Because there’s always room for dessert...
Whether yours is the excuse that you’ve “saved room” or that you possess some enviable dedicated “dessert stomach” (let’s face it, we all do), here are some decadent and delicious dessert meccas you’ll find the space (read, excuse) to sink your sweet teeth into.
Gelato @ Gelato Messina
Where: 1/241 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 12pm-11pm, Fridays and Saturdays 12pm-11:30pm
Facebook: Gelato Messina
Let’s face it, when it comes to gelato, or ice-cream in general, nowhere in Sydney has anything on Gelato Messina. They’ve got presentation and creativity in spades, their gelatos are made from ingredients so fresh they probably grow them out back and pick them upon order, and their ice cream mountains are so glossy you could slide down them like honey. Tongues out and spoons ready.
Bourke Street Bakery
Where: Surry Hills, Marrickville, Potts Point, Neutral Bay, Alexandria, North Sydney
Opening hours: Varies, check the website for more details
Facebook: Bourke Street Bakery
If this line of delectable tarts from the infamous pastry and bread maestros at Bourke Street Bakery doesn’t make you want to drop everything to run straight to your nearest store then by god, you have no heart, and we feel really, really sorry for you.
Cheesecake @ Pasticceria Papa
Where: 145 Ramsay Street, Haberfield & 95 Queens Road, Fivedock
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 7:30-5pm, Sunday 7:30am-1pm
Facebook: Pasticceria Papa
Papa has biscuits, coffee, pizzas and profiteroles - but you’re here for the pièce de résistance, aren’t you? And that, my cake-eating friends, is CHEESECAKE. Rich, exquisite, decorative and delicious cheesecake in traditional flavours (torta di ricotta, blueberry, strawberry, passionfruit). They also do mean mud and mousse cakes. And croquembouche and macaron towers. And… oh dear…you’re not getting out of here alive. (Not that you care.)
Macarons @ Adriano Zumbo
Where: Balmain, Rozelle, Waverley, The Star
Opening hours: Varies, see website for more details
Facebook: Adriano Zumbo Patissier
The macaron revolution may be on the demise, being overthrown by other pastries like the eclair and the cronut, but when the craving hits, Zumbo is your man. No one else can name a line of macarons after himself (zumbarons) without being labelled overly pretentious. Can’t blame the man for loving his macarons.
Gelato @ N2 Extreme Gelato
Where: Lot 43, 1 Dixon Street, Sydney
Opening hours: Daily 1pm-11pm
Facebook: N2
What mad scientific experiment do we have here? N2 is the laboratory of gelatos, its concoctions of which are cooled with liquid nitrogen, lashed with flavours poured from chemistry beakers, and injected with syrups using syringes. Flavours change weekly. Teas and fudges also available.
Novelty macarons @ Blackflower Patisserie
Where: Shop 5/37 Ultimo Road, Haymarket
Opening hours: Daily 9am-6pm
Facebook: Blackflower Patisserie
This is a new wave of macarons. Blackflower takes that cupcake decoration (remember those Cookie Monster cupcakes on Pinterest?) and transfers it onto the humble macaron. Think panda, watermelon, and cheeseburger (pictured) macrons. Oh, did we mention they also bake cakes, smash up night dessert plates, and serve pizza? Is this heaven?
Eclairs @ La Maison de l’eclair
Where: 91 Bondi Rd, Bondi Junction
Opening hours: Monday 8am-4pm, Tuesday to Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 7am-6pm, Sunday 8am-2:30pm
Facebook: Le Maison De L’Eclair
Sometimes all you need is a delicious eclair in your life. In an Australian first, this dedicated eclair store houses the most extravagant eclairs (one is filled with 70% truffle cream filling, another comes topped in mini macarons), and some less extravagant (pistachio, coconut, salted caramel) - though no less delectable. Buy a box and share with the office… or not.
Kurtosh @ Kurtosh
Where: Randwick, Surry Hills, Crows Nest, Cockle Bay Wharf
Opening hours: Varies, visit the website for more details
Facebook: Kurtosh
Named after a traditional Hungarian sweet, kurtosh translates to “chimney cake.” It’s a pastry that’s rolled around a metal rod, and cooked until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Then, it’s rolled around in all manner of toppings, from pistachios and coconut to the more standard cinnamon and sugar. Coffee is also available, so you can have your cake and coffee, too.
Cakes and tarts @ Lorraine’s Patisserie
Where: Shop 5, Palings Lane, 320 George Street, Sydney
Opening hours: Weekdays 8:30am-6:30pm, Saturday 9am-4pm
Facebook: Lorraine’s Patisserie
As her name suggests, Lorraine Godsmark is a god… of the pastry world. She’s plated up sweet treats all over Sydney from Rockpool to Yellow, and now ivy has snapped her up. Her list of “signature” delights knows no bounds. Though, if we really must choose one, it’s her silky smooth date tart with baked vanilla custard that slides down into the belly the best.
Black Star Pastry
Where: 277 Australia Street, Newtown (Rosebery store now open too.)
Opening hours: Daily 7am-5pm
Facebook: Black Star Pastry
People come from far and wide to taste this one signature dessert at Black Star Pastry: the watermelon cake. Or, more accurately, the strawberry watermelon cake with rose scented cream. It’s a light and creamy tower of heaven that’s topped with petals - and for those suffering from intolerances, is gluten-free. Don’t limit yourself to this one, however. Black Star churns out an amazing array of sweet treat with its orange cake with persian fig and raspberry lychee coconut cakes worth the journey, too.
Dinner and dessert
When you find that place that does their dinner as well as their dessert, latch onto it as hard as you can. We’ve done you five better - with six dinner and dessert destinations. Because there’s nothing better than not having to move a muscle to enjoy a touch of decadence after a ripper meal.
Arras
Where: 204 Clarence Street, Sydney
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 12pm-2:30pm (lunch) 6pm-10pm (dinner), Saturday 6pm-10pm
Facebook: Arras
In a big white room with a huge wall mural is this European-influenced dining experience. Small, share dishes is the name of the game, with corned wagyu and slow cooked pork neck dripping off the main menu. Desserts water the eyes in the form of rhubarb ‘crumble’ pears and corrected coffee on the sweet side of things, and possibly Sydney’s best cheese trolley on the more savoury side.
Ananas
Where: 18 Argyle Street, Sydney
Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday 12pm-12am, Thursday to Friday 12pm-3am, Saturday 4pm-3am
Facebook: Ananas
Crepes. Eclairs. Macarons. Brie. Let’s face it, the French know their desserts. This hatted brasserie, which delivers French/Mediterranean cuisine with a contemporary twist, is no exception. Begin the night with some confit duck leg, wash it down with some champagne, and polish it all off with a frangelico chocolate fondant. Bon apetit.
Ms G’s
Where: 155 Victoria Street, Potts Point
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 5pm-11pm, Friday 12pm-3pm (lunch), 5pm-11pm (dinner), Saturday 5pm-11pm, Sunday 1pm-9pm
Facebook: Ms G’s
They call this wonder a “Stoner’s Delight” but you don’t have to be stoned to be delighted by it. Already developed to version 2.0, it’s a share plate smorgasbord of donut flavoured ice cream, peanut butter, raspberry jam, candied bacon potato chips, mars bar slice, and banana fritter. Share plate? Yeah, right.
3 Weeds
Where: 197 Evans Street, Rozelle
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 6pm-10pm (dinner)
Facebook: 3 Weeds
Braised lamb pie swimming in tarragon jus followed by a nectarine and blueberry tartlet with nectarine ice cream. Could life get any more perfect?
The Meat & Wine Co.
Where: Darling Harbour, Circular Quay
Opening hours: Varies, check the websites
Facebook: The Meat & Wine Co.
These meat heads (said in the fondest of gestures) know a thing or two about their beast. Their meats are tender, seared just the way you like it, and sourced from only premium breeders. So we were surprised too that they also know a thing or two about their sweet treats. Opt for the sweet finale for a sample selection of their fondants, brulees, cheesecakes or tarts, or pair your juicy beef steak with a selection of Australia’s cheese, served with a fig tart, artisan crackers and seasonal fruit. $15 for one or $29 for two. You know you want two.
Hartsyard
Where: 33 Enmore Road, Newtown
Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday 5:30pm-late
Facebook: Hartsyard
Every week Hartsyard does two things like clockwork. 1) Feeds the masses an exquisite selection of delicately crafted dinner dishes and 2) Changes up its soft serve and pie options. You’ll never know what to expect from its adventurous chefs, but you’ll always know it’s worth the punt.
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