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    Babka Bakery Cafe

    4.0 (26 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Babka Bakery Cafe Photos

    BABKA BAKERY CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Babka Bakery Cafe

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    Babka
    Emma W.

    Great coffee and breakfast. I had the beans and feta and husband had French toast. Both yummy and filling. Coffee was really nice, atmosphere cute and artsy... Very Fitzroy.

    Babka
    Celia M.

    This is one of the best cafes in Melbourne. There I said it. Prove me wrong. Babka is an institution on Brunswick Street, always busy, always delicious and well worth a visit on any day. Freshly baked bread and pastries (don't leave without an almond croissant), delicious seasonal produce: cabbage rolls braised in white wine stuffed with beef and rice, ham hock and pea lentil soup, and ricotta hotcakes with honey and pistachios are just some of the highlights currently on the menu. Getting a seat can be difficult, if it's a sunny day then opt for an outdoor table, if there's no space available then queue. The chefs and wait staff are organized and professional enough to make service fast and still friendly. On several occasions I have bough pastries and cakes from the café. The tarte tatin and Belgian chocolate cake are sensational, and Babka is home to my favourite lemon tart in Melbourne. Buttery pastry and citrus curd it is perfection in every mouthful. The bread alone is worth the wait. Follow it up with the chai tea, it's brewed in the pot with soy, skim or full cream milk and served with leatherwood honey. On a cold day the tea and bread is the perfect way to start the day. Babka is consistently brilliant and worth queuing every time.

    Vanessa R.

    Unless it's some random and relatively rare hour of the day that Babka is not absolutely rammed with hungry, sugar-starved locals, I can't handle eating in here. It's just too busy and I can't quite relax. That's no bad thing though as the staff at Babka are only too happy to pack up whatever sweetie it is that you crave and send you off on your merry way, which is how I like to do it. It's no secret that the lemon tart here is legendary, and pretty much any of the cakey, biscuity treats are worth a taste. I've never tried their eggs or other savoury dishes, but if the sweetness is anything to go by, then the rest of it is bound to be a winner too.

    Miriam S.

    Babka is a tiny Russian bakery that makes the most delectable pastries, breads and meals. The place can get so busy they've had to devise a clever system to make sure things run quick and efficiently. If you're there for takeaway you must wait in the right queue and if you'd like to eat in, then wait in the left queue. Everyone has a favourite here, some love their sausage rolls and pies, others the pasta, maybe it's their borscht or the Russian blintz. Some swear they have the best lemon tart in Melbourne, and well, I have tried it and I must say it was damn good. So were the hotcakes. Slight crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Plus I've got to say the combination of strawberries and pistachio was so delightful I've used it several times at home for myself and to impress my friends. There's something so cosy about this place. The people are welcoming and I find the matryoshka, or babushka, prints on the wall outside kinda calming as you wait and wait for your turn.

    Pulled Pork Roll

    Stumbles upon this place by accident! Yummo pulled pork roll. BIG servings - their sandwiches looked ginormous - good value! Relaxed atmosphere and one of those places where you can't decide what to eat because half the items make it to your - could totally devour THAT right now - list!

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    13 years ago

    A small little bakery but it is big on quality. I love their breads. you can eat in but i havnt done that yet

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    13 years ago

    Not the cheapest but it's always FULL and FRESH .... should make an effort coming in early ...

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    14 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Babka Bakery Cafe

    I also had a chai, which would have to be in my top five chai's in Melbourne, served how it should be-in a pot!!

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Fatto A Mano

    Fatto A Mano

    4.3(6 reviews)
    1.1 kmFitzroy
    $$

    A little hole in the wall organic bakery on Fitzroy's Gertrude Street, Fatto A Mano is chock a…read moreblock full of slices, pizzas, breads, rolls, cakes and pastries. This place is so small that it is not immediately obvious that it sells anything at all, that is until you catch sight of row upon row of its yummy looking baked goods or catch a glimpse of the queue of devotees that invariably snake out Fatto A Mano's distinctive red door and onto the street. Me? I was in the market for pastries. Lots of pastries when I stumbled in yesterday for a browse. The owner was a little brusque - but then in a space this small she probably feels as if people are literally and metaphorically standing on her toes - but the selection is wonderful. I opted for one each of the raspberry and blueberry Danishes which were nice - not exceptional - and, it must be said, a little stingily topped with custard and berries. My one qualm is what looked to me like burnt Danish undersides, but was apparently caramelised sugar. Either way the Danes tasted a little ashen.

    Positioned near the corner of Gertrude and Smith Streets, Fatto A Mano is a small organic bakehouse…read morethat boasts a wide variety of breads, as well as pizza's sold by the slice, cakes, pastries, and soups. With a queue that often spills out the door, the ordering process has a rather regimented vibe to it (a la Seinfeld's 'Soup Nazi'), and you can almost hear the eyeballs roll (from both patrons and staff) when someone doesn't know their exact order by the time they arrive at the counter. Thus, my query of "which is better - the roast pumpkin pizza or the spinach pie?" is met with the deadpan response: "well do you like pumpkin or spinach?" I suppose I had that coming. In terms of the breads on offer, Fatto A Mano is most popular for its sourdoughs, which are free from ascorbic acid - apparently quite a selling point for the more discerning foodie than I. At $6 a loaf (around 2/3 the size of your standard Woolworths white), it would want to impress, and fortunately, Fatto A Mano does just that - reminding you what bread is meant to be. The bread is moist, hearty and full flavoured and the various pastries on offer (both sweet and savoury) are dangerously decadent. Make sure to try the Blueberry Danish and the Bread & Butter Pudding when available (though most things on offer are so rich that one of anything should satisfy). Fatto A Mano is open Mondays-Saturdays (and closed for the entire month of January).

    Photos
    Fatto A Mano
    Fatto A Mano
    Fatto A Mano

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    Laurent Bakery - For the love of all things good

    Laurent Bakery

    3.6(12 reviews)
    2.4 kmMelbourne
    $$

    If you are in Melbourne/Australia, you should definitely give Laurent a try!!…read moreThis is one of the best, and one of my favorites Bakery/Cafe I have been to. I tried their Hot Chocolate & dessert cake, called "Monte Carlo". It's a Chocolate mousse with cafe creme & chocolate biscuit covered with milk chocolate glaze. The glaze outside was shinny, smooth, and light, which is perfect for me. Texture, creamy, but not too sweet. Dessert was great, and Hot Chocolate too. Located in the city, 5 to 7 minutes away from Flinders Street railway station by train (Melbourne, Victoria). A cute, nice, fancy French bakery/cafe in the city, nothing can be better than spend a free day with your friends/love/family at Laurent. Services and staffs are great! I didn't have to wait for long, they take good order, and give you great recommendations, and ask for your opinions after. Customers will always feel welcomed, and happy when the staffs are always smiling. Overall, great place + dessert! Try it out, if you have a chance, definitely worth it. Love and miss this place.

    During our two week stay in Melbourne we've seen a couple of these little French bakeries, one on…read moreToorak Rd and then this one on Little Collins in the CBD. Finally succumbed this afternoon. Pleasant surprise - they serve a pretty large latte in a bowl (like those I recall from trips to Paris) rather than the thimbles served all over the city! I also tore up a delicious lemon tart. Woohoo - good times!

    Photos
    Laurent Bakery - Bora Bora / Coconut Dacquoise, Dark Chocolate Mousse, Wild Strawberry Coulis, Coconut Mousse & Macaron

    Bora Bora / Coconut Dacquoise, Dark Chocolate Mousse, Wild Strawberry Coulis, Coconut Mousse & Macaron

    Laurent Bakery
    Laurent Bakery - My large latte and lemon tart

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    My large latte and lemon tart

    Babka Bakery Cafe - restaurants - Updated May 2026

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