Pancakes aren’t just for weekends. Whether it’s Shrove Tuesday or just a plain old Wednesday, here’s where to get your hit.
In the age of World Chocolate Day and National Corn Chip Day, it’s easy to see how Pancake Day can get lost in the mix. But the yearly tradition isn’t just another food day cooked up by marketing executives to flog more junk.
Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, marks the final day before Lent. It was once the last opportunity for Christians to use up butter, eggs and milk before starting their 40-day fast. And what better way to polish the lot off than mixing it all together and frying it in a pan?
So, in the spirit of a big, blow-out breakfast, we’ve rounded up the best pancakes in Sydney and arranged them in a neat pile for you to enjoy. We’ve stuck to classic, old-school pancakes – the big, fluffy truck-stop kind – drenched in maple syrup, covered with blueberries and slathered in jam. (Although, we did permit one with fried chicken for all the heathens out there.)
Theeca
Go with the flow of syrup and order the dish on everyone’s table – the buttermilk pancake topped with a generous splodge of creme fraiche, pooled with blackberry and raspberry jam.
Yes, that’s pancake, singular. You only get one, but it’s the granddaddy of all griddle cakes, cooked in a frying pan instead of a flat grill to form its signature rounded rim and fluffy scone-like centre. A moat of maple syrup keeps no one away. The all-day cafe flips out around 600 a week, make sure you get one of them.
1 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, theeca.com.au
Happyfield
How many can you do? Pancakes, not push-ups, that is. At Happyfield, you can order a serve of two or three pancakes, then pile on extra layers for $5 a pop. The soft, cakey slabs are identical in height, weight and texture – much like the old Macca’s hotcakes before they started reheating them to order. Each serve comes with a drizzle of La Ferme Martinette – a lighter, first-press “golden” maple syrup that lets the subtle vanilla flavours of the stack shine through.
96 Ramsay Street, Haberfield, happyfield.com.au
Bills
Brunch king Bill Granger perfected the pancake back in 1993 when he opened his first cafe on a Darlinghurst street corner. His now-famous ricotta hotcakes have spread across the globe like hot butter, starring on menus in the UK, Japan and Korea, not to mention four locations in Sydney. Whipped egg whites and ricotta are behind the soft, custardy centre, but it’s the medallions of honeycomb-flecked butter that place this pancake-eating experience at the top of the pile. Come back on World Egg Day (October 10) for Granger’s signature scramble.
433 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst; 79 Hall Street, Bondi Beach; 16 Cross Street, Double Bay; 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills, bills.com.au
Air Lab
There you are, minding your own business, when you walk past Air Lab’s shop window and see its pillowy pancake batter jiggling shamelessly on a hot pan. Peer past the doorway and you’ll see the tall, voluminous stacks pinned down to the plate with lychee rose cream and Froot Loops. Another is coated in a bruleed toffee shell with chewy black boba pearls. All of a sudden, you’re ordering a serve for take away.
Shop 5, 85 John Street, Cabramatta, airlabsouffle.com
Flora
The pancakes are a key reason to visit this new all-day vegetarian eatery in Newtown. Head chef Jude Hughes infuses the milk with cacao husk to add woody, caramel overtones to the batter. Once cooked, the pancakes are drizzled in the house hickory-smoked maple syrup and finished with a dollop of whipped espresso butter, made from CopperTree Farms butter infused with the same Loggerhead Coffee that you get in your cup.
206 Australia Street, Newtown, paisanoanddaughters.com.au/flora
Valentina’s
Don’t feel like you have to choose between bacon, blueberry compote and fried chicken at Valentina’s. All three work together wonderfully on their simple yet classic American-style pancakes. Watch from the counter as the pancakes are carefully pressed on the grill, with two large rounds reserved for the main stack, and tiny pikelet-sized “tina” pancakes added to the big breakfast plates. For the full diner experience, add bottomless filter coffee for $10.
132 Livingstone Road, Marrickville, valentinassyd.com
Gram
Gram has become the Sydney specialist for “fuwa fuwa” (fluffy) pancakes, with cafes in Chatswood and the CBD, and souffle spin-off store, Cheers, in Miranda and Castle Hill. The batter is fortified with whipped egg whites, then steamed beneath metal cloches to maintain their soft, delicate structure. Nudge them gently and watch as they dance. Keep an eye out for the soon-to-launch purple ube pancakes, which Gram has been perfecting for the past few months.
Shop 67, 436 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood; Shop RG016, 500 George Street, Sydney, gramaustralia.com.au
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Erina Starkey – Erina is the Good Food App Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously, Erina held a number of editing roles at delicious.com.au and writing roles at Broadsheet and Concrete Playground.
