The best macarons in Sydney

Getting your hands on Mak Mak macarons – a Judge’s Pick in Time Out Sydney’s Macaron Smackdown – used to involve pre-ordering them, and then enduring the sweet torture of waiting for delivery by the door like a devoted hound to meringue confectionary. That's been fixed with this shrine to instant gratification, whcih can be yours at the permanent Mak Mak shop in Newtown.

The Paris macaron-makers whose roots trace back all the way to 1862 serve their famous featherlight macarons at their inaugural local store in Westfield Sydney. Choose from the likes of orange blossom, blackcurrant, incroyable strawberry candy or lime basil, and savour what many call the best macarons on Earth. And while you're there, be sure you look around: the interiors of Ladurée stores are universally stunning. 

Zumbo's kitchen is punching so crazily above its weight that any restaurant in town could serve one of these desserts and be proud of what they're putting on the plate.

Head to this charming patisserie for some of the most elegant macarons in the city.

Sometimes we forget that pastry-making is an art in itself, rather than just another side of cooking. Learning how to properly temper chocolate can take months, even years, to get right, and don’t even get us started on puff pastry. Textbook Boulangerie-Patisserie, newly opened in Alexandria, is all about the French craft of bread and pastry. 

Not your average macaron, here a chicken macaron is filled with chicken liver pâté, and crushes in the mouth with a delicate bite.