Gumnut Patisserie Berrima

If you're driving between Sydney and Canberra, this place is worth a stop. Gumnut Patisserie in Berrima is the kind of bakery that gets a detour, and the pies are usually the reason. The beef, cheese and bacon, the lamb and rosemary, a potato pie with a crisp top and a chicken and leek that keeps its pastry flaky without going dry all get a mention. Sausage rolls and spinach and ricotta pasties turn up in the praise too, along with a beef and mushroom pie with proper chunky filling.

It's a patisserie as well as a pie shop, so the sweet side is worth your attention. We hear a lot about the vanilla slice, the almond croissant, caramel slice and a banoffee tart that's light rather than heavy. Pastries here are described as balanced and not overloaded with sugar, which is a nice change. Coffee and hot chocolate are on offer, and custom cake orders are available if you're planning something for an occasion.

The pastry chefs behind it, Tracy and Vicki Nickl, bake pies, pastries, desserts and cakes daily, and there are two other shops in the group as well. One local noted this Berrima shop is quieter than the Bowral one, so there's room to sit comfortably. Seating is inside and out, and a mulberry tree out the front makes a pleasant spot to eat. If you'd rather take it with you, there's a park nearby where you can sit outdoors to eat.

Staff are friendly and the value is a talking point, with locals saying you get more for your money than at many sit-down restaurants nearby. One visitor found service a little inconsistent on a busy day, though the food still won them over.

Practicalities are good: free street parking and a free car park close by, plus a wheelchair-accessible entrance, car park and toilet. They take cards and mobile payments, and takeaway, dine-in and in-store pick-up are all available. Online ordering for collection is also offered. Popular items can sell out later in the day, so it's worth going earlier, and check the hours before you set off since they close one day a week.