Bakeries & Delis

If New York is the city that never sleeps, Melbourne’s the city that never stops eating, and there are a myriad of excellent spots waiting to welcome you for a Monday wine-and-dine.

Finding that perfect combination of crackling puff pastry, rich stewy filling, and buttery shortcrust is practically a spiritual quest. Lucky for us, you don't need to make the pilgrimage out of Melbourne to satisfy your pie cravings anymore.

Once again May has crept up on us out of nowhere, bringing with it one very important day. It’s that one thing you should be prepared for, yet every year it comes as another suprise. That’s right, it’s Mother’s Day. 

Melbourne’s Japanese cafe scene has always marched to its own beat—espresso in one hand, chopsticks in the other. But lately, a new wave of Japanese-inspired spots has been quietly rewriting the Melbourne brunch playbook. 

It may be a whole lot colder but the prospect of a three-day weekend is one mighty-fine way to warm the soul. This coming King’s Birthday in Melbourne for 2025, Monday 9 June, a selection of Melbourne’s venues will still be turning it on for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. 

Between some seriously breathtaking natural gems, uber-exciting eats, and a range of stays to satisfy all kinds, Townsville has quickly become one of the country's best places to explore this year. 

The Melbourne edition of il Mercato Centrale, originally launched in Florence in 2014, offers a dynamic day-to-night dining experience, from light snacks to full restaurant meals. Located in the iconic McPherson building on Collins Street, this 2,500 sqm space has been transformed into a vibrant retail and culinary hub.

Today’s diners are more intentional, discerning, and value-driven than ever. They’re eating out more frequently, but scrutinising every dollar, expecting premium experiences without the premium price tag.

Geelong, it's only an hour away from Melbourne but it's a whole new world and there's plenty of things to get around. Here's the local inside scoop on where to eat, drink, play and stay when you're in The Pivot.

Is Melbourne having a cinnamon scroll redux right now? If we look at the facts, it might appear that the answer to that question is yes.

This one’s dedicated to all the gluten-intolerant bread and pastry lovers. Let’s be honest, the supermarket selection of gluten-free baked goods can be, well, uninspiring. Thankfully, we have a good handful of specialty gluten-free bakeries in Melbourne/Naarm that are reducing celiac’s FOMO when it comes to being able to get their hands on fresh bread, pastries and desserts. 

Whether you're a self-proclaimed bread enthusiast or a total croissant fiend after a fix you'll find something that’ll have your tastebuds doing a happy dance at Melbourne's best bakeries for 2025.

It could be a quick refuel, a boozy business meeting, or perhaps sharing a meal to catch up—lunch is a sacred part of the day for many Melburnians. We love lunch here. We're starting to steer clear from the grab and go, a hangover from (we won't say it) the past few years, and taking the time to sit and dine now. These are some of our top picks for Melbourne's best lunch spots for 2025, that are sure to impress your mates, visitors or colleagues. 

Looking for the best cheap eats in Melbourne? We've got you covered with a curated list of delicious, budget-friendly spots around the city. Dive into our picks for the top cheap eats Melbourne has to offer and discover how to satisfy your cravings without splurging.

Stuck in the Christmas Day food coma? How about washing it down with an ice-cold beer? Or pile on some more food to keep the Christmas spirit alive into the new year. Either way, we don’t want you sulking on Boxing Day, so get out, check out the lucrative shopping deals and keep celebrating with delicious drinks and eats. Here’s what’s open in Melourne on Boxing Day 2024.

Ah, Christmas—the season of sparkly lights, festive tunes and a to-do list longer than Santa’s. Between finding the perfect gift, planning events that scream “holiday spirit” and navigating the chaos of end of year celebrations, it’s easy to feel like an overworked elf. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you shop, explore and eat your way to a stress-free December 25th.

There are plenty of ways to make the most of the Melbourne Cup public holiday. It starts with a coffee at your local, then the day could likely mosey into a meal at the pub, followed by a cocktail and bite at one of the many watering holes open on Tuesday 5 November.

So what is it about these little shops—some of which have been operating longer than most readers have been buying mortadella—that are so very captivating?

Plus, win an adventurous Aussie holiday worth up to $3.5K.

Baked goods are officially the flavour of 2024. But what if they were all pink? Baked Wonder in Burwood is the newcomer to Melbourne’s sweet scene is dousing their entire offering in a pastel pink, from buttery croissants loaded with creamy raspberry-strawberry filling to pink-kissed iced tea—and we’re here for it.

In all things good and sweet, the institution that brings authentic Roman Italian to Melbourne, Brunetti Classico, is taking on Coburg with its first cake boutique. The empire has been kicking around for almost four decades with six locations spread out around the city. It was only last year that we celebrated Brunetti Classico expanding to Moonee Ponds, and now we’ve back in your feed to say hip hip hooray to location number seven.

Mochi, typically characterised by its elastic and chewy texture, originated in Japan during the Jamon period when rice cultivation began to flourish—and thank goodness it did because us mochi enthusiasts have grown very fond of the bite-sized treat. The dessert composed of glutinous rice flour has been tinted with an assortment of unique and authentic flavours and fillings. While it may be as divisive as boba (pearls), mochi has evolved into innovative forms, so if the classic gooey mochi isnt for you, mochi chews or spongey glazed mochi doughnuts might just be. 

Experienced in both crypto and hospitality, it only made sense for Guy Bentley to combine the two, pioneering Nouns Deli, formerly Stan’s Deli, in Australia’s first NFT-funded venture. Situated in Melbourne’s southeast suburb of Malvern, the quick-service deli is backed by NFT and Ethereum project, Nouns DAO—a community-driven brand harnessing crypto in charitable projects. 

Situated past the windy bends of the Great Ocean Road is Lorne, a tree-clad enclave and coastal town characterised by its thriving surf culture, shopping prospects, multicultural culinary scene and parks that edge onto the white-sand beach. With its easy access to the Otways and close proximity to the adored Erskine Falls, Lorne attracts a throng of Great Ocean Road locals as well as Melbourne city dwellers.

In a city that’s buzzing with bars, boutiques, galleries, theatres and high-end restaurants, you need a high-end hotel to match. Enter Hotel Indigo, Melbourne’s new laneway hotel smack bang in the middle of the action on the iconic Flinders Lane. 

The Exec Chef shares his Yarra Valley food faves—from cheap feeds to gourmet picnic staples and top-notch wineries for date night.

The culinary legend shares where to go for a no-fuss feed, the spots his kids would love to visit, and hidden gems for flaky pastries and cardamon buns.

The obsession Melbourne has with Asian-style desserts cannot be stopped, and we couldn’t be happier about it. Homm, a dessert store that exemplifies all the things we love about Asian sweet treats, opened its doors to La Trobe Street earlier in 2023, and has now expanded to another two store fronts, located in Melbourne Central and Box Hill.

Coburg is a diverse suburb located in Melbourne’s north, known for its thriving cultural scene, rich heritage and lush green spaces including Coburg Lake Reserve and the Merri Creek Trail. While neighbouring Brunswick may claim the popularity of Sydney Road, the long stretch extends into Coburg and boasts a multicultural hub of restaurants, delis and cafes that reflect the suburb’s diverse community. 

We all love a good sausage roll, it’s a quintessential Aussie favourite known to locals and travellers alike, be it just as a breakfast snack or a whole meal.  

​Country bakeries are as Victorian as bad weather and ragging on Sydney. There’s something in our DNA: we’re just suckers for a meat pie, BigM (Oak is for New South Welshman) and a vanilla slice the size of our head. And to be honest it’s harder to find a bad country bakery than a good one. Even if the food isn’t much chop—the fact you’re in the countryside paying 1990s prices more than makes up for soggy pastry.

To celebrate the release of the BMW iX1, we’ve teamed up with BMW to bring you the best (and tastiest) sustainable restaurants worth jumping in the car for. 

Dig into delicious dishes all over the state to find your perfect plate in regional Victoria.

The institution that brings authentic Roman Italian to Melbourne—Brunetti Classico—is coming to Moonee Ponds this November. 

A bakery champion, a quintessential purchase alongside a meat pie, two paper bags swinging in harmony, the vanilla slice is an Australian icon. Affectionately referred to as a ‘snot block’ in some circles, the vanilla slice originates from the French dessert the Mille-Feuille, a layered pastry and custard creation. The Australian variation usually cuts out the middle pastry layer in favour of extra thick-set custard and sugar icing on top, or a ‘fondant’ if you feel like being fancy.

An institution is a word that gets tossed around too often nowadays (we're guilty) however there are only select few bistros, bars, diners and delis around Melbourne who have truly earned this accolade. 

We want to help you live the dream in WA, so we asked the passionate locals who call it home to share all their must-visit experiences across this stunning state. Dive into our guides to the best places to play, eat and stay, steeped with local knowledge and all the tools you need to plan the trip of a lifetime.

While Essendon’s best food and drink may be less discovered, locals take cafe culture very seriously, so for those who know where to look,  it is home to an eclectic mix of hidden gems, either tucked away in the area’s nooks and crannies or perched on the busy traffic-ridden stretch of Buckley Street. 

If you're a big fan of food (like us) you'll be happy to know there are towns filled with farm-fresh food and local brews along this winding water source. From hatted restaurants to local wineries, consider this your gateway to the best things to eat and drink up and down the river. 

Via Porta is the family culinary venture from siblings Simon, Jonathan and Ryan Consentino. Together the brothers set out with the intention to share their family’s Italian kitchen and tradition of gathering around good food, first opening in Mont Albert in 2019 the Via Porta collective has just ticked over to three outposts with further stores in Hawthorn and Kew. All three Via Porta venues have their own identity but are unmistakably related—just like the Consentino siblings

Doesn't matter how you spell it, doughnuts or donuts in Melbourne are kinda a big deal. They're the ideal baked good, they're sweet enough to be a treat, yet usually hefty enough to be a meal if you're so inclined.

The cult-favourite THICC Cookies, an exclusively online gourmet bakery based in Sydney that delivers decadent sweet goodies Australia-wide, is making its mark in-store in Melbourne. THICC Cookies have joined forces with the burger empire, Burgertory to launch their loaded cookies and is here to stay. 

Exhausting their time in hidden commercial kitchens, Alice Bennet (Miss Trixie Drinks Tea) and  Alisha Henderson (Sweet Bakes) embarked on a quest to secure their own kitchen. After an extensive search steering clear of large factories, they discovered a site on Swan Street, now known as Co. Bake Space, which met their needs with a well-equipped kitchen and also surprised them with a charming retail space adding a unique touch to their business.

Roughly a 75-minute drive west of Melbourne, your next culinary adventure awaits. Steeped in art and culture, the heritage-filled town of Ballarat is the perfect place to indulge in a foodie getaway.

Just a 90-minute drive from Melbourne, Bendigo is a place where you can step back in time to get a fix of the state's history. Here, you’ll uncover a vibrant arts scene, old-world architecture and some of Victoria’s most delicious eats. 

With the temperature dropping into snuggle season, it's an ideal time to get away with your number one for a loved-up retreat

Consider this your shortcut to some of the best plates to taste in the Grampians and surrounds.

Not sure where to start the tastebud tour? We’ve rounded up the top nine eats you can’t miss on your next visit to Geelong and The Bellarine.

Brunswick, or Bulleke-bek in Woi Wurrung language, is the inner-city suburb in Melbourne's northeast. The area which was considered very working class has seen a raft of development and gentrification throughout the years but still retains its authentic soul, with a thriving community of artists and creatives calling the area home. 

We called on the experts (you guys) to suss out which dishes are non-negotiable. Pro tip: arrive hungry. 

There's nothing more quintessential than a croissant, sure there are fancier looking things in the display cabinet but you can beat perfected simplicity. Melbourne has countless pastry outlets churning out the golden-kissed baked good each day, but hunting down the very best is another entirely. 

There are two things Melbourne has a deep love for; the first is almost any speciality dessert, and the second is the flavours and culinary styles of Japan. This ven-diagram of passions comes together in a big way in this city, with several different regional delicacies, time-honoured staples and Japanese influences on favourites, taking form in some seriously beloved desserts. 

Despite being over a 2.5-hour drive, Echuca and the Murray River or 'Tongala' as it's known by the traditional owners the Yorta Yorta people still remains as one of Melbourne's most loved regional escapes.  

It's been two years since Melbourne was introduced to Warkop, and now the world of Indonesian and South East Asian-flavoured sangas is about to extend beyond the Richmond postcode with a second locale on Little Collins Street in the city. 

There’s no doubt that South Yarra is one of the more glitzy suburbs in Melbourne. Home to a myriad of boutique stores, stylish streets and of course, some truly quality dining, South Yarra is a haven for a chic day out.  

Quite frankly, croissants are the best way to start the day. They’re great for lunch as a treat; really, they’re perfect at any time of the day. The only thing better than a plain buttery croissant is one covered in and filled with almonds.

Convenience experts, 7-Eleven has teamed up with some of Melbourne’s most-loved chefs to bring you The Convenient Store. The pop-up shop will showcase a number of new offerings from 7-Eleven’s elevated deli experience, Johnny’s Deli. Crafted in collaboration with some of Melbourne’s top chefs including Shannon Martinez and Victor Liong, the menu boasts bespoke bites as you’ve never experienced before.

A direct result of the pivot many cafes made through COVID, Dröm is the all-new artisanal bakery that will soon be gracing the Bayswater region.  

The food and coffee scene in Bentleigh just keeps getting better, the southeast suburb has just landed its very own pastry and sourdough bakery the likes of which rival some of the best in the city. Artisanal Bakehouse which sits on Centre Road in Bentleigh is run by French-duo Aymeric Vincent and David Caillaud —who collectively have amassed over 20 years experience in kitchens as pastry chefs and bakers, including in Paris’s three Michelin star restaurant Guy Savoy, and Canne’s Carlton.

Not one to rest on their laurels, The team from Wild Life Bakery has just announced the opening of their second locale on Sydney Road in Brunswick. The all-new Wild Life Superette (small supermarket) will be a charming neighbourhood bakery, grocer and cheese providore. 

Imbued with real-life Parisian lived experience, JC Pâtisserie Boulangerie on Henry Street in Abbotsford is a pivot from the conventional Melbourne bakery mould. Helmed by youthful Melbourne native Jonathan Camillieri, the elegant boulangerie is the end product of over three years of training abroad. 

There's nothing Melbourne loves more than a boutique dessert spot. The city practically crumbled with excitement when Uncle Tetsu landed a few years back and now we're set to come apart all over again with the announcement of LeTao opening its first store. 

There's a bit happening out in the southeast suburbs of Melbourne. A short drive from the beach and just shy under 20km to the CBD the region of Cheltenham, Moorabbin and Mentone has started to brim with options.

After the Hotel Windsor announced its gluten-free offering last week, Melbourne has since been treated to another coeliac-friendly bakery, Glazed.

After developing a cult-followed movement in Sydney, Tokyo Lamington has just swung the doors open to its Melbourne operation. A joint venture between dessert connoisseurs Eddie Stewart (Black Star Pastry) and Min Chai (N2 Extreme Gelato). 

From a Gelato tour to taking it slow with your fave hobbies, there are plenty of options to leave the hangover at the pub. 

Everyone loves a classic choc-chip cookie, but the options don’t end there. For sweet tooths think thick New York deli-style cookies and for flavour connoisseurs think cookies infused with things like basil oil and miso-caramel. They may come in all shapes, forms, and flavours but there is one thing they all have in common—they are absolutely delicious. Thanks to the rich variety of gourmet bakeries, cafes, and Instagram cookie stars, you’ll find some absolute belters around town. 

It's been a big year for Penny For Pound, having only just opened their 800sqm pastry mecca in Moorabbin a few months prior. The third croissant outpost for the team is a quaint corner store on Camberwell Road. 

Mile End Bagels quickly reached institute status when it opened its doors to the warehouse locale in Fitzroy back in 2016, and now, they’re making tracks about town with a third location in Richmond.

Tour your tastebuds through these exclusive dishes that celebrate the joy of aperitivo. 

Supplies for every night of the week, sorted.

A mere hole-in-the-wall of the heritage-listed Windsor Hotel, Kudo is the new CBD bakery specialising in gluten-free bread and baked goods. 

Opening up just three months ago Cookie Culture Co. is the biscuit-led dream of owner/baker Amar Zaikra. The New York-inspired cookie boutique was the passion project of Amar, a former high school teacher who took to Instagram to hawk her wildly creative and thick cookies. 

Say goodbye to home delivery.

At this point, you should know that the vanilla slice is quite dear to our hearts over here. 

From films to fulfilling culinary adventures, this is the perfect culture-lovers escape. 

Vodka, gin, rum—if you can name it, you can taste it at Holy Water.

Melbourne’s west may be considered out of the way to some, but it’s home to many of the city’s best kept food secrets. Footscray is the vibrant, multicultural gateway for these untapped culinary delights, leading the way with its authentic cuisines, under-the-radar menus, and hidden live music venues. 

The humble pie has been a mainstay for many as a snack in the AM, the arvo and even as a fully-fledged meal. Often, it’s an if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it situation, with the classic beef option available at servos, corner stores and bakeries alike. A handful of pie purveyors, however, are dedicating their entire operation to the pastry-encrusted parcels.

From the same team behind Zero Mode who brought us those incredibly aesthetic cream cakes, Pantre is the new Asian grocer and takeaway store on the bottom level of Melbourne Central. 

Brush up on your pairing skills and add some retro snacks to your repertoire at a series of home entertaining workshops in celebration of CHANDON’s Winemaker Explorations Range.

Add these eight awesome activities at Essendon Fields to your to-do list. 

The baked good obsessed couple that founded the iconic Penny For Pound brand back in 2016 has expanded their pastry empire to include a second location. Ben Wilson and Matilda Smith originally started baking pastries in their humble kitchen but their sweet creations quickly earned them a loyal pastry obsessed fanbase. The brand new flagship store for Penny For Pound is a far cry from its first hole-in-the-wall Bridge Road location in Richmond. 

A pillar of south-eastern Melbourne, the sprawling suburb of Bentleigh on Wurundjeri land has seen a renaissance of sorts with a surge of culinary venues popping up on what seems like a monthly basis. Know for its more community-centric identity, Bentleigh and East Bentleigh sit as an entry point into the bayside suburbs and yet are still only 20-30 minute drive from the CBD. 

In the past year, Melbourne’s sandwich scene has been hurdling toward critical mass with a new deli—or hole-in-the-wall sanga shop—opening in almost every inner-city suburb. I’ve been fortunate to sample most, which has set some ludicrously high standards for what makes a quality sambo. Not all, however, are created equal, and after chomping down on several numbers from the just-opened Hifi in Collingwood, it’s clear this Smith Street window is gunning sandwich supremacy. Here’s why:

If you didn’t slide into the Tarts Anon DM’s did you even do lockdown in Melbourne? The clandestine dessert operation headed up by former Dinner By Heston chef and Lune alumni, Gareth Whitton and partner Catherine Way was a smash-hit when it kicked off in 2020. After two years, countless tarts, and customer demand that exceeded baking tarts in their own home as well as a shared kitchen, Tarts Anon has finally found a home in Cremorne. 

The Portuguese tart may be small but it packs a hearty punch. The handheld dessert has made a serious impression in Melbourne. The traditional dessert or ‘Pasteis de Nata’, are golden and crunchy on the outside with a soft and silky custard on the inside. They originate from Belem, Portugal inside a monastery where in the 18th-century, monks used egg whites to starch their clothing and with the remaining egg yolk crafted tarts, pastries and cakes. 

Just 18km outside of the CBD in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs, you’ll find Oakleigh. Famed for its euro-style dining and large greek community—one of the largest outside of Greece. This thriving euro-metropolis is one of a kind, unlike any other suburb you’ll find in Melbourne, where alfresco dining and smoking is somehow still on the cards. 

If you’re scrambling to find a romantic spot to take your Valentine this year, we’ve rounded up a list of all the best dates in Melbourne. Take the 14 of February as an opportunity to share the love and celebrate your partnership, relationship, situationship or friendship.

The meatball sub is a thing of beauty, easy one the eyes and a delight for the tastebuds. While subs vary from venue to venue you can expect that age-old combination of juicy flavoured filled pork and beef meatballs, swimming in rich tomato sugo and topped with cheeses from parmesan to provolone, mozzarella and more. 

Melburnians are spoilt for choice when it comes to pastries. We’ve got such an abundance of local, independent bakeries that churn out flakey pastries on the reg. But never fear, we’re here to cut out the hard work and help you find the best danishes in Melbourne—pronto. 

There’s plenty of good news about, especially if you happen to reside in the surrounding regions of South Melbourne. Hector’s Deli, the long-running Melbourne deli sandwich landmark in Richmond has just swung open its doors to a second fresh-faced sandwich store just off Coventry Street, South Melbourne. 

If you don’t like egg sandwiches it’s probably time for you to turn away. Introducing Eggholic, as the name would suggest they specialise in egg-based sangas—which they do bloody well. 

Nestled amongst an unassuming stretch of local shops sandwiched between a news agency and a charcoal chicken shop you’ll find, Neri Hummus Bar. A Friday-only operation that specialises in one thing—you guessed it, hummus bowls. 

One of the silver linings lockdown has brought upon us is the virtual bakehouses, cake connoisseurs and treat artisans existing within the realm of Instagram. The DM-to-order revolution has produced several Melbourne favourites, and the latest is Patiserrie Shino.

There are plenty of ways (and reasons) to get behind your favourite restaurant or cafe right now. One method is to order takeaway, the other is to order yourself some merch, rep it on the daily and show the world how bloody good your local is.

Cheesecake, what a dessert. The decadent, creamy, and often biscuit crumb-based cake is a mainstay of any balanced diet. Across Melbourne, several spots have each put their own signature stamp on the dish, so to narrow down the best we’ve stuck a fork into the most primo slices around town. 

Coburg’s Gnoccheria has been humbly serving up their fresh gnocchi, pasta and lasagna from their Coburg locale for some time now. Since, their goods have been gaining momentum with carb-enthusiasts across Melbourne, to the point where not opening a second brick and mortar store would just be denying the people what they want.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve no doubt noticed the influx of deli-sandwich operators that have sprung up in Melbourne over the last year. Through the last month alone we’ve had the opening of Jolly Good Sandwiches in Fitzroy, Saul’s opening a second store in Hawthorn, Bala Sanga in Balaclava, and Hector’s Deli announcing they’re spreading out to South Melbourne. But why is the humble bread and three fillings all of a sudden so popular? And why are some of the city’s top chefs hanging up the whites and instead slinging (some damn incredible) sangas?

World *insert food* days seem to pop up every second day, but World Chocolate Day is one we can definitely get behind. To celebrate the occasion, Koko Black and Black Star Pastry are joining forces to bring you the Meteor Cake. Available exclusively on Wednesday 7 July for one day only. This chocolate cake isn’t your standard mud cake—as the name suggests, it’s out of this world.  

Sourdough has always been a big component of the daily diet but recently had a moment during the baking craze of lockdown, and it’s easy to see why. The crackle of a good crunchy loaf with the softness of the spongy bread inside just hits different, especially dipped into a homemade soup or whipped up as a sanga.

Carlton North locals are no doubt fondly aware of Nicholson Street’s charmer of a fishmonger, The Fishmonger’s Son—and Fitzroy North will likely claim it as their own, too. The locale’s 100-year tenure as a specialist in the craft nearly came to an end, though not until Anthony Yotis and wife Laura di Florio Yotis took the keys three years ago to continue the legacy—and now, they’re redefining what’s possible as a purveyor of fine seafood.

We’re home, we’re hungry, we want cheese. It’s typically what you pull out of the fridge first isn’t it? Instead of laying waste to countless slices of tasty turn things up a notch and treat yourself to some of Victoria’s finest with a fully local Fondue house party. In support of Click For Vic, we’ve got a stellar lineup of our states finest fromageries and snack plate suppliers to help you get well and truly cheesy while we’re all at home. 

Well shucks Melbourne, we’re back to it for the next seven days. There are very few things that can you get you excited about returning to lockdown, but the friendly sandwich experts at Nico’s sure are giving you reason.

Saul’s has been thriving in Melbourne’s booming deli sandwich scene since early 2020.

If you totally forgot that Mother’s Day is this Sunday 9 May then don’t worry, you’re not alone. But curb the stress because we’ve got all the last-minute ideas sorted so you can retain that sweet angelic reputation in your Mum’s eyes. Whether you’re buying for Mum or a carer or special guardian, there’s plenty here to make their day special. 

The southside of Melbourne is having a real moment, the steady stream of new venues and sister stores to northside originals continues with Andrew McConnell's Morning Market hitting the strip of High Street in Prahran.

Over in the US of A, the humble deli dates right back to the 1880’s but for whatever reason, we’ve had to wait until 2020 for the streetside sandwich purveyors to take off in Melbourne. Now, the hype for a good sandwich is palpable down under, and the delis we’re seeing on our corners come with some serious culinary clout. The latest, Stan’s Deli in Malvern, comes from Guy Bentley, Todd Vanneste, Aaron Trotman and Alex Gavioli—some of the names may ring bells from the likes of Leonardo’s Pizza Palace, Leonard’s House of Love and Frankie’s Tortas & Tacos.

14km south-east of Melbourne’s CBD you’ll find the lively suburb of Oakleigh. Boasting a strong Greek cultural influence, this suburb is loaded with hidden gems and iconic eateries that have to be seen (and tasted) to be believed. 

After a false start when lockdown hit back in March, and a brief reopening between lockdown one and two, Nico’s has moved camp from their city locale to a pop-up behind a roller door in Fitzroy. And boy, their sandwiches slap in all the right ways.

They’re calling it the Christmas Coma.

The humble cannoli has held its popularity in Melbourne for several decades now, and recently we’ve seen more adventurous iterations on the classic dessert. The latest comes in the form of a savoury DIY cannoli kit primed for a Spring Carnival picnic.

Melbourne has seen many a culinary trend take hold of the city in the last decade. Mexican was having a moment for a while there, before that, Vietnamese had a sort-of golden era, and now we’re seeing the humble sandwich rise to glory. After a sell-out first weekend, Jolly Good Sandwiches from chef Raphael Exton-Pery is coming in for a second serving this Saturday, this time in Carlton North.

A Local Beer is about to release a beer made out of excess bread and fruit aptly named Banana Bread Brown Ale.

Northside institution, Babajan, has been keeping Melburnians content throughout lockdown since they pivoted to a takeaway style operation early this year. And now, the Turkish and Middle-Eastern eatery will continue as a takeaway bakery throughout and after lockdown.

You’ve probably heard the word “cream puffs” thrown around, but have you actually tried one? And do you know what they are? Well, Chef Alexandra behind The Choux, is helping you answer those questions.

Babka, one of the more underrated sweet, baked treats is finally getting the recognition it deserves thanks to ex-Miznon chef, Avi Azoulay. 

If there's one thing Melburnians need right now, it's doughnuts. And lots of them.

It's a wild time to be heading out to the local Coles or Woolworths at the moment, and you're probably best to keep your distance anyway.