Why go
Bread that counts as a signature, not a sideline
Spelt loaves, baguettes, tartine country loaves and Jerusalem bagels give A.P House a bread list serious enough to stand on its own, which is unusual for a rooftop. The pastry case runs alongside it rather than over it: buckwheat pain au chocolat, plain buttermilk croissants, roasted buckwheat and dark-chocolate croissants, fresh coconut and mango danishes, and smoked brisket pies.
The bakery sits on top of Paramount House in Surry Hills and opened in February 2022 as the rooftop member of the A.P Bakery group, which also runs A.P. Town, A.P. Carriageworks, A.P. Place, A.P. Supply, A.P. Bread & Wine, A.P. Quay and A.P. Point. Baker Dougal Muffet, who came through Ester and Moonacres Kitchen at Robertson, shaped the bake.
A rooftop that works as a daytime room
Forty seats and a view across the city give the counter somewhere to send people, and potted greenery keeps the rooftop feeling planted rather than paved. It is built as an all-weather space, so the bakery works through the seasons rather than only on clear mornings, and the mix of ready-to-go bread and pastry means a visit can last two minutes or an hour.
Because the bakery sits on a hotel, it also carries a second life: its food reaches guests through an in-room menu as well as across the rooftop tables. The result is a bakery serving the Paramount precinct's hospitality cluster and the surrounding Surry Hills streets at the same time, without turning into a restaurant.
Start with buckwheat, then go savoury
Begin on the buckwheat side, because it turns up in more than one signature. The buckwheat pain au chocolat is the clearest of them, and the roasted buckwheat and dark-chocolate croissant gives a second, grainier reading of the same pairing. The plain buttermilk croissant is the control sample beside them, and the fresh coconut and mango danish is the fruit order.
Then move to the savoury column. The smoked brisket pie is the obvious pastry choice, but the daytime menu stretches well past it: an egg sando with crispy bacon, curry leaf butter and hot sauce, fermented potato bread, a kale salad and an A.P. cheeseburger. Take bread away at the same time, since the loaves are the part of the operation a rooftop is least likely to sell you on by sight.
Frequently asked questions
What should I order at A.P House?
Start with the buckwheat pain au chocolat, then compare it against the roasted buckwheat and dark-chocolate croissant and a plain buttermilk croissant. The fresh coconut and mango danish covers the fruit side. For something savoury, the smoked brisket pie is the pastry answer and the egg sando the fuller one.
Is the bread at A.P House worth taking home?
Yes. Bread is treated as a signature rather than a sideline here, with spelt loaves singled out alongside baguettes, tartine country loaves and Jerusalem bagels. The loaves are easy to miss behind a pastry case on a rooftop, so it is worth asking what came out of the oven that morning before ordering.
Compare nearby places
| Venue | Type | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Paramount Coffee Project | Café | Surry Hills |
| Single O | Café | Surry Hills |
| A.P Bread & Wine (A.P Bakery) | Bakery | Darlinghurst |
| Beta Coffee | Café | Surry Hills |
| Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters | Café | Chippendale |
