Babka Bakery Cafe

Babka Bakery Cafe in Fitzroy is the kind of bakery people walk past for months, wonder about, and then wish they'd stepped into sooner. Locals describe a small, charming shopfront where everything tastes made by hand rather than churned out in bulk, and where the cabinet is hard to choose from.

Pies are what it's best known for, and the lamb pie gets singled out in particular, best eaten with the house-made relish. Sausage rolls and a cheese, spinach, pine nut and silverbeet pastry earn their own fans, and the bread has people making a special trip from across Melbourne. On the sweet side, we hear about the lemon tart again and again, along with the carrot cake, almond croissant, a flourless orange cake and, of course, the babka. One local who studied pastry said they could taste the quality of the ingredients, and another who admits to not usually bothering with cake now plans to return for every birthday.

It's a cafe as well, so you can sit down or take away. Coffee is a talking point, and breakfast is on, with omelettes, a salmon quiche and a gluten-free sourdough option. Tea drinkers rave about the delicate earl grey, and the chai gets a nod too. Pick-up in store is available, and there's free street parking nearby, which is handy in this part of Fitzroy.

Staff come across as warm and genuinely friendly. When one mix-up happened with an order, it was fixed quickly and a few free biscuits were sent along as an apology. Someone who arrived just as the team were packing up was still welcomed in to browse the cake cabinet. Value gets a thumbs up as well, with generous slices and fair prices for the quality. One visitor did note that dining in costs a little extra, so takeaway is the cheaper route.

It's closed on one day a week, so check the hours before you head in. For a pie, a slice of cake and a good coffee in Fitzroy, this is a bakery locals keep returning to.