Looking for ways you can spoil your kids? Maybe it’s a relative’s birthday and you’re looking for somewhere fun to go after a special family lunch? Or maybe you just LOVE all things sweet and yummy – in which case you need no excuse to visit one of these delightful spaces dedicated to mouth-watering goodness!
From Warnervale to Umina and everywhere in between, we’ve rounded up the best places to treat yourself on the Central Coast. We’ve taste-tested doughnuts. Scoured bakeries for the butteriest croissants. Eaten cupcakes for lunch. And even fallen into a chocolate coma after some particularly decadent Spanish hot choc.
In true Coast style, there’s something for everyone on this list, and new and exciting things are popping up all the time. So without further ado, here are our top picks for the best “special treats” on the Central Coast!
Mamigato
We love it when we stumble across an eatery that prides itself on authenticity, tradition and its use of simple (yet delectable) ingredients and that’s exactly what we’ve found with Mamigato in Ettalong! Located inside Ettalong Galleria and run by Luc and Cecile, this French patisserie is built on a solid foundation of French cooking handed down through generations.
In French, ‘Mami” means “Grandma” and ” Gato” means “Cake or treat” – and so this is where Mamigato was born. Watching their grandmas, Simone and Louise, cooking and baking delicious meals and sweets for the family, using only simple ingredients like fresh eggs collected in the backyard, and fresh fruits picked in the garden, combined with their traditional know-how, Luc and Cecile were inspired by the unique treats that brought so much love and joy to the family table. And that is what Mamigato is all about! Delicious treats that make people happy. And we’re oh so lucky for it to be right here on the Central Coast!
Serving up a range of French goodies including beignets, madeleines, friends, and brioche, this is one to add to your “must-try list” this year!
LOCATION: Shop 28 inside the Galleria, Ettalong Beach.
Burnt Honey
When a bakery’s hours are listed as “7am-2pm or until sold out”, you know you’re onto a good thing. Jo (Joanna) Fairall and Hayley Thorncraft’s opening of Burnt Honey Bakery opposite Copacabana Beach made waves in this quiet sleepy corner of the Coast. Hayley’s experience reads as a who’s-who of the bakery world: she’s floured benches at BlackStar Pastry in Sydney, at Honey & Co in London, and at Dominique Ansel Bakery London, whose owner was named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017.
Hayley bakes everything on site. You’ll find the likes of Greek almond shortbreads, almond croissants, cinnamon buns, and Portuguese tarts flavoured with cassia bark and lemon zest. Hayley’s danishes are topped with white peach custard, or asparagus, cheddar, and béchamel. Her doughnuts are flavoured with saffron and cardamon, or loaded with salted-caramel cream cheese. And the pies, just trust us and order a pie. The Boston baked beans and vintage cheddar is a long way from the traditional and quite possibly the best pie we’ve ever eaten.
Plus, after such huge success at their Copacabana location, Jo and Hayley have now opened a second Burnt Honey Bakery in Long Jetty!
LOCATIONS: Shop 1, 224 Del Monte Pl, Copacabana, AND now at 298 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty too!
MacDaddy Cakes
Take your sweet tooth to the iconic Blue Bay Store building and find a treasure trove of colourful cupcakes that taste as good as they look. With flavours like raspberry cheesecake, apple cinnamon crumble and pina colada, it’s hard to know what to choose. Best to go on an empty stomach and try them all. Oh, and they don’t just serve desserts. If you’re after breakfast, they whip up the classics like smashed avo and bacon and eggs, plus they have a burger menu and free babyccinos. Yes!
We recommend spending the morning feasting in their courtyard, then heading for a dip at Blue Bay or Toowoon Bay.
LOCATION: 73 Bay Road, Blue Bay.
Flour & Co.
Flour & Co. is a small, family-run bakery and coffee house known for their superb selection of raw treats. Our favourites include the raw Snickers slice, raw Bounty, and the ‘Not-tella’ balls. If you can pull yourself away from the desserts, they also do classic meat pies, veggie pies, plus a salmon pastie they’ve perfected over three decades and sell once a year at Easter!
After you’ve stocked up on goodies, why not head to Swadling Reserve Park for a picnic and a play? It’s just a two-minute drive away.
LOCATION: 88 Toowoon Bay Road, Toowoon Bay.
Daily Dough Co
This business is what Instagram was made for. The pastel pink-panelled countertop is lined with fluffy, glazed doughnut rings of pure delight.
The OG&M is spread with original glaze and scattered with mini M&Ms, and you’d be forgiven for calling it the OMG! The crème brulee is filled with vanilla bean custard and topped with crunchy toffee. The cookies and cream looks like an Oreo (and tastes like an Oreo), but this bad boy is a soft, fluffy doughnut spread with white chocolate ganache, dipped in crushed Oreos, and drizzled with white chocolate.
These doughnuts (which are all made by hand) are a must-try if you like your desserts super sweet and super pretty!
Daily Dough Co has a store inside the grounds of the Wyong Milk Factory. Grab yourself a box then head to the Milk Factory’s playground – it has picnic tables and play equipment for the kids to burn off their sugar rushes. You can also order online for pickup at either store or get them delivered straight to your door. And keep an eye out for the Daily Dough Co pop-up stalls at your local shopping centre too (to find out where they’ll be appearing next, visit their Facebook page).
LOCATION: Wyong Store – 141 Alison Rd, Wyong.
Green Tangerine
There are a bunch of great cafes in Long Jetty, but for us, Green Tangerine stands out because of its on-site bakery that uses traditional French baking methods. Go for the delicious croissants (seriously some of the best we’ve ever had) and stay for the vibe, the people watching and the very Instagrammable mural on their outside wall. Green Tangerine also brews Little Marionette coffee, which pairs perfectly with their cronuts and waffles, and brings a touch of inner Sydney to the Jetty’s vibrant cafe scene.
Hot tip: On your way out, grab yourself a loaf of freshly baked artisan sourdough – so delicious with soup for dinner!
Hot tip 2: The Long Jetty Foreshore reserve and playground is nearby, too.
LOCATION: 393 The Entrance Road, Long Jetty.
Ken’s Humble Pie Shop
Ken truly is a master pie maker who honours his craft by using fresh ingredients, slow-cooked or roasted meats, and flaky pastry that honestly melts in your mouth. Fan favourite flavours include the classic chicken curry, plus the beef, cheese, and bacon.
While Coasties and tourists alike flock to The Entrance for his savoury pies, his desserts are on point too. The sweets menu includes profiteroles that are made fresh daily and filled with crunchy toffee, as well as large lamingtons, zesty lemon citron tarts, and apricot pies topped with cream.
Ken keeps it simple with the classics but does them oh-so-well.
LOCATION: 32 Coral Street, The Entrance.
Max Brenner
If you’re looking for a fondue fix, this is the place to go. Chocolate lovers can also sip on icy choctails and chow down on choc-nut fudge brownies and white chocolate crumb cheesecake. Max Brenner is also known for their ‘suckao’ – a dense, concentrated shot of pure rich hot chocolate, which they call the espresso of chocolate drinks. All we know is that you’d be wise to skip dinner and go straight to dessert if you’re planning to pay this chocolate bar a visit.
If your kids are active, take your treats to one of the Westfield Tuggerah play areas.
LOCATION: Tuggerah Westfield, 50 Wyong Road, Tuggerah.
Billabong Patisserie
Sometimes you just want a good-old traditional neenish tart or sausage roll, and if this is your craving you can’t go past Billabong Patisserie at East Gosford. The building has been a bakery for some 50 years, and the current owner/pastry chef Adrian Warwick has been pre-heating the oven for the past 12. Many customers have been coming here for years – lining up at the counter to order baked custard tarts, Continental vanilla slices, and mini passionfruit cheesecakes. Their quiches – Florentine, Lorraine, and sundried tomato and mushroom – fly off the shelves as does their lamb, rosemary, and shiraz pie.
LOCATION: 79 Victoria St, East Gosford; (02) 4325 3521.
Bouffant
Bouffant is co-owned by Andrew Mansfield and Markus Kunz, the same duo behind East Gosford’s much-loved Oomph café. In March 2020 they opened their first bakery in East Gosford’s main shopping precinct. It was called The Bakery, and it quickly gained popularity when people saw they could buy a pastry there for less than $2!
They do this by creating a croissant pastry that they then use to create multiple treats. They still use quality ingredients and each croissant is still rolled out by hand, but they’ve worked out how they can skip some of the more time-consuming tasks in order to create a beautiful product fast – and at a price point that ensures they can deliver their “fluffy goodness” to all.
The shop’s pastel pink-panelled countertop is lined with almond croissants, Portuguese tarts, salted caramel-filled doughnuts, and white chocolate and raspberry muffins.
LOCATION: 101A Victoria Street, East Gosford.
Bremen’s Patisserie
It was The Flaming Ron pie that got Bremen’s on the Today show, but it’s his cherry strudel that’s made his business a local-household name. Originally from Bremen, Germany, pastry chef Ronald Bruns opened his Umina patisserie 30 years ago and he’s been pulling the crowd with his European recipes since. The apple crumble, chocolate eclairs, bee stings, and black forest cake come highly praised, as does the coffee, which is roasted on-site.
Curious about what’s so good (or hot!) about The Flaming Ron? Well, it includes Trinidad “Scorpion” Butch T peppers, Naga Viper chilis, and habanero peppers, and is known as the “world’s hottest pie”. Unless you’re game (and willing to sign a legal waiver) we recommend you opt for the korma curry chicken or beef burgundy pie instead.
LOCATION: 302 West St, Umina Beach.
Cakes By Kyla
That shop in Gosford that always has people queueing out the front of it? Yep, that’s Cakes By Kyla. These cupcakes are so popular that they sell out FAST, which is super impressive as they bake 300-400 of these tasty treats a day. With over 90 flavours to choose from, including lemon meringue, Ferrero Rocher, Monte Carlo and Caramilk, cupcake connoisseurs will be in heaven trying them all.
Traditional flavours are available daily. Kyla also comes up with her own unique flavours, and Cakies (a.k.a. Kyla’s fans) are encouraged to watch her socials to see when they’ll appear in-store.
LOCATION: 5/2 Watt Street, Gosford.
Ludo’s Gourmet Patisserie
Ludo’s cakes are well renowned. The delice gateaux, hummingbird cake, and lemon tart are delicious, but it’s the jaffa cake covered in chocolate ganache, mini meringues, and toasted flaked almonds that we can’t help but order again and again. Ludo’s tarts all make a fine dessert, but which one to pick? The French apple is classic; the chocolate soufflé divine. Quiches and pies lead the savoury line. The quiches are packed with smoked salmon or roast vegetables, and the pies are rich with beef Bourguignon, chunky steak, and cheese and bacon.
Grab your treats to go and take them to the Heazlett playground at Avoca oval.
LOCATION: 8 Cape Three Points Rd, Avoca Beach.
San Churro
Tucked into a cosy corner of The Hive (Erina Fair’s entertainment precinct), San Churro is a cosy little spot to treat yourself at after shopping. Their signature churros are made fresh to order using a vegan-friendly recipe, and there are nine different dip cup flavours to choose from (think dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, Spanish caramel etc). They also do excellent hot chocolates (we recommend the Thick Spanish), plus a variety of tapas, toasties, and pitas if savouries are more your jam.
LOCATION: The Hive, Erina Fair Shopping Centre, Terrigal Drive, Erina.
Warnies Cafe
Warnies is famous in the north of the Coast, and well worth the trip if you’re in the south. Why? Two words: crazy shakes. Their most popular is the Candyland, which is a strawberry milkshake topped with a giant swirl lollipop, bubblegum ice cream, sour strap, candy bracelet, cream, sprinkles, and don’t forget the fairyfloss. If that’s not epic enough, there are five other crazy shakes on the menu to delight the kids, yourself, and your Instagram followers (these bad boys are seriously photogenic). Luckily, Warnies has a fab outdoor space and play equipment where little ones can run, climb and shake off their sugar highs.
We have a full review of Warnies Cafe as well as the Warnervale Station playground that you’ll find opposite.
LOCATION: 1/13 Warnervale Rd, Warnervale.
Yogurberry
Frozen yoghurt enthusiasts, rejoice! There is still fro-yo on the Coast (after Yogurtland closed its doors nationwide). And there are now three stores you can visit with your little people! The first is located opposite the playground at The Entrance Foreshore, the second is on Terrigal Esplanade and the third is at Westfield Tuggerah.
Yogurberry is an excellent place to take the kids after a big play sesh. Creating your own dessert here is a lot of fun, and an awesome way to try different flavour combinations. Mix and match strawberry, taro, and chocolate brownie if you like! Or maybe you prefer passionfruit, mango, and a dash of coconut? Then add your toppings – they have everything from fresh fruit to fruit loops.
More is definitely more at Yogurberry so keep in mind that when you get to the register, your icy cold masterpiece will be weighed and its cost will be calculated accordingly.
LOCATIONS: The Entrance Store – Shop 97, The Entrance Road, The Entrance | Terrigal Store – Shop 64, Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal | Shop 1111, Westfield Tuggerah, Wyong Road, Tuggerah.
Sweet Surprises
Sweet Surprises stores have been popping up all over the Central Coast of late, with its most recent store appearing on the main high street of Umina. The shop is quite literally loaded with every lolly variety you can imagine, with everything from pick and mix to international lollies from all over the world (think the UK, America, South Africa, New Zealand, and more)!
Kids absolutely LOVE persuing the wall-to-wall selection of sweet treats at this exciting wonderland of candy. It’s most definitely somewhere to take them on their birthday, during the school holidays as a special treat, or quite simply because they (and you) fancy something a little different from your standard supermarket confectionery!
LOCATIONS: Umina Store – 340 West Street, Umina Beach | Terrigal Store – Shop 2/74, Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal | Lake Haven Store – Vicinity Lake Haven Centre, Shop 129, Lake Haven Drive & Goobarabah Ave, Lake Haven.
Header Image: The Daily Dough Co Dessert Bar.
This feature has been written by Playing in Puddles’ team of writers, including Louise Meers, Alison McCann, and Katie Stokes. Some entries included here were written by Playing in Puddles’ editor Katie Stokes and first appeared in COAST magazine’s Autumn 2020 issue.
