The Best Croissants in Sydney
Croissants are notoriously difficult to make. Even beyond the immense skill and patience required, you need to deal with the weather. A slight change in air temperature, humidity or even the heat in your hands can radically change your final product.
There are a few things that mark a good croissant. It should be crisp but not overly crumbly. The dough within should be buttery and fluffy. When you pull at the sides, it should stretch rather than break.
This is the ideal, but even the best bakeries and pastry chefs have off days. These operators are the most consistent, and get closest to that dream every day. Just make sure to get in early – you'll never find a good croissant in the afternoon.
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Home Croissanterie
Starting out as a popular lockdown bakery, Home is the work of a self-taught pastry chef who’s also done stints at Noma and Quay. Everything from classic to crème brûlée-topped croissants are possibilities here.
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Rollers Bakehouse
The first thing you’ll notice at this no-rules spot is a pile of pastries in the front window. That’s because here, pastry is not an accessory to your coffee – it’s the main event. Expect anything from charcoal-dyed dough to spanakopita filling in your croissant.
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Moon Phase
The elite croissants at this north shore bakery take five days to make. The owner-baker is also showing off her heritage with Korean-inspired danishes, which you can pair with some of the area’s best coffee.
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Penny Fours
Almond-and-raspberry croissants by an ex-Tetsuya chef? Count us in. But if you’re all about the savoury stuff, you’ll have a tough time choosing between ham and provolone and the four-cheese danish with truffle oil.
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Crescent Croissanterie
This petite takeaway spot has become a huge hit in Sydney’s croissanterie scene. The plain croissant is outstanding – but we love the “dirty” double chocolate number. Grab one of each (and a yuzu palmier) before they all sell out.
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Lode Pies and Pastries
Beautiful Lode may as well be a pastry showroom, and there’s fine-dining flair in every one of its croissants. Where do you even start? Classic, pistachio, pan au chocolat – just fill up a box and be done with it. Surry Hills and Circular Quay.
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Pantry Story
Opening to immediate queues, this is the permanent home for an online bakery made famous by its “brochi” – a brownie-mochi hybrid. It’s also serving pandan buns, brisket hand pies and “kimcheese” focaccia.
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Loulou
Loulou’s boulangerie bakes four times a day. That means a constant supply of fresh viennoiseries, from savoury danishes to one of the best croissants on the north shore.
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Madame & Yves
Madame & Yves is perhaps best known for its eclairs, but owner and pastry chef Yves Scherrer knows his way around viennoiseries. His croissants come in both classic and not-so-classic flavours, but they’re all worth a go.
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Buttercrumbs Croissant
Plain or almond? Nutella or strawberry? Tough choices lie ahead when you visit this croissant specialist. When in doubt, go for the monthly special and you won’t regret it. Milkshakes, iced tea smoothies and coffee are also on the cards. Fivedock and Ultimo.
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Lucien Baked Goods
The Circa Espresso team leaves nothing on the lamination bench at their light-filled bakery. A cornucopia of treats are baked on-site each day, including croissants and banoffee choux. There's also a brunch menu packed with Middle Eastern flavours.
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Iggy’s Bread
Not only is Iggy’s where fine-dining restaurants get their bread, it’s also a proving ground for the city’s top baking talent. The croissants are no afterthought, and they’re only available on weekends.
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Sebastien Sans Gluten
Our favourite gluten-free croissant in Sydney? It’s by a classically trained Parisian baker, who spent more than six months perfecting the recipe. This gut-friendly beauty is giving “croissant” in all the right ways.
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Self Raised Bread Shoppe
Details are everything at this retro bakery from the team behind one of Sydney’s best pizzerias. Croissants, kouign-amanns and danishes are a big part of the equation here. Don’t even get us started on the sandwiches.
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Baker Bleu
The cult Melbourne bakery brings its signature sourdough and stellar croissants to Neil Perry’s Double Bay hospo corner. Pair your treats with coffee by Mecca.
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Threefold Pastry
Photogenic croissants are the specialty at this sleek patisserie. Plain and almond are both popular, but it’s the speciality flavours that shine. Past highlights include pina colada, and a raspberry-coconut number filled with lemon verbena curd.
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Goodwood Bakeshop
Marrickville Pork Roll used to be the only place in the suburb where you had to line up for a bite to eat. That’s until this bijou bakery came along. Get in early for the crunchy, golden croissants – they’re often sold out well before midday.
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Tuga Pastries
Tuga’s pasteis de nata have become the stuff of Sydney legend. But this tiny spot is no slouch when it comes to croissants. Almond, classic, ham and cheese – you name it, this place does it. Clovelly and Alexandria.
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Flour and Stone Annexe
Nadine Ingram is one the city’s master bakers, and this compact spot is where all her magic happens – including croissants worth travelling for. For baking supplies and cookbooks, hit Flour and Stone Pantry a few doors up.
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Banksia Bakehouse
A one-stop shop for celebration cakes, savoury pastries, and croissants made with a recipe that took 15 months to perfect. From the street, you can watch the team of pastry chefs prepare them all inside the glass-encased kitchen.
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Lune Croissanterie Rosebery
Kate Reid’s world-famous croissanterie has finally come to Sydney. Visit the bakery’s enormous flagship at Rosebery’s Engine Yards Precinct for croissants, kouign-amanns, danishes, morning buns and more.
