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What makes a great sandwich? It definitely has a lot to do with the bread and structural integrity. There should be harmony and balance of ingredients and flavours; the fresh produce should be, well, fresh; and then there’s the sauce, mayo or whatever gloopy fabulousness has been applied.

It’s a topic we’ve thought a lot about for Good Food’s Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025. Presented by T2, this guide celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 11 categories, including icons, those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city’s best sweets and baked goods. (These reviews also live on theGood Food app, and are discoverable on the map.)

Read on for what made our list of best Sydney sangers.

Baker Bleu

A trip to Baker Bleu, opposite tree-edged Guilfoyle Square, can almost feel like sitting in the south of France, replete with dazzling sourdough croissants and crusty bread with golden crackling chew. Gravitate towards the house-preserved tuna sandwich with celery, capers, black olives and ricotta.

Good to know: The pull of Neil Perry’s involvement is strong, and weekend bread lines can stretch.

2 Guilfoyle Avenue, Double Bay, bakerbleu.com.au

Banh Mi Phuong 18

It’s lunchtime in Bankstown, and the people have spoken: Banh Mi Phuong 18 is the place to be. The queue, which trails past several shopfronts on Chapel Road, has a gravitational pull on curious diners. Join them and you’ll be rewarded with what could be the best crispy pork banh mi in Sydney: a crunchy-but-pliable bun, slathered generously with umami-rich pâté, stuffed with tender pieces of crackling-encrusted pork, and punctuated by pickled pink daikon. For under $10, it can’t be beat.

Best for: A memorable meal at pre-inflation prices.

335 Chapel Road, Bankstown.

Cut Lunch Deli

Late-night openings make this otherwise simple venue an exciting entrant in Sydney’s sanger scene. Four nights a week you can get natty wines and snacks, focaccias with cheese and cured meats, and an evening version of the best-selling schnitzel sandwich (featuring, among other things, shallot chilli jam). By day, it’s a relaxed cafe serving “normal”-sized sandwiches, excellent toasties, coffee and sodas.

Must order: The vegan miso eggplant is a highlight, plus the Morty D (mortadella, pistachio pesto, stracciatella, basil, guindilla).

220 Clovelly Road, Randwick cutlunchdeli.com.au

Good Ways Deli

There are salad sandwiches, and then there’s the Good Ways salad sandwich – a refreshing celebration of crunch and freshness complete with a banh mi tribute by way of house-made mushroom pâté. Sourdough ciabatta rolls are baked daily at this corner-shop charmer that also does a lamington, vanilla slice and kangaroo sausage roll worth crossing town for.

Good to know: The Anzac biscuits are cracking and available year-round.

1/20 Cooper Street, Redfern and 81 Buckland Street, Alexandria, goodwaysdeli.com.au

Kosta’s Takeaway

The schnitty sanger here stars a panko-crumbed chicken thigh sitting on shredded iceberg lettuce and topped with American cheese. It. Is. Enormous. You can now get your schnitzel hit at Kosta’s locations in Rockdale, Rosebery and the CBD, along with an ace tuna melt and salad schiacciata.

Best for: Al desko sandwiches big enough to split across two lunches.

Multiple locations, kostastakeaway.com

On a Roll

Crows Nest Arcade is fairly unremarkable except for one thing: a tiny timber shack selling excellent brisket sandwiches with crunchy slaw and aged cheddar. They’re the creations of Sam Frizell, who also sells Reubens, cheesesteaks, Cubanos and coffee, not to mention the occasional cheeseburger. Come hungry.

Must order: A side serve of dipping pickles destined for tangy Russian dressing.

439-441 Pacific Highway, Crows Nest and 346 Military Road, Cremorne, instagram.com/onaroll_official

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Punpun

You can detect the influence of Japan’s beloved convenience stores through Punpun’s menu, especially in the steamed-custard egg sando with chive mayo. It’s shokupan bread also comes with a smashed beef patty, pickles and “Tokyo Mac” sauce seasoned with shichimi togarashi. Settle in for the quiet restorative power of a cafe simply doing things well.

Good to know: Co-owner Lexy Allouche has a shrine to cult chilli condiment Lao Gan Ma in the kitchen.

249 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, instagram.com/punpuncity

Raineri’s Deli

It’s best to let the experts guide your panini adventure at this family-run, menu-free deli – they have been doing it for 43 years, after all. Each sandwich is a masterclass in balance, housed in perfectly toasted focaccia to ensure you taste every nuance: the spicy salami, the creamy cheese, the salty olives and juicy tomatoes.

Good to know: The sandwich line forms about 10.30am and maintains its stamina for the next four hours.

97 Great North Road, Five Dock

Sandoitchi

Question: Are Sandoitchi’s pork and chicken katsu sandos still deserving of their cult status since expanding to Chatswood Chase? Answer: Yes, absolutely. But we reckon the real star is the prawn sando. It’s more nuanced than its meaty counterparts thanks to an excellent tangy sauce, spirited mayo and smartly devised patty made by whipping prawns into a mousse-like consistency.

Must order: The pretty strawberry sando for dessert.

345 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood and 113 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, sandoitchi.com.au

Small Talk

Even the toughest bagel critic will struggle to nitpick Small Talk’s fluffy, daily-baked dough. This staunch suburban favourite makes Montreal-style bagels – everything or sesame – and they’re some of the best you’ll find in Sydney. Fresh cream cheese and layers of mild smoked salmon are complemented by the mild acidity of pickled onion in a classic lox, while the pastrami bagel is actual perfection.

Must order: The brekkie bagel infused with jalapeno relish adds a spice-laden twist to a breakfast favourite.

355 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill, instagram.com/__smalltalkcoffee

Good Food’s Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2, celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 11 categories, including icons, those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city’s best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. Download the Good Food app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to discover what’s near you.