Pasticceria Papa

Pasticceria Papa is home to the famous baked ricotta cheesecake. Yes, that one. Women (and men) all over Sydney have swooned over its light and fluffy ricotta filling hidden beneath a blanket of icing sugar and cinnamon. But there’s more to this bakery than pastries, even if the shiny chocolate eclairs, ricotta cannoli and sugar-crusted custard donuts are hard to resist. Down the back of the shop is the savoury section, a glass display cabinet filled with a rotating selection of hot baked goods fresh from the oven. You’ll have the join the main queue, but the shuffle past the sweets display isn’t a bad way to keep you occupied, and the army of staff in bright red uniforms keeps the line moving quickly. The pizzas ($5 per slice) are the traditional kind, thin bases strewn with shavings of prosciutto and rocket, or paper-thin slices of potato. You’ll also find arancini rice balls, stuffed with mushroom or spinach and ricotta ($4.50) and coated in a golden layer of breadcrumbs. Panino bread rolls ($7.50) are packed solid with chicken schnitzel, pickled vegetables, baby mozzarella and sweet strips of roasted red capsicum. The café can be a madhouse of kids and families, especially on weekends, but when dessert involves ricotta cheesecake, who cares?