SYDNEY SWEETS
Ginger and Pistachio Brûlée Tarts, Bourke Street Bakery, 633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills +61 2 9699 1011 (See website for new locations)
Bourke Street Bakery has a multitude of amazingly delicious sweet treats. The favourites among Sydneysiders include the chocolate cherry cookies, the carrot cake, the rhubarb and almond tart, the chocolate tarts, the pain au chocolates – but the one that reigns supreme over these sugary delights is the Brûlée Tart. It’s also available in Strawberry and Vanilla, but the Ginger and Pistachio has a bit of extra magic.
Chocolate Pudding, Porteno, 358 Cleveland St, Surry Hills +61 2 8399 1440
It’s very hard to beat a chocolate fondant. Warm chocolate pudding with an oozing liquid centre – could a dessert get much better? Well Porteno have created one that does. A fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate casing which when split open, reveals a sweet and creamy dolce de luche centre. Served with a scoop of banana ice-cream. Do NOT share one, unless you’ve ordered the South American Pavlova as well.
White Chocolate and Rosemary Nougat, Sean’s Panaroma, 270 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach +61 2 9365 4924
It’s hard to top your meal when it comes time to order dessert at Sean’s Panaroma. Not only will you be full, you won’t want anything taking the taste of your main course away. But don’t leave without getting a piece of Sean’s handmade nougat, even if it’s to take home with you – it’ll be the best piece of nougat you’ve ever tasted in your life.
Banoffee Pie, Cafe Sopra, 7 Danks Street, Waterloo +61 2 9699 3174, 81 Macleay Street, Potts Point; Hickson Road, Sydney 1300 552 119
God Banoffee pie is delicious. Just about anywhere you eat it. But over at Cafe Sopra, they have a recipe we would love to get our hands on. The base is the same as that of the greatest cheesecake imaginable, with a caramel layer to die for. Then comes the perfectly ripe banana slices, rich cream, and fine chocolate shavings. An absolutely top-notch Sydney sweet.
Italian Trifle, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, 1 Notts Ave, Bondi Beach +61 2 9365 9000
Every idea you might already have about trifle – forget them. Forget every preconceived notion, every recipe, or every bad connotation of soggy spongecake drenched in your Grandma’s old liquor and stewed fruit. Served in a bowl for two, the Iceberg’s Italian trifle is perfection from the bottom layer through to its raspberry and almond coated top. This dessert will rekindle any love that was lost between you and trifle long ago.
Lemon Tarts , Yellow, 57 Macleay Street, Potts Point +61 2 9357 3400
Lemon curd tarts are generally always pretty damn good, and these days not hard to come by. Lemon curd is easy to make, and with the amount of sugar, it always turns out tasting incredible. The thing that makes the ones at Yellow any different is the buttery flaky pastry. Much like the texture of a fine croissant, this pastry is far more complementary to the curd than your standard short crust – in fact, it’s something of a match made in heaven.
Dessert Degustation, Bentley Restaurant and Bar, 320 Crown St, Surry Hills +61 2 9332 2344
Sugar addicts – do you hate sitting through a seven course degustation, enduring endless amounts of savoury food before finally arriving at your dessert, so full that you can barely eat it? Now you can skip straight to the good part with Bentley’s four course dessert tasting menu. The menu changes frequently, but stand out experiences from the past have included the Honeycomb Chocolate Bar and the Raspberry Parfait with almond and nectarine.
Gelato Messina, 241 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst +61 2 8354 1223
Be wary of this place for two reasons. Firstly, choosing a flavour can take up to ten minutes or more. Secondly, the gelato is dangerously addictive, so chances are you will end up spending a lot of your free time in here providing you spend ten minutes on each visit trying to pick what you want. If you want a quick trip then just trust us on these three flavours: Giandua Bianca, Espresso, and if it’s a hot day, Passionfruit Sorbert.
Ginger Ninjas, Black Star Pastry, 277 Australia St, Newtown +61 2 9557 8656
Since all retro food is cool again, the humble gingerbread man can now be seen in various guises across the city, but none so cunning as the Ginger Ninja. Stealthily hidden away in a suit of chocolate, these bad boys give your morning coffee break an unexpected punch, and a sense of humour to boot. Make sure you grab one of their famous salted chocolate and caramel tarts for later.
Prune Tart, Bar H, 80 Campbell Street, Surry Hills +61 2 9280 1980
The words ‘prune tart’ don’t exactly elicite ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the crowd, but after you try Hamish Ingham’s version of this classic dessert, you’ll be hard pressed to go without it again. Baked daily, with earl grey tea-soaked prunes and a silky, eggy custard, encased in buttery tart crust, make sure you save room after your meal for this baby. Our tip: Ask for a piece to be reserved for you as they often sell out early in the evening.
Eight Texture Chocolate Cake, Quay, Upper Level Overseas Passengers Terminal Circular Quay West +61 2 9251 5600
Don’t even bother trying to work out how this thing is made – anyone who’s flicked through Peter Gilmore’s cookbook Quay will understand why. He’s known for his brilliant complexity, though reading one of his lengthy recipes is enough to give you a headache. So instead of trying to make this at home, visit Quay and sample one that tastes exactly as it should. You won’t be disappointed – this is chocolate at it’s most decadent.
Macarons, Adriano Zumbo, 296 Darling St, Balmain +61 2 9810 7318; Shop 1a/40 The East Esplanade, Manly; 114 Terry Street, Rozelle
Adriano Zumbo, one of the most unique patissiers you will find on this side of the globe, has become famous for the quirky creations that are filling the shelves of his patisseries and the stomachs of many addicted Sydneysiders. One creation in particular is grabbing people’s attention – his rather unique range of macarons. Flavours include pancake and maple syrup, b asil and passion fruit, bloody mary, wasabi and pickled ginger, and toasted marshmallow.
Cannoli , Pasticceria Papa, 145 Ramsay St, Haberfield +61 2 9798 6894
While there might be a few things that tickle your fancy in here, including the famous ricotta cheesecake, purchasing one of Salvatore Papa’s handmade cannolis is absolutely compulsory. Crisp, delicate, with fresh ricotta and no shortage of icing sugar, and they’re made from Papa’s age-old Sicilian recipe, so you know they must be good.
