27 of the best bakeries in Sydney to kickstart your morning right

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It’s time to break bread at some of Sydney’s best bakeries.

The subject of ‘best bakery in Sydney’ is up for discussion. The city is a haven for food enthusiasts, offering a diverse culinary scene that has sprouted a plethora of world-class bakeries. The best bakeries in Sydney are known for everything from flaky croissants to chewy sourdough or cookies with molten chocolate centres. Use your loaf and leave a trail of crumbs around the NSW capital as you sample sweet and savoury treats of the highest order.

1. Buttered Bakery & Cafe

Buttered Bakery & Cafe
Indulge in a selection of sweet and savoury treats.

Best for: The Salty Boi, which is a mash-up of a croissant and dinner roll injected with sweet or savoury fillings.

Pass the tissue bread. You’ll be crying tears of joy when you encounter the cool Gen Z K-pop loving cousin of the cronut that you’ve clocked on the Tok. Skip your usual order of smashed avo and order the tissue bread, which is all heart and Seoul thanks to those flaky pull-apart layers. The brand-new Korean bakery housed in a heritage-listed building in Chippendale is also known for its Waterfall Cake, a light and airy sponge filled with fruits and toppings. It’s your go-to gateau for the next office gatho. The bakery is the brainchild of Vuza Hospitality head chef Philip Choi who trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris.

Address: 5 Central Park Avenue, Chippendale

2. FLOUR coffee & doughroom

two servings of croissants at Flour, Caringbah
Their fresh-baked croissants come with different toppings. (Image: Flour)

Best for: Seeded white sourdough and cardamom rolls

This 40-seater cafe and glass-walled dough room in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire has lines snaking out the door each day. The recipes at FLOUR coffee & doughroom were developed by bakers Nathan Martin (ex-Humble, Brasserie Bread, The Grounds and Sonoma) and pastry chefs Emily Demetriou and Patrik Svab. And they don’t change as the customers have committed to memory the taste and texture of everything from the magic madeleines to the iconic finger buns. Five Foot One drew inspiration for the interior palette from biscuits and butter to icing and oats.

Address: 277 Willarong Road, Caringbah South

3. 22 Grams

22 grams croissants with berries
Freshly baked croissants with berries.

Best for: Coffee and a croissant

Twenty-two grams is precisely the measurement of coffee required to make a triple espresso shot. And it’s also symbolic of the 22 Grams baristas and their commitment to doing things with care and precision. But 22 grams is not just a top spot for a brew; it’s also a bakery turning out top-notch bread and croissants. The sourdough is made from flour, water and salt and left to ferment for a total of 36 hours from start to finish. The result is bread that is healthy and nutritious and easy to digest.

Address: 166-168 Belmore Road, Randwick

4. The Grumpy Baker & Bar, Potts Point

bread on display inside The Grumpy Baker, Potts Point 
Order a sourdough loaf to go at The Grumpy Baker. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Best for: Roast garlic and olive sourdough loaf

Michael and Debbie Cthurmer opened their first venue in Darlinghurst in 2002. More than two decades on, The Grumpy Baker has 12 venues scattered like sesame seeds around Sydney and surrounds. The family-bakery runs the gamut from a rustic beach-side bakery in Maroubra to an elegant small bar and bakery in a space that housed Macleay St Bistro for four decades. The Grumpy Baker obviously has you covered when it comes to bread. But the bakeries double as cafes where sipping coffee over house-made jam on toast is also a thing. Pick up a house-made frozen meal of beef cottage pie to go.

Address: 71A Macleay Street, Potts Point

5. Self Raised Bread Shoppe, Carlton

An assortment of pastries from Self Raised Bread Shoppe
A delightful assortment of freshly baked pastries.

Best for: Hoagies

Bread-heads on the hunt for some of Sydney’s best sangas can often be found in the queue that curls out of Self Raised Bread Shoppe in Carlton. Hussein Rachid, sister Amani Rachid, and friend Sal Senan are the trio behind SRBS, an offshoot of pizzeria My Mother’s Cousin, in Bexley’s north. The bakery excels in its hoagies and chicken schnittie sangas and staples like Boston cream doughnuts. Sister venue Self Raised Snack Shoppe also doles out truly great creations that will transport you to another time. The second Shoppe opened next to the pizzeria in 2024. And, like its Carlton cousin, it has a retro milk bar feel. Expect Roman-style pizza by the slice and seafood sangas.

Address: 45 Jubilee Avenue, Carlton Shop; 48/20 Sarsfield Circuit, Bexley North

6. Flour and Stone

canelés at Flour and Stone bakery on Riley Street, Woolloomooloo
Dark and crisp canelés are available at Flour and Stone. (Image: Destination NSW)

Best for: Pannacotta lamingtons

Nadine Graham’s passion for baking led her from a dairy farm in the Hunter Valley all the way to Michelin-starred restaurants in London. Nadine then made her mark back in Australia at MG Garage before following her passion into baking. That passion shines through at Flour and Stone , where Nadine uses her baking skills to better connect with the community. Pick up a loaf of sourdough alongside sweet little things such as pannacotta lamingtons, flaky croissants and chocolate and sour cherry cookies. The petite bakery also has a neighbouring pantry where you can add toasted muesli, yoghurt and chilli jam to your trolley. Nadine’s first book, Flour & Stone, Baked for Love, Life and Happiness (Simon & Schuster, $60) is also available.

Address: 53 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo

7. Breadfern Bakery

an array of pastries from Breadfern, Redfern
Treat your taste buds to a range of artisan pastries. (Image: Breadfern)

Best for: The GF and vegan-friendly peanut butter signature slice.

Breadfern Bakery does as the name suggests: sells bread in Sydney’s Redfern. But the baker’s skill and prowess extends beyond bread and is on show with everything from banoffee pies and lemon meringue tarts to pretty plum puffs. The sausage roll is also a showpiece as are the sweet and savoury treats made from scratch every morning. The bakery is near to the bike lane that slices through Prince Alfred Park toward Central so you can arrive on two wheels and avoid Uber price surges. Two of the most tempting items on the menu are the ham and cheese toastie and wonderfully chewy bagel.

Address: 306-308 Chalmers Street, Redfern

8. A.P Bakery

A.P Bakery Sydney
Enjoy delicious baked goods on the rooftop at A.P Bakery in Surry Hills. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

Best for: Aleppo pepper scrolls

A.P Bakery has sprouted outlets all over Sydney. From AP House atop Paramount House, to AP Town in Newtown, AP Place in the CBD and cream bun kiosk AP Supply. Add to the mix, AP Bread & Wine in Darlinghurst doing dinner in a darling sandstone cottage. But let’s keep it simple and start with the OG AP (which stands for all-purpose, as in flour). All hail head baker Dougal Muffet who mills his own grains and uses heirloom wheat varieties grown with sustainable practices. This passion for provenance is what makes AP one of the best bakeries in Sydney. Order a dark-chocolate croissant and pair it with a piccolo made from Reuben Hills Coffee.

Address: L2/80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills

9. Iggy’s Bread

the sourdough wheel at Iggy’s Bread, Bronte
Their soft sourdough wheel is best served with soups and salads. (Image: Iggy’s Bread)

Best for: A health loaf made with love

Iggy’s Bread supplies naturally leavened loaves to a lot of Sydney’s best restaurants. Helmed by Yugoslavian-born baker Igor Ivanovic, the Bronte bakery with the cult following specialises in sourdough, whole wheat and rye breads. The menu is not wide ranging but the bread is up there with Sydney’s best. Go all out at your next party by pre-ordering a wheel of rolls with a circle of Pepe Saya butter. The pro play is to bring your eco bag so you look the part and stuff it with carefully curated items placed around the rustic bread shop and pantry. Good news: the cafe is again open on Saturdays.

Address: 131 Macpherson Street, Bronte

10. Loulou Boulangerie & Traiteur

flaky croissants at Petite Loulou
Find flaky croissants at the hole-in-the-wall Petite Loulou. (Image: Supplied)

Best for: Delicate viennoiserie (the bridge between pâtisserie and French bread)

Loulou’s is a proper French baker’s bakery. Loulou now has a few locations around Sydney offering a wide variety of baked goods including not-to-be-missed baguettes, miche loaves and sweet treats. Got visitors you want to impress? Pick up a Toulouse sausage and terrine and artisan products. The French bakery, which began in Milsons Point, now has a kiosk-style cafe in Martin Place (1 Elizabeth St) catering to corporate types who want to eat their feelings. Find comfort at the hole-in-the-wall Petite Loulou in a sausage roll, rotisserie chicken baguette or fresh-baked French croissant.

Address: 61 Lavender Street, Milsons Point

11. Brooklyn Boy Bagels

the Pumpernickel and Lox bagel at Brooklyn Boy Bagels, Surry Hills
The pumpernickel and lox bagel is a certified bestseller. (Image: Brooklyn Boy Bagels)

Best for: Za’atar Bagel

Brooklyn Boy Bagels recently claimed the title of Best Bagels in Asia Pacific and ranked third internationally at the 2024 New York BagelFest. Brooklyn-born journalist turned baker Michael Shafran founded Brooklyn Boy Bagels in 2013 with a clear vision: to bring the best New York bagels to Australia. The native New Yorker has done that and then some with Brooklyn Boy Bagels, which has stores in Marrickville and Surry Hills. Bagel boffins will appreciate the creative schmears such as Tim Tam cream cheese and Bacon Bourbon & Maple Cream Cheese.

Address: 19 Carrington Road, Marrickville; 1/80 Reservoir St, Surry Hills

12. Fabbrica Bread Shop

Delicious savoury goods from Fabricca
Delicious savoury goods from Fabricca Bread Shop.

Best for: The best avocado toast in Sydney

The Love Tilly Devine team has venues sprinkled all over Sydney, including some of the city’s best Italian restaurants and pasta bars. Fabbrica Bread Shop is the group’s first dedicated bakery and it’s worth your time to roam to Rozelle for a dose of your daily bread. The bakery has a catering arm where the frenzied baking results in metre-long focaccias, sandwiches and whole cakes. Head to harbourside Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain for a dip so you can enjoy a tortilla sando with thick-cut maple bacon, relish and mayo guilt-free. Pick up a bonnafee tart and loaf of sourdough to go.

Address: 733 Darling Street, Rozelle

13. Brickfields Bakery

hands kneading bread at Brickfields Bakery, Chippendale
Brickfields is one of Sydney’s top artisan bakeries.

Best for: Coco Chanel with a praline glaze

Brickfields in Chippendale is busy raising expectations on what a loaf of excellent bread looks like. Expect everything from gravity-defying loaves of sourdough to glorious confections such as fruit Danishes with vanilla-infused custard or a chocolate and almond brownie. Counterbalance the sweet treats by ordering something from the savoury side, such as the light rye and caraway sourdough or slab of focaccia made from milled FPM flour mill in Tamworth. Look out for the bread stalls at weekend markets from Manly to Marrickville, Paddington to Potts Point.

Address: 206 Cleveland Street, Chippendale

14. Shadow Baking

baked treats from Shadow Baking bakery in Sydney
Expect flavour combos from sister venue Messina in Darlinghurst. (Image: Shadow Baking)

Best for: Vegemite and avocado scrolls

The bricks and mortar venue has stepped out of the shadows of its market stall at The Cannery and into a prominent position near sister venue Messina in Darlinghurst. The cupboard-sized outfit is led by Messina’s executive pastry chef Tom Mitchell and his French cohorts Florian Fritsch (Messina sous chef) and Remi Talbot (former head chef of Messina Creative). So it’s French but with a bit of Aussie bogan, as evident by the vegemite and avocado scroll layered with fermented chilli egg jam and finely grated pecorino. Even ardent aficionados of Sydney’s best bakeries will find instant gratification with the twice-baked croissants topped with Messina-tella spread at Shadow Baking .

Address: 243 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst

15. Goodwood Bakeshop

fruit Danishes from Goodwood Bakeshop, Marrickville
Danishes topped with blood plums and almonds. (Image: Goodwood Bakeshop)

Best for: Seeded sourdough or the tapenade and goat’s cheese scroll.

Goodwood Bakeshop is a portmanteau of owners’ Jamie Goodin and Alex Alewood’s surnames. The husband-and-wife duo met in 2010 while working at Bourke St Bakery and together have experience working at some of the best bakeries in Sydney. But the hole-in-the-wall is also a mash-up of the couple’s combined experience, resulting in outstanding pastries and baked goods. While the bakery follows the same methods to make bread established thousands of years ago (they mill their own flour to add to dough starters), innovation is also one of the cornerstones of their cooking. The Goodshop Bakeshop weekly playlist is fire, with options such as focaccia topped with potato, chilli, nigella, and herbs.

Address: 297 Marrickville Road, Marrickville

16. Bourke Street Bakery

two boxes of baked goods from Bourke St Bakery
Bourke St Bakery’s supreme packs are packed with beef, pork and vegan pies.

Best for: Bacon and egg rolls

Prepare to stand in line at Bourke Street Bakery for pastries that walk the tightrope between sweet and savoury. Take the fig and cranberry sourdough. Or the tangy lemon curd tart, which can barely contain its silky filling. Sign up to a Sourdough Masterclass at Banksmeadow HQ where you will use a 25-year-old starter to bake an artisan loaf from scratch. Sydney’s bread obsessed will be familiar with the many venues freckled around town, from Balmain to Barangaroo, Caringbah to Kirrawee, Neutral Bay to Newtown.

Address: See bourkestreetbakery.com.au for locations

17. Baker Bleu

pastries and coffee at Baker Bleu, Double Bay
Bite into signature pastries at Baker Bleu. (Image: Trent van der Jagt)

Best for: A poached chicken sanga with roast tomatoes, lettuce, avocado and green goddess dressing.

Neil Perry has thrown his considerable clout behind the first Sydney outpost of Melbourne’s Baker Bleu . Consider that a ringing endorsement for the Double Bay bakery, which is a few doors down from his restaurant Margaret. The name of the bakery is a nod to baker Mike Russell’s nickname, Blue, in reference to his red hair. And while you can absolutely pick up a loaf of signature sourdough, you can also dine in on options such as breakfast bagels stuffed with salmon pastrami, cream cheese, pickled onion and dill pickle. The bolthole serves some of Sydney’s best sangas.

Address: 2 Guilfoyle Avenue, Double Bay

18. Brasserie Bread

chocolate cross buns from Brasserie Bread, Banksmeadow
The chocolate cross buns from Brasserie Bread are not to be missed.

Best for: Spinach and ricotta Danishes

Crowds of tradies are often clocked clamouring for the rich buttery brioche sangas stuffed with bacon, eggs and avocado. Brasserie Bread is one of the OG artisan sourdough bakeries in Sydney and was instrumental in the city’s breaducation about the benefits of eating sourdough. Head to the rustic Banksmeadow bakery storefront for sweet treats like chocolate caramel tarts or coconut teacakes. Or grab a deli-style sandwich made on New York-style rye bread. We cherish everything about this bakery cafe, from the service to the squares of testers so you can try before you buy. Take home a loaf of quinoa and soya seeded loaf, much loved for its texture.

Address: 1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow

19. Sonoma Bakery

seasonal bread and treats from Sonoma Bakery
Taste your way through the seasonal treats on offer. (Image: Sonoma Bakery)

Best for: Coconut layered lamington

You could spend weeks traversing Sydney to dine at the Sonoma bakeries that have popped up everywhere from Bondi to Bankstown. The pioneering Sonoma , established in 1998 by Kerry Connole and his sons Andrew and Christian, is known for a reason: its exceptionally good bread. Despite being named after the California state where the artisan sourdough bread movement reportedly began, the bakeries have become synonymous with sourdough in Sydney. In fact, the family have spent decades honing their skills and the bread is now used at a multitude of cafes and delis across the city and its surrounds. Order a Three Cheese Toastie on slabs of bread cut from a country white sourdough or tuck into a morning bun chased down by a piccolo.

Address: 32-44 Birmingham Street, Alexandria

20. Humble Bakery & Cafe

boxes of baked goods from Humble Bakery, Sydney
Be sure to grab boxes of baked goodies from Humble Bakery. (Image: Caroline McCredie)

Humble Bakery is brought to you by Elvis Abrahanowicz, Ben Milgate and Joseph Valore, the hospitality lords behind Porteño and Bastardo, who preside over a backstreet in Surry Hills. Now with three locations, Humble Bakery has become a go-to for top-tier baked goods across Sydney. Watch the bakers in the open kitchen, sending up clouds of flour as they punch down dough for the day’s delights. The finger buns are pretty darn good, and the toasties are something else. Post a Humble brag about your mortadella and salami focaccia or the not-so-humble hambo sandwich.

Address: Shop 2, 50 Holt Street, Surry Hills; Shop 1, 333 Kent Street; Shop 19, 16-20 Loftus Lane.

21. Berkelo

mince pies at Berkelo, Brookvale
Make a beeline for mince pies at Berkelo.

Best for: Family loaves

A vanguard of young, creative artisan bakers at Berkelo are determined to create delicious bread from sustainable stoneground flour. And the community stands united when it comes to supporting the Brookvale bakery, which also has outlets in Mosman, Manly and Terrey Hills. The bakers will make you feel righteous for choosing bread made from organic grains grown by Australian farmers. The long fermentation process means the food is good for your gut. Northern Beaches residents go berko at Berkelo for the signature sourdough as well as the wheat-free seed loaf and sprouted grain loaf.

Address: 8 William Street, Brookvale

22. Infinity Sourdough

Best for: Pan au chocolat

Cosplay as a hip city creative working in fashion while wearing shiny nylon, mocha mousse tee and nose ring ahead of your visit to Infinity Bakery in Redfern. This is a gathering for ‘dough’ nuts you’ll want to be part of.  Infinity Bakery has been working its magic as one of Sydney’s first sourdough bakeries for decades. Furthermore, there are now five venues across Sydney where you can sweeten your day with an Iced Vovo croissant, mango and coconut Danish or almond croissant. Our true love lies with the Infinity Sourdough, which you will find used to great effect at cafes such as HAM in the Sutherland Shire or the Hills Cafe & Bakery.

Address: 2-38 Baptist Street, Redfern

23. Lode Pies & Pastries

a look inside Lode Pies & Pastries bakery in Sydney
The polished cafe looks more like a bathhouse than a bakery. (Image: Lode Pies & Pastries)

Best for: The Lode pithivier stuffed with caramelised pork, shiitake mushrooms and chicken gravy.

Oh boy. The yummo yuzu tart is an ode to the Lode . Also worth considering is the doughnut-shaped croissant, that wonderfully flaky creation filled with white chocolate crème, glazed with raspberry and dusted with pistachio and rose petals. Apparently, it’s such a time suck for the pastry chefs that only 15 are made each day. The polished cafe is all marble and concrete, with a pared-back neutral palette of whites, greys and pinks that is more bathhouse than bakery. Head to the glass display counter for inspiration at this high-end bakery helmed by Federico Zanellato (Lumi Dining).

Address: 487 Crown Street

Best for: Paperbark dacquoise cake

24. Hearthe

a slice of paperbark cake at Hearthe
Hearthe’s paperbark cake is a mille-feuille inspired by the eucalyptus tree. (Image: Sean Alcantara)

Home is where the Hearthe is is. That’s certainly the case for Stanmore residents who waited patiently for Black Star Pastry founder Christopher Thé to open his cake shop and cafe in 2022. It was well worth the wait. The creator of the world-famous strawberry watermelon cake keeps it simple at Hearthe with his cakes and baked goods inspired by native Australian ingredients. The baked goats curd cheesecake features desert lime and there’s eucalyptus in the caramel of the paperbark dacquoise cake in the display cabinet.

Address: 16 Douglas Street, Stanmore

25. Lucien Baked Goods

Pistachio Berry Cake from Lucien Baked Goods, Parramatta
Level up your dessert game with a pistachio berry cake. (Image: Lucien Baked Goods)

Best for: The Persian love cake

Parramatta is having a bit of a moment. Fold up your fixie and commute to Sydney’s second CBD so you can suss out all that is new and exciting. Do a hot lap of the park and then walk into Lucien Baked Goods with purpose. A quick scroll of the bakery cafe hybrid’s Instagram feed will induce a feeling of anticipation. While the Lucien Baked Goods website might use cookies, so do the bakers … to entice unsuspecting passersby. We say roll with it and order a handful alongside a slice of lamington berry cake, and a banoffee choux filled with Chantilly cream. Ponder a move to this vibey vertical village after a night at Sky Suites Parramatta .

Address: 111 Phillip Street, Parramatta

26. Sweet Belem

Portuguese desserts available at Sweet Belem, Petersham
Savour Portuguese desserts at Sweet Belem. (Image: Destination NSW)

Best for: Portuguese tarts

Finding a Portuguese tart in a display cabinet in Petersham feels like unearthing a hidden treasure. It’s a big call to claim to have the world’s best Portuguese tarts. But we like to be thorough and, after consuming our body weight in pastel de nata, we reckon the bakers at Sweet Belem certainly sling the best version this side of Portugal! Let them throw down that sugar-dusted gauntlet with gusto. If you really want to blow your mind, try the lamington filled with Portuguese egg jam or the doorstop-sized vanilla slice.

Address: 35B New Canterbury Road, Petersham

27. Rollers Bakehouse

classic baked favourites from Rollers Bakehouse, Manly
Our four favourites: Pain au Chocolat, Plain croissant, Cinnamon scroll and Cherry chocolate tart. (Image: Rollers Bakehouse)

Best for: Vegemite and cheese croissant

The humble croissant has a daily makeover at Rollers Bakehouse . Part the veil of secrecy and have a peep at Rollers Bakehouse TikTok to see how the almond croissant is crowned. We see those bakers rolling, and we like it. The flavour profile of the croissants changes on the regular, and we love those Franken-style creations at the Scandi-industrial cafe vying for the title of best bakery Sydney.

Address: 19 Rialto Lane, Manly

28. La Panineria

Carbonara scrambled eggs croissant with cheese, La Panineria, best bakery Sydney
Carbonara scrambled eggs croissant topped with generous cheese at La Panineria.

Best for: Nonna’s polpette panino stuffed with meatballs and napoletana sauce.

Have your breadbasket at the ready. It’s going to be loaded with sweet and savoury morsels when you visit this new hole-in-the-wall bakery in Sydney’s CBD. La Panineria, the sister venue to Tessuto, is a pioneering paninoteca that aims to further popularise the Italian sandwich. All up, there are 13 panini on the menu all of which are made with schiacciata (a thin and crispy Tuscan bread). Go for the Gladiator stuffed to the gills with sliced porchetta, salsa verde, provolone, charred broccolini abd crispy pork crackling.  There’s also tasty schiaccita pizza by the slice and a croissant loaded with pasta carbonara. The bombolone (donuts filled with chocolatey gianduia) are the bomb.

Address: 280 George St, Sydney

Discover where to get the best coffee in Sydney

Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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Your guide to what’s new and exciting this summer on the Central Coast

From serene natural beauty to vibrant nightlife, with plenty of arts and culture in between, the NSW Central Coast has been enjoying a serious glow up.

Just one hour from Sydney, the Central Coast has long been the perfect seaside getaway. And with its ECO Destination certification with a focus on sustainability, it’s a trip travellers can feel good about, too. Recently, new and exciting openings have turned the Central Coast into a place where incredible natural beauty is still on the table, but so is a vibrant and sophisticated arts, dining and nightlife scene.

Find out what’s new to discover on the Central Coast.

1. Gosford’s glow up

room at voco gosford
Book into voco and experience the best of Gosford.

Long-time Central Coast lovers will hardly recognise Gosford these days. While always boasting gorgeous water views, a range of revamps and new openings have turned it into a busy hub of arts and culture, with an increasingly diverse and vibrant nightlife.

Landmark lifestyle hotel voco Gosford is the perfect home base for a Central Coast getaway. At this IHG hotel overlooking sparkling Brisbane Water, guests can spend sunny days soaking in the rooftop pool (or just sipping a cocktail beside it). When it comes to meals, you can enjoy multiple venues serving up everything from modern Australian fare to fine-dining Japanese.

Venture out to lay eyes on the Central Coast’s first permanent Moving Image Gallery (MIG) . Opened this year inside the Gosford Regional Gallery , the immersive space is a showcase of screen-based and digital art. While at the gallery, wander around the Edogawa Commemorative Garden, a traditional Japanese strolling garden complete with teahouse, koi pond and an ornamental bridge.

Meanwhile, the revamped Gosford Regional Library has even more than books to discover. Now, it’s one of the best in the southern hemisphere – find exhibitions, historical archives and community initiatives for all ages at this perfect family-friendly escape.

2. Newcomers to the dining scene

table full of food at Amarilla restaurant terrigal
Treat yourself to sundowners and snacks at Amarilla.

The Central Coast has long been the perfect destination for gourmands, with everything from casual eats to fine dining elevating the local offerings. And three new destinations have been added to the map.

Amarilla at The Haven in Terrigal is the perfect seaside venue for sundowners, with blissed-out beats providing the soundtrack. Book in for golden hour and choose bites from a Spanish tapas menu made for sharing. Do as the locals do and wash it all down with sangria – the Sunday Sangria Sessions have become a local institution.

Also in Terrigal, Little Miss has brought a premium Mediterranean menu to the waterfront. Try the wagyu tartare with Greek caviar or butter-poached lobster and tomato bisque, paired with inventive cocktails and a handpicked selection of Lebanese wines.

Over in Ettalong, Bar Toto is perfect for pre- or post-dinner drinks. This award-winning cocktail bar is known for its creative concoctions, along with craft beer, wine and antipasti platters to snack on. The interior sets the mood, with dim lighting and wooden furnishings.

3. New Central Coast experiences

winemaker at Firescreek Botanical Winery
Book an experience at Firescreek Botanical Winery.

It’s entirely possible (and recommended) to spend a Central Coast getaway relaxing on one of its many peaceful and pristine beaches. But for those who crave more, there’s a long list of options to keep you busy.

Pop into the iconic Australian Reptile Park to see the new Weigel Venom Centre, a state-of-the-art facility that’s home to over 200 of the country’s most venomous snakes.

Get out on the water with Sail Central Coast , which offers 20 years of expertise in yacht charters. Book the Sunset Sail & Dine yacht charter for a private afternoon cruising the waterways of Bouddi National Park and Brisbane Water, stopping at Anchor on Hardys for a two-course meal with a cocktail.

For something completely different, Firescreek Botanical Winery is now offering an Aboriginal Storytelling and Wine Tasting Experience. Learn about local cultures, stories and traditions from an Aboriginal Elder, then enjoy a botanical-inspired wine tasting led by a local winemaking expert.

4. Central Coast accommodation

view from a cottage at Noonaweena
Sleep in the hinterland at Noonaweena.

There’s simply too much to experience on the Central Coast to only stay for one day. Turn your trip into a relaxing getaway by the beach.

Allawah , a retreat on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, is accessible only by boat. This secluded two-bedroom cottage is the perfect place to unwind, allowing you to spend lazy days fishing, kayaking, paddling or unwinding with a book on your own private jetty.

In the Kulnura hinterland, Noonaweena features a range of accommodation styles, from a luxe glamping bell tent to cottages and a treetop suite. It’s a leader in green travel, with 10 years of certification from Eco Tourism Australia. Relax in the onsite wellness centre or get active on various courts and in the gym facilities.

To stay by the ocean at Toowoon Bay, book into Kim’s Beachside Resort . This adults-only property offers a luxury escape nestled within a sub-tropical rainforest. Along with 36 private timber bungalows, indulge in massages or reiki treatments at the dedicated spa, or stop by the cocktail bar and à la carte restaurant.

5. Shopping on the Central Coast

Umina’s Centred Ceramics central coast
Try your hand at Umina’s Centred Ceramics’ pottery courses.

For those after unique trinkets, handmade treasures and beautiful homewares, the Central Coast is a haven.

Markets on the Central Coast have a special flavour. Wander the Umina Beach Markets at twilight, where you’ll find small businesses from the local areas, and the Norah Head Ocean View Markets , where you can soak up good food, live music and artisan finds by the beach after sunset. ‘Tis the season for the Christmas twilight edition of the Avoca Beachside Markets, celebrating the season with pop-up bars, tasty treats and plenty of unique gift options from local artists and producers.

Galleria Ettalong has also added to the Central Coast’s recent makers and creators renaissance, wrapping cinemas, a dining precinct and over 40 boutique shops into one area.

Sign up for a pottery course at Umina’s Centred Ceramics , or peruse the shop for a range of one-of-a-kind pottery made on the premises for a special souvenir.

For more eclectic arts and homewares, pop into Blue Bird Collective Co . This marketplace supports over 35 small, local and handmade businesses, artists and creatives. Take the time to check out fashion, jewellery and homewares that won’t be found anywhere else.

Start planning your coastal getaway at lovecentralcoast.com .