Ask a millennial where they go for a decent sandwich and the consensus right now is Sandoitchi, the vibrant Darlinghurst cafe doing impossibly springy, thick-cut white bread and all manner of Japanese-leaning fillings. There’s a slab of wagyu katsu with bone marrow in one sandwich, a slap of sweet and sour miso sauce, cabbage and black pepper making this one palm-sized umami hit. The likes of spicy eggplant, Japanese tartare, yuzu mayo grace this inventive menu. The egg “sando” has dashi and kombu butter, with bouncy bread that completes the perfect soft bite. The fit-out here is on point – a little rustic, a little Tokyo – and a switched on team gives top-notch service every day. Shop 3/113-115 Oxford St, Darlinghurst; sandoitchi.com.au.

Sammy Jakubiak, winner of TV’s My Kitchen Rules with her sister Bella in 2011, is behind this beautiful delicatessen in an old butcher’s shop. A top-selling sandwich here is the “Brisket Sammy”, get it? A milk bun is stuffed with LP’s brisket pastrami, a jammy egg and melted cheese. Be still my (still) beating heart. Frank’s has consistently pulled in the crowds since its 2021 opening, and blends classic NYC deli vibes with the owner’s Polish heritage; even down to the in-house pickled everything. Frank’s is dedicated to the craft of sandwiching, doing what it does impeccably.279 Bronte Road, Waverley; franks-delicatessen.square.site.

When it comes to schmears and chopped liver, pickles, lox and bagels, nobody does it quite as well as Lox In A Box. There are outposts in Bondi, Coogee and Manly, each doing the soft, chewy, pillowy bagels for which Lox In A Box is famous. It’s hard to go past the LP’s beef brisket pastrami, served warm with sauerkraut, pickles, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing. Or house-cured and spiced salmon lox from Mount Cook New Zealand joins herby schmear, red onion, capers, the lot. Open your box to much delight at the spectacle within – the bagel cut in half to reveal its rainbow of colours and texture, a side of ruffle-cut crisp-style chips and pickles. Shop 2/96 Glenayr Ave, North Bond; 15/17 Havelock Avenue, Coogee; Shop C, The Corso, Manly; loxinabox.com.au.

Fill up at this delightful roadside kiosk attached to a local smash repairer. The blue-and-white-striped canteen is famous for its generous Greek-style sandwiches loaded with premium ingredients and made fresh to order. Our pick is The Conbab, made from flatbread rolled with kafta, fresh herbs and a parsley garlic toum. A poached chicken sarnie is all freshness and crunch. Do your fluids need a top-up? There’s espresso coffee and watermelon juice. The concrete courtyard has been decked out in colourful tables and chairs so you’ve got somewhere to sit while you wait for your sandwich and/or car service. 412 West Botany St, Rockdale; locations also in Rosebery, Circular Quay and Elizabeth St kostastakeaway.com.

The word “sloppy” might have negative connotations, but Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches carries the label with pride. Inspired by the Italian-American diners popular across the US and old-school Australian milk bars, Harvey’s offers big, hot and tasty sangas made to order. A $20 note will get you change for your Philly cheesesteak, Nashville hot chicken roll, beef dip sandwich with dipping sauce or the signature hot pastrami and beef brisket sandwiches. Both are available in “simple” or sauced up “sloppy” variations and come on crusty, soft bread. Stay on theme with a cookie sandwich, topped with warm Nutella from a fountain. Shop 4. 5/12 Darcy St, Parramatta; harveyshotsandwiches.com.

This pint-sized sandwich bar proves the old adage that good things come in small packages. The Euro-style deli may be small, but its sandwiches are anything but. Start the day right with a Comrade Ovo, which is on the breakfast and lunch menu; smooshed egg, dill and cornichon remoulade, pickled radish, rocket and nigella seeds on a panini. The lunchtime list changes regularly, with an array of ever-popular schnitty and charcuterie options. But Small’s hasn’t forgotten our vego friends, the Al Green may cater to vegans with its filling of avocado, kale, Granny Smith apple, iceberg lettuce, alfalfa, pepita and vegan mayonnaise, but it’s so good that even a carnivore would be satisfied. 166 Victoria St, Potts Point; smallsdeli.com.au

You can get a mortadella sandwich anywhere, but for kangaroo mortadella you need to hop to Good Ways deli. LPs supplies the kanga mortadella, plus salami cotto and smoked ham that are matched with provolone, pickles, white onion, iceberg and sandwich sauce and housed between the daily-baked ciabatta. Or go for something a little lighter, the Caesar salad sanga is a mouthful of butter-toasted ciabatta, poached chicken, garlic aioli, crisp bacon bits, shaved Parmesan and cos. The sliced boiled egg and Olasagasti anchovies are optional, but we consider them mandatory. 20 Cooper St, Redfern and 81 Buckland St, Alexandria; goodwaysdeli.com.au

Fans of New York’s Katz Deli, (who isn’t?), will want to make a beeline for MLK Deli and try the Risky Brisket. A rye ciabatta from Organic Bread Bar contains a generous filling of brisket pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and MLK house sauce. Can it get better? Yes it can. It comes with salt and vinegar chips and pickles. Everything is Halal and the menu speaks to owner Myra Karakelle’s Middle Eastern heritage of Uzbek and Afghan, such as the MJ Chicken sandwich which uses chicken thighs for extra juiciness or the Afghan-style lamb meatballs on the Big Boy. 168 Campbell St, Surry Hills; @mlk.deli

The motto here could be bigger is better, from the queues to the sandwiches themselves which are a two-hander affair. The original Darlinghurst venue has spawned two more locations and the value is impressive, with most under $20. The Justin, chilli chicken, lettuce, rocket, caramelised carrots, hummus and pesto, is just $14.50. No, that’s not a typo. Feeling flush? The most expensive item is the Banter, a towering feat of engineering with chicken schnitzel, extra chicken, double caramelised carrots, double mayo, red pesto, avocado, tasty cheese, lettuce, rocket and herbed mayo for $26. Locations in Darlinghurst, Millers Point and Alexandria; southdowling.com.au

When it comes to creating the perfect sandwich, the team at Revesby’s San San believes it’s all down to five key elements; sweetness, creaminess, saltiness, sourness and crunch. Each menu item has been created so you get a bit of it all in each bite. That means you’ll find potato crisps on the mortadella sandwich, along with fig jam, ricotta, hot honey and rocket while the pastrami is livened up with onion jam as well as pickles, mayo and crunchy cabbage. 4/19-29 Marco Ave, Revesby; sansan.au