The Sweet Side of Sydney

Everyone with a sweet tooth, listen up, this one is for you! From the prettiest cakes you’ll lay eyes on to delicious, mouth-watering donuts to the best gelato you’ll taste outside of Italy, if you know where to look, you’ll find plenty of places in Sydney where you can satisfy your sweet tooth and get a sugar rush.

So, next time you’re Sydney, forget the diet, don’t fret about counting your calories, instead, throw caution to the wind and completely and shamelessly indulge - you only live once after all. Though, maybe just don’t tell your dentist about all the decadent sweets you treated yourself to!

For all the other must-try foodie spots in Sydney beyond sweet treats:

BLACKSTAR PASTRY | VARIOUS LOCATIONS

With the New York Times declaring it “the world’s most Instagrammed cake”, the strawberry watermelon cake from Blackstar Pastry is iconic and a must-try, even if it is purely for Instagram! Since opening in 2008, Blackstar Pastry has garnered a worldwide, cult-like following of fans who simply cannot get enough of its picture-perfect selection of cakes, though none more so than the strawberry watermelon cake - over one million slices a year are served from Blackstar Pastry’s stores! The cake was originally developed for a wedding, made to represent the flavours of romance, and is layered with almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream, and watermelon, and topped with strawberries, pistachios and dried rose petals, making for a light and refreshing treat.

View Blackstar Pastry’s menu.

Stores in the CBD, Newtown, Moore Park & Rosebery

Various operating hours for each location.

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

STRAWBERRY WATERMELON CAKE layered with almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream, and watermelon, and topped with strawberries, pistachios, and dried rose petals.

petal met sugar | woolloomooloo

Part charming florist, part patisserie, Petal met Sugar in Woolloomooloo combines florals and desserts! Here you enjoy a gourmet high tea full of tantalising twists on traditional Italian desserts alongside beautiful bouquets, and afterwards enjoy a private flower crown workshop. Beyond high tea and flower workshops, Petal met Sugar offers a selection of light breakfast options, individual sweets, and birthday cakes.

View Petal Met Sugar’s menu.

68 Sir John Young Cres, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011

Open 6 Days Tuesday - Sunday 7.30am - Midday (Friday - Sunday open till 4.00pm & Saturday & Sunday opens at 9.00am)

Nutie donuts | surry hills & BALMAIN

Abs are great but have you tried donuts, specifically, Nutie Donuts? If you haven’t I highly recommend you change that by visiting either their Surry Hills or Balmain store next time you find yourself in Sydney. As not only just delicious, all Nutie Donuts’ wide selection of weird and wonderful donuts are incredibly Instagrammable, especially, my personal favourite, the Cookie Monster, and are baked and gluten-free. If you’re not into donuts, despite its name, Nutie Donuts also sells a range of equally tempting vegan sweet treats and is a popular brunch spot.

44 Holt St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 & 13 Beattie St, Balmain NSW 2041

Open 6 Days Monday - Saturday 7.30am - 3.00pm & Open 7 Days 8.00am - 5.00pm

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

CHERRY RIPE DONUT

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE DONUT

COOKIE MONSTER DONUT

COCONUT CREAM PIE DONUT

RASPBERRY DONUT

ROCKY ROAD DONUT

GELATO MESSINA | VARIOUS LOCATIONS

If you visited Sydney and didn’t treat yourself to at least one scoop of Messina gelato, did you really even visit Sydney?! Honestly, it’s a fair question, which you have no real excuse for, considering the number of stores around! Messina is an undeniable Sydney institution that has successfully amassed an almost cult-like following since opening its first store in Darlinghurst in 2002 - it’s not rare to see a line out one of Messina’s inner-city’s stores meandering its way long down the street late on a Friday or Saturday night as if queuing to gain entry into an exclusive, trendy club. One of the reasons for Messina’s widespread popularity, beyond making some of the best gelato on the planet, is the vast selection it offers, with an incredible 40 different flavours available, five of which - the specials - are rotated on a weekly basis.

Among Messina’s signature, traditional 35 gelato flavours I would have to say a few of favourites include Apple Pie, Bounty, Salted Carmel & White Chocolate, Salted Coconut & Mango Salsa, and Hokey Pokey. Among the rotating weekly specials I have seen and tasted, I would definitely say Pavlova and Fairy Bread are both very good. Plus, I have seen Red Velvet, Malt Brownie, and Sticky First Date, which I am super keen to try when they, hopefully, bring them back!

View Gelato Messina’s classic flavours.

Stores in Circular Quay, Darling Square, Bondi, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Miranda, Newtown, Parramatta, Penrith, The Star, Tramsheds & Rosebery

Various operating hours for each location.

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

SALTED COCONUT & MANGO SALSA, & BOUNTY Messina’s most popular sorbet & coconut milk gelato with desiccated coconut and choc chip.

RASPBERRY, & PASSIONFRUIT Raspberry sorbet & passionfruit sorbet.

PAVLOVA Vanilla gelato with raspberry and passionfruit puree and baked meringue.

FAIRY BREAD Toast and butter gelato with 100’s and 1000’s crunch.

BOURKE STREET BAKERY | various locations

Almost always with a line stretching far outside its various store doors, Bourke Street Bakery is a much-loved chain of bakeries, now with outlets spread throughout the wider Sydney area. The chain became with a single store in Surry Hills, which still to this day, comfortably only fits about five customers, all of which huddle around the small glass cabinet housing the ever tempting range of delicious, freshly baked treats. Like a classic neighbourhood bakery, all its locations offer a vast selection of both sweet and savoury baked goods, made using the best ingredients and by hand, such as artisan bread, pies, tarts, pastries, and cakes.

View Bourke Street Bakery’s menu.

Stores in Surry Hills, Balmain, Potts Point, Barangaroo, North Sydney, Parramatta, Newtown, Neutral Bay, Alexandria, Marrickville, Banksmeadow, Kirrawee

Various operating hours for each location.

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

MANGO & MERINGUE TART

Aqua S | CBD - (permanently CLOSED)

Aqua S is known as serving the best soft serve in Sydney, and after I tasted the sea salt soft serve on my first visit I immediately agreed with such a claim. To really treat yourself and make your allegiance of Instagram follows particularly jealous, you can also opt to add a selection of toppings to your soft serve, such as sweet popcorn and a caramelised marshmallow - it’s all about looks, let’s be honest. Notably, with the exception of the sea salt flavour which remains available at all times, the two other soft-serve flavours available at any one time update fortnightly, acting as the perfect excuse to keep returning.

27/501 George St, Sydney NSW 2000

Open 7 Days Midday - 10.15pm 

I-Creamy Artisan Gelato | CBD

Home to the flower gelato, I-Creamy Artisan Gelato, located on the top floor of Skyview Shopping Plaza, off George Street is a must-try. To get the flower-looking gelato you must get two or three scoops of differing flavours - and remember to snap a pic before you indulge; your Insta feed will thank you for it.

Skyview Plaza, 13/537-551 George St, Sydney NSW 2000

Open 7 Days 11.00am - 10.00pm

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

SEA SALT & MATCHA SOFT SERVE with sweet popcorn and toasted marshmallow.

SAGA LYTE | HAYMARKET - (permanently CLOSED)

The miniature version of neighbourhood cafe and patisserie Saga Enmore in Newtown, Sage Lyte in Darling Square offers a wide selection of delicious sweet and savoury pastry creations, as well as light bites and pressed sandwiches. The four different varieties of ‘mini cakes’ - named Thor, Karl, Izzy, and Lara - you’ll find particularly stand out and prove to be a temptation too difficult to refuse. The only decision you’ll have to make is which tall-and-small mousse-like cake you choose, whether you prefer chocolate fudge cake or vanilla butter cake more, or whether you prefer orange and poppyseed cake, or coconut cake. Don’t worry, there is no wrong answer.

View Saga Lyte’s menu.

1 Little Pier St, Haymarket NSW 2000

Open 7 Days 8.00am - 5.00pm (Saturday & Sunday opens at 9.00am)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

MINI CAKE “KARL” Chocolate fudge cake, salted caramel, roasted peanuts, chocolate mousse, snickers, chocolate cookie crumb, chocolate fudge drizzle, peanut crunch, torched meringue.

MINI CAKE “LARA” Orange and poppyseed cake, white chocolate mousse, whole orange curd, pecan and poppyseed crunch, salted caramel, torched meringue.

Anita - La Mamma Del Gelato | Chippendale

Messina isn’t the only gelato spot in Sydney you should have on your list of places to check out, as Anita - La Mamma Del Gelato in Chippendale should also feature. With modest beginnings in a small Mediterranean kitchen in Israel, almost 20 years ago, today, Anita’s boutique gelato can be found around the world, with branches from Australia to New York. Beyond gelato, the store offers a selection of sorbets, frozen yogurts, and waffles, all 100% hand-made with top quality, locally-sourced, natural ingredients.

View La Mamma del Gelato’s flavours.

28 Broadway, Chippendale NSW 2008

Open 5 Days Tuesday - Saturday 11.00am - 11.00pm

Dunbar House | watson’s bay

One of Australia’s oldest standing structures, built in the 1830s, Dunbar House is a stunning, beautifully restored heritage home and is the perfect spot to enjoy a classic Devonshire Tea, with fruit and plain scones and tea and coffee. Located on the shores of Watsons Bay in Sydney’s eastern suburbs this impressive establishment is one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets. You can also enjoy breakfast and lunch at Dunbar House on Friday, Saturday and Sundays.

View Dunbar House’s breakfast menu and lunch menu.

9 Marine Parade, Watsons Bay NSW 2030

Open 3 Days Friday - Sunday 8.00am - 3.00pm

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

DEVONSHIRE TEA Fruit and plain scones with tea and coffee.

12-Micron | Barangaroo - (NOW EXCLUSIVely FOR PRIVATE FUNCTIONS)

Anyone whose's got a sweet tooth needs to check this place out, ASAP. This 'place' being the late-night dessert bar at restaurant 12-Micron, one of renowned pastry chef Darren Purchese's offerings, serving the most jaw-droppingly divine desserts. But warning do not expect the ordinary - nothing is quite what it seems.

100 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo NSW 2000

Open 7 Days Midday - 1.00am

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

LEMON TART Punchy raspberry sorbet, blackcurrant jelly and lemon curd on a crumbly shortbread base.

RASPBERRY EXPLOSION Raspberry sorbet, chocolate and popping candy.

PAVLOVA Quandong, white chocolate, strawberry.

PEANUT BUTTER TOAST Peanut butter, rosella, toast ice-cream.

JILLIAN’S CAKERY | Surry Hills

If you’re looking for moist, rustic, delicious vintage cakes with American roots and an Australian heart, then stop by boutique cake shop, Jillian’s Cakery in Surry Hills, a five-minute walk from Central Station. All the cakes at Jillian’s Cakery can either be purchased whole or by the slice and are unapologetically made with real sugar, full-fat cream, and butter, so probably best to indulge only now and then - it’s all about eating in moderation!

View Jillian’s Cakery’s menu.

242 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills NSW 201

Open 6 Days Monday - Saturday 7.30am - 4.00pm (Saturday open from 8.30am till 1.00pm)

SHORTSHOP COFFEE & DONUTS | BARANGAROO

After reaching cult-like status in Melbourne, Shortstop Coffee and Donuts opened the doors of its Sydney outpost in Barangaroo in early 2016 to much fanfare. Its success can be boiled down to its unique flavour combinations, like Earl Grey tea and rose, triple matcha, and honey and sea salt, the latter my personal favourite. All its donuts are made fresh on-site using high quality, natural ingredients and hit the sweet spot perfectly after a luxurious long lunch at one of the neighbouring Barangaroo restaurants.

View Shortshop’s menu.

23 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW 2000

Open 7 Days 8.00am - 5.00pm (Saturday & Sunday opens at 9.00am)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

AUSTRALIAN HONEY & SEA SALT CRULLER

speedos cafe | north bondi

Dubbed the world’s most Instagrammable cafe, Speedos Cafe at the northern end of Bondi Beach offers the sweet lover a tempting array of treats, despite its food and drinks offering generally geared towards the health-conscious, with a menu dominated by raw meals, organic herbal teas, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options. Though you simply cannot go past the cronut. For those who have never heard of the glorious cronut, it is a mix between a croissant and a doughnut - it’s not rocket science, I know - and it’s delicious! It is light, flaky, and just YUM! Notably, Speedos Cafe is also the perfect brunch spot overlooking Bondi Beach, although I am yet to try one of their dishes.

View Speedos Cafe’s menu.

126 Ramsgate Ave, North Bondi NSW 2026

Open 7 Days 6.00am - 5.00pm (Sunday opens at 6.30am)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

M&M CRONUT

HUMBLE BAKERY | Surry Hills

A quaint bakery on Holt Street in Surry Hills, Humble Bakery offers nostalgic bakery stapes - finger buns swiped with pink icing, baked-bean toasties and pig’s head sausage rolls - a selection of bowls and sandwiches, house-made gelato, freshly baked bread, and more substantial cafe dishes as well as an assortment of goodies at its counter. Grab and go or take a seat on a high stool at the big communal table right next to the open kitchen, at the bench by the window, or at one of the round Parisian-style terrazzo tables outside.

50 Holt St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Open 7 Days 8.00am - 4.00pm