Sacrebleu ! Canelés & Co

If you're after a proper French pastry fix in Barangaroo, New South Wales, this bakery at Crown Sydney is where people send each other. The speciality is canelés, those caramelised little Bordeaux cakes with the custardy middle, and locals rave about them, including the orange Grand Marnier version. The madeleines come in for just as much praise, with lemon a particular favourite, and we hear people pick up a box to take home as a gift.

Croissants are a big part of the story too. Fresh ones come out daily, crisp outside and soft within, and the savoury options like goat cheese and tomato or ham and cheese get heated through nicely. One local reckoned they were the best croissant in Sydney, which is a bold claim, but it shows how fond people are of the place. Beyond that you'll find pain au chocolat, choux, éclairs, the soft and cream-filled dune blanche, and a fougasse for something salty. The odd item divides opinion (one local found a coconut ball a bit chewy), but the pastry counter is what keeps people returning.

It works as a café as well as a bakery. Coffee is good, breakfast and lunch are on, and you can eat in, sit outside in the morning sun, take away, or arrange delivery or kerbside pickup. The seating and entrance are wheelchair-accessible. Quiet mornings are part of the charm, and being a step off the main boardwalk means it tends to feel relaxed.

Service gets a lot of love. Staff are described as friendly and patient, with a couple of the team, Roxane and Elodi, singled out by name for being welcoming. Value comes up too, with locals feeling the canelés are fairly priced given how fiddly they are to make.

They also take custom cake orders and preorders for pickup, and cater for events. A hotel group recently praised a Galette des Rois they ordered for guests. The bakery supplies retailers and wholesalers beyond the shop as well. It's closed early in the week, so check the hours before you head in.