The Best Bakeries in Melbourne

Baker Bleu is known and adored for its award-winning sourdough breads, including their famous country wheel rolls, seasonal fougasse, chewy bagels, pillowy challah and crusty ficelles. Mike and Mia Russell started their now widely loved bakery in 2016, seeking to create a place focused on both ethical and delicious sourdough bread. The undeniable success of the venture, owing to its truly outstanding product, saw the brand expand not only to shopfronts in Hawksburn Village, Caulfield North, Cremorne, and now South Yarra, but also across the border to Double Bay in Sydney. 

Their signature flaky croissants are known for being taken to the crisp edge in the oven, and their creamy custard tarts have become a crowd favourite for good reason. The popular kouign amanns with salted caramel are so crunchy you could crack a tooth (in the best way possible), and the almond and yuzu croissant has become a menu mainstay due to its enduring popularity. Loyal customers of each store are still willing to wait in line every weekend (and even during the week around lunchtime), because the bread, baked goods, sandwiches and pizza slices are just so consistently excellent. And here’s an insider tip: did you know you can pre-order online from any Baker Bleu store and avoid the queue? You’re welcome.

Falco bakery is identifiable by the almost constant line of people waiting outside for one of its signature sandwiches or baked goods. Its founders know a thing or two about good bread, with experience at the famed Tartine in San Francisco. This knowledge and experience are evident in the unfaultable breads. Traditional technique is mixed with a splash of creativity, along with considered ingredients such as Schulz Organic Dairy products and locally sourced organic flour to produce top-notch baked goods. 

The egg and salad sandwich is legendary among even the biggest carnivores around, with perfect layers of cheese, beetroot, veggies, egg salad and a healthy spread of butter. The cookies are a perfect combination of crisp and chewy. The chocolate and walnut, and cranberry, pecan and oat variations are good, but the peanut butter and miso cookie is where it’s at. Back to something savoury, the Oomite Scroll is a grown-up take on the classic Vegemite and cheese version, and it’ll keep you coming back for more. 

This humble family-run bakery has quietly become a powerful player in the Melbourne bakery scene, with five shopfronts now pumping out some of the best bread and pastries in town. Little Sister lives by a simple philosophy: time-honoured recipes, executed with contemporary precision, to create beautiful bread for sharing.  While everything at Little Sister tastes as good as it looks, signature items include the seeded focaccia, with an irresistible salty and crunchy exterior, and the Sofia loaf, which is a dark, dense and nutty healthy bread made with wholemeal flour, mixed grains, seeds, fibre and a hint of honey. 

The bakery is renowned for its loaded savoury pastries and breads. Focaccias are topped with an array of moreish combinations such as cheese, mushroom and onion, zucchini and feta, and tomato and pesto. You can also find shakshuka or sabich (a traditional fried eggplant sandwich) stuffed inside doughy pockets, as well as cheese and za’atar twists, or thick and crusty slices of pizza. On the sweet front, Little Sister excels in everything from croissants to scrolls to cookies. The cinnamon scrolls often sell out before midday, the Portuguese egg tarts are some of the best in town, and the chocolate challah is a favourite weekly special. The bottom line is that while it may be hard to decide, you simply can’t go wrong with any choice at Little Sister.

In contrast to its unassuming grey concrete facade, Amann Patisserie in Carlton North delights with its French flair, flaky pastries and seasonal fresh ingredients. These pastries are deeply rooted in French tradition, relying on recipes and techniques that have been developed over decades by renowned French chefs. Their impeccable French technique is showcased in Amann’s range of staples that are served each day — plain, almond, chocolate and ham and cheese croissants, kouign amann, pain suisse, and a signature maple bacon danish. 

Amann’s seasonal specials feature innovative Australian produce and influences. For example, summer specials may include kiwi berry flans, cherry pastries or mango and pandan numbers. They make an effort to listen to their customers — if they love a special, it may earn a spot on the permanent menu, if they don’t, it won’t make it to next week. By adhering to its ethos of keeping it simple yet doing it well, Amann Patisserie has garnered a loyal following of devoted customers, so be sure to get in quick. 

Founded by Franco Villalva and Lauren Parsons in 2019,  To Be Frank, which has found its second outpost in East Brunswick Village, maintains its focus on honest bread, pastries and sandwiches, featuring a daily selection that honours traditional baking methods. Of course, that means another store to get your hands on their popular baguette, fruit loaf and focaccia, as well as the wholemeal sourdough ‘miche’, available in quarter, half or full-sized portions.

Here you can also find the likes of a decadent croissant made with Melbourne-based Cuvèe Chocolate’s Amphora 65% dark chocolate, a coconut and dulce de leche bomb and a savoury sausage croissant featuring top-notch ingredients from Hagen’s Organics. Drop by year-round for a ham, cheddar and Emmental toastie, catch a hot honey stracciatella open focaccia through periodic bakes, or discover new seasonal creations as they land in the cabinet.

You’ll find this gem of a Melbourne bakery tucked just off Toorak Road, where it’s been slinging freshly baked goods for over ten years. There’s stone-ground sourdough, slow-fermented Turkish bread, a rotation of crafty sandwiches, fresh-from-the-oven pies, pasties and sausage rolls and a lineup of sweet and savoury pastries that are mighty hard to resist. 

When you finally make your way to the front of the line, you’ll face a near-impossible decision of what to go for in the glass cabinets overflowing with pastries in all forms. There are stuffed scrolls, and fresh danishes, thick cookies and crisp palmiers, egg tarts and sugar-dusted doughnuts and soft and crumbly slices of cake. The good news is, you really can’t go wrong with whatever you choose.

Malvern is lucky to have Butter Days, a Scandi-inspired, bustling spot from Dessert Masters winner John Demetrios and his wife, Martina. In a space as cheery and pleasurable as Butter Days, with its bright, crayon-green facade and smiley face logo, it’s only fitting that the hero pastry should be named the Sunshine Bun. The golden, crisp and flaky round pastry, which is a blend of both John and Martina’s backgrounds, is filled with a lemon-cinnamon custard. Other sweets to sample include biscuits made with browned cultured butter, macadamia swirls, chocolate-coated profiteroles and fresh-fruit custard pastries. 

Butter Days will make your mornings better with their signature savoury offering, the BMO (bolle med ost, meaning ‘bun with cheese’). Demetrios’ take on a Danish morning bun sees sourdough rolls, spread thick with salted butter and layered with high-quality Comte cheese. So thick, in fact, that there is actually a Danish word which translates as ‘teeth butter’, referring to butter spread so thick that when you take a bite, you leave tooth marks in it. Other savoury delights include ham and cheese pinwheels, pastrami sandwiches, and njuja, ricotta and honey pizza slices.

Dua Bakehouse, situated within the Collingwood Yards precinct, is a bakery that blends Southeast Asian flavours with European pastry techniques. Since opening in early 2025, the understated yet aesthetically pleasing bakery and cafe has garnered a loyal following of locals and visitors seeking out two-toned iced drinks and the famous fluffy shokupan. Dua Bakehouse welcomes customers with a brightly lit central bar and a spacious, light and airy seating area that feels calm and grounding. 

The warm space encourages slow mornings, long coffee dates and quiet conversation over a coffee and cake or a more substantial meal. A daily selection of cake slices, breads and pastries greets you when you enter, and may include the likes of chocolate fudge cake, chunky cookies and Scandinavian cakes with a signature Raymond twist. Dua’s specialty Shiopans — buttery, salted bread rolls — come filled with a selection of savoury and sweet options ranging from Chinese pork jerky with pork floss, to miso salmon with wasabi mayo cabbage, and even a take on a croque madame. A small dine-in menu features thick slices of airy shokupan served with butter and preserves, kaya toast with a runny egg, and brûlée french toast.

While this city is in no way short of banging bakeries, every now and then, a new one emerges that really captures the attention of Melburnians. Bloomwood Bakery, a serene CBD space, did just that, with its irresistible pastries and specialty drinks. Certain menu items celebrate the Asian flavours and ingredients that the owners grew up eating. You may find a taro-coco flower, a matcha, mochi and strawberry danish, or a miso banoffee pastry. 

Signature pastries, which attract hordes of visitors each day, include a passionfruit and coconut jelly flower, a pepperoni and hot honey focaccia pizza slice, a maple cinnamon scroll, a choc chip pretzel cookie and a corn and cheese crisp croissant. To drink, there are renowned two-toned drinks, such as strawberry, banana or coconut iced matchas.

A cheery inner west Melbourne bakery that’s as sweet as its name suggests, Candied is the work of Orlando Artavilla and Toula Ploumidis: the duo who first brought us Brunswick cafe Sugardough. Here in Spotswood, a tempting lineup of house-made treats pulls inspiration from the USA, Europe and Australia, championing plenty of local, organic ingredients. You’ll find a variety of breads, alongside sausage rolls and rustic pies primed for lunchtime appetites. 

But for many, the main event is Candied’s decadent sweet selection, showcasing a gleeful array of cakes, tarts, pastries, slices and doughnuts. Got a special occasion coming up? Check out the Melbourne bakery’s online store, featuring whole cakes and sweet pies that are guaranteed to impress, such as a burnt Basque cheesecake, a tres leches cake, and the always popular carrot and walnut version.

Tucked away in a row of beige Victorian houses is the teal kiosk that houses Monforte Viennoiserie. And while this hole-in-the-wall spot is only open a few days a week, a sizable queue often forms outside before 8 am, with loyal customers keen to try Giorgia McAllister Forte’s latest creation. The small-batch pasticceria specialises in yeasted doughs and croissant-based products, and everything is made on site in the petite space.

The menu changes each month — save for the humble croissant, which Montforte has perfected and keeps on the menu year-round — and may include creative pastries such as mango and pineapple fairy cakes, coffee and toasted barley koji butter buns, sticky date and butterscotch cream pudding, and chocolate, olive oil and creme fraiche croissant tarts. On the savoury side, a pork and fennel sausage roll may sit alongside an asparagus, whipped feta and tarragon pastry, a lamb merguez pithivier, or a shiitake agrodolce, ricotta and brussels sprout number. One thing is consistent: Giorgia’s menu is exciting, experimental and ever-evolving. Just make sure to arrive early to avoid the queue.

Golden spinach and feta pastries, boat-shaped shanklish pies flecked with herbs, and syrupy layered baklava. One peek at the goodies on show at A1 and it’s easy to see why this Lebanese bakery and grocer has been a Sydney Road favourite for several decades. The ovens here are churning out an array of classic Middle Eastern breads, from soft souvlaki-style rounds, ready to roll, through to five-inch pita pockets. 

For lunch fiends, it’s all about the homemade grab-and-go options, such as the haloumi-stuffed pies, spinach triangles and pizzas topped with the likes of sujuk, falafel and labneh. All of this, plus the amazingly affordable prices (where else can you get a large za’atar flatbread for $2.50 or a pastry-wrapped hot dog for $2), earns A1 on our list of the best bakeries in Melbourne.

Malvern East’s brilliant bakery, Breadcetera, is a testament to the difference it makes when the owners of a venue truly know, love and want to provide the best for their beloved community. The baked goods are irresistible, the produce is beautifully curated, and the service is warm.

Weekly specials include the likes of focaccia with porchetta, braised onion, artichoke cream and Comté, a three-cheese toastie with shaved truffle, and a panini with fried eggplant, basil, red pesto and mortadella. Breadcetera is more than just a bakery. It is a buzzing hub of the local community, and its bright and vibrant aesthetic makes it hard for passersby not to pop in for a coffee, a chat, a crisp croissant, and some gourmet take-home goodies. 

Mali Bakes produces some of Melbourne’s most loved, brightly coloured, and delightfully decorated cakes. The cake studio in Thornbury, which is now accessible via appointment only, seamlessly blends seasonal produce, creative flavours and classic baking techniques to create some of the most coveted layered cakes in town. Everything is made from scratch using premium ingredients such as Heilala Vanilla, Gippsland Jersey Butter, organic flour from Wholegrain Milings, Burd’s Farm free-range eggs and Callebaut chocolate. 

Patchanida’s cakes are infused with the colours and artistic sensibilities of Thailand, with the word Mali, meaning jasmine in Thai. With her flavours, she plays into the warmth and pleasure of nostalgic childhood memories. There are a plethora of vegan and regular flavours to choose from. Go for traditional options such as strawberries and cream or chocolate and raspberry, or more creative flavours including brown sugar, miso caramel and apple, coffee and blueberry, and olive oil, ricotta and blackberry.  Custom cakes are available through the online store.