Pistachio has been climbing the ladder of the world’s favourite nutty ingredients, recently joining the renowned ranks of hazelnut and almond in dessert-loving communities. With its classic green hue making it that extra bit aesthetic for posting on the socials (and for matching with a cheeky matcha drink), pistachio needs to be part of your next sweet treat run.
Luckily, Sydney/Eora is abundant with desserts featuring this trending flavour, and we’ve put together a list of spots to make your tasting trip smooth and quality-guaranteed.
Gelato
Rivareno
Various Locations
Image credit: Rivareno | Website
Rivareno is a no-brainer if you’re on the hunt for pistachio gelato. Their ‘pistacchio sicilia’ flavour is extra creamy, made with Italian pistachios, and occasionally appears as a dairy-free special. Grab it from Rivareno's Barangaroo, Bondi Beach, Darlinghurst, Parramatta or Potts Point stores.
Gelato Messina
Various Locations
Image credit: Gelato Messina | Website
Gelato Messina offers two versions: pistachio (made with Sicilian pistachios from Italy) and their more famous pistachio praline (fior di latte gelato with white chocolate, pistachio fudge and pistachio praline), which you can also grab in a tub from Woolies.
Plus, keep an eye out on socials for Gelato Messina's weekly limited-edition specials like the previous Pistachio Mami, mixing pistachio gelato with dulce de leche and almond praline. Find your nearest Gelato Messina location online here.
Cakes And Pastries
Kürtősh
Various Locations
Image credit: Kürtősh | Website
Kürtősh is renowned for bringing their Hungarian-style chimney cakes to Sydneysiders, with one such option being their pistachio chimney cake. Light, delicately twisted layers of pastry threaded with pistachio throughout and crumbed with the nuts all over, this is a must-have for pistachio lovers wanting a novelty treat that leans more on that slightly savoury side.
If you're wanting more pistachio–maybe something creamier and richer in sweetness–Kürtősh has numerous cakes and pastries lined up on display. The pistachio-filled and perfectly crumbly Princess Fiona cookie is one such popular treat (with the name inspired by the Shrek movies, for that bit of extra fun), along with their pistachio halva cake, variations of their pistachio croissant, and even a pistachio and Nutella combination cookie for the best of every nutty dessert flavour. Find your closest location online here.
Top Impression Bakery
Various Locations
Image credit: Top Impression Bakery | Instagram
For fans of anything flaky-pastry-esque, Top Impression Bakery does a delicious pistachio white chocolate croissant and even pistachio portuguese tarts, with whisper-thin layers of golden puff pastry cradling a pistachio custard. Their pistachio cromboloni is also a fan favourite, blending a croissant and a bomboloni with a circular pastry shell pumped with pistachio cream. Find them at their North Sydney, Central Park, Wolli Creek, Mascot, and Rhodes locations.
Up South
249 Bondi Road, Bondi
Image credit: Up South | Instagram
It’s no secret that Up South is one of Sydney’s top spots for a pistachio fix. The Bondi cafe is run by TikTok sensation Cherry Yap, who is constantly whipping up new creations like creamy pistachio matcha served with a dippable pistachio cookie, and the viral pistachio crookie: a soft pistachio cookie sandwiched between a buttery croissant, topped with a generous dollop of pistachio spread.
Sir Braxton Chocolate Bar
2/13-19 Bryant Street, Rockdale
Image credit: Sir Braxton Chocolate Bar | Instagram
For pistachio dialled all the way up, make a beeline for Sir Braxton. Here you’ll find Dubai chocolate-everything from a Dubai chocolate pistachio burger (pistachio knafeh, melted chocolate and strawberries stuffed between warm donut buns), to Dubai chocolate French toast, crepes, acai bowls, croissants, strawberry cups and more. Every treat is totally over the top—in the best way possible.
Bar Biscotti
24 George Street, North Strathfield
Image credit: Bar Biscotti | Instagram
Bar Biscotti is home to heaps of pistachio-packed desserts. The most famous is probably their pistachio crookie, a half-croissant, half-cookie hybrid that usually gets snapped up before midday. You can also get choc-chip pistachio cream cookies, alongside specials like an oozing pistachio tiramisu latte (yes, it's a drink) and a gluten-free, dairy-free slice of pistachio cake.
Tiramisu
Pasticceria Papa
145 Ramsay Street, Haberfield; 95 Queens Road, Five Dock
Image credit: Pasticceria Papa | Website
Pasticceria Papa makes its own pistachio spread, which stars in a range of their sweet treats. Their creamy pistachio tiramisu cake–serving sizes that feed from eight all the way to 30 people–is ideal for a casual sweet treat to share with friends, or for a bigger party dessert to share that pistachio love with a mini crowd (or to just take home and eat all by yourself, let’s be real).
With this Italian patisserie dishing up numerous other pistachio delights like the traditional pistachio horseshoe biscuits, fluffy maritozzi buns loaded with pistachio cream, and pistachio croissant scrolls, you’re guaranteed for your fix of this fan-favourite flavour.
Riso Cake
Shop 10/7 Rider Blvd, Rhodes
Image credit: Riso Cake | Website
Instagram famous for their pretty designs and cute, mini ‘lunchbox cakes’, Riso Cake also has a range of tiramisu flavours–including the creamy pistachio flavour. Think layers of fluffy cake sliced in a one-serving cube size, with sprinkled crushed pistachio on top for that extra nutty texture. Order it online here for local delivery or pick it up in store (and maybe window-shop their other photogenic cake designs while you’re at it) from $14.90 a piece.
Tiramisu Lab
Shop 7/73 Oxford St, Surry Hills
Image credit: Tiramisu Lab | Instagram
True to their name, Tiramisu Lab has a variety of experimental tiramisu types and flavours, with the pistachio tiramisu an obvious menu staple. Mixing flavours of creamy milk, soaked coffee and thick pistachio spread, this tiramisu comes ready to go in a generously sized eco-friendly container–filling it corner to corner for maximum sweet treat value. They also have an oozing pistachio lava cake that comes gluten-free and topped with pistachio white chocolate ganache, just in case you needed more convincing.
Savoury Surprises
Ulivo Restaurant
108 Ingleburn Rd, Leppington
Image credit: Ulivo Restaurant | Instagram
Nutella pizza has another nutty contender, because Ulivo is serving pistachio pizza for dessert. Think your regular savoury pizza base with a thick layer of pistachio spread and nuts sprinkled all over the top–and it looks as good as it sounds. Order this pizza without the gelato on top for a more savoury experience, or have it as is for a mixture of both the sweet and savoury tastes.
Buttered
5 Central Park Ave, Chippendale
Image credit: Buttered | Instagram
Layers and layers of tissue-thin bread are Buttered’s specialty, with Sydneysiders coming from all over to pull apart this bread and experience the way it melts on their tongues. With several variations and flavours, Buttered notably brings their pistachio tissue bread to the table, layered with pistachio spread within. This cube-shaped bread is made at just the right size and lightness for an ideal, more savoury treat.
Main image credit: Kürtősh | Instagram