Savoury pies are good, but sweet pies are better.

It’s one of the few hills I’ll die on.

So when a photo of Angelwood’s banoffee special slid across my Instagram feed recently, it landed straight in my saved folder, and I was determined to taste it before the clock struck noon.

The banoffee pie is enough to warrant a visit on its own. Everything else, frankly, is a bonus.

Luckily my brother-in-law, a man with a long-held affection for pies, joins me to ensure we give the savoury side a fair hearing.

“Pies are the most underrated way of eating,” he declares.

A big call. But several bites later, it’s one that’s increasingly difficult to argue with.

After cutting into our Moroccan lamb ($12), another observation follows: these are “well-engineered pies”. Who knew there was an art to it?

The pastry is flaky without immediately disintegrating, and the pies are generously filled without being overstuffed to the point of structural collapse. It’s an excellent pie eating experience, he says, and I tend to agree.

The Moroccan lamb announces itself before we’ve even taken a bite — a fragrant waft of spice escaping as we cut it in half.

The cauliflower and cheese ($11) is solid, if less memorable, while the paneer butter masala ($11) receives a glowing review from across the table, and proves vegetarians aren’t treated as an afterthought here.

The coffee is also very good. There is, however, no caramel syrup.

Perhaps this says more about me than Angelwood, but in 2026 I feel flavoured syrup should sit somewhere alongside oat milk in the modern cafe arsenal.

Still, there is something endearing about the completely unpretentious “no” when I ask. None of the eye-roll I’ve come to expect in Sydney’s hip inner-west.

A small oat mocha sets me back $5.60, while my brother’s and boyfriend’s cappuccinos check in at just under $5.

But the reason we’re here?

I know the banoffee pie ($10) is magnificent from the very first bite.

Thick, dreamy vanilla cream is piled high and dusted with dark chocolate shavings, fresh pieces of banana cut through the sweetness, and the toffee filling beneath is heavenly. Even the pastry cup nails the assignment of being sturdy without becoming thick or claggy.

Angelwood is refreshingly uncomplicated. You come here because you want a pie. There’s no sprawling menu triggering decision paralysis, no elaborate dining room, and very little pretence.

“Pies for the people” is painted across the wall as you walk in and, really, that’s the brief. No bells and whistles.

It’s an unassuming joint concealed within a few buildings with limited seating, but still manages to draw a crowd with its delicious goods and friendly service.

Here’s to hoping the banoffee makes a comeback soon. Or, better yet, becomes a permanent fixture.

Verdict: 15/20

This humble pie shop finds its charm in keeping things beautifully simple.

Angelwood Pies

18b/663 Newcastle St, Leederville WA 6007

OPEN Every day, 8am to 2pm

BOOKINGS No

CONTACT angelwood.com.au