The best patisseries in Sydney

You might know this Redfern café for its savouries, but do not miss their matcha lamingtons and matcha tiramisu, because they are positively divine.

You’ve seen them on Instagram, and so have we. Sydney’s cutest desserts have landed (and for the first time ever, they're not at Black Star). Instead they’re from Doux Amour in Rosebery. They’re called cookie puffs but they’re actually refashioned éclairs – choux pastry spheres with a craquelin crust, filled with flavoured whipped creams. And the best bit? They’re made to look like super cute animals.

Step into La Banette and you could swear you’ve landed in a bakery in the south of France. It’s all in the décor – distressed wooden shelves holding crusty baguettes, wicker trays filled with flaky pastries and even a striped shop awning out the front that all exude French provincial charm. The gleaming window display holds an orgy of sweets: from thin, elegant chocolate éclairs to glazed fruit tarts and complex constructions of miniature gateaux.

Head to this charming patisserie for some of the most elegant macarons in the city and some seriously delicious cakes.

Textbook Boulangerie-Patisserie in Alexandria is all about the French craft of bread and pastry. This means that not only does everything look stunning (think Adriano Zumbo but without it all being flavoured with kalamata olives and copyrighted with his name) but also, just like real French pâtisserie, the flavours are pared-back and elegant. Order everything.

It's not every day you find yourself spending a delightful afternoon on the edge of a highway. But seated outside new café and flower shop Petal Met Sugar in Woolloomooloo, we find ourselves doing exactly that. Maybe it's the clean, white interior, the pale plywood furnishings, perhaps it's the formal, polite service or the glass teapots scattered with tea leaves. Whatever it is, it works. This place is all about delicacy and grace, so go with it. And do not leave without trying one of their beautiful cakes.

Mrs Jones comes to you from husband and wife team, Lucy and Barry Jones. It’s the window display of cakes that will stop you in your tracks – meringues dusted with cocoa; lush cakes and brownies; flaky croissants and chocolate-studded bickies. That's not to mention the breads piled up high behind the counter. The flourless chocolate cake is undoubtedly one of the best in Sydney: rich and melty and delightfully fluffy. Order it.