With the rise of the cronut in recent years, one of its two predecessors – the humble croissant (the other being the donut), has also being thrust into the spotlight once again. For some, their favourite croissant is one which is “meaty”, and has some bite in it. Others love a delightfully flaky croissant, with flakes of pastry coating the edges of your lips and falling onto your lap the moment you bite into it. I personally straddle between the both; the croissant needs to be beautifully laminated with a nice bite and has to have a flaky exterior.
With so many different cafes in Sydney it can be difficult discerning quality from quantity. This writer painstakingly went through various cafes, patisseries and bakeries to create this list of 20 must-have croissants in Sydney.
Many of you would have probably heard of The Grounds of Alexandria, a delightful brunch place, but do not give this bakery a miss. Originally from Newtown, Rosetta Stone is just a stone’s throw away from The Grounds of Alexandria and in my opinion, serves one of the best plain and flakiest almond croissants you can get anywhere in Sydney!
Address: Shop 7/21 Fountain Street, Alexandria 2015
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 6.30am to 4pm; Saturdays and Sundays 8am-4pm
Located in a quiet suburb next to Marrickville, this cozy patisserie sells a number of award-winning pastries, such as their croissant and custard tart. Their selection of cakes change seasonally but their plain and almond croissants are mainstays. Be sure to visit it early in the morning because the croissants frequently sell out!
Address: Shop 2, 420 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill NSW 2203
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Fridays 9am to 6pm; Saturdays 9am to 5pm; Sundays 9am-3pm; Closed on Mondays
Every tourist in Sydney who is a fan of pastry will definitely have Bourke Street Bakery on their list. Now with 8 locations all over Sydney, you can have your fill of Bourke Street Bakery’s croissants anytime! I love the deliciously flaky chocolate croissants as well as the almond praline croissant which has a perfect ratio of filling to pastry.
Address: 8 locations – Alexandria, Parramatta, Potts Point, Marrickville, Banksmeadow, Neutral Bay, North Sydney and the original Surry Hills
Opening Hours: See website for outlet-specific opening hours
Located in Sydney’s “little Italy”, this hidden gem is another of my personal favourites. Their sweet almond raspberry croissant (made with their own raspberry jam and almond filling) is a winner. If you are hankering for a savoury croissant, Penny Fours is the right place to go to – they offer unique savoury combinations such as caramelized onion, spinach and Persian fetta, and of course the traditional ham and cheese.
Address: 141 Norton Street, Leichhardt NSW 2040
Opening Hours: Wednesdays to Fridays 8.30am to 4.30pm; Saturdays 8am to 4pm; Sundays 8am-3pm; Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
The strawberry watermelon cake was made famous by Black Star Pastry, but don’t miss out on their other treats as well. Their croissants are buttery, flakey and definitely one of the larger croissants available. Head down to the Rosebery outlet if you are looking for ample seating.
Address: 277 Australia Street, Newtown – got croissant. Also at C1, 85-113 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery NSW 2018 and Powerhouse Musium, 500 Harris St, Ultimo
Opening Hours: Newtown opens 7am to 5pm daily. See website for details of opening hours of other outlets
With hatted pastry chefs in the kitchen, you know that Luxe’s croissants will be nothing short of amazing. Their most popular croissant is a toasted sliced ham & cheese croissant, which I would recommend you eat in the café, together with a cup of to-die-for coffee made with Single Origin Roasters beans.
Address: 191 Missenden Road, Newtown, NSW 2042
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 7am to 4pm; Saturdays and Sundays 8am to 4pm
I used to stay a stone’s throw away from Glebe, and La Banette Patisserie was my to-go to patisserie for croissants, millefeuille, freshly baked meat pies and all sorts of other French treats. Their almond croissants are to-die-for, with just the right amount of almond filling, almond flakes and icing sugar.
Address: 18 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037 2042
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Fridays 7am to 7pm; Saturdays and Sundays 7am to 5.30pm
Located just opposite the famous Rozelle Markets, this is one place you should not miss if you are in Rozelle. This is a takeaway bakery with no seating which also sells a carefully curated selection of French ingredients. Their croissants are one of my favourites – it is ‘meaty’ with a flaky exterior. If you’re lucky, they might be selling their croissant pastry tarts made with in-season fruits!
Address: 660 Darling Street, Rozelle NSW 2039. Also at Cammeray 2042.
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 7.30am to 7pm; Saturdays 7am to 6pm; Sundays 7am to 4pm
Anyone in Sydney would know the name “Adriano Zumbo”. Perhaps more well-known for his wacky flavoured macarons (Zumbarons), Zumbo’s croissants are equally delightful. I found his almond croissant to be slightly too heavy on the almond taste and a little too sweet because of the icing, but the pain au chocolat was a perfect combination of buttery pastry and chocolate.
Address: Outlets at The Star, Balmain, Rozelle and Waverley
Opening Hours: Check out Zumbo’s website for details on opening hours for each outlet
Located at Level 5 of Westfield Sydney, Bécasse’s croissants are slightly on the expensive side but are no less delicious. If you’re craving a croissant in the city, Bécasse is the place to go to.
Address: Westfield Level 5 Market St Sydney, NSW 2000
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 7.30am to 6.30pm; Saturdays 8am to 7pm; Sundays 9am to 6.30pm
Don’t be surprised if you hear French being spoken in this 41-year-old family-owned institution. La Renaissance sells all sorts of French pastries and their entremets, macarons and croissants are one of the best around.
If the weather is good, grab a croissant and a coffee and eat in their lovely courtyard located behind the café, and you will instantly be transported to Paris. They do delivery and pick up in stores too!
Address: 7 Argyle Street, The Rocks Sydney NSW 2000
Opening Hours: Daily, 8am to 6pm
Flour and Stone is definitely a place you want to hit early in the morning, because their flaky, buttery and airy croissants sell out quite quickly! Service is one of the best around, and while you’re there, grab their famous panna cotta lamingtons as well.
Address: 53 Riley St Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 7am-4pm; Saturdays 8am to 4pm
Located in what was once the car parking space, Organic Bread Bar has a rather unusual layout. Grab one of the few tables inside the bakery where you will have a prime view of the open-concept kitchen. Their organic sourdough breads are great and their croissant is buttery and slightly nutty, thanks to the finely-milled organic flour that German-born baker Andreas Rost uses.
Address: 356 South Dowling Street Paddington NSW 2021
Opening Hours: Daily, 7am to 7pm
If you have eaten in Sydney’s hatted restaurants (like Tetsuya’s or Quay), you will probably have eaten Sonoma’s sourdough boule. Though not as lauded as their sourdough, Sonoma’s croissants are more than decent and made exclusively for their Sonoma stores.
Address: Outlets at Woollahra, Alexandria, Paddington, Glebe, Waterloo and Bondi
Opening Hours: See website for detailed opening hours for each outlet
How can I disagree with the masses that have voted Infinity’s almond croissant to be of the best in Sydney? Try also their excellent cinnamon scroll, which is equally flaky, buttery and moreish.
Address: Outlets at Darlinghurst, Paddington and Manly
Opening Hours: See website for details
Opened by one of the co-founders of Luxe, together with Mecca Espresso roaster, you know that the croissants (and coffee) here will be delectable. Brickfields offers a ham croissant, which is very reminiscent to Luxe’s version, but is no less pleasing. Do try their plain croissant, which is buttery, flaky and has a complex flavour thanks to the ferment made with old croissant pastry.
Address: 206 Cleveland St, Chippendale NSW 2008
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 7.30am to 3.30pm; Saturdays and Sundays 8am to 3.30pm
It should come as no surprise that Brasserie Bread’s croissants have won numerous awards and are almost always sold out by the end of the day. Their croissant uses a Belgian pastry butter which produces a buttery soft croissant with a flaky exterior.
If you want to learn how to make their award-winning croissants, do keep an eye out for their croissant and Danish baking classes which sell out as soon as dates are released.
Address: 1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow NSW 2019. Also available at the domestic terminal in Sydney Airport.
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 7am to 3pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8am to 2pm
A hole-in-the-wall located a stone’s throw away from North Sydney Markets, St Honore is the bakery to go to if you are craving a decent croissant in the evening.
Address: Shop 2 ,40 Miller St, North Sydney NSW 2060. Also in Mosman and Edgecliff.
Opening Hours: Daily, 6am to 7pm
St Malo Bakery prides itself as an artisan organic bakery but it’s more than just a bakery. They serve up extensive breakfast and lunch menus, which may include a savoury croissant dish if you’re lucky. Their croissants boast a perfect combination of flakiness and chew, and their hazelnut praline snails are one of my favourites.
Address: 83 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest NSW 2065
Opening Hours: Daily, 7am to 3.30pm
If you’re on the North Shore and are hankering after a decent croissant, look no further than Ganache Patisserie, owned by Didier Sockeel, formerly from La Renaissance. Their plain croissants are more of the soft variety with a slight flaky exterior. Get there early to get your hands on a croissant.
Address: 85 Edinburgh Road Castlecrag, NSW 2068
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Fridays 7.30am to 5.30pm; Saturdays 7am to 3pm; Sundays 7.30am to 2.30pm; closed on Mondays
We hope this list got you hungry for some of the amazing croissants you can find in Sydney. What are some of your favourites and have we missed out any you feel should make the list? Let us know in the comments section below!
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