Why is melted cheese just so good? Sure, we can all grill cheese between bread at home, but why would you when Sydney has this divine roster of creative, delicious, loaded and morish toasties.
We have Mi Goreng toasties, curry toasties and eight-cheese toasties—making the toastie scene in Sydney, quite frankly, next level.
Here’s where to nab a top-notch toastie for your next lunch.
Mushroom Melt | Brickfields
Chippendale
Brickfields Bakery sells their goods all over the city, but a sit-down meal at their Chippendale café is worth the trip (if you can nab a seat).
The mushroom melt is the pride and joy of the small menu. In fact, the mushroom, gruyere, truffle mayo and jalapeño toastie is so popular that it surpassed its initial run as a special to become a permanent menu item.
“It's a hard one to take off [the menu] - people love it! Even on a hot day,” says Susi Malyon, the Brickfields Bakery manager.
“I think it's the small details that make a big difference. For me, it's the unexpected heat of jalapeño that makes this sandwich. It also helps that the light rye and caraway bread is very tasty.”
Toasties | Penny’s Cheese Shop
Potts Point
With "Cheese Queen" Penny Lawson at the helm of this Potts Point establishment, you can expect the cheese toasties to be next level.
The recipe changes according to whatever is in the shop. You might even find up to eight (!) cheeses on their version of the golden sandwich. You'll also have your choice of non-cheese fillings or add-ons from the deli, which may include various cold cuts or cured meats, truffles, jalapeños or kimchi.
Expect your toastie to be exploding, with cheese dripping out the sides and a few crispy bits providing extra crunch. One toastie will set you back $14 and they’re worth every… penny. With only 20 made daily (50 on Saturday), you need to get in early.
Mi Goreng Toastie | Dutch Smuggler
CBD
The Dutch Smuggler’s Mi Goreng toastie took off quickly, with a cult following carrying the news of this special sandwich far and wide. But this isn’t packet mi goreng you might find in a university dorm—Dutch Smuggler has its own incredible recipe.
"We were fortunate enough to have an awesome Indonesian chef who made epic Mi Goreng and inspired us with her family's secret magic sauce recipe,” co-owner Chewie Stevenson told us.
“We knew it was something special and wanted to put our own Aussie take on it by slamming it into a cheese toastie. We trialled it as a special for a week and were blown away by people's response.”
Thanks to customer demand, the limited edition toastie became the crowning glory of this CBD hotspot.
Curry Toastie | Lankan Filling Station
East Sydney
Although not on the menu every day of the week, the Lankan Filling Station weekend brunch toastie offers a Sri Lankan take on the everyday jaffle. Made with simple white bread, this toastie is “brushed” with curry leaf butter and stuffed with the curry of the week.
Of course, a trip to Lankan Filling Station is not complete without a hopper, but we recommend starting with the $14 toastie and ending with the $8 sweet hopper. Two courses from one of Sydney’s best chefs for the price of a big breakfast? Yes, please!
Mr Crispy | The Stinking Bishops
Newtown
There’s nowhere better in the Inner West for a cheesy meal. For lunch on a Friday or Saturday, you need to head straight for a Mr Crispy—The Stinking Bishops' epic toastie.
There are currently four Mr Crispys on the lunch menu ($11-$13) with a favourite being the Wagyu Smoked Beef (with gruyere, pickles and horseradish mayo). If you’re after a more veg-friendly option, the Mushroom Mr Crispy is your guy or gal.
“All the sandwiches are reminiscent of my past experiences with food,” Stinking Bishops owner, Dean Benigni said. “Whether it’s the school playground mortadella sandwich my grandmother would pack me, the numerous amounts of pastrami sandwiches I had in my time spent in New York, or foraging for mushrooms in central Italy and having an amazing wild mushroom sandwich in the piazza.”
All-Day Jaffles | Loaf
Cronulla
There’s no denying Loaf has some of the best sambos south of the city, including its all-day jaffles. For something simple yet addictive, there’s the Ham Truffler with, you guessed it, ham and truffle mayo (and cheese and tomato).
For those who like something a bit more luxurious, the Risk It For The Brisket jaffle has slow-cooked brisket, sweet onion and three cheese—for only $9.50.
Loaf tends to get pretty busy come lunch, but if you opt for takeaway you can mosey on down to the beach for a meal with a view.
Mufulletta | A1 Canteen
Chippendale
While this might stretch the definition of a toastie, the menu at A1 Canteen describes this beauty as a “pressed sandwich”, which is not totally unlike a toastie, right?!
The Mufulletta is perhaps Sydney’s most Instagrammable sandwich, but trust us, it is as tasty as it is pretty. Stuffed with olives, mortadella, salami, leg ham, roasted capsicum, spinach, artichoke and provolone cheese, the cross-section of this jaw stretcher is a full rainbow of flavour.
The Clayton Wells creation will set you back $19, but it’s stuffed to the brim with high-quality ingredients, so you won’t leave hungry. Pop in for lunch (between 11.30 and 3pm) to get your hands on this one.
Jaffles | Toastettes
Stanmore
This casual Inner West eatery is a top spot to grab a quick brekky or lunch for under $10. Yep, finally, a place slinging the old jaffle for a regular jaffle price ($7-$9.50, to be precise).
While the classics are all on the menu here (cheese and tomato, cheese and ham, etc.) Toastettes deserves a special shout out for having some creative sweet varieties including an apple, raisin & ricotta, choc banana, lamington and raspberry French toast toastie.
While you're here, check out the best places in Sydney for banh mi.
Image credit: Roberto Valdivia, Dutch Smugler, A1 Canteen