Looking for the best dessert in Sydney? These crumbly cakes, pretty pastries and tasty treats will hit the (sweet) spot.
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Destination NSW
Nov 2022 -
2
min readNomtella Cake at KOI Dessert Bar
It's the cake that made Reynold Poernomo famous on MasterChef, the aptly named Nomtella. Layers of dark chocolate brownie, espresso mousse, salted caramel ganache and hazelnuts come together in the perfect nutty mocha-y bite.
![Koi Dessert Bar, Chippendale - Credit: Koi Dessert Bar Nomtella cake at Koi Dessert Bar, Chippendale](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/ATDW_Koi_Dessert_Bar_Credit_Koi_Dessert_Bar.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=LGPd1jnj)
Koi Dessert Bar, Chippendale - Credit: Koi Dessert Bar
Goya at La Renaissance
It’s only fitting that the delicate French pastries at this bijou cafe should be named for artists; they look like works of art themselves. The Goya is raspberry mousse with a creamy passionfruit centre, almond nougatine and pain de genes biscuit base, with one of their signature macarons on the side.
![La Renaissance Patisserie and Cafe, The Rocks Chef placing the final touches on a dessert at La Renaissance Patisserie and Cafe, The Rocks](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/La_Renaissanc_cake_DNSW.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=zhka9esV)
La Renaissance Patisserie and Cafe, The Rocks
Balles Bougatsa at Lukumades
Lukumades are a traditional Greek doughnut, sold from pastry shops or hole-in-the-wall cafes as an afternoon snack, often topped with sweet syrup and crushed walnuts. Taking cues from its namesake, there’s plenty of modern flavours on offer at this Chippendale venue, but you can’t go past a classic – Balles Bougatsa is filled with custard and topped with cinnamon and icing sugar.
![Selection of balles bougatsa at Lukumades, Chippendale - Credit: Lukumades Australia Selection of balles bougatsa at Lukumades, Chippendale](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/Lukumades_Balls_Bougatsa.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=lTCV1SXX)
Selection of balles bougatsa at Lukumades, Chippendale - Credit: Lukumades Australia
Strawberry Watermelon Cake at Black Star Pastry
It’s called the most Instagrammed cake in the world and with its pretty-as-a-picture layers of almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream and watermelon, topped with strawberries, pistachios and dried rose petals, it’s easy to see why. Expect a line out the door most days to get one.
![Black Star Pastry, Newtown - Credit: Black Star Pastry Plated strawberry watermelon cake at Black Star Pastry, Newtown](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/Black_Star_Pastry_strawberry_watermelon_cake.jpg?h=b646f1bf&itok=wylnRJ-a)
Black Star Pastry, Newtown - Credit: Black Star Pastry
White Coral at Quay
Quay’s snow egg was the first dessert in Australia to become a celebrity in its own right. In 2018 it was replaced by white coral – white chocolate ganache frozen with nitrous oxide until it takes on a spongy, coral-like texture, served with coconut cream and feijoa ice-cream.
![Quay, Circular Quay White coral dessert at Quay, Circular Quay](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/ATDW_Quay_White_Coral_Dessert_Credit_Quay.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=8xpekjML)
White coral dessert at Quay, Circular Quay
Salted Caramel and White Chocolate Gelato at Gelato Messina
Every gelato aficionado has its own favourite scoop from Gelato Messina, true legends of the game in Sydney, but the salted caramel and white chocolate is consistently their best seller. It’s made with milk from Messina’s own jersey cows and churned fresh in-store every day.
![Gelato Messina, Darling Square - Credit: Gelato Messina Gelato Messina, Darling Square](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/ATDW_Messina_Gelato_Messina_Darling_Square_v2.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=WFJRKGXh)
Gelato Messina, Darling Square - Credit: Gelato Messina
Cheesecake at Uncle Tetsu
A cult favourite in Japan, Uncle Tetsu brought their brand of oh-so-fluffy cheesecake with the golden brown top to Australia in 2016. Demand was so intense when it first opened that there was a limit of one cake per person. Happily, you can now buy as many as you like.
![Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake, Sydney City - Credit: Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake, Sydney City](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/Uncle_Tetsu_Cheesecake_Credit_Uncle_Tetsu.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=xwruM-K5)
Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake, Sydney City
Baked Ricotta Cake at Pasticceria Papa
This traditional southern Italian bakery has been a Sydney favourite for more than 30 years and those in the know always order the baked ricotta cake. Made from a secret family recipe, its light and fluffy ricotta is encased in flaky pastry that melts in your mouth.
![Selection of specialty cakes, Pasticceria Papa Selection of specialty cakes, Pasticceria Papa](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/152190_Papa_Patisserie_Five_Dock_DNSW.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=4S4_YuwH)
Selection of specialty cakes at Pasticceria Papa, Haberfield
The OG Lamington at Tokyo Lamington
A Japanese take on the iconic Australian sweet, Tokyo Lamington has a huge range of flavours from fairybread popcorn to yuzu meringue and banana caramel, but it’s hard to go past the classic. Fluffy sponge, raspberry jam and vanilla cream, dipped in chocolate and coated in coconut – bliss.
![Tokyo Lamington, Newtown - Credit: Tokyo Lamington The OG lamington at Tokyo Lamington, Newtown](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/Tokyo_Lamington_Credit_Tokyo_Lamington.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=kUt6NzA4)
Tokyo Lamington, Newtown - Credit: Tokyo Lamington
Portuguese Tart at Sweet Belem
Daydreaming about a Portuguese tart that rivals the famous delights you find on the streets of the Lisbon suburb of Belem? Head to Petersham’s Sweet Belem, which sells between 600 to 1,000 pasteis de natas on a weekend day. Once you bite into the flaky outer shell to the warm custard inside, you’ll understand why the Inner West bakery has become an institution.
![Portuguese tarts at Sweet Belem, Petersham Portuguese tart at Sweet Belem, Petersham](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/174668_Sweet_Belem_Pattisserie_Credit_Sweet_Belem.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=XhZQokCZ)
Portuguese tarts at Sweet Belem, Petersham
Almond Croissant at Flour and Stone
Found in the back streets of Woolloomooloo, Flour and Stone serve up classic bakery delights, including coffee, pastries, cakes, and savoury sausage rolls and pies. The real showstopper, however, is the flaky almond croissant – cooked fresh every night by chief of viennoiserie Mary Johnston, using Pepe Saya butter. Come hungry so you can taste other menu delights, such as sourdough crumpet with ricotta and honeycomb, or a creamy leek and gruyere tart.
![Flour and Stone, Woolloomooloo Almond croissant at Flour and Stone, Woolloomooloo](/sites/sydney/files/styles/article_mobile_x2/public/2022-11/Flour_and_Stone_croissant.jpg?h=4cdc3b54&itok=scOp0uAz)
Flour and Stone, Woolloomooloo