Black Cockatoo Bakery

There seems to be a long-standing myth surrounding bakeries in far-flung destinations. Tales of “famous country pies” and artisanal loaves often leave customers disappointed when the real thing falls short of its rave reviews.

But the sourdough baguettes at Lawson’s Black Cockatoo Bakery deserve every piece of praise they’ve gotten. And its bread and croissants are brilliant, too, thanks to owner-operator Alex Rivière – a former fine-dining chef whose last posting was at Mt Tomah, before working as a chef at Sean's Panaroma.

Unlike commercial bakeries, Rivière doesn’t rely on baker’s yeast. He uses a natural ferment with organic flour, which is made from a heritage grain sourced from industry legends Wholegrain Milling. The result has an impressive depth of flavour and a beautifully crunchy crust.

The small bakery offers just a few seats, a counter, an open kitchen and serves the day’s bread, croissants, focaccia and filter coffee (on Saturdays and Sundays).