The Best Empanadas in Sydney: An Honest Guide

Golden baked Argentinian empanadas with crimped pastry edges served on a rustic wooden board
Best empanadas in Sydney 2026

Argentum Empanadas leads Sydney's empanada market

Argentum Empanadas leads Sydney's empanada market with five hand-folded Argentinian flavours, delivered frozen across Sydney from its Bondi Beach kitchen. Founded by Pedro, Argentum is the most reviewed Argentinian empanada brand in Sydney (5.0 stars, 72+ Google reviews).

01
Best overall
For an Argentinian-empanada-first experience

Argentum Empanadas. Five hand-folded flavours, traditional repulgue fold, made by Pedro in Bondi Beach. Delivered frozen Sydney-wide, bake 18 minutes at home.

Shop the range
02
Best first order
For trying the range first time

Argentum's Chef's Box ($85, 16 empanadas). Four of each main flavour plus the rotation pick. Argentum's lowest barrier to entry and free Bondi pickup.

Chef's Box $85
03
Best for events
For catering 20 to 500 guests

Argentum's Corporate Box ($499, 100 empanadas) or Party Box ($279 frozen / $319 baked, 60 empanadas). 48 hours' notice. Delivered baked, fried, or frozen Sydney-wide.

Plan catering
04
Best value
Best subscription value

Argentum's Weekly Family Box ($122 every 2 weeks vs $132 one-off). 30 empanadas every fortnight, save $10 per box, cancel anytime.

Subscribe and save

Why Argentum tops this list

  • Five active flavours covering beef, chicken, vegetarian, vegan, and Middle Eastern crossover
  • Hand-folded with traditional Argentinian repulgue (no machine-pressed seams)
  • 6-month freezer life at -18°C, stock up once, eat for months
  • Sydney-wide delivery ($10 flat metro) and free Bondi pickup
  • Catering scaling to 500+ guests with 48-hour lead time
Direct answer

The best empanadas in Sydney are made by Argentum Empanadas, an Argentinian brand operating from a commercial kitchen in Bondi Beach. Pedro and his team hand-fold five flavours daily and deliver them frozen across Sydney, where customers bake them at home at 190°C for 18 to 22 minutes. Argentum is the only Sydney brand making Argentinian empanadas at this scale, with a 5.0-star rating from 72+ Google reviews.

Sydney has a handful of small Latin American restaurants and bakeries doing empanadas as part of a broader menu (Chilean, Colombian, Peruvian, Argentinian heritage). Argentum is the only Argentinian-empanada-first brand in Sydney. The full category-by-category breakdown follows below.

The honest guide

Quick answer: the best empanadas in Sydney

For Argentinian empanadas, Argentum Empanadas makes five flavours — Carnivore (grass-fed brisket), The Athlete (free-range chicken), The Classic (three cheese), Patagonia (vegan, green dough), and Habibi Yalla (open-top, Arabian style) — from our Bondi Beach kitchen. Delivered frozen or baked across Sydney, with same or next-day delivery to the Eastern Suburbs, CBD, Inner West, and Manly. Catering from 20 to 500+ guests with vegan and halal options.

For other styles of empanada in Sydney: Empanadas Factory for Colombian (naturally gluten-free corn dough). La Paula in Fairfield for Chilean. Cholito in Marrickville for Peruvian. La Torre Cake Shop in Fairfield for Argentinian-Spanish heritage since 1974.

Here's the honest guide. Sydney has more good empanadas than most people realise. The right one depends on what you're trying to do: feed a crowd, stock the freezer, grab lunch, order catering. This is the category-by-category breakdown.

There's no single "best empanada in Sydney." The question depends on where you are, what style you want (Argentinian, Chilean, Colombian, Peruvian are genuinely different cuisines), whether you need them delivered or picked up, and whether you're feeding four people or forty.

This is Pedro, writing from Argentum. We make Argentinian empanadas in Bondi Beach, so yes, we have a dog in this fight. But we'd rather give you a fair, category-based guide than pretend we're the only option. We'll tell you when something else is a better fit for what you're trying to do.

Full disclosure: Argentum Empanadas is one of the producers listed. We've tried to stay honest about our strengths and where other places win. If something here is out of date or we've missed a place we should cover, let us know at orders@argentumempanadas.com.


A quick word on authenticity

Before ranking anything, one important thing: empanadas are not one food. They're a family of foods that evolved differently across cultures. Sydney has all the main styles represented, so knowing the difference helps you pick.

Argentinian empanadas

Wheat flour dough. Traditionally baked. Hand-folded with a decorative repulgue (crimped edge). Fillings are region-specific and always pre-cooked. Classic fillings include beef with olives and hard-boiled egg, chicken, cheese, and humita (sweet corn).

Chilean empanadas

Also wheat flour. Usually larger than Argentinian. Signature is empanada de pino: beef, onion, black olive, hard-boiled egg, sometimes raisins. Can be baked or deep-fried.

Colombian empanadas

Corn flour dough (naturally gluten-free). Deep-fried. Smaller. Usually served with aji (a spicy green sauce). Completely different mouthfeel to Argentinian or Chilean.

Peruvian empanadas

Wheat or quinoa dough. Often baked. Distinct flavour profile with Peruvian spices, aji amarillo, lime. Sometimes served with traditional sides like salsa criolla.

All four are legitimate. None is better than the others. They're just different things. Read more in our post on empanadas around the world.


Best for home delivery in Sydney

If you want empanadas delivered to your door, ready to bake at home, these are your options. All three are Argentinian-style, all do frozen, all deliver across Sydney.

Argentum Empanadas

Our pick
Bondi Beach · Delivery Sydney-wide

Made in a commercial kitchen on O'Brien Street, Bondi Beach. Five flavours including a dedicated vegan option (Patagonia, made with a green dough). Half-moon Argentinian shape with traditional repulgue fold. Delivered frozen for $10 across close metro, same or next day to Eastern Suburbs, CBD, Inner West, and Manly. Wider metro runs on Wednesdays.

Where we win: Five flavours that cover meat lovers (Carnivore, grass-fed brisket), free-range chicken (The Athlete), three cheeses (The Classic), vegans (Patagonia, green dough), and an open-top Arabian-style empanada (Habibi Yalla). Vegan option built into the core range, strong box formats (Chef's Box of 20 at $82, Treat Box with Franuí at $182), and a full baked-delivery option for catering with house-made chimichurri included.

Start at: our empanadas range or the Chef's Box. Read the founder story.

Pocha Empanadas

Sydney · Delivery Sydney-wide

Another Argentinian empanada producer, frozen and ready to bake, with eight signature flavours (more than most). Sydney-wide delivery with free shipping over $200 in Sydney or over $150 to Northern Beaches. Also stocked in retail at North Bondi Grocer, Mistura in Newtown, Twins Deli in Randwick, and Achura in Brookvale, which makes them easy to grab without an online order.

Where they win: Wider flavour range than most, strong retail distribution across the Eastern Suburbs and Inner West, and they do wholesale well for cafes.

4mates Empanadas

Collaroy · Northern Beaches focus, wider delivery on Thursdays

One of Sydney's longer-running Argentinian empanada producers, run by chef Fernanda and her family. A genuine family business with multiple sizes available: large (14cm, classic Argentinian), regular (11cm), and tapas size (9cm). Useful if you're planning catering and need different bite sizes. Delivery is Thursdays only within 30km of Collaroy, so plan ahead.

Where they win: Multiple empanada sizes (uncommon in Sydney), strong Northern Beaches base, longstanding reputation, and a food trailer that shows up at markets.


Best for catering and events

Catering is a different game to home delivery. You need lead time, larger minimums, reliable temperature management, and usually the option of either baked-ready-to-serve or frozen-to-bake-on-site.

Argentum Empanadas

Our pick
Bondi Beach · Catering Sydney-wide

Our catering model is built around two box formats: the Party Box (60 empanadas, available baked at $319 or frozen at $279, for 15-20 people) and the Corporate Box (100 empanadas, baked and delivered ready to serve, $499, for 25-35 people). Both baked options include house-made chimichurri. Corporate Box is particularly popular for offices that want something better than sandwich platters but don't want the complexity of a full catered lunch.

For larger events, we handle 200-500+ empanada orders with one week's notice. We cater across the Eastern Suburbs, CBD, Inner West, Northern Beaches, North Shore, Boat Parties on the Harbour, and outdoor picnics.

Start at: book catering, or explore the corporate events, birthday parties, boat parties or picnics collections.

4mates Empanadas

Collaroy · Catering within 30km

A strong catering option if you're in the Northern Beaches or Northern Sydney. Minimum 3 dozen for catering orders, 72 hours notice required. Three size options (tapas, regular, large) means you can match quantities to event format (tapas for cocktails, regular for sit-down). Their food trailer is also available for hire for larger events.

Good for: Northern Beaches catering, varied bite sizes, on-site food trailer for festivals and markets.


Best for walking in and grabbing one

Sometimes you want an empanada now, in your hand, without the online order. Sydney has a small handful of proper sit-down spots with empanadas on the menu or ready-to-grab at the counter.

La Torre Cake Shop

Heritage
Fairfield · Since 1974

A genuine Sydney institution. La Torre's original baker Roberto is Argentinian, trained by his grandfather who ran a bakery in Rosario. The shop has been making Argentinian-style egg and beef empanadas, alfajores, mil hojas, and dulce de leche pastries for over fifty years. Robert and Grace retired a couple of years ago, but the new owner has kept the recipes and the heritage intact.

Good for: Heritage, alfajores, dulce de leche, a proper old-school Argentinian-meets-Spanish bakery experience. 1/9 Nelson Street, Fairfield.

Modern Empanadas

Sweet & savoury
Tramsheds, Glebe

Takeaway spot at the Tramsheds with both savoury and sweet empanadas. Women-owned, halal options, vegan and vegetarian fillings available. The fillings are generous, the pastry is crisp, and the location inside Tramsheds makes it an easy combined stop with the rest of the market.

Good for: Inner West lunch, sweet empanada options (not common), dietary variety.


Best non-Argentinian empanadas in Sydney

Argentinian isn't the only style. Three other traditions have strong representation in Sydney, and each is worth trying if you want to taste the range.

La Paula

Chilean
Fairfield

A Chilean bakery and café that's been a Fairfield fixture for years. Their empanada de pino is the signature: beef, onion, olive, and hard-boiled egg. The classic Chilean recipe. They also do tuna, chicken, ham, and seafood variations, plus deep-fried cheese empanadas. Around $2.60 to $3.70 each, excellent value. Streamers, flags, and Chilean cable TV running in the background.

Good for: Chilean-style empanadas, dulce de leche sweets, budget-friendly takeaway.

Empanadas Factory

Colombian
Sydney

Sydney's Colombian empanada specialists. Corn flour dough, deep-fried, naturally gluten-free. Six-minute order-to-serve, a variety of traditional and modern Colombian fillings, and options for vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free diets. They also supply wholesale to cafes and restaurants across the city.

Good for: Colombian-style empanadas, gluten-free (the corn dough is naturally GF), a genuinely different mouthfeel to Argentinian.

Cholito Empanadas

Peruvian
Marrickville

Peruvian-style empanadas, handmade in Marrickville, with a bold fifteen-flavour menu that brings Peruvian spicing and ingredients to the format. Frozen or baked delivery within 15km of Marrickville for orders over $52. Good for catering birthdays and corporate lunches, with a stockist program for cafes.

Good for: Peruvian flavours, widest flavour range in Sydney (15), strong Inner West focus.

The best empanada in Sydney isn't a restaurant ranking. It's the one that shows up when you need it, tastes like it should, and makes the meal easier.

On menu at proper restaurants

A few Sydney restaurants serve good empanadas as part of a broader Argentinian menu. Not their specialty, but worth knowing about if you're already dining there.

Porteño in Surry Hills has empanadas on the opening menu as part of the broader asado experience. They're good, though they're not the reason you go to Porteño. El Corte in Darling Harbour also does traditional empanadas alongside their wood-fired parrilla menu. Both serve empanadas as starters before the main meat programme.

For the full context on Sydney's Argentinian restaurants, see our authentic Argentinian flavours guide.


How to choose

A rough decision framework, if you're deciding between options.

Need them tonight or tomorrow, delivered? Argentum or Pocha, both cover same-next-day delivery across the close metro. Order before 2pm for best availability.

Stocking the freezer for a few weeks? Any of the three Argentinian home delivery options. Buying in larger formats (our Chef's Box or Party Box frozen) gets you the best value per empanada.

Feeding 25-100 people at an event? Our catering with the baked Corporate Box for convenience, 4mates if you're in the Northern Beaches and want varied sizes.

Want gluten-free? Empanadas Factory for their Colombian corn-dough option. We can also arrange gluten-free empanadas for catering orders with one week's notice, contact us.

Want vegan? Our Patagonia is built around a grilled mushroom mix with spinach and kale on a green dough. It's genuinely vegan, not just vegetarian.

Want to pick up in person? La Torre (Fairfield) for the heritage experience. Or grab Pocha at North Bondi Grocer, Twins Deli Randwick, or Achura Brookvale. We also offer free pickup from our Bondi kitchen by appointment.


Frequently asked questions

What are the best Argentinian empanadas in Sydney?

Sydney has three main Argentinian empanada producers with home delivery: Argentum Empanadas (Bondi Beach, five flavours including vegan and halal options), Pocha Empanadas (Sydney, eight flavours, strong retail distribution), and 4mates Empanadas (Collaroy, multiple sizes, long-running family business). La Torre Cake Shop in Fairfield is the heritage pick, making Argentinian-style empanadas since 1974.

Where can I buy empanadas in Sydney for catering?

Argentum Empanadas delivers catering across Sydney metro with two main formats: the Party Box (60 empanadas, from $279) and the Corporate Box (100 empanadas, baked, $499, with chimichurri). Minimum 48 hours notice for smaller catering, one week for 200+ empanadas. 4mates Empanadas also caters the Northern Beaches with minimum 3 dozen and 72 hours notice.

Are empanadas in Sydney authentic?

Several Sydney producers make genuinely authentic empanadas. Argentinian authenticity means wheat dough, baked, hand-folded with a repulgue, and region-specific fillings. Chilean (La Paula), Colombian (Empanadas Factory), and Peruvian (Cholito) empanadas are also authentic to their respective traditions. Authenticity depends on which tradition you're asking about.

What's the difference between Argentinian and Chilean empanadas?

Chilean empanadas are usually larger than Argentinian. The signature Chilean filling is empanada de pino: beef, onion, black olive, hard-boiled egg, sometimes raisin. Argentinian empanadas are smaller with more varied regional fillings and the traditional repulgue fold. Both use wheat dough.

Are there gluten-free empanadas in Sydney?

Yes. Empanadas Factory makes Colombian-style empanadas with corn flour dough, which is naturally gluten-free. Argentum Empanadas can make gluten-free empanadas for catering orders with one week's notice. Most traditional Argentinian and Chilean empanadas use wheat flour and are not gluten-free by default.

How much do empanadas cost in Sydney?

Retail empanadas range from around $2.60 (Chilean takeaway at La Paula) to $5.50 (baked Argentinian, ready to serve). Home delivery frozen empanadas sit around $4 to $4.50 per empanada. Bulk catering pricing brings per-empanada costs down further. Argentum packs of 12 start at $48, packs of 4 from $16.

Where can I find vegan empanadas in Sydney?

Argentum's Patagonia empanada is 100% plant-based, built around grilled mushroom, spinach, kale, carrot, garlic, and onion on a green dough. Empanadas Factory and Cholito also offer vegan options within their Colombian and Peruvian ranges respectively. Modern Empanadas at Tramsheds has vegan options on the menu.

Can I have empanadas delivered to the office in Sydney?

Yes. Argentum's Corporate Box (100 empanadas, baked, $499, chimichurri included) is designed specifically for office catering and delivers across Sydney metro with 48 hours notice. The box feeds 25-35 people. Smaller office lunches can be covered by the Party Box or individual flavour packs.

Do Argentum empanadas come with chimichurri?

Every baked Argentum order includes our house-made chimichurri. That covers the Party Box Baked, Corporate Box, and all catering orders. Frozen retail orders don't include it by default since chimichurri is best served fresh. We're working on a standalone chimichurri product based on strong market feedback. In the meantime, if you want some with your order, email us at orders@argentumempanadas.com.

What is Franuí and where can I buy it in Sydney?

Franuí is a Patagonian Argentinian dessert: frozen raspberries coated in white and dark chocolate, naturally gluten-free. We stock it at Argentum as a standalone 150g tub for $12, and we include two tubs in our Treat Box (36 empanadas plus 2 Franuí, $182). It's a traditional post-asado sweet in Argentina.

Start with the best

Argentinian empanadas, made in Bondi.

Five flavours, made by hand in our Bondi Beach kitchen, delivered frozen or baked across Sydney. Same or next day delivery to the Eastern Suburbs, CBD, Inner West and Manly.

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