurant should you want a wine, but the fun is the small amusement fair which runs on the mountain. From a slightly questionable Casa Del Terror to the Mysterious River ride along a narrow waterway, there's plenty to entertain kids and big kids alike. While the Old Town is brimming with cultural history, the new town boasts a shopping district that will challenge you not to burn serious cash. From high street stores like Zara and Mango, to Sephora and a range of Spanish designers including Bimba Y Lola, there's something to suit every taste after a long day of eating. Getting to San Sebastián There are no direct flights from the UK to San Sebastián, but you can fly to nearby airports like Bilbao, then take a bus or train. From Bilbao, the bus is around 1.5 hours and will set you back anywhere from £7 to £17, depending on the operator. Vueling flies direct from London Gatwick to Bilbao with flights starting from £43. Where to stay Best value: Okako, located in Gros, is stylish in its simplicity and only a 15-minute walk from the Old Town and only 10 from Zurriola beach. Perfect for those who 'don't spend any time in the hotel room anyway' but still appreciate the touches of a coffee machine and a fruit bowl with muffins, single rooms start at €99 (£83.90) a night. Best splurge: If you want to splash out, Hotel Maria Cristina, located in between the old and new towns, was designed in 1912 by the same architect behind the Ritz in Paris. Now owned by the Marriott chain, expect total 5-star luxury. Of course, that comes at a cost, with lower rate rooms in June available for £641 per night. MORE: What's Cooking? I worked in cabin crew for 12 years — avoid these five foods on planes MORE: 'Lively' European city named world's most walkable and flights are just £66 MORE: Spain risks major fine from Eurovision Song Contest by persisting with political message
