Sonoma makes the BEST sourdough! This café bakery in Bondi always has a steady crowd of coffee drinkers queued up for takeaways. But their bread products are the standout. I had a chicken, walnut and rocket sourdough sandwich. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside with every bite — such a delightful experience. I will be back!
Brooke S.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
My husband and I were looking for an easy breakfast when we stumbled upon this tiny café in the corner of a building. The simple, sleek atmosphere was cool and the food backed it up — my banana bread was so fresh and delicious! Nice to sit in their little courtyard area too. Great, easy, simple breakfast — right up my alley!
Marie G.
Place rating: 4 Randwick, Australia
Their coffee is lovely, their food is lovely and the staff are lovely! This bakery is known for their bread! I tried a linseed, chia, honey bread which was really nice(and sounds healthy!) there are tables and chairs to sit on or you can order takeaway and go! Lots of nice little treats to choose from such as cakes, pastries, different sorts of sandwiches and museli’s!
Laura N.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, CA
As a full-fledged carbosaurus, I do love me some bready bread bread. Especially when it’s hugging some smoked ham, avocado, spinach and tomato, bound by the holy union of lemon aioli. Or cheese. Whatever. If bread’s there, I’m there. For those out there like me, Sonoma Bakery is a perfectly delightful shady spot to get your carb fix, whether it be from homemade muesli, croissants or «toast with the most» as they tout. I’ve never done much more than grab a coffee and sando on the go, but there are a handful of tables and newspapers if you’d like to make a morning out of it. More importantly, I dare you to walk past their beautiful bread-y display and not have a mouthful of drool when you’re done. Go on, grab a PB’n’J. Thank me later.(Or share.)
John C.
Place rating: 4 Sydney, Australia
Sonoma is more than your typical bakery(and café), they make their own muesli, I love muesli and their hand roasted recipes excite me. They have Honey and Spice and Spelt Maple and Almond — which I think is my favourite, it features vanilla. Their breads are also fantastic, big oversized loaves with chunky, caramelized extra crusty crusts, the Sonoma Miche, which is a dark break and their Sourdough is particularly good. And I have not even mentioned their pastries, they have one called Pain Au Chocolate and it is a lie, believe me there is absolutely no pain involved. There is bread and bread and bakeries and bakeries and Sonoma is a BAKERY! Indulge, spoil yourself, stuff yourself.
Adam w.
Place rating: 3 Sydney, Australia
This popular brand of bread now has a bakery and café on the street just behind Campbell Parade at Bondi Beach. The café draws in a mixed crowd, from stylish wannabees, middle aged casually dressed businessmen through to new mums with their strollers, families and the typical glammed up Bondi crowd. The store has the usual loaves of bread it’s famous for and are cleverly displayed in the front window as you pass by as well as lining the back wall as you enter. It’s the first thing you see when you notice the store and it’s what draws you in. The café has both a breakfast and lunch menu here that’s centred around what they do best here, bread. You can find breakfast categories such as toast with the most, which is toast with different spreads and topping varieties like avocado, ricotta and jams, along with Panini sandwiches, pressed grills, tartines and Sonoma muesli. For lunch, they also do a very large range of interesting gourmet sandwiches, like the Italian Pork and Veal Meatball sandwich, with Sonoma Tomato sauce and Provolone cheese or healthier options like the Cannellini Bean Salad sandwich, with smoked tomato and Fennel. Other lunch time options also include a selection of quiches, specials and sweet pastries. If you’ve never tried Sonoma breads, luckily they also do half loaves here, so you can also grab one to try out and enjoy at home too.
Chandni S.
Place rating: 4 Sydney, Australia
Sourdough is my least favourite bread, but Sonoma has become my new favourite bakery. I love everything else they offer. Paninis, grilled cheese, sandwiches and pastries. The list of goody things is endless. Located on a back street at Bondi, you would’t even know there is an awesome bakery while you’re at the beach. But now that you do know, head over to Gould Street and hunt for it. The place is buzzing with people. The seating is limited so get there early. Don’t just buy their breads and walk out, sit down for their scrumptious brunch and you won’t be disappointed. Their coffee is pretty good too.
Julie L.
Place rating: 4 Sydney, Australia
I’m a dedicated carb-head. Nothing smells as delicious as when you walk past a Chinese restaurant and get that whiff of white rice steaming. As a kid all I would eat was plain pasta with butter, salt and cheese, so don’t even start me on bread! I keep walking past Sonoma and perving on the amazing sourdoughs in the window. The bakery isn’t on-site so there is no bakery smell, this is purely visual food porn. When I discovered that they serve baked beans I could resist no longer and decided to have some Sonoma baked beans and sourdough for breakfast, drooling at the thought… and they’d run out! Doh. They sell them til they run out at around 10 or 11am so next time I’ll go earlier. Meanwhile I did munch into a toasted sandwich with eggplant & mozarrella, and verily, it was the greatest toasted sandwich I’ve ever eaten. I didn’t even put cracked pepper on it, that’s how good it was! The coffee was great, it’s in the back lane of Gould St so no beach view but a beach view would just take your concentration away from your tastebuds anyway so that’s probably a good thing. 100% yum.
Lauren B.
Place rating: 4 Sydney, Australia
Come for the bread, stay for EVERYTHINGELSE. Operating from a teeny space among the boutiques of Bondi, Sonoma is all about quality. With busy outlets feeding locals in Alexandria, Paddington, Glebe and Waterloo, the Bondi addition was always going to be a winner. Enter via Gould Street but expect a fair walk from your car park if you’re driving. With a great range of sourdough loaves on offer(made from organic flour), the toughest part will be choosing which one to take home. The walnut & raisin boule and soy & linseed batard are equally delicious options. Pop in early to beat the queues for brekkie and be rewarded with an outdoor table in the sun. The coffee’s fantastic and quick, and food options range from Turkish eggs with fetta, oil and mint on toast(looks as great as it tastes) to a more conservative but still tasty bowl of muesli. There’s a bunch of sandwiches on offer for lunch — perfect to pop in a bag and take down to Bondi Beach, which is just a couple of minutes away.
Caroline S.
Place rating: 4 Sydney, Australia
Having recently opened its doors in one of the quieter parts of Bondi Beach, Sonoma Bakery has already become a hot spot for locals. Us Bondi peeps have a way of sniffing out quality, no matter where it’s located. My nose has directed me here and yet again my senses have not disappointed me Even from the outset you can see this little bakery has charisma. There are always people inside and the baked goods on display usually make people linger, contemplate going in and then finally step inside. Only to emerge minutes later with a full paper bag and a huge smile on their face. Their bread loafs are fresh and don’t skimp out on any of the good stuff. You can taste the quality, and a lot of the time I love the bread so much I can’t even put anything on it. Just enjoy it’s rich flavors plain. The Kalamata olive bread is a must try, it’s a tad salty and great when topped with ingredients that aren’t too tasty and strong, as not to take away from the bread. Some tomatoes, basil and a touch of olive oil is my favorite way to eat it. You can try their in-made sandwiches for other serving suggestions. It’s a fantastic place to have a yummy, healthy lunch. Their coffee and tea compliments the meals well. Whether you’re looking for some take-home goodies or a nice lunch, Sanoma Bakery is a place worth noting. Us locals don’t get it wrong often.