Where to Find the Best Bagels in Melbourne
Find your favourite doughy ring of goodness at these top bagelries.
Where to Find the Best Bagels in Melbourne
Find your favourite doughy ring of goodness at these top bagelries.
Melbourne's best bagel joints may not beat the likes of those in NYC, but they do a damn fine job at creating these delicious doughy rings of joy. Plus, they fill them with the greatest Aussie produce available. And while you can find bagels in cafes all over the city (and in supermarkets), this comprehensive list only includes spots that make or use authentic options — definitely boiled first to guarantee chewy goodness.
You'll find Melbourne's best bagels in the CBD, inner burbs and further afield — but you have to know where to look. So, check out our list to find Melbourne's best bagels near you.
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Mile End Bagels in Fitzroy takes its name from a neighbourhood in Montreal, whose bagel obsession gives New York’s a run for its money. Boiled in water and honey, and baked in a woodfired oven, these rings of dough are seriously legit.
The bagels come in just three varieties: sesame, poppy and everything. And spreads include peanut butter and jam, a classic cream cheese option, and vegemite (because Australia). Larger options are numerous as well, including cream cheese with pickled jalapeños, as well as avocado with chive cream cheese and tomato, pink salt and chilli oil. The list just goes on and on. Just make sure you wash it all down with either a Seven Seeds coffee or hot chocolate made from Mork powders.
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This classic American-style diner is a homage to the Bowery subway station in NYC, serving up chicken and waffles, pretzels, subs and — of course — bagels. Get around plain, cinnamon and raison, onion and everything bagels filled with classic cream cheese and smoked salmon or get something bigger — like the mushroom with haloumi and roast garlic or the chive schmear and basil oil bagel.
The customers are an eclectic mix of business people scoffing down a bagel and knocking back a coffee (often with a Reese’s cup on the side), new parents with prams catching up for brunch, as well as young professionals with a laptop needing a break from the home office. It’s casual, fast and full of all kinds of people — just like any beloved NYC diner.
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Opened back in 2011, Brown Bagels in Melbourne’s CBD finds the sweet spot between newfangled, experimental and bare-bones tradition. Brown’s lox bagels and sweet bagels — such as strawberry and Nutella, or banana and honey — are comforting and familiar. But there are novel choices, too. Korean beef might sound daring, but the sweet and soy umami taste of the bulgogi melds perfectly with a chewy seeded or sesame bagel for a gratifying K-BBQ hybrid bagel.
Find this hidden gem, one of the Melbourne’s best bagel joints, tucked down Equitable Place — an alleyway in the city that fills with office workers searching for a good city breakfast or takeaway lunch.
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It would certainly be Schmuck-like (that is, foolish) not to visit one of the best bagel masters in Melbourne. Schmucks Bagels go way beyond the average poppy seed bagel. Some of the more adventurous options include the Hippie-Slicker, a seeded bagel filled with turmeric-roasted cauliflower, hummus, watercress and tomato, and the Oy Vey, filled with pulled pork, harissa slaw and tonkatsu. Sure, the store is small, but it’s totally defying what can be crammed into a round of boiled bread.
And while America might claim bagels as their own, Schmucks proudly traces its recipes back to 17th century Jewish bakeries in Poland. These Melbourne bagels are made the right way and best be tried by any bagel lover.
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Named after the Breaking Bad character Hank Schrader, Hank’s Bagelry in Armadale is the kind of place that’s full of the classics, but also awash with exciting variations to indulge in. It claims to be “out to bring a hearty dose of New York to the leafy streets of Armadale” – and it achieves this in style. The classy heritage interior even includes nods to the New York subway.
The bagels here are chewy and melt in the mouth, with an authentically New York zest full of bite and flavour. And for a little extra authenticity at one of the best bagels joints in Melbourne, enjoy some filtered coffee and a side of crinkle cut chips with your meal.
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Inspired by a family trip to New York City, Ryan and Jess Kurban’s bagel cafe on Bridge Road in Richmond prides itself on fresh, organic produce from local suppliers. Everything here is made in-house by a team of dedicated chefs who have your satisfaction at the forefront of every creation.
Choose from a range of either plain, sesame, poppyseed, rye, onion, blueberry or cinnamon and raisin bagels – with gluten free and vegan alternatives also available. Then peruse the huge list of fillings to either build your own beast or go with one of the chefs’ creations. Our favourite? The ‘New Yorker’ made with perfectly melted buffalo mozzarella, napoli sauce, bechamel, pepperoni and fresh basil.
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Five Points is a beacon of traditional bagel simplicity — it makes the closest thing to a ‘real’ NY bagel in Australia. Paring down its offering to just bagels and coffee, this minimalist eatery scores full marks in every category. Its rendition of the classic smoked salmon and reuben numbers are dreamlike, and even the slightly non-traditional tuna and sweetcorn, and turkey and brie bagels, feel old-school and dependable.
Each bready ring is a balanced, chewy and, where necessary, zesty breakfast or brunch. The lovely little cafe floats atop the crest of a hill along Little Collins Street, managing to capture NY deli flavours, while swapping out the hustle and bustle for an air of serenity. Five Points is simply one of the best ways to start your day.
Top images: Bissel B.
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