Who Serves the Best Vanilla Slice in Brisbane?
Have you ever wondered where to get the best vanilla slice in Brisbane?
While unfortunately, we did not get to try every single vanilla slice in Brisbane, this list was researched and we tested all of the vanilla slices on the list.
My husband loves vanilla slices. We even had them for dessert at our New York City wedding. Instead of cake, we had 3 Australian desserts: lamingtons, caramel slices, and vanilla slices.
One year for his birthday, I organized a vanilla slice tasting event so that we could decide which Brisbane bakery serves the absolute best vanilla slices.
Keep reading to find out where to find the best vanilla slice in Brisbane.
What is a Vanilla Slice?
A vanilla slice is a type of pastry with a thick custard in between puff pastry, with icing or icing sugar on top.
While a vanilla slice is Australian, it is very similar to the French Mille-Feuille or Napoleon.
What Should I Look for in a Vanilla Slice?
What makes a good vanilla slice? The pastry should be crispy, and the custard should be creamy and smooth.
Sometimes vanilla slices can have a chocolate custard filling, but that is rare. The topping also varies, though usually, it is vanilla icing or icing sugar.
Vanilla Slice Tour of Brisbane
King Street Bakery, Bowen Hills
Unfortunately, King Street Bakery closed in 2024.
We lived near King Street, so that is where I decided to start our vanilla slice-tasting tour. King Street Bakery is a French bakery by the team of Montrachet, a restaurant also on King Street.
King Street Bakery serves breakfast and lunch and has pastries and desserts in the cabinets. They also sell delicious cakes.
I picked up a vanilla slice on a Friday before the bakery closed and saved it for dessert and the introduction to our search for where to find the best vanilla slice in Brisbane.
The kids and I got to King Street Bakery around 10 a.m., and there were 2 vanilla slices left in the bakery case. I am not sure if the case gets refilled throughout the day, but I was glad to have gotten there early.
Sitting in the case, the vanilla slice does not look like the best choice at King Street Bakery. It looks small, and at $8.60, it seems expensive. I decided to just order one for us to share.
They put the vanilla slice in a to-go box, and when I got home, less than 5 minutes later, I took it out for a photo. The vanilla slice has bakery paper to keep it together. The cream was not solid and seemed a bit melty.
The King Street Bakery vanilla slice has 2 layers of cream and 3 layers of crust. The top does not have any icing, but the ends have a thin layer of powdered sugar.
After dinner, we split the vanilla slice and were pleasantly surprised. The cream is absolutely delicious. Every single one of us wanted more.
Looks are definitely deceiving in this case.
ADDRESS: 20 King Street
HOURS: Permanently Closed
COST OF A VANILLA SLICE: $8.60
AVERAGE SCORE OUT OF 10: 8.5
Looking for more things to do in Bowen Hills? Check out our guide of the Best Things to do in Bowen Hills.
Gerbino’s, Ashgrove
Gerbino’s in Brisbane’s suburb of Ashgrove has been around since the 1930s. An Italian bakery, Gerbino’s, is filled with cakes, cookies, danishes, and savory food. You can order a full meal at Gerbino’s or pick up food for a picnic.
While many of the delicious treats at Gerbino’s are Italian, they also have Australian goodies.
Seating is available both inside and outside. Street parking is available.
The vanilla slice at Gerbino’s in Ashgrove is a French Vanilla Slice. It has 2 layers of cream with 3 layers of puff pastry and is topped with fondant.
We met up with my in-laws and my husband’s friends at Gerbino’s so that they could help us rank their vanilla slices. My in-laws spent the day with us to help us decide which bakery in Brisbane has the best vanilla slice.
The icing on the vanilla slice at Gerbino’s was very sweet. The cream was thick and “very creamy.”
ADDRESS: 166 Ashgrove Avenue
HOURS: Monday-Friday 6:30 am to 5 pm, Saturday 7 am to 5 pm, Sunday 7 am to 3 pm
COST OF A VANILLA SLICE: $4.70
AVERAGE SCORE OUT OF 10: 8
Francy’s Patisserie, Paddington
A small bakery in Rosalie Village, Francy’s Patisserie has a wide variety of savory pies, bread, and desserts. There is seating available outside.
We arrived at Francy’s around 10 a.m. on a Saturday. There were plenty of vanilla slices available as well as lots of other goodies.
The vanilla slice at Francy’s Patisserie has one layer of cream and 2 layers of crust. The icing tastes like buttercream and there is a design made out of chocolate on top.
There was a comment about the crust being soggy and a couple of comments about the custard being a bit watery.
In the end, the vanilla slice from Francy’s Patisserie ended up being the only vanilla slice that we tried with 1 layer of cream.
Mark grew up eating vanilla slices and mentioned that they all used to be just 1 layer of cream.
The vanilla slice from Francy’s was his favorite of all of the vanilla slices that we tasted in Brisbane.
ADDRESS: 165 Baroona Road
HOURS: Daily 6 am to 4:30 pm
COST OF A VANILLA SLICE: $5
AVERAGE SCORE OUT OF 10: 7.5
Flour and Chocolate, Morningside
Flour and Chocolate have multiple locations around Brisbane. We chose the Morningside location, which has street parking and seating.
The menu at Flour and Chocolate includes both sweet and savory foods, including cakes, bread, donuts, tarts, quiche, and sandwiches.
The vanilla slice at Flour and Chocolate is available as a regular serving or can be ordered as a 25cm or 35cm slab. For those interested in a slab, it must be preordered with at least 2 days’ notice.
We took a break after stops 2 and 3 to spend time at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, watch a show at Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, and have lunch. Unfortunately, by the time we got to Flour and Chocolate, they were all out of vanilla slices for the day.
The staff at Flour and Chocolate told us we could call ahead and have them put vanilla slices to the side next time.
We went back the following Saturday to try the vanilla slice at Flour and Chocolate. After arriving around 9:30 AM, we stood in line for about 10 minutes. We got the last vanilla slice at Flour and Chocolate around 9:40 AM on a Saturday.
Flour and Chocolate’s vanilla slice has 2 layers of cream, 3 layers of puff pastry, and powdered sugar on top.
In addition to the vanilla slice, Flour and Chocolate has a chocolate slice that we tried as well. There were plenty of them left to purchase.
The chocolate slice has chocolate cream instead of vanilla cream and has a dollop of chocolate icing on the top over the icing sugar. Like the vanilla slice, it has 2 layers of cream and 3 layers of pastry.
While the cream in the vanilla slice at Flour and Chocolate was too sweet for me, they had the best pastry. Unlike the other vanilla slices we tried in Brisbane, the pastry on Flour and Chocolate’s vanilla slice was crunchy.
The chocolate cream tasted like a thick chocolate pudding, but it was a bit sweet as well.
ADDRESS: 621 Wynnum Road
HOURS: Tuesday-Saturday 6:30 am to 2 pm
COST OF A VANILLA SLICE: $7 ($31 for a 25cm slab, $42 for a 35cm slab)
AVERAGE SCORE OUT OF 10: 8.5 for the vanilla, 8.5 for the chocolate
New Farm Deli, New Farm
New Farm Deli in New Farm is an Italian deli that has been around since 1975.
Seating is available at New Farm Deli for those who wish to enjoy a meal or a dessert, and hampers and picnic supplies are available. New Farm Park is not far away and is a perfect spot to enjoy a picnic from New Farm Deli.
Want a vanilla slice to share? New Farm Deli has an 8-serving vanilla slice available.
Our last stop on that first Saturday ended up being New Farm Deli. We got a vanilla slice to go. By that time, the kids had had enough, and we were all full.
The vanilla slice at New Farm Deli has one layer of cream and 2 layers of filo dough. The crust is definitely different than the other vanilla slices that we had already tried. There is a thin layer of powdered sugar on the top of the vanilla slice.
The cream on New Farm Deli’s vanilla slice is delicious, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the filo dough. Mark ended up liking the dough more than any of the other crusts that we tried so far, but the cream wasn’t his favorite.
The ratio of cream to crust is much less than that of the other vanilla slices, making the vanilla slice at New Farm Deli the easiest to eat.
ADDRESS: 900 Brunswick Street
HOURS: Monday-Saturday 6 am to 6 pm, Sunday 6 am to 5 pm
COST OF A VANILLA SLICE: $8, $55 for an 8-serving slice
AVERAGE SCORE OUT OF 10: 8
Chouquette, New Farm
Unfortunately, Choquette closed in 2025.
A French bakery, Chouquette specializes in both sweet and savory baked goods. Their vanilla slice is actually a mille-feuille, a French version of a vanilla slice.
Chouquette’s mille-feuille is made of a caramelized puff pastry with vanilla cream, salted caramel, and vanilla ganache.
There is street parking at Chouquette and seating both inside and outside.
I sent Mark in to purchase our last vanilla slice and he came back outside and told me that they were out as he could not see any in the display case.
After heading inside, I could see why he thought the vanilla slices were sold out. There was one mille-feuille left in the case at 11:40 AM, and it was a lot fancier than any of the vanilla slices that we had tried in Brisbane thus far.
The mille-feuille at Chouquette has 2 layers of cream and 3 layers of pastry with icing on top.
The kids both claimed this to be their absolute favorite vanilla slice in Brisbane.
ADDRESS: 19 Barker Street
HOURS: Permanently Closed
COST OF A VANILLA SLICE: $8
AVERAGE SCORE OUT OF 10: 8.5
IF you want to explore more of New Farm, check out our guide of the Best Things to do in New Farm.
Stone Artisan Bakers, Greenslopes
After 3 months without eating vanilla slices, we stopped in Stone Artisan Bakers one day to pick up some fresh bread and decided to also get a vanilla slice to go.
At 2 p.m. on a Saturday, there was a line at the bakery, but plenty of vanilla slices and other delicious-looking pastries as well as loaves of bread.
The vanilla slice didn’t appear to be the best item at Stone Artisan Bakery, and at $5.50, it is cheaper than some of the other vanilla slices that we tried. Mark joked about getting one, and we are glad that we did.
It appears that the frosting is a passionfruit frosting, but there were only 2 seeds in ours. It does taste slightly like passionfruit.
Unlike the other vanilla slices that we tried, this one is only one layer and it does not have a lot of cream. Mark mentioned that the icing-to-cream ratio is off from a typical vanilla slice, but we didn’t mind.
This vanilla slice has my favorite icing of the ones that we have tried so far. It tastes more like icing you would find on a cake than on a vanilla slice.
One kid chose not to have any of the vanilla slice. It was much easier to cut and share than the other vanilla slices that we shared.
ADDRESS: 500 Logan Road, Greenslopes
HOURS: Monday – Friday, 6 am – 6 pm. Saturday and Sunday 6 am – 4 pm.
COST OF A VANILLA SLICE: $5.50
AVERAGE SCORE OUT OF 10: 9
Christian Jacques Bakery, Kangaroo Point
A few days after I was talking to someone about our vanilla slice tour (and she asked if Christian Jacques Bakery had the best vanilla slice in Brisbane), I was in Kangaroo Point and decided to pick up a vanilla slice to go.
We’ve been to Christian Jacques Bakery before, and their croissants are delicious. To be honest, I didn’t even look past the croissants to see that they also have pies and refrigerated pastries.
While there is usually a line at Christian Jacques Bakery, when my friend and I arrived around 9:30 a.m. on a Friday morning, we were the only guests inside. A line did form shortly after our arrival as we sat outside and split an amazing almond croissant.
The vanilla slice at Christian Jacques Bakery is a mille-feuille. There are 2 layers of cream and 3 layers of crust, and it is topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Of the 3 of us who split the vanilla slice, we agreed that the ratio of cream to crust is off and there should be more cream. The crust is very crunchy, which I prefer, but my piece didn’t have much sugar on top and I would have liked icing on top.
The cream is good, but for $8.50, this is not our top pick for the best vanilla slice in Brisbane.
Still, I definitely recommend the croissants at Christian Jaques Bakery.
ADDRESS: 8 Baildon St, Kangaroo Point
HOURS: Wed to Sun: 6 am – 1 pm
COST OF A VANILLA SLICE: $8.50
AVERAGE SCORE OUT OF 10: 6
Find more fun things to do in Kangaroo Point.
More Vanilla Slices to Try in Brisbane
It is hard to determine the absolute best vanilla slice in Brisbane without trying them all, but that is nearly impossible, especially during 1 weekend!
After researching the best vanilla slice in Brisbane, I narrowed down 6 top choices for us to try, but there are so many bakeries in and around Brisbane.
As we are always up for a good vanilla slice, what is your favorite vanilla slice in Brisbane?
While we haven't had the opportunity to taste every vanilla slice in Brisbane, it seems like another blog has. Check out Byron's Vanilla Slice Blog for a review on many more vanilla slice options.
The Best Vanilla Slice in Brisbane
In the end, we tried 8 amazing vanilla slices from the following bakeries in Brisbane.
- King Street Bakery, Bowen Hills
- Gerbino’s, Ashgrove
- Francy’s Patisserie, Paddington
- Flour and Chocolate, Morningside
- New Farm Deli, New Farm
- Chouquette, New Farm
- Stone Artisan Bakers, Greenslopes
- Christian Jacques Bakery, Kangaroo Point
My family of 4 tried them all while my in-laws joined us for 2 stops and friends met up with us at 1 bakery. I ended up taking the average rating no matter how many people were participating. Here is the final ranking of “The Best Vanilla Slice in Brisbane.”
8. Christian Jacques Bakery, Kangaroo Point 6/10
7. Francy’s Patisserie 7.5/10
5. New Farm Deli and Gerbino’s 8/10
2. Chouquette, Flour & Chocolate, and King Street Bakery 8.5/10
- Stone Artisan Bakers, Greenslopes 9/10
Again, though they have a lower ranking, Mark preferred the vanilla slice from Francy’s Patisserie over all of the other vanilla slices in Brisbane (except he says it is tied with the vanilla slice from Stone Artisan Bakers)
The ranking may be affected by the high score the kids tend to give versus the adults and the fact that we had more adults Francy’s Patisserie and Gerbino’s.
My son opted to skip the vanilla slice at New Farm Deli, Stone Artisan Bakers, and Christian Jacques Bakery and his lowest score on any of the vanilla slices was a 9/10. He didn’t really like the chocolate version of a vanilla slice at Flour and Chocolate (and didn’t finish his piece) and still ranked it a 9/10.
My favorite vanilla slice is the one from King Street Bakery. While I wish there was more going on as far as frosting on the top, the cream was by far the best vanilla slice cream we tried.
As far as icing goes, I enjoyed the icing on the vanilla slice from Stone Artisan Bakers the most.
Final Vanilla Slice Rankings
Most Expensive Vanilla Slice: King Street Bakery
Cheapest Vanilla Slice: Francy’s Patisserie
Fanciest Vanilla Slice: Chouquette
Simplest Vanilla Slice: Francy’s Patisserie
Favorite Vanilla Slice in Brisbane besides Stone Artisan Bakers: Chouquette (both kids), Francy’s Patisserie (Mark, the expert on vanilla slices), King Street Bakery (me)
Vanilla Slice Recipes
Vanilla slices aren’t too difficult to make at home, though you do need custard powder. It is easy to purchase custard powder in Brisbane at the grocery store. When in the US, I have found it online and in specialty shops.
- For a basic vanilla slice recipe, Australia’s Best Recipes
- An 8-ingredient recipe with step-by-step pictures
- Australia’s Women’s Weekly vanilla slice with passionfruit
Vanilla Slice FAQ
Yes, a custard square is the same thing as a vanilla slice.
Store your vanilla slice in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
While it isn’t a fool-proof way to cut a vanilla slice without squishing it, the easiest way is to lay the vanilla slice on its side and cut it slowly with a sharp knife.
Vanilla slices are considered an Australian dessert, though they do resemble the French mille-feuille.
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