14 Dessert Places in Sydney Locals Won’t Tell You

14 Dessert Places in Sydney Locals Won’t Tell You

Sydney is the city of food haven. The diversity of food available in Sydney is simply amazing. You can find really good Aussie food, Asian food such as Vietnamese, Malaysian, Hong Kong, Chinese, Taiwanese, Turkish, Middle Eastern food and even European food. That’s why you need to visit Sydney at least once in your lifetime.

There are many dessert places in Sydney but with the help of a local guide and our cousin (staying in Sydney), we went to discover the best hidden gems that locals won’t tell you. Thus, we spent eight days in Sydney CBD and nearby suburbs to compile this list.

We compiled a list of 14 dessert places in Sydney and most of them are located in the CBD (city area) or nearby suburb. All of these dessert places are frequently visited by locals while some are quite popular with tourists. Thus, some of these dessert places have a few outlets in Sydney.

Here are the 14 Dessert Places in Sydney Locals Won’t Tell You:

1.Aqua S

This is a small dessert place in the CBD area located at 27/501 George St (next to the Sydney Town Hall). We got to know this place from our cousin who is also a regular customer to Aqua S.

What is so special about this dessert place is their soft serve ice cream. They claim to be one of the top soft serve ice creams in Sydney.

Their top flavour is sea salt soft serve and the idea came from Okinawa Japan. Thus, they will change the other two flavours every fortnightly so you won’t get the same flavours.

We tasted two flavours, their signature sea salt and also pumpkin soup flavour. The sea salt flavour is quite exquisite while the pumpkin soup flavour is very enjoyable. Their soft serve ice cream really smooth and we enjoyed it very much. Don’t forget to add with their pretty toppings which include candy floss, popcorns and popping candy.

Aqua S address:

27/501 George St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Website: http://www.aquas.co/

2.Chanoma Café

Chanoma Café is a modern Japanese tea house serve ‘matcha’ (green) drinks and desserts similar to fast food restaurants. You order and pay first at the counter and you collect the food.

The café is located at 1/501 George Street and it is coincidently opposite of Aqua S. Thus, if you plan to visit Aqua S we recommend you to visit Chanoma Café as well. Their shops are face to face each other with long queues.

We tried their Matcha Float (iced green tea latte with green tea soft ice cream) and it is gorgeous. The taste is immense with green tea flavour, it is strong and fragrant. The photo didn’t do justice but if you are a green tea lover, you should drop by for their green tea latte and their green tea soft serve ice cream. Thus, they also offer savoury tonkatsu hot dogs.

Chanoma Café Address:

1/501 George St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Phone:+61 2 9266 0667

Hours: Open today · 11AM–10PM

Website: http://www.chanoma.com.au/

3.Adriano Zumbo Pastries and Macarons

We got to know Adriano Zumbo through the Masterchef Australia series. He is one of Australia’s most celebrated patissiers and he has opened five stores in Sydney including one concept store at The Star. He worked with many brands in Australia including Tim Tam biscuits recently with a few limited edition Tim Tam Adriano Zumbo flavours.

Whenever we travel down to Sydney, we will visit one of their stores for their macarons. In our opinion, he is the Australian version of Ladurée Paris. We saw him once in his shop at The Star but he was too busy cooking.

His macarons come with wacky flavours and it changes from time to time. That’s why it is so unique and so tasty. We always buy the macarons back with their easy to carry paper boxes. We miss their macarons so much.

Please check out their locations on their website at https://adrianozumbo.com/locations.html

4.Ms G

Ms G is one of the most talked about fusion restaurants in Sydney. Located at Potts Point, the 4 four level space restaurants comes with funky wall art and a jam jar ceiling. If you plan to visit the restaurant, we recommend you to book your table first. Most of the customers here are locals and that’s why this is one of the hidden gems of Sydney.

Coincidently we met the executive chef Dan Hong a few years ago in another food event in Australia. Finally, we get to taste some of his creations.

The food in Ms G is simply work of genius as it recreates Asian food with the fusion of Western character. Thus, one of the highlight of Ms. G is their desserts.

We tasted all their desserts which include Hongo Bongo, Tropical Passion, Omar’s Mess and Stoner’s Delight Part 3. Each and every single dessert is beautifully crafted and each dessert carries its own identity, character, texture and taste.

Please take note that they change their dessert menu from time to time but regardless of the changes, Ms. G is worth the visit!

 

Ms G Address:

155 Victoria St, Potts Point NSW 2011, Australia

Phone:+61 2 9240 3000

Lunch: Friday 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Dinner: Mon – Sat 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm – 9:00pm
Website: http://merivale.com.au/msgs

 

5.Cow and the Moon

Cow and the Moon is a gelato and coffee bar. Located in Enmore, the gelato bar shoots to stardom when they won the world’s best gelato title Gelato World Tour in Rimini, Italy in 2014. Since then, you can spot long queues in front of the Cow and the Moon.

Their winning creation is Mandorla Affogato Flavour.The base is Madagascan vanilla base with hints of single origin coffee as well as caramelised almonds from Italy. Vanilla base ice cream is fragrant and you get the sweet and crunchy texture from the caramelised almonds with slight hints from the coffee.

If you never tasted a world champion gelato then you should visit Cow and The Moon for a cup of Mandorla Affogato gelato.

Cow and The Moon Address:

181 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042

Phone: +61 2 9557 4255

6.Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream

Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream is a Turkish dessert restaurant located in Enmore. They are just a stone throw away from The Cow and The Moon. You can find authentic Turkish desserts such as Turkish ice cream and baklava.

The must order dessert is their Turkish ice cream with baklava. You get the best of the both world in one dessert. The Turkish ice cream is delightful, elastic texture and not that sweet and it goes well the sweet and crunchy texture of baklava.

The best way to eat Turkish Ice Cream is with a fork instead of the spoon. The ice cream’s elastic texture and aromatic flavour comes from salep (a type of flour).

If you never tasted Turkish Ice Cream with Baklava, you should drop by Hakiki in Enmore.

Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream Address:

63-71 Enmore Rd, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia

Phone: +61 2 8040 1676

Sunday – Thursday: 11.30am – 10.30pm

Friday – Saturday: 11.30am – 11.30pm

Website: http://www.hakiki.com.au/

 

7.Bourke Street Bakery

This is the story of two bakers and chefs who started a bakery café in Bourke Street in 2004. Now, there are 10 bakeries in across Sydney and they still offer quality and good food in their bakeries.

We visited their first bakery in Bourke Street Bakery a few times for their pastries. It is a small beautiful corner lot bakery and you can easily spot them with the long queue as well as the tables and chairs on the pavement. They are well known among the locals and hence the long queue.

They have a few popular pastries such as the bread, the tarts and the sausage rolls.

When you enter the bakery, you will be welcomed by the fragrant aroma of the pastries. You order at the counter and within seconds, you get your food. It is definitely fast service here and that’s why you don’t have to queue long. The people will keep on coming and get their food and leave. Some will sit outside of the bakery with a cuppa of coffee.

Since we are not a big fan of their sausage rolls, we recommend their signature meringue passion fruit tart and their ginger crème brulee tart. You won’t be disappointed for sure.

Bourke Street Bakery Surry Hills Address:

633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills (corner of Devonshire and Bourke Street), NSW 2011

Tel: +61 2 9699 1011

Hours:
7am – 6pm Monday to Friday
7am – 5pm Saturday and Sunday

Website: http://bourkestreetbakery.com.au/

8.Kürtősh

Kürtősh is a place recommended by locals for its Hungarian pastries. In fact the name Kürtősh comes from Kurtoskalacs which is a traditional Hungarian pastry better known as Hungarian chimney cake.

Kürtősh offers Hungarian pastries, cakes, chimney cakes with a few flavours and coffee too. For their famous Hungarian chimney cake, they only made to order so you get only fresh chimney cake. The whole process takes around 15-20 minutes only. You know the cake is ready when you can smell the aroma from the oven.

The cake is fragrant and it is compliments well with coffee.  Our advice is to eat while it is hot. If you never tasted a Hungarian chimney cake, Kürtősh is the place you should visit.

Kürtősh Address:

604-606 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia

Phone:+61 2 9319 7701

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 7am – 10pm
Saturday – Sunday & Public Holidays: 8am – 10pm

Website: http://kurtosh.com.au/

 

9.Devon Cafe

Devon Café is another hidden gem in Surry Hills. Popular with its breakfast, brunch and lunch menu, the café is very popular with the locals. At a glance, it looks like ‘just another café’ in the neighbourhood but the food is as pretty as art and very Instagrammable.

The presentation of their food is second to none. Each and every single dish is plated to perfection and it didn’t compromise the quality and taste of the food.

We ordered one of the signature desserts call Raspberry Cookies and Cream and we were totally wowed by the presentation.

The Raspberry Cookies and Cream comes with muesli cinnamon base, raspberries, viola pebbles, crystals with sugar, waffle crumb and topped with gold dust, gold flakes and glitters for presentation.

This is the work of Chef Jacqui Ektoros and she put lots of efforts in this plate of dessert. This is how its looks like for everyone and the amount of work and technique requires should be applauded.

The taste is not that sweet and you get many different textures from the muesli cinnamon base to the viola pebbles. It tastes like an adventure in wonderland.

Be mindful of long queues but a trip to Devon Café is definitely worth it, whether for its desserts or brunch menu. Just remember to bring your camera and smartphone as the food here looks gorgeous.

 

Devon Café Address:

76, Devonshire St

Surry Hills, NSW

Devon Café Tel: +61 2 9211 8777

Website: http://www.devoncafe.com.au/

10.N2 Extreme Gelato

When it comes to gelato, everyone loves it. If you ask the locals about the gelato with liquid nitrogen, they will say N2 Extreme Gelato.

Their outlet is located in 43/1 Dixon Street and it is very near Chinatown, Darling Harbour and Town Hall. Like other popular gelato places, there is a long queue. Whenever you spot a long queue, you know the food must be good.

At N2 Extreme Gelato, they create the gelato on the spot with liquid nitrogen. The staffs are in lab coats and the scene is similar to chemistry lab we kid you not. They create gelatos here like rocket science.

What we love the gelatos here are their flavours. It changes from time to time and you get very unique gelato combinations.

We order one of the new flavours call Coco Doh-Nut. It is gelato with bruleed mini donut, milk chocolate gelato and cookies and topped with whipped cream dusted with cocoa powder and the syringe with chocolate. It is chocolate overdosed but we love it! We wished we have the stomach to taste more gelatos but the Coco Doh-Nut is very filling.

N2 Extreme Gelato is not just about liquid nitrogen and the cool lab presentation but also their wacky unforgettable gelato flavours and presentation.

N2 Extreme Gelato Address:

43/1 Dixon St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Hours: 1–11PM

Website: http://www.n2extremegelato.com.au/

11.Gelato Messina

This is probably Sydney’s most popular gelato. Gelato Messina is no stranger to the locals in Sydney. Started their first outlet in Darlinghurst in 2002, Gelato Messina has 7 outlets in Sydney, 3 in Melbourne, one in Gold Coast and one in Las Vegas.

Gelato Messina emphasizes on quality and freshness. They also set the benchmark for gelato in Australia. Their gelato is made fresh on the outlet daily and offers a diverse range of over 40 flavours with 5 specials every week.

It is the quality and also the flavours at Gelato Messina that impressed us. The taste of their gelato is rich and heavenly. They are one of the gelato places that give us a long lasting impression based on the quality, freshness, texture and the taste. You just have to taste it to believe it.

For more info on their new flavours as well as the locations of their outlets, visit their website at http://www.gelatomessina.com/au/

12.Anita La Mamma Del Gelato

Anita La Mamma Del Gelato or Anita in short is another gelato place you must visit in Sydney. They are considered as the top challenger to Gelato Messina and currently they have two outlets in Sydney and one in New York.

Anita’s Italian style ice creams are 100% hand made from natural ingredients and they never lack in flavours too. Thus, you can pick from over 150 different kinds of frozen yogurt, sorbets, and organic sugar- free, fat-free, soy-based and real cream-based ice creams.

We visited their new outlet in Bondi and tasted a few flavours. The flavours are very unique and the taste is very enjoyable. In our opinion, they are one of the top gelatos in Australia.

For more info on their outlets and latest flavours, please visit their website at http://www.anita-gelato.com/ .

 

13.Good Times Artisan Ice Cream

Top Sydney chef Nathan Sasi opened Good Times Artisan Ice Cream to fulfil his childhood dreams of opening an ice cream store. The Ziggy Stardust, a family-friendly treat created by pastry chef Christine Manfield, is a must-have from the menu. Other popular flavours include the Michelin Man, a combination of Valrhona chocolate ice cream and smoked vanilla topped with crushed peanuts, pralines and marshmallows, and Not Your Grandma’s Cup of Tea, a peach and cream-flavoured ice cream with butter crumbs and meringues.

The store is situated on Macleay Street, just up the road from Pott Point’s trendiest food establishments, such as Billy Kwong and Yellow. The comprehensive menu changes every month so there’s always a good reason to pop by Good Times.

Good Times Artisan Ice Cream Address:
87B Macleay St, Potts Point NSW 2011, Australia

Hours:

Monday – Friday: 3pm – 10.30pm
Saturday and Sunday: 12pm – 10.30pm
14.Blackstar Pastry

We save the best for the last. We got to know Blackstar Pastry when the chef was invited to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for a cooking demo in Destination New South Wales event. We met Chef Christopher Thé and he spoke about his masterpiece creation and top seller, strawberry watermelon cake.

The Strawberry Watermelon Cake is nothing you tasted before. It is made of two layers of almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream, watermelon, strawberries, pistachios and dried rose petals. The taste is fresh, light, fragrant and refreshing. The combination of the cake’s presentation and flavours gives us a very long lasting impression. You hardly find a similar cake with such creativity design, presentation and taste.

You can find their famous strawberry watermelon cake at their Newton outlet or their new outlet in Kinokuniya CBD (opposite QVB Building). This cake is definitely Instagrammable!

Blackstar Newtown Address:

277 Australia St , NEWTOWN, NSW 2042

Tel: +61  2 9557 8656

Opening hours:

7am – 5pm every day

BlackStar Books Kinokuniya (CBD) Address:

The Galeries 2/500 George St, SYDNEY, NSW 2000

+61 2 9557 8656 (head office)

Opening Hours:

10am – 6:30pm Monday-Wednesday, Friday–Saturday

10am – 7.30pm Thursday

11am – 6pm Sunday

[email protected]

Website: http://www.blackstarpastry.com.au/

This wraps up the 14 Dessert Places in Sydney Locals Won’t Tell You and there will be more stories on Sydney soon in our blog. If you love what you read, please share it to your friends. We hope you enjoy our article and hope this helps on your trip to Sydney.

 

Flying to Sydney

For flying to Sydney from Malaysia, you can check out Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines operates 31 weekly flights to Sydney on their Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200ER, Airbus A330 and Airbus A380 aircrafts. Thus, must not forget also their KrisWorld inflight entertainment system and top class cabin crew services.

We checked in the SilverKris Lounge in KLIA which is reopened recently on 5^th February 2016. It is a quiet and comfortable lounge with food, snacks and drinks.

We had a little snack at the SilverKris Lounge while waiting for our Singapore Airlines flight. Thus, we also enjoy the cozy sofas as well as the long tables good for savy and business travellers.

For more info, please visit singaporeair.com/mysydney