Brunch doesn’t have to be boring. Forego eggs benny in favour of a fun morning in the mirror-ball booth ofTucano’sin Surry Hills,where the disco tunes are pumping,and the rose spritzes are free-flowing every weekend. If your mother prefers all-you-can-eat to all-you-can-drink,nearbyHenrietta has a 90-minute feast of charcoal chicken and sides,and in Penrith you’ll find an all-you-can-eat barbecue with a complimentary drink at Brisket Boys. Want quirky? Jump in the car and head toIris Lodge farm,about an hour north of Sydney,for brunch among 100 alpacas.
1/4Cheesecake Mother’s Day cookie at Happy Alley,Rockdale.Supplied 2/4Raspberry maritozzi for Mother’s Day at Da Orazio Pasticceria.Supplied 3/4Heart shaped traditional ma’amoul for Mother’s Day,at Smeed.Supplied 4/4Mother’s Day croissant cake from Tuga.Supplied Share a sweet treat
Bakeries across Sydney are offering limited edition treats for Mother’s Day,from maritozzi (Italian brioche bun) filled with raspberry cream atDa Orazio Pasticceria in Alexandria and Bondi,to the ruby cheesecake-filled cookies atHappy Alley in Rockdale. Pre-order home-baked heart-shaped ma’amoul (date-filled Lebanese cookies) from Tayta (grandmother) Amal at online bakerySmëëd Al Maamoul, or take it to the next level with the two-tier croissant cake atTugaPastries,piped with yuzu cream and Valrhona raspberry namelaka (chocolate cream).
- Da Orazio Pasticceria
From $10 for one maritozzi
200 Euston Road,Alexandria and The Hub,75/79 Hall Street,Bondi Beach,daoraziopasticceria.store - Happy Alley
From $6.50 for one cookie
13 Bay Street,Rockdale,happyalley.com.au - Smëëd Al Maamoul
From $32 for three cookies
smeed.com.au - Tuga Pastries
$75 for the Mother’s Day croissant cake
Shop 6/231 Clovelly Rd,Clovelly and 10/112 McEvoy Street,Alexandria,tugapastries.com.au
1/4Cavalier 1.0 Mini Market for Mother’s Day.Supplied 2/4Chicken wing skewers at Chinatown Night Markets.Supplied 3/4Barangaroo Artisan Market.Supplied 4/4Puthiphong Veerasenee (Veen) is the self-taught baker behind market stall The Baking Lists.Supplied To market,to market
Forgot to buy a gift? No worries,you can head to a market for your Mother’s Day outing. On Saturday,there’s theMother’s Day Ceramic Marketin Annandale where you can check out ceramic tableware while snacking on pandan swiss rolls fromThe Baking Lists;or the annualBarangaroo Artisan Market,which features more than 60 stallholders including foodie favourites Vannella Cheese and Mama Liu’s chilli oil. A cute mini market is being held at St Leonards cafeCavalier 1.0 on Sunday,where you can smash one of their dumpling jaffle sandwiches while mum picks out some flowers and pastries. And every Thursday to Sunday there’sBurwood Chinatown Night Markets,where you can try everything from taiyaki (custard-filled puffs shaped like fish) to tripe soup.
- Cavalier 1.0 Mini Market
7am-2pm,Sunday,May 12
Shop 1/34 Oxley St,St Leonards,cavalierspecialtycoffee.com.au - Mother’s Day Ceramic Market
9am-1pm,Saturday,May 11
Market Studio,131 Booth Street,Annandale,airrmade.com - Barangaroo Artisan Market
10am-3pm,Saturday,May 11
Barangaroo Avenue,Barangaroo,barangaroo.com - Burwood Chinatown Night Markets
5pm-late,every Thursday to Sunday
127/133 Burwood Road,Burwood,burwoodchinatown.com.au
1/4Edible bouquets by The Baked Bouquet in Sydney.Supplied 2/4Floral croissant filled with yuzu mascarpone cream and dipped in raspberry chocolate for Mother’s Day at Madame and Yves,Clovelly.Supplied 3/4A native food bouquet by Bush to Bowl in Sydney.Supplied 4/4Croissant bouquet from Astin Min Fine Foods,Long Reef.Supplied Bring an (edible) bouquet
Set aside your preconceptions about edible arrangements - they’ve evolved beyond the cringey bouquets of cut fruit made popular in the early ’00s. Online Sydney baker Macey Nemer,founder and head baker atThe Baked Bouquet,creates stunning bouquets of cupcakes with frosting mimicking real flowers. They’re so popular they’ve been ordered by celebrities such as Jason Derulo and Rita Ora. For something a little more low-key,order a bouquet of flowers interspersed with freshly baked croissants atAstin Min Fine Foods (Long Reef) or a floral croissant filled with yuzu mascarpone cream and dipped in raspberry chocolate fromMadame and Yves (Clovelly). The culinary-minded mum may prefer a bouquet fromBush to Bowl in Terrey Hills,made with edible natives like lemon tea tree leaves and cinnamon myrtle.
- Floral croissant at Madame and Yves
$10
343-345 Clovelly Road,Clovelly,madameandyves.com.au - Croissant bouquet from Astin Min Fine Foods
$70
998 Pittwater Road,Long Reef,astinmin.com.au
- Edible bouquet of natives at Bush to Bowl
From $60
40 Myoora Road,enter via Mona Vale Road,Terrey Hills,bushtobowl.com - Edible bouquet of cupcakes at The Baked Bouquet
From $165 on Mother’s Day
Available Sydney-wide,thebakedbouquet.com.au
1/3Chai is brewed to order in simmering pots of tea and milk at Ambi’s.Brook Mitchell 2/3Ms.Cattea offers a variety of ways to taste tea.Supplied 3/3Matcha is on the menu at Cre Asion in North Sydney (not pictured).James Brickwood Tea time with a twist
High tea is a popular Mother’s Day activity,but there’s a lot more out there for tea-loving mums. Potts Point’sMs Cattea Tea Bar offers tea tasting,tea ceremonies and Chinese high tea experiences,and on Mother’s Day they’ve planned a special 90-minute tasting for green tea connoisseurs. On Saturday,Tea Angle in Marrickville is hosting two guided 90-minute tea tastings. Matcha fans should head toCre Asion cafe in North Sydney to try matcha tarts,cookies and cakes with a warming cup of ceremonial-grade matcha. One of the best places for chai isAmbi’s Chai in Pennant Hills,where over a dozen Afro-Punjabi teas are available to try.
- Ambi’s Chai
Cups of chai from $6.50
Shop 5/366 Pennant Hills Road,Pennant Hills,ambischai.com.au - Cre Asion
Cups of matcha from $6
18 Eden St,North Sydney,creasion.com.au - Tea Angle
90-minute guided tea tasting for $69 per person
88 Addison Road,Marrickville,teaangle.com - Ms Cattea
Green tea connoisseur tasting for $88 per person
17/1-21 Darlinghurst Road,Potts Point,mscattea.com.au
1/3Mother’s Day at The Old Fitz, 2/3Mother’s Day at Harbord Hotel Freshwater.Supplied 3/3Mother’s Day lunch at The Erko.Supplied A pub feed for under $50
Head to the pub for a relaxed lunch with the family,without the exorbitant price tag. Mum will score a complimentary peach bellini on arrival atThe Erko (Erskineville),before taking on the $49 set menu of kingfish tartare,house flatbread and seared barramundi and more from former Chiswick chef Ethan Robinson. A hearty roast lunch is on offer at Woolloomooloo pubThe Old Fitz, where mum’s choice of crackling pork belly,chicken Maryland or Japanese squash with roast vegetables and a Yorkshire pudding starts at $28 (with a complimentary glass of champers). On the Northern Beaches,Freshwater’sHarbord Hotel is hosting a Mother’s Day brunch with a complimentary mimosa and shared brekkie menu for $49.