Best Bakery and Cake Shops in The Phoenix

"Back in the day, a visit to Sydney wasn't complete without a visit to the family-friendly nooks and picture-perfect crannies of the Grounds. You'd know it was a long wait to get in, but it was an honour you'd queue for. While the brand of prettily plated café fare popularised by places like the Grounds has filtered out to eateries around the city, it's still a lovely spot to wander around, pet the pigs and grab a fresh brewed takeaway coffee to sit in the sun with."

"This cafe is constantly rated one of Sydney’s best for a very good reason. The Grounds of Alexandra is a cornucopia of whimsical delights. From the farm animals (meeting the famous pig, “Kevin Bacon” is a must) to the play area, fountain and rambling paths leading through gardens and lanes bursting with flowers, statues and tiny creative details, the external grounds at The Grounds is, in itself, worth a visit alone."

"You can’t talk about brunch in Sydney without mentioning The Grounds, the Alexandria mega-café that’s become an icon of the Harbour City’s hospitality scene. Occupying a heritage-listed industrial precinct in this now-fashionable inner-city suburb, The Grounds is made up of a huge café, restaurant, bar, garden, bakery, patisserie, coffee roastery, markets, florist and even an animal farm, so there’s a veritable buffet of brunch options on the table."

"Located in a former industrial precinct from the 1920s, The Grounds of Alexandria is a landmark coffee roastery, café, sustainable garden, and one of Instagram’s most tagged foodie destinations. You’ll be in for a wait so get in early, pop your name on the list, and pass the time wandering the artisan market until your table’s ready. Alternatively, try Alexandria’s younger, CBD-based sibling, The Grounds of the City."

"The ultimate mash-up, The Grounds is a fresh produce market, florist, café, restaurant, bar and bakery all rolled into one pretty package. To skip the queue, you can pre-order your breakfast or lunch online and pick it up at the designated takeaway food window. The ‘to-go’ menu is almost identical to the usual one, with wholesome meals, plus coffee and chilled drinks."

"This Marrickville gem is a from-scratch café and bakery with a focus on organic produce. Chirilas says, “You can’t go past this one – the fact that it serves everything on Mud plates and bowls gets me every time.” The menu is Mediterranean-inspired with peperonata breakfast bruschetta and meze plates, along with healthy alternatives to a standard weekend fry-up. The beverage selection is thoughtfully crafted, with coffee sourced from nearby Microlot Coffee Roasters and house-made sticky chai, a raw honey-soaked spiced chai tea."

"It’s hard just getting your head around the fact that all the bread and pastries are made in-house every day at this winning Marrickville cafe. Enter through the open garage doors on Chapel St and be prepared for Insta-pretty dishes with flavours you’ll be thinking about all day. Take your pick from the sourdough crumpets with chilli-braised broad beans and straccitella or the chana dal breakkie bowl with flatbread and yoghurt."

"This ‘from-scratch’ café bakery on Marrickville’s Chapel Street is revered by locals for its handmade breads and pastries that even angels would fight over. Forever rotating their donut repertoire be sure to follow them on Instagram to make sure you’re up to speed on what’s on offer each day. We’re hankering for the lemon curd and violet meringue or the salted caramel cream cheese with crispy caramelised popcorn."

"Far less popular than the touristy Bondi to Coogee hike, the Spit to Manly Walk is a quieter alternative with more natural busy and varied views. A stunning day hike along the North Sydney harbor coastline that weaves its way through a mix of lush bushland and scenic harbourside trails with secluded beaches, indigenous rock carvings, and panoramic lookouts along the way. You can hike the 10km (6.2 miles) trail in 3.5 hours in a hurry, but I recommend you take your time and enjoy the sights and sounds."

"If you fancy stretching your legs, the walk from Manly to Spit Bridge is a pleasant 2-3 hour coastal walk with amazing views over the ocean. Catch the ferry to Manly harbour and head round the coast – make sure not to miss the ancient aboriginal carvings along the way. When it comes to free things to do in Sydney, this is one of the most popular for good reason."

"Yellow is the vegetarian bistro found in Potts Point, opened by Brent Savage and Nick Hildebran, from Bentley Restaurant + Bar, Monopole and Cirrus. Inspired by the European dining scene, contemporary food and wine are served in an informal setting at affordable prices. Yellow fulfils the demand for vegetarian and vegan dining in Sydney, with their plant-based menu focusing on ingredients grown by local suppliers."

"Potts PointIn 2016 Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt of The Bentley Group relaunched Yellow’s menu to be 100% vegetarian, and they never looked back. The popular vegan bistro is now known as the go-to place for vegetarian dishes that are a cut above the average. There is a five-course and a seven-course menu only, although they also host guest chefs often, which is a delight to experience."

"Why: When the onion dish hits the table, all heads in the restaurant turn. A whole, roasted sweetly scorchy onion is stuffed with sweet onion puree, creamy stracciatella, kombu and eucalyptus ($32) and finished with white balsamic vinegar, chives and tonburi (nutty seeds known as 'mountain caviar' in Japan). Vegans can swap out the stracciatella for walnut milk."

"Award winning Pirrama Park in Pyrmont is a stunning Harbour-side green space with exceptional landscaping as the stand-out feature. This popular park is now home to grassy areas, wide walking paths, a large playground, BBQ and picnic facilities, public toilets, and a handful of cafes. The Pirrama Park area used to be a base for the water police, but the site was purchased by the City of Sydney in 2005, and subsequently transformed into a gorgeous Sydney park."

"If your kids love to dig then Pirrama Park in Pyrmont is where you need to head as this Sydney playground has one of the largest sand digging areas across the city. On hot summer days you will love the ocean breeze whilst the kids enjoy the wide-open pathway of water fountains in the water play area. Location: Pirrama Rd, PyrmontParking: yes, but it can be tricky to secure during busy times."