Latest news with #EssentialSydneyCafesandBakeriesof2025
The Age
an hour ago
- Business
- The Age
10 Sydney bakeries serving top-shelf baked goods (from sweet to savoury)
Eating out Essential cafes and bakeries Good Food reviews the city's best bakeries, from coastal classic Iggy's to Filipino favourite Starlight. As featured in Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2. See all stories. Previous SlideNext Slide A good loaf of golden sourdough can make a cold morning worth rising for – and Sydney is in no short supply. Artisan bakeries flourished in the years post-COVID when sourdough became standard, croissants enjoyed unprecedented popularity and our vocabulary for viennoiserie grew. While the quality of baked goods has never been better, what makes a great bakery hasn't really changed: it's a friendly smile on a dark morning, a crunchy loaf of bread that tastes as good as it looks, and a sausage roll (with sauce) to go, thanks. Sydney's bakery scene is immensely strong, and there was great competition for this list 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 icons, those best for tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. (These reviews also live on the Good Food app, and are discoverable on the map.) A.P Bakery Talk about over achieving. A.P's new Circular Quay location rocks the best hot sandwiches in town (try the rotisserie spatchcock with stuffing) while its all-day Darlinghurst site sends out oysters to knock back with chardonnay and naturally leavened brioche. The constant across all A.P outposts, however, is Dougal Muffet's formidable bread and pastries. Highlights include fougasse with dark, dramatic crust; sourdough made with heritage wheat and house-milled grain; thick, caramelised caneles; super buttery kouign-amanns; and sticky, individual peach galettes. Must order: The spicier-than-expected Aleppo pepper, Asiago cheese and sesame scroll. Multiple locations, Fiore Bread As you stroll down the pretty, tree-lined Blues Point Road, you'll realise everyone around you – brush turkeys and cavoodles included – are on their way to this eclectic-cute Italian bakery. Ex-Iggy's baker Alberto Dal Bosco and partner Samantha Dean use heritage grains to give their sourdough loaves depth of flavour and personality, and their bouncy focaccia makes a great base for build-your-own sandwiches. Good to know: Discover more Fiore sandwiches at its new CBD outpost. Flour Wander in on a lazy morning to score a sun-bathed seat at the communal table – beside the fresh flowers and complimentary newspapers – and order a specialty coffee while perusing the pastry cabinet. It's a thing of butter-laden beauty, crowded with cookies, pistachio croissants and fluffy oiled focaccia slices. With everything baked in-house, you can't order wrong. Must order: Patatas bravas focaccia. 277 Willarong Road, Caringbah South, Flour & Stone For an international tourist in Sydney, Flour and Stone's panna cotta lamington should be as essential as an Opera House visit or buying knock-off Ugg boots. The clientele at Nadine Ingram's tiny bakery is often more local though, here for the signature lemon drizzle cake, brown butter tarts, scones and so much more. Everything that comes out of the oven is cosier than wearing sheepskin boots on a Sunday morning. Must order: The lamington or lemon drizzle if you're and F&S first-timer, but ask about the monthly cake specials too. 43 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo, Goodwood Bakeshop Orderly queues form each weekend at this local favourite. There are dogs, there are babies, and there are perfectly crusty, caramelised loaves of sourdough. The menu changes weekly, retaining favourites (like warm ham, gruyere and mustard croissants), reinventing day-old pastries (hello, twice-baked jalapeno and smoked cheddar croissants), and relying on seasonality (quince danishes and spiced apple pies in autumn). When sustainability is key, selling out is common – bakers make just enough for each day. Good to know: The plain croissant ranked first in Good Food's recent blind taste test. 297 Marrickville Road, Marrickville, goodwoodbakeshop Seventeen years after it opened, Iggy's remains the benchmark against which all Sydney bread is measured. Even now, you have to arrive early for the glorious sourdough loaves, rolls and bagels, which often sell out by mid-morning. As a bonus, it means you get the almost-sticky, spongy bread encased in a perfectly chewy crust, fresh and warm out of the oven. If you do miss out (as may happen on Saturdays), Iggy's also sells coffee and croissants, so you can still pull up a stool and enjoy the cool vinyl soundtrack. Must order: Their sourdough croissants have a gentle, buttery earthiness, and ranked seven on our taste-test challenge. 31 Macpherson Street, Bronte, Pioik Pyrmont locals have it good. On a lazy morning they can roll out of bed and wander down to Pioik, where former fine-dining chef Shady Wasef has baked another delicious dilemma. Do they choose the almond croissant with brandy-boozed cream? The egg sandwich, stacked with fluffy omelette and jammy tomato chutney? Or the Simit – a sesame-crusted loop of bread dipped in pomegranate molasses? The winner is then bundled away, enjoyed back home with a takeaway cup of Primary Coffee. Best for: Rustic loaves and baked delights inspired by the owners' Egyptian roots. 176-178 Harris Street, Pyrmont, Tuga Pastries Come for the cinnamon-dusted pastel de nata, but stay for the hunky cheeseburger pies, choc-filled doughnuts and crunchy croissant sandwiches. Tuga might be known as a top purveyor of Portuguese tarts, but everything here is a banger (especially those pies). Owner Diogo Ferreira is bursting with ideas, which makes it tough to choose from the exciting array of sweet and savoury goodies. Friendly staff are on hand to help make the hard decisions. Good to know: For a more leisurely experience at Clovelly, visit nearby Tuga x Village. 231 Clovelly Road, Clovelly and 10/112 McEvoy Street, Alexandria Self Raised Bread Shoppe This small suburban bakery, with its stylised 1960s aesthetic, nails nostalgia. There's the strawberry cake, a gloriously simple sponge beneath thick vanilla icing and quartered strawberries. There are fast-emptying trays of sugar-dusted Boston doughnuts, generously filled with fresh cream. And the pizza focaccia, topped with basil and torn balls of mozzarella, comes in pre-shrinkflation proportions. Quality fare minus the fads. Good to know: Sister shop Self Raised Snack Shoppe can be found in Bexley North. 45 Jubilee Avenue, Carlton, Starlight Bakery It's not what you'd expect from a 25-year-old bakery near Doonside train station, but there it is: a mahogany-hued modernist space, oversized floral arrangement at its centre, selling savoury-sweet Filipino breads and pastries. The renovation is new, but the Filipino menu was a gradual takeover as original owners (the Aringo family) adjusted to community needs. Now helmed by Jeremiah Luya, the bakery combines tried-and-tested pandesal and cheese-dusted ensaymadas with new-wave additions including purple ube macapuno (coconut) cake. Good to know: You can dine-in, pairing your pastry with a specialty coffee or iced matcha latte. 17 Hill End Road, Doonside, 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.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
10 Sydney bakeries serving top-shelf baked goods (from sweet to savoury)
Eating out Essential cafes and bakeries Good Food reviews the city's best bakeries, from coastal classic Iggy's to Filipino favourite Starlight. As featured in Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2. See all stories. Previous SlideNext Slide A good loaf of golden sourdough can make a cold morning worth rising for – and Sydney is in no short supply. Artisan bakeries flourished in the years post-COVID when sourdough became standard, croissants enjoyed unprecedented popularity and our vocabulary for viennoiserie grew. While the quality of baked goods has never been better, what makes a great bakery hasn't really changed: it's a friendly smile on a dark morning, a crunchy loaf of bread that tastes as good as it looks, and a sausage roll (with sauce) to go, thanks. Sydney's bakery scene is immensely strong, and there was great competition for this list 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 icons, those best for tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. (These reviews also live on the Good Food app, and are discoverable on the map.) A.P Bakery Talk about over achieving. A.P's new Circular Quay location rocks the best hot sandwiches in town (try the rotisserie spatchcock with stuffing) while its all-day Darlinghurst site sends out oysters to knock back with chardonnay and naturally leavened brioche. The constant across all A.P outposts, however, is Dougal Muffet's formidable bread and pastries. Highlights include fougasse with dark, dramatic crust; sourdough made with heritage wheat and house-milled grain; thick, caramelised caneles; super buttery kouign-amanns; and sticky, individual peach galettes. Must order: The spicier-than-expected Aleppo pepper, Asiago cheese and sesame scroll. Multiple locations, Fiore Bread As you stroll down the pretty, tree-lined Blues Point Road, you'll realise everyone around you – brush turkeys and cavoodles included – are on their way to this eclectic-cute Italian bakery. Ex-Iggy's baker Alberto Dal Bosco and partner Samantha Dean use heritage grains to give their sourdough loaves depth of flavour and personality, and their bouncy focaccia makes a great base for build-your-own sandwiches. Good to know: Discover more Fiore sandwiches at its new CBD outpost. Flour Wander in on a lazy morning to score a sun-bathed seat at the communal table – beside the fresh flowers and complimentary newspapers – and order a specialty coffee while perusing the pastry cabinet. It's a thing of butter-laden beauty, crowded with cookies, pistachio croissants and fluffy oiled focaccia slices. With everything baked in-house, you can't order wrong. Must order: Patatas bravas focaccia. 277 Willarong Road, Caringbah South, Flour & Stone For an international tourist in Sydney, Flour and Stone's panna cotta lamington should be as essential as an Opera House visit or buying knock-off Ugg boots. The clientele at Nadine Ingram's tiny bakery is often more local though, here for the signature lemon drizzle cake, brown butter tarts, scones and so much more. Everything that comes out of the oven is cosier than wearing sheepskin boots on a Sunday morning. Must order: The lamington or lemon drizzle if you're and F&S first-timer, but ask about the monthly cake specials too. 43 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo, Goodwood Bakeshop Orderly queues form each weekend at this local favourite. There are dogs, there are babies, and there are perfectly crusty, caramelised loaves of sourdough. The menu changes weekly, retaining favourites (like warm ham, gruyere and mustard croissants), reinventing day-old pastries (hello, twice-baked jalapeno and smoked cheddar croissants), and relying on seasonality (quince danishes and spiced apple pies in autumn). When sustainability is key, selling out is common – bakers make just enough for each day. Good to know: The plain croissant ranked first in Good Food's recent blind taste test. 297 Marrickville Road, Marrickville, goodwoodbakeshop Seventeen years after it opened, Iggy's remains the benchmark against which all Sydney bread is measured. Even now, you have to arrive early for the glorious sourdough loaves, rolls and bagels, which often sell out by mid-morning. As a bonus, it means you get the almost-sticky, spongy bread encased in a perfectly chewy crust, fresh and warm out of the oven. If you do miss out (as may happen on Saturdays), Iggy's also sells coffee and croissants, so you can still pull up a stool and enjoy the cool vinyl soundtrack. Must order: Their sourdough croissants have a gentle, buttery earthiness, and ranked seven on our taste-test challenge. 31 Macpherson Street, Bronte, Pioik Pyrmont locals have it good. On a lazy morning they can roll out of bed and wander down to Pioik, where former fine-dining chef Shady Wasef has baked another delicious dilemma. Do they choose the almond croissant with brandy-boozed cream? The egg sandwich, stacked with fluffy omelette and jammy tomato chutney? Or the Simit – a sesame-crusted loop of bread dipped in pomegranate molasses? The winner is then bundled away, enjoyed back home with a takeaway cup of Primary Coffee. Best for: Rustic loaves and baked delights inspired by the owners' Egyptian roots. 176-178 Harris Street, Pyrmont, Tuga Pastries Come for the cinnamon-dusted pastel de nata, but stay for the hunky cheeseburger pies, choc-filled doughnuts and crunchy croissant sandwiches. Tuga might be known as a top purveyor of Portuguese tarts, but everything here is a banger (especially those pies). Owner Diogo Ferreira is bursting with ideas, which makes it tough to choose from the exciting array of sweet and savoury goodies. Friendly staff are on hand to help make the hard decisions. Good to know: For a more leisurely experience at Clovelly, visit nearby Tuga x Village. 231 Clovelly Road, Clovelly and 10/112 McEvoy Street, Alexandria Self Raised Bread Shoppe This small suburban bakery, with its stylised 1960s aesthetic, nails nostalgia. There's the strawberry cake, a gloriously simple sponge beneath thick vanilla icing and quartered strawberries. There are fast-emptying trays of sugar-dusted Boston doughnuts, generously filled with fresh cream. And the pizza focaccia, topped with basil and torn balls of mozzarella, comes in pre-shrinkflation proportions. Quality fare minus the fads. Good to know: Sister shop Self Raised Snack Shoppe can be found in Bexley North. 45 Jubilee Avenue, Carlton, Starlight Bakery It's not what you'd expect from a 25-year-old bakery near Doonside train station, but there it is: a mahogany-hued modernist space, oversized floral arrangement at its centre, selling savoury-sweet Filipino breads and pastries. The renovation is new, but the Filipino menu was a gradual takeover as original owners (the Aringo family) adjusted to community needs. Now helmed by Jeremiah Luya, the bakery combines tried-and-tested pandesal and cheese-dusted ensaymadas with new-wave additions including purple ube macapuno (coconut) cake. Good to know: You can dine-in, pairing your pastry with a specialty coffee or iced matcha latte. 17 Hill End Road, Doonside, 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.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney's best matcha and bubble tea
Sponsored Eating outEssential cafes and bakeries The boundary-pushing new-wave cafes transforming the way we think about tea. Brought to you by T2 , 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. A growing number of Sydney cafes are specialising in neither tea nor coffee. Rather, it's a special third thing. This category celebrates all the forward-thinking cafes turning tradition on its head by serving express-brewed teas covered in cream-cheese foam; milky lattes whisked with hojicha; and pink-hued French Earl Grey in hot chocolate, with fairy floss. You'll find matcha and its many variations here. Yes, matcha is rooted in centuries of Chinese and Japanese tradition, but it stands apart from loose-leaf green tea due to its significant uptake in Sydney over the past two years. Harnessed for both its health and aesthetic properties, matcha has become synonymous with new-wave cafes, which serve it swirled with strawberry jam, whisked into cheesecakes and layered with thick milk foam. Want to know more? Read on for Sydney's best places to drink matcha and other specialty drinks. It's part of 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 icons, those best for food, tea and coffee, 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.) 1 / 4 Matcha latte and matcha muffin at Cre Asion, located in North Sydney (pictured) and Pyrmont. Dion Georgopoulos 2 / 4 Cafe Cre Asion, North Sydney. Dion Georgopoulos 3 / 4 Matcha is used to make a variety of baked goods at Cafe Cre Asion in North Sydney. Dion Georgopoulos 4 / 4 Cafe Cre Asion, North Sydney Dion Georgopoulos Cre Asion Step through the sheer curtains at Cre Asion to discover a pioneering matcha oasis in North Sydney, where the highest grade of this beautifully bitter Japanese tea has been whisked into specialty drinks and desserts since 2011. Japandi-style wood benches line the wall, facing glass pastry cabinets filled with verdant matcha green: fluffy swiss rolls, crumbly thick cookies and springy chiffon cake — also available in a nutty hojicha (roasted green tea) flavour with savoury azuki (red bean) cream. Good to know: Peruse the shelves for ceremonial-grade matcha powder and whisks. Multiple locations, Takeaway tea and strawberry matcha at Bubble Nini in Waterloo. Bubble Nini The cutesy aesthetic of this Sydney-born cafe chain might not be for everyone, but there's substance behind the library facade at the Zetland flagship. Teas are visually striking, varied (with options like premium green, jasmine and oolong), brewed to order and bright with flavour. The boba are the best part: preservative-free and made daily, infused with fresh ingredients like cherry blossoms, fresh fruit and strawberry jam. Must order: Ready to lean into the cute? Pair your hazy peach milk tea with a jiggly pudding cat. Multiple locations, Fruit toasts at Chubby Cubby. Chubby Cubby Cafe If Good Food presented an award for the biggest slice of banoffee, this calming hangout on busy George Street would most likely claim the trophy. Chubby rocks a range of extra-large fruit-covered shokupan toasts too, but we're most keen for the matcha latte crowned with thick whipped einspanner cream. Best for: Working on your laptop with matcha and cheesecake as writing fuel. 810 George Street, Haymarket, Mamuki's mango matcha smoothie. Nick Moir Mamuki Bake Bar Strawberry matcha lattes are all well and good, but how about a mango matcha smoothie at this Enmore Road newcomer? Green tea powder colour-boosts everything here, from the pastry cabinet's ace banana bread to the many Instagram-optimised drinks whisked to order. This cafe's robust stocks of matcha are drawn from three suppliers and working directly with Japanese farmers. Must order: The Matcha Cloud layered with coconut water and velvety foam. 147 Enmore Road, Enmore, Oriental Jasmine tea is the specialty at Molly Tea. Molly Tea Molly is a new kid on the burgeoning specialty tea scene block that is Burwood Road. The Chinese chain, founded in Shenzen in 2020, is recognisable for its pastel pink aesthetic, strong jasmine tea fragrance, and high-tech automated brewing equipment. Touch screens make ordering easy, explaining unexpectedly delicious blends such as the floral and refreshing 'pistachio jasmine coco' (green tea with coconut water and pistachio cream-cheese foam). Good to know: Molly has developed its own signature straw, three tiny tubes fused together, for better sipping. 192 Burwood Road, Burwood, Matcha everything at Moon & Back, Rosebery. Moon and Back Matcha meets innovation in this industrial-minimalist cafe beneath a modern apartment building in Rosebery. This is where you'll find ceremonial-grade matcha from the renowned Uji growing region in Kyoto, served with dainty skewers of house-made dango (chewy rice flour dumplings) or whipped into creamy clouds atop coconut water or milk. Cold brew coffee gets a floral flourish with jasmine, maple syrup and milk foam in the signature 'Kumo' drink. Best for: Appeasing your sweet-tooth on a solo date. 7/2 Crewe Place, Rosebery, Sneaker Laundry at Martin Place. Sneaker Laundry Lab This underground triple-threat sells specialty concoctions of coffee and matcha alongside grab-and-go Japanese-ish meals, all while sprucing up your dirty sneakers. Drop your shoes off and pick up a freshly whisked matcha with zesty yuzu, or served cold and milky with a 'cloud' of nutty kinako (roasted soybean powder) foam. There's no seating in the '00s-futurist space, but the fridge is stocked with onigiri from local master Oniballs in flavours including nasi lemak. Good to know: Spilled your matcha? Sneaker Laundry sells a great stain removing marker. Basement Level 3, 2 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, High-pressure tea brewing equipment at Tea & Co, Burwood. Tea & Co Take a seat on the polished concrete bench as you watch the espresso machines rasping with steam as they pressure-brew tea leaves to order. Within a minute or two the automated Big Brother voice booms out your order number, and there it is: a supersized (no, there aren't smaller sizes) 'snowy mountain osmanthus oolong fresh milk tea'. Translated: cold oolong tea with milk and cream cheese foam, or liquefied dessert for grown-ups. Good to know: Want some coffee with your tea? Tea & Co offers a specialised blend of the two. 1/180-186 Burwood Road, Burwood, Tea Republic This is no ordinary bubble tea spot. It's a light-filled space where baristas brew to order with freshly ground leaves and health-forward ingredients such as oats and coconut jelly. The fun is in choosing your tea and toppings: osmanthus to golden sencha; honey pearls to mini mocha. Tweak your ice level, sweetness and temperature, too, and enjoy your latest creation at the drink-in Mascot location. Must order: Roasted milk with all-combination toppings. Multiple locations, T Totaler, Sydney. T Totaler Husband and wife Amber and Paul Sunderland launched their premium Australian-grown tea brand in 2012 with the aim of changing the public perception of what tea could be. Now, they have 30 blends at their tiny flagship, which acts as a retail shop and peddler of the fabulous tea creations favoured by restaurants including two-hatted Bennelong. Bestsellers include a peppery masala chai and refreshing tea negroni cocktail. Must order: The signature French Earl Grey hot chocolate topped with Persian fairy floss. The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney, 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. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney's best family-friendly cafes
Eating outEssential cafes and bakeries 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. , 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. For adults there is quality food and coffee (and sometimes booze). For the kids there are playgrounds, cubby houses and budget-friendly menus, often with grab-and-go snacks. We've pulled this list together for 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. (These reviews also live on theGood Food app, and are discoverable on the map.) Now, all you need is a bit of sun for a fun day out. Outfield in Ashfield. Louise Kennerley Outfield Pack your picnic rug and pooch, this family-friendly cafe is perfect for play dates and lawn parties. The sunny deck welcomes all, with toys, games and live music in the park. Nourishing dishes include seeded bagels, three-cheese omelettes and a halloumi and egg roll sweetened with pumpkin jam. Team them with an iced chai or bush tea, and pick up some house-made pickles to take home. Good to know: Pre-order a picnic pack for a party on the greens. 230 Victoria Street, Ashfield, Pico in Curly's coconut cake. Pico in Curly It's hard to drive by Pico without pulling in. On a sunny day, the setting is idyllic: children playing beneath the tall eucalyptus tree, picnic tables loaded with strawberry-studded slices of tres leches cake, and dogs lounging on gingham rugs, salivating over stacked brekkie rolls. The cafe fare is solid, but the Brazilian baked goods, such as soft pao de queijos (cheesy bread rolls) and golden twists of grostoli (fluffy fried dough), are better. Good to know: Young ones are catered for with a kids' menu, cubby house and toys. 1/31 Brighton Street, Curl Curl, A lunch spread at Splash, chip butty front and centre. Edwina Pickles Splash The chip butty with curry sauce at Splash is a culinary wonder – the thick white bread double-buttered and steamed to ensure the carefully laid fries stay put. Spiced with warming flavours (ginger, cinnamon, turmeric), it's honestly one of Sydney's best sandwiches. As a bonus, the park-and-pool-adjacent cafe is firmly kid-friendly, stocked with grab-and-go snacks, picnic rugs and custom legionnaires hats for sale (no hat, no play, after all). Best for: A sunny day on the green, dogs and babies in tow. 2A Station St, Petersham, Candyland installation at The Grounds in Alexandria in 2023. Wolter Peeters The Grounds of Alexandria This mega-cafe has been kid-friendly since it opened in 2012. Remember Kevin Bacon the pig? (And the time Kevin was pig-napped and found three weeks later in Victoria?) Kevin permanently left his sty a few years ago, but lately there has been a Snow White-themed garden, Lego workshops and the occasional magical rainbow unicorn show. The coffee goes OK too. Best for: School-holiday workshops and high tea. 7A/2 Huntley Street, Alexandria, Sunny outdoor dining at Tuckshop, Glenhaven. The Tuckshop If only school tuckshops were as bright and buzzy as this smartly renovated spot. From fresh milkshakes to hearty burgers and nourishing mushroom rolls, The Tuckshop is the place to pick up treats for the playground or an after-sport snack. Rather take a breather? Find a shady spot on the patio for a full-blown brunch – there's Single O coffee and freshly made focaccia sandwiches. Best for: The whole tribe, including the family pup. 1/78 Glenhaven Road, Glenhaven, 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 boundary-pushing new-wave cafes transforming the way we think about tea and coffee. Previous 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. See all stories Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Sydney Morning Herald
3 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. 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