Bagels Sydney; Brooklyn Boy Bagels Sydney; best bagels Sydney

Brooklyn Boy Bagels unveils its new cafe and bagel bar in Surry Hills on Thursday, May 18.

There’s more than bricks and mortar to get excited about, as BBB has also collaborated with chefs to pimp up its bagels.

“We’ll start with a French dip bagel from Leonard Grunbaum at Lenny Briskets,” says BBB owner Michael Shafran.

“Rare roast beef, dipped in broth with horseradish cream and fried eschallots.”

Each month, Shafran will bring in a different chef to create a signature special.

If you get excited by your bagel schmears, over coming months Bar Copains’ Morgan McGlone, Soul Dining’s Daero Lee and Adam Wolfers (ex Gerard’s Bistro) and Michael Rantissi (Kepos Street Kitchen) will all turn their hands to bagel creations.

The snug new site at 74 Reservoir Street has just eight indoor seats (another 12 outside) and is designed by Varvara Sellies from Sisu Interiors. There’s a red neon sign and some of fanciest tiling you’ll see in a cafe and bagel bar. It’s in a food-lovers’ part of Surry Hills, with Single Origin on the strip and Firedoor around the corner.

Brooklyn Boy Bagels, which are available at Harris Farm, chalked up 10 years in 2023. Widely considered among the best bagels in Sydney, the New York-raised Shafran says that mainly comes down to the corners many bakers cut.

“The fermentation, not boiling, using cheaper products,” Shafran says while pointing out a new flour he’s switched to despite being more expensive.

Because Sydneysiders do not live on bagels alone, he’s also putting a rotating soup line-up on the menu. “Matzo ball soup will definitely be one of them,” he says.

The coffee comes from Barrel One Coffee Roasters, and he’s tossing around a few novel beverage ideas.

“My team mentioned a Boston cream coffee to channel a Boston cream pie [but I’m] still working on that one,” he says.

“I’m all for it, but coming from New York, I’d have to put an asterisk with ‘F— Boston’ on the menu, in honour of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.”

Open Mon-Fri 7am-3pm; Sat 8am-3pm.

Shop 1/74-80 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills.