T. Cavallaro & Sons

This Hopkins Street institution is one of the longest-running businesses in Footscray, and one bite of the signature cannoli will tell you why. The rich patisserie cream, ricotta or chocolate is piped to order into a sweet, crisp pastry, both to keep as fresh as possible and avoid the dreaded soggy bottom. The recipes have remained unchanged since the pasticceria filled its first cannolo in 1956 — or perhaps even longer, with well-guarded family secrets passed down through generations of Cavalleros dating back to 19th-century Sicily.

Custom orders are available, too — you can order literally cannoli by the stack, as well as birthday and wedding cakes, and a selection of traditional Italian biscuits.

Pop by for a coffee (and a cannoli, of course) and check out the full range of sweet delights on offer, as well as the wide selection of mock pots also available for purchase.

Images: Julia Sansone