04 Jun 2025

8 of the most delicious desserts at restaurants in Darling Harbour

Eating desserts is one of the best things to do in Sydney - or anywhere for that matter. Satisfy your sweet tooth with the 8 best desserts in Darling Harbour.
8 of the most delicious desserts at restaurants in Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour’s restaurants are the home of decadent desserts in Sydney.

Within a couple  minutes’ walk, you’ll find the best gelato you’ve ever tasted, Hungarian chimney cakes covered in cinnamon sugar, stacks of pancakes piled with glorious toppings and more chocolate than you could ever eat - but you’ll be tempted to try. 

Forget about pub crawls, this is a dessert crawl. Get your stretchy pants on and discover the 8 most delicious desserts in Darling Harbour.

1. Literally anything from Gelato Messina
We have our suspicions that the people behind Gelato Messina are wizards because somehow everything they touch turns into deliciousness. They make everything that goes into their gelato from scratch and even farm several of their raw ingredients, including milk, strawberries and hazlenuts. The result is the creamiest, dreamiest, richest gelato that you’ll ever taste.
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2. Matcha pancakes from Auvers
For a truly unique sweet treat in Darling Harbour, head to Auvers, a French-inspired cafe in Darling Square that infuses art into every aspect of its dining experience. Their Matcha Pancakes are top-notch, offering a delightful balance of earthy matcha flavour with a hint of sweetness.
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3. Donuts at Shortstop
Shortstop are not messing around when it comes to donuts. They make them fresh on-site every day and spend countless hours researching and experimenting with flavours to perfect every mouthful. Those hours were well worth it because these donuts are mind blowing, with flavours like earl grey and rose, maple walnut and brown butter. Or perhaps you'd like matcha cheesecake and a triple chocolate filled?
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4. Pancakes at Harajuku
Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium doesn’t sound like a place that’d serve the best pancakes in Sydney, but don’t be fooled. This quirky bar and eatery have created a plate of giant Japanese souffle pancakes that have to be tasted to be believed. They’re somehow light, fluffy and decadent at the same time, featuring a choice of three delicious toppings - cream cheese & brown sugar pearls, creme brulee or matcha & azuki.
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5. Pancakes on The Rocks

Pancakes are the perfect excuse to eat dessert for breakfast and the best place to get them in Sydney has to be Pancakes on The Rocks. Their menu features dozens of fluffy, decadent stacks covered in fillings but our favourite by far is the chocolate and peanut butter pancake. It features a homemade smooth peanut butter filling sandwiched between rich chocolate pancakes, topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with peanut butter and - you guessed it - chocolate sauce.

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6. Red velvet Royale at Gelatissimo

Gelatissimo is Australia’s most popular gelato brand, and with good reason. Every scoop they serve is made fresh in-store every day using natural ingredients free from artificial flavours and colours. Their most delicious flavour is the red velvet royale, a rich cream cheese gelato folded through with decadent chunks of red velvet cake.

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7. Ice cream from SMiZE & DREAM

Darling Harbour is home to the world’s first SMiZE & DREAM flagship - a one-of-a-kind, theatrical ice cream adventure. Founded by none other than Tyra Banks, every decadent scoop here comes with a hidden "yummy treat" called the SMiZE SURPRiZE tucked away in each cup and cone. It's truly a one-of-a-kind experience for anyone craving an imaginative and delightful ice cream fix.

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8. Strawberry Lychee Celebration Cake from KOI Dessert Bar

Nothing looks like a celebration more than the colourful creations including this Strawberry Lychee Cake, with lychee jelly encased in a light and sweet strawberry mousse which can now be found at the KOI Dessert Bar Pop-Up in Maker's Dozen.

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For more tasty desserts from world class French pastries to heavenly crepes, check out The Rocks.