Banksia Bakehouse

Overview

When Chris Sheldrick, Hannah Kim-Sheldrick, Josh Kim and Aileen Zhang started working on Banksia Bakehouse in 2018, they didn't think they'd be launching the CBD bakery in the middle of a pandemic. But, they have — and, despite the current lack of foot-traffic, the Grosvenor Place spot is creating a buzz.

Open from 7.30am Monday–Friday, Banksia is located underneath Rosetta in eye-catching surrounds. Named after and inspired by native Australian flora, the bakery and cafe is all brown leather banquettes, white curves and hanging foliage. While the interior design is impressive, it's hard to tear your eyes away from the open kitchen, where pastry chefs are whipping up towering cakes, flaky pastries and fairy tale-like apple desserts.

Kitti Gould

For lunches and brunches, you'll find croissants, cruffins, Oreo meringues, croque monsieurs and savoury pies, currently available in mushroom stroganoff, Mexican chicken and beef brisket. To drink, there's coffee roasted by The Grounds.

Cakes, while rotating often, include the likes of a tiramisu tarte, lemon meringue tear drop, piña colada mousse cake and the aforementioned apple delight. You can get those in single-serve portions and, for celebratory occasions, whole towering cakes such as caramel toffee, black forrest, cookies and cream cheesecake and strawberry sponge numbers. Each comes elegantly decorated and are available in a range of sizes. The big'uns can be pre-ordered online and start at a very reasonable $50.

Images: Kitti Gould