The pie game at this haven for bread nerds isn’t an afterthought; it’s a headline act. Using heritage wheat for the pastry lends a golden crust to each pie that’s both flaky and sturdy, capable of holding in a range of ever-changing fillings. One week you might find smoked brisket (from the nearby LP’s team) with sticky gravy, the next aged cheddar spiked with onion; or a pie packed with Sri Lankan chicken curry that feels both indulgent and nourishing. Each pie is sized for lunch but satisfying enough for dinner, especially when followed by a brown sugar bombolini. Multiple locations; apbakery.com.au.

This classic British cold pork pie is part pub snack, part Sydney legend. Firm, perfectly spiced pork is set in a gently sweet, richly savoury jelly and wrapped in rich, golden pastry that cracks just the right amount with every blissful bite. It’s even more perfect when paired with a pint (and perhaps a Scotch egg) and enjoyed in the sandstone charm of one of Sydney’s oldest breweries. There are no frills and no fancy garnishes, just a side of Branston pickle and the singular comfort of traditional British pub fare done properly. 19 Kent St, The Rocks; lordnelsonbrewery.com

Two pies share the stage at this 165-year-old North Shore pub, and both demand your attention. The beef and Guinness option boasts tender chunks of meat braised in rich stout gravy until it’s falling apart, enclosed under a buttery, golden crust that holds everything together but still yields with just a bite. The chicken pie might be lighter and creamier, leeks adding subtle sweetness to the juicy chook, but it’s no less satisfying. Both pies are perfect for a lazy weekday lunch, a casual dinner or a pint companion, and make a compelling argument for this long-standing pub’s enduring popularity. 199 Miller St, North Sydney; ragandfamish.com.au

Sure, some of the magic of this popular road-trip stop just north of Sydney might be the views, but it’s the pies that keep attracting the crowds on weekends. Crisp-edged pastry encases a host of both classic and inventive flavour combos, like pepper steak, Moroccan lamb and the excellent chicken, honey and mustard. Eat your chosen pie on a picnic table overlooking the valley, breathe in the fresh air and watch the swathes of weekend bikers interrupt their rides for a lunchtime refuel. Simple, old-school technique and breathtaking vistas combine to make a roadside pie pilgrimage worthy of its own journey. 1296 Pacific Hwy, Cowan; pieinthesky.com.au

Crafted with obvious patience and love, you can pick the stall selling these popular pies at the weekly Carriageworks Farmers Market from the queue. Shortcrust pastry holds fillings designed with depth: slow-braised wagyu beef and onion, chicken and leek, or rotating specials like the get-in-quick annual Christmas pie, filled with an entire roast turkey spread. Flavours are layered, rich and deep without an over-reliance on gravy to carry them. Also found every second weekend at the Northside Produce Market, each bite showcases careful technique and respect for ingredients, proving that pies can be artisanal and considered and still utterly satisfying. Carriageworks Farmers Market, 245 Wilson St Eveleigh (corner. Codrington St), Eveleigh; broomfields-pies.com

Surfboards parked outside, golden pies inside, this beachside bolthole knows its crowd. Chunky steak is the local hero: hearty, well-seasoned, with enough gravy to comfort but not drip down your wrist and onto your swimmers. There’s bacon and cheese for the hungry, and a brisket, mac and cheese for the curious, held together by a pastry shell that holds its own on the walk to the sand. It’s unpretentious, a little sun-kissed, and built for one-handed eating with the sea breeze as a condiment. For a quick hit of warmth after a salty morning, The Pie Shack never misses its wave. Shop 3/2-6 Cronulla St, Cronulla; instagram.com/thepieshackcronulla

Chilly nights demand a pie, and this pub delivers. Though the pie of the day fillings change often, the beef and Guinness special is a must-order when it appears on the blackboard, combining tender meat, robust stout-infused sauce and a pastry top that cracks perfectly. It’s a meal that walks the line between comforting pub classic and polished bistro fare, perfect with a pint of ale or a glass of wine. The execution is consistent, satisfying and warmly familiar: proof that even a pub pie – particularly one in a pub as historic and beautiful as this – can be a masterpiece. 236 Jersey Rd, Woollahra; lorddudley.com.au

Pies don’t often make it to the world of fine dining, but this seafood number is more than worthy of a white tablecloth. Sweet spanner crab and flaky fish combine in a creamy filling, topped with a shellfish bisque. The pastry gleams, shattering with the first dive of the spoon, releasing a scent of the sea and warm butter. It’s elegant without feeling stuffy; a dish that makes you wonder why more fine-diners don’t flirt with this nostalgic comfort food. Pair it with a crisp white and you’ve got a pie that nods towards the coast while keeping its collar firmly starched. 11 Barrack St, Sydney; bentleyrestaurantgroup.com.au/elevenbarrack

This isn’t your typical corner-shop pie; it’s a towering, flaky monument to what happens when deft pastry chefs turn their attention to savoury treats. Beef gets the slow-cooked treatment before being generously heaped into a deep, crisp pastry case that crunches like autumn leaves, while the Thai chicken curry pie is the sort of thing you should plan a whole day around. The crust-to-filling ratio is perfectly precise, ensuring that every single bite is satisfying, and that the pastry won’t turn into a soggy mess on the trip home… although it’s unlikely it’ll survive that long without being eaten. Parramatta Square, 404/12 Darcy St, Parramatta; threefoldpastry.com

Who says pies need meat to hit the spot? Funky Pies’ vegan and vegetarian creations – from a lentil-filled bolognese number to the cheekily named ‘Eezy Chic’n Cheezy’ with its creamy, broccoli-flecked sauce and the ‘No Wurry Curry’ pie with organic chickpeas and lentils – prove it’s possible to create umami-packed comfort food while staying totally plant-based. They even do onion- and garlic-free options for those who don’t align with alliums. Add gluten-free choices, a sunny courtyard for that post-swim snack, and the mission-driven heart behind the brand, and you’ve got a pie shop that’s as iconically Bondi as the beach. 2/144-148 Glenayr Ave, Bondi Beach; funkypies.com.au

You almost need to be a PI to track down Sydney’s most-wanted pie, if it’s not already sold out. You can only order Blood’s Bakery’s iconic chashu pork belly and ramen egg pie via Instagram. Pay a deposit, then wait outside an apartment complex in Ultimo, where chef Alex Lynn hand-delivers the goods. Just don’t let anyone know you have it or you’ll be forced to share. There’s no discreet way to eat this masterpiece. A gelatinous filling of ginger and soy-braised pork is wrapped in a thousand layers of golden pastry, with a nori sheet and just-set onsen egg on top. instagram.com/bloodsbakery

This pale pink shop-front on Crown Street, Surry Hills, is the designer boutique of pie shops. It’s about quality, not quantity, so there are fewer than a dozen daily pastries that sit in pride of place on a marble plinth in a display case on the counter. Come for the sweets, such as a cardamom and ginger scented bun, but stay for the star of the show: the Lode pithivier. This intricate disc of traditional French pastry comes stuffed with a pork and shiitake mushroom ragu. And given this shop is brought to you by two Lumi chefs, the littlest details count, such as the rich chicken jus and cream sauce that accompanies your pie. Prefer a more British interpretation? The wagyu and mushroom is a classic pie with upper crust swagger and house made spicy ketchup on the side. 487 Crown St, Surry Hills; lodepies.com.

The siren song of Nadine Ingram’s Woolloomooloo bakery is as strong as the day it opened, for who can resist a lamington soaked in pannacotta, or rustic cakes by the slice like a gravity-defying black forest cake iced in crème fraiche and berry compote. But look past the sugar to the pie oven and you will be rewarded with a golden parcel of chicken and ribbons of soft leek, fragrant with the gentle anise from tarragon. Or if you like your pies as free rambling as your holiday destinations, why not opt for the fall-apart tender beef cooked down into a feisty rendang curry sauce. Smart players know that a tiny jar of the house-made tomato relish is the right way to go no matter which choice you make. 53 Riley St, Woolloomooloo; flourandstone.com.au.

It may have moved just a little way down onto King Street, but this little Newtown pastry shop has come a very long way, growing to include several outposts. Now their signature watermelon cake is globally famous and you can buy merch alongside your coffee and quiche. But the Japanese curry chicken pie is still one of Sydney’s most interesting and delicious hot pockets and a very fun riff on Japan’s kare pan (curry bread). On the lid are six whorls of pasty surrounding a panko crumb valley – underneath is a chicken, carrot and potato filling luxuriating in a mildly spiced curry sauce. But this is a pie where the condiments are king – specifically a generous side of Kewpie mayo to add richness, and scarlet pickles to cut it back down to size. 1/325 King Street, Newtown; Shop 26, Ground Floor, The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney; 113 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery; blackstarpastry.com.

The free-standing shop front on Pittwater Road in Collaroy has been serving travellers up and down the Sydney coast since 1948, but sometime in the 1970s it switched from a tea house to a pie shop, and it has stayed the course for half a century and counting. They crank out thousands of pies a week here, and their efforts have not gone unacknowledged – there are more than 30 awards plastering the walls inside. They have 28 varieties in the oven, and while a chunky steak never goes out of style, they have won firm fans with a spicy Mexican beef with jalapenos and sour cream; a butter chicken; and a chicken, avocado and brie. 1003 Pittwater Rd, Collaroy; facebook.com/uppercrustpies.