The best sandwiches in Sydney

We can’t overstate how good the poached chicken and avo sandwich is from Double Bay’s hot spot, Baker Bleu. Tender, slow-cooked pulled chicken is coated in a herby green goddess sauce made from tarragon, chives, parsley, creme fraiche and lemon, and layered with creamy avo, crunchy lettuce and bursts of sweet tomatoes. Add on freshly baked bread and a perfect amount of seasoning, and you’ve got yourself one of the best sandwiches in Sydney.

Time Out tip: this place gets packed on the weekends, so head down before noon if you don’t want to line up for long. (The sourdough pizza slices also slap.)

Sandoitchi, an unsuspecting Oxford Street joint, hides an impressive range of Japanese sandwiches behind its poky exterior, with mainstay menu fixtures like nori, dashi and kombu butter. The prawn katsu sando heroes sweet, tender prawns layered in a wafer-thin crumb. It’s all about delicacy and the light touch: a smear of yuzu mayonnaise, a scattering of juicy yellow corn, all held together by pillowy soft white bread that puts up no resistance. No crusts, of course.  

South Dowling Sandwiches is named after the street on which the sandwich joint's sign (bearing of course, a sandwich) prompts daily queues from open 'till close. The warm, lemongrass-heavy Thai-style chilli chicken is a top-notch sandwich filling – the marinade on the chicken replaces a need for sauce, while white fluffy bread and lettuce pin things together nicely. Add a swipe of everything from the salad bar if you’re really hungry – and those pickled carrots have earned a reputation for good reason.

You’ll be chuffed with anything from blue-and-white sandwich go-to Kosta’s Takeaway – and with outposts in Rockdale, Circular Quay, Rosebery, Elizabeth Street and Martin Place, lunchtime is looking pretty sweet. The fish sandwich – which comes on a burger bun – is popular thanks to its crunchy batter and zingy tartare. But we're a big fan of the classic tuna melt with cheese, creamy Big Mac-ish sauce, onions, pickles and dill on butter-toasted sourdough. Salty, tangy, crunchy with a hint of sweetness – it’s a hit. The worst part? That it has to end.

Clovelly Road’s feel-good Cut Lunch Deli is always a good idea – if you can score a table, that is. The small, summery spot specialises in generously sized, freshly made sandwiches (also available on GF bread), as well as toasties, coffee and a handful of sweet treats (what else does one need in life?). The schnitz is a local favourite: a whopping big sesame panko-crumbed chicken schnitzel with sweet zucchini mayo, pickled onions for zing and shredded ’berg for freshness – all on a soft bun. Hit the beach, then come here for lunch, or stop in after your next coastal walk.

Time Out tip: Cut Lunch Deli is also open for salty snacks, pasta and vino on Thursday to Sunday nights.

Life’s good at Good Ways Deli. Found on Redfern’s Cooper Street (as well as in Alexandria), the sunny corner shop has been slinging fresh sangas, retro treats and nostalgic drinks since it first opened back in 2021 – and we have gobbled them up on many occasions. If you haven’t heard about Good Ways Deli’s famous kangaroo mortadella sanga, what rock have you been under? The sandwich is loaded with Whole Beast Butchery kangaroo mortadella, LP’s Quality Meats salami cotto, ham, provolone cheese, zingy pickles, white onion, iceberg lettuce and a special sauce. It's so good.

Whatever you do, don’t be put off by the line at City Edge. We know it’s long and you've got places to go, things to do, and people to see on your lunch break. But it goes quickly, and trust us, it’s absolutely worth it. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but if it's your first time, try the crumbed eggplant on rye bread with halloumi, beetroot, carrot, tomato and cucumber and we promise you won’t look back. Not feeling all that hungry? No worries. City Edge also offers half servings of some of their favourite sandwiches for just $6.

Yes, we know this isn’t a toastie list, but for Bourke Street Bakery’s bolognese toastie we will 100 per cent make an exception. Whether you’re hungover or just damn hungry, this hearty, savoury, delicious creation will make all your sorrows go away. And the best bit? It cost just $12.50, so if you want another, go for it. We won’t tell anyone.

Clear your schedule and head to Delisia, an Italian-inspired sandwich bar and café that opened in early 2024 in a sage-green terrace in leafy Forest Lodge. ​​They specialise in deli-style sandwiches, made fresh in front of you with focaccia baked that day, as well as Italian cured meats, cheese and quality produce. Our pick is the Bellini, featuring creamy burrata, soft prosciutto, paper-thin slices of pear, fresh rocket, salty parmesan and a drizzle of sweet honey. Our tip? Come early – lunchtime gets super busy, but around 10am is the sweet spot. Who says you can’t have a sandwich for breakfast?

At Malibu, which you’ll find down a Surry Hills alley, there’s just one man, Marc Aebi, taking orders, chopping fillings and waving you off with a smile and a ginormous, foil-wrapped sandwich. Pick from an array of tins holding crunchy butter lettuce, sweet beetroot, pickles, and fresh cucumbers. A green, herby mayo forms the base of your ‘wich. Beware: structural integrity could be compromised if you play too fast and loose with additions. 

If there were a concept to pique the interest of gluten gluttons everywhere, it’s the idea of carbs wrapped in more substantial, structurally sound carbs. Maybe that's why, despite arguably being a toastie, the stoner-chic mie goreng sandwich at this CBD hole-in-the-wall joint has snuck onto this list. It's so much more than the sum of its parts, like any good sando should be: spicy mayo is slathered on bread, followed by a mess of spicy-sweet instant noodles, an oozy fried egg and shallots. The whole thing is gloriously bound together by a combination of mozzarella and nutty gruyere.

Everything at Humble Bakery is a knock-out. If you haven't tried one of their pink finger buns with ribbon-like icing, you need to. But we're here to talk about the savoury numbers. Humble's sandwiches are generous, rich and bursting with all the good things in life: flavour, salt and fat. Take the salami sandwich, for example: two thick slabs of chewy, olive oil-laced focaccia encase slices of salami, marinated strips of capsicum, vinegary artichokes, salty capers, creamy ricotta and fresh rocket. It takes both hands to eat, and at least four serviettes, but dammit, it’s delicious.

You need to know two things about the Risky Brisket from MLK Deli, a tiny, cobalt-blue store in Surry Hills. The second thing is that it’s massive: the Reuben-leaning sambo arrives on organic rye ciabatta, loaded with slow-cooked, smoked brisket pastrami that’s tender and spiced, melted Swiss cheese, zingy sauerkraut and a sweet-and-creamy house-made sauce. It’s served with a handful of salt-and-vinegar chips and pickles on the side. And the first? It’s absolutely delicious.

This Bondi hole-in-the-wall is a local's favourite, for good reason. It does a mean glass of red wine once the sun sets, but it's worth a look-in in the daytime, too. Choose between or white or brown bread here then get ready for your two-hand hunger-buster. The shreds of bacon in this BLT are just crisp enough and piled high, contrasted with crunchy lettuce, creamy aioli and fresh tomato slices. 

At this CBD joint, they corn the silverside in house, resulting in a peppery, chunky beef filling. The ratio of sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese is wonderfully balanced, so the sandwich is packed with flavour but holds without getting too messy. It’s also filling enough to keep you trooping on throughout the day – but won’t leave you in need of a post-lunch nap.

Made with fresh, super fluffy and thick-cut Texas-style bread, June’s sandwiches are packed to the rafters with fresh salads, delicious fillings and house-made sauces. There are eight colourful creations to choose from at the sunny hole-in-the-wall café, but our favourite is the salad sandwich with cucumber, tomato, beetroot, carrots, alfalfa, mayo and vintage cheddar. Just like eating a rainbow, the sanga takes us back to our primary school days and we bloody love it.

Brickfields raised the standard or the city's bread-making game since it landed in Chippendale in 2013, and it's still going strong. This sambo veers into breakfast territory with layered, multiple slices of crispy bacon tangled with shreds of kale. The salad is slathered with a generous amount of mayo, breaking down the tough greens to make an excellent slaw. We’re huge fans of the mushroom, jalapeño and cheese toastie here too.

You’ll need both hands and about five paper towels to tackle Lenny Brisket’s epic muffuletta sandwich. A beautiful sight to behold, the sambo is jam-packed with leg ham, salami, marinated artichokes, olives, capsicum, Swiss and American cheese, parmesan and Russian dressing. It’s filling, delicious and an absolute banger.

What is it? Splash (the café at Petersham Park) serves up nostalgic milkbar-style hits, and everyone's favourite is the fish sandwich: a big fillet of panko-crumbed fish, tomato, pickled beetroot, onion, American cheese, iceberg lettuce, creamy, dill-forward “Splash sauce”, all on delicious white bread.

Why we love it: For one, it's so big it's a proper meal – if you can bear it, you might even be able to spare several bites for your mate. The golden fish spills out the sides of the type of spongy bread you loved as a kid. It's also got lashings of sauce, so it's creamy and cheesy and beetrooty and oh-so moreish. 

Time Out tip: While you can sit in the indoor seating part, they'll lend you a picnic blanket so you can sit in the beautiful park. If you come during summer, bring your cossie and some extra dollars and visit Fanny Durack pool (on the other side of the turnstiles from the café). You can even order your sambo from the actual pool side. 

Address: 2A Station St, Petersham NSW 2049

Expect to pay: $24 – it's not cheap, but as we said, it's practically a (bloke-sized) meal.

Some sandwich slingers aim to dazzle with the sheer range of options they can slap between bread. Not so at Surry Hills’ Lucky Pickle. You’ll find just four sandwiches on its concise menu, but this is more a question of perfection rather than lack of ambition. Its bánh mì inspired pork belly baguette is arguably its best-seller, but for our money, the chicken katsu is its true sando supreme. Each panko-crumbed schnitzel is fried to order, so the still-hot and perfectly crispy meat gently melds the flavours of pickled cabbage, sesame and tonkatsu sauce and fresh mayo, infusing the bread with a delicious emulsion.