Stylish yet offbeat, Fortitude Valley is Brisbane’s rock’n’roll epicentre and home to an eclectic mix of craft beer bars, boutique fashion retailers and laneway café culture. It’s a hotbed of activity after dark. Nonetheless, it’s in the early hours of the morning some of the city’s best bakers and pastry chefs get cracking. From sourdough to sfogliatelle, doughnuts to danishes; The Valley’s got it all.

Agnes Bakery

Image source: Agnes Bakery

Agnes Bakery has become a popular weekend destination on James Street in Fortitude Valley. A short walk up from the central James Street shopping and retail, Agnes offers a number of sweet and savoury baked goods. You can find pastries, doughnuts, cakes Ciabatta, sandwiches and a plethora of sourdough bread types to choose from.

Agnes Bakery is part of the Anyday retail and dining group which encompasses Agnes restaurant, sAme sAme, hôntô, Biànca and LOS. The bakery is nestled in a heritage listed cottage with an interior inspired by architects Richard and Spence.

Editors pick from the menu: Basque burnt cheesecake   

Brooki Bakehouse

Image Source: Brooki Bakehouse

Brooki was the viral online sensation who became the come-to-you bakery in the Fortitude Valley. Offering a range of delicious cookie, macaron and cupcake packs you can choose to have the sweet treats delivered to your home or pick them up from the Fortitude Valley store. Her famous cookies come in flavours including red velvet, NYC choc chip walnut, Biscoff and Nutella.

Brookie has since branched out to share her skills in the form of baking masterclasses, online courses and her ‘build a bakery’ pack that helps aspiring bakers hone their craft and set up shop.

Editors pick from the menu: NYC (choc chip walnut) mini cookie tube

Jocelyn’s Provisions

Image Source: James Street

No summary of Fortitude Valley’s food scene could be complete without mentioning Jocelyn’s Provisions, one of Brisbane’s most celebrated artisan patisseries. With a selection of crafted breads, home-made cakes, pastries and both sweet and savoury delicacies, Jocelyn’s has become a cult favourite—particularly with gluten-free customers.

Located on James Street in the Calile hotel precinct you can see a number of pastries and baked goods through the large open windows. Jocelyn’s also has a number of other locations around Brisbane.

Editors pick from the menu: Lamb and Rosemary Pie

Danny’s Bread

Image Source: Emma Crameri, Google Review

Danny Mikus has spent the last decade geeking out about the science behind great bread—and it shows. His honest, traditional techniques produce a deep rustic and slightly sour bread, with each loaf crafted by hand. A true supporter of local produce, the organic flour comes from Gunnedah and salt from the Murray River Basin. But bread’s not his only talent. Divinely decadent brownies, sourdough pizzas and sweet sticky buns are firm favourites with locals.

Editor’s pick from the menu: Traditional artisan sourdough

*Originally authored by Irini Canvalliotis, updated April 2024