Having a sweet tooth, I have two priorities when visiting Sydney, and pretty much any city or town: hunt down as many new bakeries and patisseries as possible, and save money/get some exercise by walking to them.
After a five-year absence from the harbour city, I have a long list of places to try and, regrettably, only one stomach.
My daughter and I have splashed out more than we usually would on a twin room at the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, on the fringe of the city close to Chinatown, Haymarket, and lots of sweet offerings.
Ace’s casual cafe Good Chemistry is a handy place to grab coffee and pastry before hitting the streets, especially if you are adjusting to the time difference.
We wander through Chinatown and before long, we’re at Black Star Pastry’s CBD outlet at The Galeries in George Street. Black Star is home of the famous strawberry watermelon cake but always has interesting seasonal offerings, from vegan Christmas cakes to blueberry hot cross buns.
Also in The Galeries is The Grounds of the City, the CBD cousin of The Grounds of Alexandria. The cosy and often floral aesthetics of Grounds venues are perfect for photos, but the coffee is pretty good, and so are the pastries and cakes.
My eyes are drawn to the golden hues of Venchi, a “ChocoGelataria” at The Galeries. I’d never heard of Venchi until I saw queues at one in Singapore in 2023, but it was founded in Italy in 1878 and makes chocolate, more than 90 gelato flavours, and vegan sorbets.
A cake shop inside a book shop that’s open until late? Yes please! Chiffon and layer cakes line the counter of Dulcet Cafe inside Books Kinokuniya. I buy a slice of chocolate crepe cake for later.
At the historic and pretty Strand Arcade, several venues serve coffee until at least 5pm — handy when your body is on Perth time.
The next day, we make a beeline for Avner’s, the Eastern European bakery and “bagelporium” of former Better Homes and Gardens chef Ed Halmagyi.
Challah bread, chocolate babka, halva brownies and bagels fill the counter and shelves.
I’m always on the hunt for a chewy New York-style bagel, and Avner’s delivers. Chocolate and cinnamon both pass my test of being able to be torn apart and eaten plain. You can, of course, order jam, schmear or fillings.
Ed’s in the store, greeting customers and their pets, handing out samples and making recommendations. There’s a sense of community and you can see staff at work in the open kitchen.
Ed only agrees to a photo if I am in it. But being sleep deprived, the photo is never being published. Outside, he photobombs a shot of my daughter.
Surry Hills can be tough on the feet, but it is a treasure trove of street art, cafes, restored Victorian terraces, jewellery shops, wine bars and, of course, bakeries.
Pretty in pink, Lode Pies offers fancy pies but also $5 choc chip cookies that survive the trip back to Perth.
Unfortunately, it is bucketing down the morning I head to Paramount House Hotel, and rooftop brunch hotspot AP House, part of the AP Bakery group. Faced with trays stacked high with baked goods, I limit myself to coffee and a Three Milks Bombolini.
You can’t exist on bread alone — or can you? The best bread of this trip is the molasses bread with dinner at the award-winning Cafe Paci in Newtown.
Back in Sydney a few months later, I finally make it to The Grounds Coffee Factory in South Eveleigh, accessible by train or light rail. Skip the queue by sitting at the bar, where you can watch baristas at work and a pastry trolley doing its rounds.
Google Maps is my best friend when using public transport and finding highly rated coffee. It leads me to Outta Coffee in Haymarket, a tiny hole-in-the-wall outlet that delivers a large oat latte for $5.50, with no surcharge.
Billed as an extension of Japan’s 47 prefectures, Prefecture 48 is a three-level Japanese city dining precinct within a heritage building in Sussex Street, housing four restaurants, a whisky bar, and patisserie Dear Florence.
Somehow, I manage to arrive at Dear Florence after it has closed. Later that night after dinner at Ibushi Robata Grill, my luck changes when I’m invited to view what’s left to buy as takeaway.
Combining French patisserie and Japanese-inspired flavours, Dear Florence’s cakes and tarts look more like works of art. Expect to spend around $17 for a small strawberry, sudachi (a Japanese citrus) and olive oil tart, a favourite of executive pastry chef Aoife Noonan.
I unwrap the gift-like package and daintily demolish the whole thing, unaware it is supposed to serve one to two. What’s Sydney without some sweet indulgence?
fact file
acehotel.com/sydney
thegaleries.com
avners.com.au
lodepies.com
apbakery.com.au
thegrounds.com.au
p48.com.au
visitsydney.com
