For this guest takeover of Sandwich Watch, the column dedicated to the Sydney sandwiches you need to know about, I’m taking you to my favourite focaccia newcomer: Delisia. It’s a small sunlit cafe in a Forest Lodge terrace, with a sandwich-making set-up like a bougie Italian Subway. The counter is filled with deli goods, from beef bresaola to pecorino spread, and there are 15 Italian-inspired sandwiches − 10 “classics” priced at $16.90 and five “epicures” with premium ingredients priced at $18.90 − each served on focaccia bread.

All the fillings look good, particularly the best-selling, beautiful Figaro with slices of blush-pink figs, prosciutto, burrata, honey and rocket. But I think simple and savoury is the go here, so my pick is the Lorenzo ($16.90).

What makes it so good?

Long rectangles of focaccia are baked in-house, every morning. They’re golden and a little crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and sliced so thick you’ll need two hands to devour it. Honestly, it’s so big you could probably share one between two people.

The Lorenzo is salty, creamy and immensely satisfying, packed with sliced pancetta, crunchy house-made pistachio paste, parmesan and the lightest, creamiest whipped ricotta. To finish, it’s drizzled with olive oil, and recently, they’ve started serving it with sliced green olives. Inspired by a recent special posted on Delisia’s socials, I add a dash of chilli oil ($1) and it’s a chef’s kiss moment.

Is this the best focaccia sandwich in Sydney? I can’t say for sure, but it’s certainly the best I’ve tried this year.

Why focaccia?

First-time business owner Lena Raslan developed an appreciation for focaccia sandwiches during a two-month Europe trip. “I was inspired by the flavours and the way they did certain things,” she says. “It was so rare to find anything pre-made - it was all fresh to order.”

With its salty, finger-dimpled crusts, Delisia’s house-made focaccia is reminiscent of the Genovese style. It’s made to a two-day proving and baking process using organic ingredients to create a product “soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, so people get the best of both worlds,” Raslan says.

Great, let’s go!

Hold up. This sandwich shop comes with one caveat: it’s already very popular, drawing large crowds on weekends. When we visited, the footpath was crowded with customers, the wait was about half an hour for a takeaway sandwich, and good luck scoring one of the few, mostly outdoor, tables, available on a first come, first served basis.

But there are ways around waiting. Raslan says the quietest times are before 11am or after 2.30pm, or any time Tuesday and Wednesday. Delisia takes pre-orders on delivery app DoorDash, and over the phone (though they might not pick up during the lunch rush).

Bonus: each sandwich is strategically wrapped in white paper for eating on-the-go, making it ideal for the nearby walk past Orphan School Creek and down to Glebe Foreshore, if you’re so inclined.

Grab a Lorenzo at Delisia, 284 Bridge Road, Forest Lodge, Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat 7am-3pm or Sun 8am-3pm, delisia.au