These are the businesses that are working hard to adapt to huge shifts in the way Sydneysiders are able to engage with the city. You can do your part to support them simply by enjoying the same eats, drinks and good times from the comfort of your own home.
Just because you (or someone you love) can't physically get themselves out to a luxe dessert location doesn't mean your, or their, sweet teeth should suffer. Whether you want a spectacular finish to your meal, to send someone a perfect artisan donut after a rough day on the books, or – just simply want to eat your own feelings in front of the TV, these top-tier dessert slingers will deliver a sweet treat directly to your door.
Give your drinks cart a glow up with these sensational bottled cocktails from top Sydney bars.
Doughnuts from Short Stop
There’s a certain appeal of a classic strawberry iced doughnut that tastes like childhood, but at Short Stop they are slinging doughnuts designed for more adult palates. We’re talking the bittersweet flavour of bergamot in the Earl Grey icing or the sharpness of cardamom in the classic cinnamon sugar ring. Order up an adventurous selection and get them delivered to you via Deliveroo.
A brownie slab from Baked by Blonde Butler
Alex Cadger's boutique catering operation is now offering a particularly sweet way to say 'I love you' to a special someone in lockdown. And plot twist, that special someone can also be yourself. The fully customisable brownie slabs not only come decked out with all manner of lip-smacking extras – think chunks of Toblerone, whole Oreo cookies and succulent cherries – you can also include a message, spelled out in edible chocolate letters.
Lamingtons from Tokyo Lamington
Stale shreds of desiccated coconut and sickly-sweet jam lining, no more: the resemblance between the school canteen lamingtons of yore and the ones perched on individual wood shelves on the walls of Tokyo Lamington is mostly only in name. These lamingtons, made out the back of a light-filled store on Newtown's Australia Street, come wrapped in a pillow of blowtorched meringue and filled with an inch of yuzu custard, or rolled in crunchy, black sesame seeds and filled with a nutty cream, or in the form of a mint-green cube that tastes like a collision between chiffon cake and a matcha latte. Order for delivery aross Sydney Metro.
Cheesecake on a stick from Kerbside Creamery
These aren’t your common ricotta confections. Each speared slice of rich vanilla cheesecake is slathered in an audaciously generous coating of sweet treats. From peanut butter and pretzel to Nutella and Oreos, and our personal obsession (and arguably the flavour of 2021) Biscoff, Kerbside have ten different flavour combos to woo you. Can’t make up your mind about which flavour to plump for? Pick and mix orders are thoroughly encouraged. Each slice will set you back a very reasonable $13 (minimum delivery order of two), or you can save $30 on any order of ten slices, for $100. We suggest you treat yourself to a One of Everything box, which gets you a slice of each variety, including a mystery flavour that changes weekly.
Portuguese Custard Tarts from Fich
Why not double down on your comfort foods and order the ace fish and chips from Fich in Petersham. Not only because they do a super crisp golden batter, but because they also stock Portuguese custard tarts from the famous Sweet Belem around the corner.
Pavlova from La Pav
La Pav' is a delivery service selling miniature versions of the Australian classic dessert. Each hand-crafted dessert is like a tiny fairytale house in itself: tufts of meringue are piped with cream, scattered with rose petals, raspberries and cut hazelnuts, and cut open to reveal a layered interior filled with more fruit and cream. Flavours include chocolate hazelnut; raspberry, rose, white chocolate and macadamia; vanilla, almond and raspberry; pina colada; lemon meringue and basil; and two vegan flavours.
Basque-style Japanese Cheesecakes from 15 Centimeters
In one of the more ingenious pivots for out-of-work hospo staff, 15 Centimeters is a new business baking Japanese-style cheesecakes (no biscuit base) with a charred top that you’ve probably seen all over your Insta feeds. You can choose from the classic vanilla, matcha, chocolate or Tahitian lime, and they require two days' notice to ensure your cake is ‘yakitate’, meaning 'freshly baked' to order. They’re baked slowly to ensure it retains the soft, slightly runny texture at the very centre of the cake. They then finish the cakes at high heat to get the perfect bronze crust typical of the Basque-style cakes.
Baklava from Abla’s Pastries
Who doesn’t like dessert you can order by the kilo? This famous Lebanese sweet shop sells giant trays of cakes and pastries, candies, nougats and those candy-covered almonds common at weddings and baby showers that are worth nearly cracking your teeth on. But if you can’t get out to Granville you can order a small selection via the major delivery services. There are plates of baklava, sugar-dusted biscuits, sweet pastry cigars, whole Black Forest cakes and mixed biscuits that you order in half-kilo increments.
Taiyaki and bubble tea from Soo & Beans
If you live in the delivery zone around Roselands or Campbelltown it means that you can get warm taiyaki delivered to you door. The Japanese fish-shaped cakes come filled with red bean, matcha, custard or Nutella, or you can upgrade and get a croissant version. They also serve bing soo, but we’re not sure shaved ice will make it to your house in one piece. Better bet is a bubble tea that you can get with four kinds of jelly, cheese foam or even a brulee top.
Banana Pudding from Nutie
Allergy-friendly, health-conscious doughnut house, Nutie, have added a range of American-style banana puddings that are 100 percent vegan to their list of deliverable treats.The puddings are a layered dessert featuring six elements: custard, vegan whipped cream, fresh banana slices, a cake element, sauce or compote, and toppings like caramelised nuts or potato chip clusters. The pudding tubs are designed to serve two, and you'll need to order at least three to hit the $30 minimum order required for delivery, or you can pad your order with burger kits, brownies, s'mores boxes, doughnuts or cookies.
Baked ricotta cake from Papa’s Pasticceria
Haberfield’s beloved late-night Italian sweets shop is on Uber Eats, which means that you can have a small baked ricotta cake delivered to your home. They say it feeds eight but no judgement here if it’s just you and your feelings eating the soft ricoot filling encased in short pastry and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Cupcakes from The Cupcake Room
Do you have a sudden, dire need for some adorable decorated cupcakes? Whether its for a special occasion of ‘just for’, this local business dedicated to pumping out themed cupcakes en masse will have you sorted. They don’t only look good, these babies are light and fluffy with sweet melt-in-your-mouth homemade frosting. You can get same-day contact-free delivery on all standard cupcakes, or pickup in-store in Leichhardt.