The 30 best bakeries in Australia

Since opening in 2013, Three Mills Bakery’s growth has been exponential. Named after the three grain suppliers that founder Jarrod Deaton began working with when he founded Three Mills, he has just opened a fifth Canberra location in Woden, and supplies bread up and down the East Coast. Their long-fermented sourdough loaves have picked up Sydney Royal Agricultural awards, as have their croissants, which are made with Pepe Saya cultured butter, and their pies (try the palak paneer flavour). 

Must-try: Pork and chilli sausage roll, palak paneer pie, bake at home croissants

If sourdough bakery Pigeon Whole ever closed down, there would be a gaping (perhaps pigeon-shaped) hole in Tasmania’s bakery scene. What started in 2011 by Jay Patey is now a 60-employee, three-store operation, baking the best bread and pastries in Tassie. Nothing beats visiting the grand Art Deco flagship store in the heart of Hobart, though. There’s a wide range of loaves and treats on offer, with highlights including the ruby wheat loaf made from Tasmanian heritage wheat. Those visiting from the mainland who are feeling inspired should pick up a jar of their sourdough starter to take home.

Must-try: Coffee kouign amann, almond croissant, morning bun

The queue often wraps around the corner at Bourke Street’s OG location in Surry Hills, but trust us, it’s worth the wait. With 14 locations spread across Sydney, this rustic bakery has been a cornerstone of the city’s baked goods scene since 2004. That’s 20 years' worth of pastry perfection, with crowd-favourites including their beef brisket, red wine and mushroom pie, and pork and fennel sausage roll. If you’re not too late, treat yourself to a dark chocolate and raspberry muffin, or ginger brûlée tart, and grab a seedy sourdough or olive oil loaf to share with the fam. 

With two stores each in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia can’t get enough of Lune. Nigella Lawson has been one of the many keen fans to move through their queue this year, and it’s no mystery as to what drew her. Founder Kate Reid pulls from the precision honed in her past as an F1 engineer to create the perfect croissant. Prepared across three days, Lune’s croissants serve as the perfect vessels for other flavours, as with their zingy lemon curd cruffin or their monthly specials. Expect flavours like Persian love cake or gingernut. 

Must-try: Almond croissant, lemon curd cruffin, ham and gruyere croissant, kouign amann

Boogie on down to this bright yellow bakery that has previously claimed bragging rights to Australia’s best plain meat pie, sausage roll and vanilla slice. Let’s start with their gourmet pies, which put a tasty spin on classic Aussie pub fare, such as the nacho pie, butter chicken version and surf ‘n’ turf pastry. As for the sweet treats, there’s only one thing to order: the vanilla slice, which also comes in doughnut form or deep-fried with cream cheese and chocolate ganache. Banana Boogie also serves up an all-day brekkie menu and sells loaves of fresh ciabatta and Turkish bread to take home.

Must-try: Vanilla slice, meat pie, sausage roll

If you want to see a real power couple, check out Seren and Ryan Chu’s Highgate bakery, serving Perth’s prettiest pastries. Both self-taught bakers, the couple opened their eponymous bakery in 2015, and almost a decade later, queues out the door are still the norm. Flavours for their intricately presented pastries are inspired by the season’s bounty, Aussie nostalgia and East Asian flavours. Summer treats have looked like Chocolate Cherry Lammies with Valrhona chocolate glaze and a sour cherry jam, or honey sesame tarts. 

Must-try: Pain suisse, raspberry and almond croissant, strawberry and cream tart

Sourdough underpins almost all the products at Mike and Mia Russell’s Melbourne bakeries. With more varieties than you can shake a (bread) stick at, their bread products, from baguettes to bagels to bâtards, begin with their sourdough starter and are fermented for a minimum of 18 hours, imparting a rich tang. Sourdough is also the basis of their pastry, which is used to make heavenly treats, like almond and yuzu croissants, or their Valrhona chocolate babka. After trying them, you’ll start to wonder why sourdough is omitted from any pastry at all. With an outpost open in Sydney thanks to the help of Neil Perry (whose neighbouring restaurant, Margaret, serves Baker Bleu bread to diners), Baker Bleu has cemented its reputation as a sourdough powerhouse. 

Must-try: 48-hour sourdough, bagel, poached chicken sandwich

Melbourne locals are lucky to have Tivoli Road Bakery on their doorstep, and they're willing to line up for the outstanding patisseries most days of the week. When eventually making it to the front of the line, it's not unusual for customers to express sheer panic at what to choose, as it all looks so damn good. The almond croissant is a crowd favourite, as are the chunky muffins, while the signature canelés are small enough to add alongside any order.  Tivoli Road also happens to be one of Melbourne’s best pie shops. So good, in fact, we'd settle for just sitting on the curb to stuff the peppery contents of a beef pie into our mouths. Get in before the mobs at lunch when fat sandwiches on rye and multigrain cause wars.

Must-try: Chunky beef pie, sausage roll, escargot, focaccia

Sprout Artisan Bakery in New Farm is going to make you S-W-O-O-N. Get your lips around any of these tasty numbers: a raspberry crumble brioche, feta and za’atar scroll, breakfast danish, baklava scroll or even a croissant toastie. Run by partners Rebecca Foley and European-trained baker Lutz Richter, the bakery has got itself quite the reputation. Lutz has been baking since he trained as a 14-year-old apprentice in Germany before working in Ireland, and later working at the 2000 Australian Olympics. His creative flair for flavour combinations ensures Sprout is always impressing customers with new and innovative items. The pair work sustainably and have a closed-loop system of food waste courtesy of the Loop farm, which takes their scraps, and Sprout later buys their produce. #sustainabilitygoals  

Must-try: Feta and zaatar scroll, berry brioche crumble, pineapple coconut ginger tart

This humble yet upmarket bakery is one of the best places to go for a hearty breakfast in Tassie. It’s worth shouting out their scallop and wakame pie, filled with five or six juicy morsels in a creamy, curry sauce. You’ll also find Jackman and McRoss’ fresh pastries and bread on their breakfast menu in the form of smoked salmon bagels; egg and bacon paninis; and brie, bacon, mushroom and semi-dried tomato croissants. You’ll regret it if you don’t pick up a jam Berliner or lemon meringue tart for the road home.

Must-try: Scallop pie, sausage roll, lamington

For the best buns, bullar and bread in the Berra, there’s no better than Under. This suburban bakery started out as a humble stall at the local farmers' market, specialising in freshly baked cardamom and cinnamon buns, which are folded with Pepe Saya butter and the perfect dashing of spices. Each loaf of bread is a three-day labour of love, with specialties including dark rye; fig, date and nut; and white sesame. It’s also worth shouting out Under Bakery’s spongy focaccia, which comes hot out of the oven with toppings like potato, bechamel and crispy kale.

Must-try: Cardamom bun, cinnamon bun, focaccia

This popular bakery has been around since 1910, but its offerings are anything but stuck in the past. Jenny’s has built up a cult following from its innovative treats. These days, the family-owned bakery excels in riffs on bakery classics, like black sesame croissants, pistachio maritozzi (cream-filled brioche buns), and tooth-breaking toffee apple bombolone (filled doughnuts). They were one of the first bakeries to bring the international craze, the crookie, to Australian shores, too. Jenny’s is also carrying Adelaide’s focaccia game, with beautifully open-crumbed focaccia supporting their seasonal Italian sandwich menu. 

Must-try: Seasonal cronut, Biscoff bombolini, zeppoli doughnut, porchetta sando, stuffed cookies

From their mothership store in Fremantle, these wild bakers have been fermenting, baking and delivering sourdough goodness to markets all around WA. Wild Bakery is best known for its signature 100 per cent sourdough country-style loaf, affectionately named after Hannah, the daughter of founders Daragh and Trish Grier. Pick up something sweet to share too, including chocolate croissants, Swedish buns, orange jaffa cakes and chewy coconut rochers. 

Must-try: Hannah sourdough loaf, Swedish bun, rhubarb and raspberry tart, pork and fennel pie

Bam Bam Bakehouse captures the maximalist, fun-loving nature of the Gold Coast in the form of baked goods. Sitting a block back from the crashing waves of Mermaid Beach, the popular bakery and café is all about rich flavours in fun vessels, like their popular, positively oozing Nutella cruffins. Traditionalists won’t be disappointed here, though, with to-die-for almond croissants that they also sell in bake-at-home form. Don’t leave without ordering their luxurious salted caramel eclair, which you can order at the counter, or pre-order a giant eclair that feeds six people.

Must-try: Nutella cruffin, eggs Benedict croissant, croissant French toast, salted caramel éclair

One way to ensure quality is to take control of the entire production process, which is exactly what A.P Bakery set out to do with their very own flour mill. Milling grains from select farmers has yielded a distinctive depth of flavour in A.P’s range. Head baker and Ester alum Dougal Muffet leads an impressive menu with all the classics and then some. Baguettes, bagels, and country loaves are available for your daily bread, and pastries are made from the best local ingredients like LP’s smoked brisket pie and the nutty, toasty buckwheat pain au chocolat. 

When you step into North Street Store, remember just two words: cinnamon scrolls. They’re warm and flaky with a generous amount of icing, but just enough that you won’t feel sick eating one or two for brekkie. If you’re more of a savoury slinger, you can also fill up on French-style filled baguettes, stone-baked pizzas and all your classic savoury pastries. The bakery’s 1950s-inspired fit-out is charming, but keep in mind, it’s takeaway only. Luckily, you’re just a short stroll from Cottesloe Beach, where you can enjoy your buttery goodness with a view.

Must-try: Cinnamon scroll, conti roll, baguette

Flour and Stone is proof that good things come in small packages. From its cosy eight-seater annexe in Woolloomooloo, to its staple panna cotta lamingtons and tiny French canelés, this Sydney institution stands in a league of its own. The real eye candy is Flour and Stone’s display cabinet, which is packed with signature cakes, including old-fashioned vanilla, raspberry and buttermilk, and lemon drizzle. Don’t discount the savoury treats either, with zucchini buns, cheese and chive scones, or old-fashioned ciabatta rolls.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a better baguette in Brisbane than at this recently renovated house of bread and patisserie. Their selection of patisserie items is something to behold, with daily specials, such as Tuesday's cream-loaded bee stings and Thursday's sweetly sugared and filled gonuts (croissant doughnuts). The cabinet also boasts brownies, blondies and pretty little bar cakes swathed in icing, while shelves are stacked with everything imaginable to complement bread – housemade jams, mustards, pickles, sauces, spreads and chutneys. In the fridge, you'll find a bread-friendly cheese selection and a lovely range of King Valley Dairy cultured butters. Visiting on a Saturday? Be prepared to queue!

Must-try: Chocolate almond croissant, berry danish, seasonal gonut, quiche

Loved for its intricate, detailed and highly 'grammable treats, and buttery, flaky pastry encasing umami-rich fillings (in fact, the succulent chicken and leek pie is one of our favourites), it’s fair to say Lode Pies is one of the best pastry shops in Sydney, if not Australia. Hits include the picture-perfect Cinnamon Guy scroll; a delicious-looking pain au chocolat; and more of those serotonin-spiking pies – think Blackmore Wagyu beef with caramelised mushrooms, as well as killer sausage rolls. 

The finger bun of childhood memories has been given a makeover at Humble, the cult bakery and café in Sydney’s hipster Surry Hills. Humble’s take on the finger bun results in one big giant tick: the bread is soft, pillowy and spiked with dried fruit, with ribbons of pink icing piped perfectly on top, and a thick layer of salted butter in the middle. Humble doesn’t just serve finger buns, though. They bake fresh bread – sourdough loaves, focaccia, baguettes and ciabatta – daily, as well as cakes and pastries. Onto savoury goods. The sandwiches are generous, rich and bursting with all the good things in life: flavour, salt and fat. Though one of these bad boys is enough to lull you into an afternoon nap. 

We know you’re supposed to have fish and chips by the beach, but this pink pastry oasis in Manly will have you swapping it out for croissants. Back when James Sideris opened Rollers in 2018, he was pioneering a new wave of croissant flavours that we now see all over the country. Rollers, having nailed the classic croissant, are constantly pushing the boundaries when it comes to their roster of specials. You may see flavours like pandan coconut filled with a rich house-made kaya jam, or a Japanese veg curry pie made with croissant dough. 

Sure, these guys lay claim to the “world’s most Instagrammed cake,” but they’re more than just a one-hit wonder in the bakery world. Japanese flavours sneak their way into Black Star’s pastries, including yuzu meringue croissants, matcha teacup tarts and Japanese curry pies. You’ll also find Aussie classics, like flaky beef and pork sausage rolls, quiche Lorraine, and an almighty lamb shoulder and onion ring pie. PS: Black Star even has a strawberry watermelon latte if you prefer to sample their world-famous cake in liquid form.