Cafes & bakeries in Sydney

Been putting this off for way too long but NOT TODAY.

Everyone has a favourite travel destination, one where they can go to over and over again and not get sick of. In my case, it's Australia. I was there for a whole 6 months this time. (Yes, no surprise I chose it as my exchange destination).

After I completed my exchange programme at Brisbane (let's keep that for another day), I headed to Sydney for 2 months and never once had a bad meal there. This shall be a cafe/bakery only post, we'll keep the rest of the places for another day to not overload you with good food.

Australian coffee is the best in the world. Google said it and I have no doubts about that.

Their cafe scene is simply amazing. Vegan or non-vegan, healthy or artery clogging THEY HAVE IT ALL.

1. The Grounds of Alexandria

If you're looking for insta-worthy cafes, this probably tops the list. Even if you're not, just put this on your list because you won't regret it. They have great food, beautiful flowers, mouth- watering donuts and tarts, and even a little farmers market all in one place.

The nutella donuts were beyond perfect, with that rich hazelnut goodness oozing out with each bite.

The fried chicken burger was tender and juicy but be careful because it can get really messy! haha

The pizza..well.. didn't really leave much of an impression so you could probably skip it since it's nothing different from the rest. But if you're a pizza lover and craving for some pizza then why not?

2. Paramount Coffee Project (PCP)

Bright and industrial chic looking cafe that reminds me a lot of Atlas Coffeehouse.

Wanted to go for something out of our usual and ordered the Buttermilk fried chicken waffle. Pleasantly surprised by how it turned out because prior to this I never thought it would've made a good combo. My only gripe is that there was too little buttermilk, making the dish quite dry towards the end.

The other dish was Soft baked eggs with pork sausage. As an egg lover, I gotta say this didn't disappoint.

Top up your breakfast with a lovely cup of iced latte and done!

3. Pancakes on the Rocks

Had Pancakes on the Rocks thrice at Gold Coast so when I knew they had it in Sydney how could I resist.

Ordered the usual "Our Famous Pancake Stacks (long stack)" with ice cream which comes with maple syrup as well. The pancakes are soft and fluffy, just what you would imagine perfect pancakes to look and taste like.

Tried "The Ultimate" crepes for the first time. These crepes were filled with cream cheese and sultanas, served with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream. Not a big fan of berries but these were pretty good thanks to the cream cheese and ice cream.

Honestly, Pancakes on the Rocks can never go wrong and if you ever come across it you definitely have to go in!

4. Bourke Street Bakery

I remember it was raining like crazy on this day. We took such a long time to find this place, the journey and walk was horrendous. I entered the bakery thinking "huh so small. ah..." there were only like 2-3 tiny tables inside and a few more outside (which we couldn't sit cause...rain).

We were STARVING by then and quite a few items were sold out. Was pretty bummed but we still picked out 3 food and 3 drinks:

-Ham and cheese croissant

-Beef brisket,red wine and mushroom pie

-Mixed berry muffin

-Hot coffee

-Iced coffee

-Iced chocolate milk

Everything was wiped out in a few minutes. Partly because we were so hungry but mostly because everything was so delicious. The warm pie and croissant were so fit for a rainy day. The beef brisket pie deserves a special mention because the beef was incredibly tender and the red wine sauce they used really kept you wanting more. Sadly, we couldn't get more because it was all sold out by then... :( thinking about this pie now just makes me drool....

We left this small, unassuming bakery with our tummies happy and filled. The rain and horrendous journey didn't bother us anymore.

5. Devon cafe

My favourite kind of brunch always comes with eggs. Ordered the Croissant St Denis and it was superb! The eggs were cooked just right and they were pretty generous with the blue swimmer crab and salmon bits. Presentation and taste were just so on point.

Also tried the Yakuza Burger (opted for the fried chicken option rather than the beef patty) which couldn't match up to the to the Croissant St Denis, of course. But the "Devon's secret sauce" which they included in the burger was so flavourful and complemented the fried chicken. I guess I should also mention that the fries were great (I mean some places can still get their fries wrong!) so overall I would say that this place is a MUST go.

Oh and the iced matcha was also so thick and creamy as well. Matcha fans out there, don't miss this! A pity it came in such a small glass. Probably the best I drank in Australia after 3 horrible matcha incidents :(

6. Gathered Kitchen

Gathered Kitchen is a cosy plant based cafe located in the bustling suburb of Glebe. They serve delicious waffles, croissants and bread and is always filled with customers. Sad to say, they have ceased their operations in 2019 due to family obligations. So here are some pictures for you to enjoy :)

That's the end of the Sydney cafes & bakeries segment. Stay tuned for more updates if you're planning a trip to Sydney, not any time soon of course.