Falco Bakery

Overview

A few tears might have been shed when American diner Rockwell and Sons shut up shop for good this winter, but it's a-ok, because the crew from Bar Liberty and Capitano has cooked up something pretty exciting to fill its place. Or, should we say, baking. That's right, the space at 288 Smith Street has entered its next phase of life as an innovative bakery named Falco.

For this venue, Michael Bascetta, Manu Potoi and Casey Wall have teamed up with Christine Tran (Tivoli Road Bakery, Loafer Bread), who's fresh from a stint at San Francisco's renowned bakery Tartine.

In Collingwood, Tran, together with Group Executive Chef Wall, is baking sweet and savoury goods made with seasonal, organic and local produce. The kitchen is sourcing chocolate from Hunted & Gathered and Birdsnake, dairy products from nearby Saint David, and organic flour from Wholegrain Milling in NSW and Powlett Hill in Victoria.

Jana Langhorst

At the centre of the 25-seat cafe space by Chris James Design Studio, which is built using sustainably sourced materials, are the cabinets loaded with oven-fresh Falco goodies. As well as a range of bread — that includes country loaves, baguettes, fougasse and fruit bread — you'll spy hot pies, fresh sandwiches, and grab-and-go sourdough muffins stuffed with egg and cheese (and sometimes festive ham). Speaking of Christmas, expect to find spicy gingerbread and mince pies in the cabinet throughout December.

Sweet-toothed folk can prepare for the likes of Swedish-style cardamom buns and addictive chocolate-halva brownies at this famed Melbourne bakery. Fruit danishes, croissants and a heap of cookies (with flavours like apricot oat and earl grey) round out the flaky, sweet options.

And because freshly baked treats make a perfect match to a nice hot cuppa, Falco is even roasting its own house coffee. Heading up the bakery's caffeine program are Manager Jo Watson (Melbourne's Patricia Coffee Brewers and Sydney's Paramount Coffee Project) and Roaster Tim Varney, who's spent the last six years at Norway's renowned coffee roaster Tim Wendelboe. Elsewhere on the drinks lineup, you'll find kefir from The Fermentary and Assembly teas. With all of this combined, Falco Bakery is clearly one of the very best bakeries in Melbourne.

Images: Jana Langhorst

Appears in:

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