Lakeside Bakery

If you're after a Lebanese-style bakery in Reservoir, Lakeside Bakery is a name that keeps coming up. It's a Middle Eastern bakery at heart, with a counter full of pies and pizzas and a few tables if you'd rather stay and eat.

The pies are what people rave about. The cheese pie gets called fluffy, the spinach and ricotta pide and the spanakopita come up often, and one local who drives in from Heidelberg says the spanakopita is worth the trip. The Lebanese pizzas have a name for being light rather than oily, with fillings like meat, chicken, potato, cheese and spinach. Falafel and ricotta pie are popular too, and we've heard the Lebanese pita bread is some of the best going. For something different, there's a capsicum stuffed with rice and meat, and sujuk for a Lebanese-style breakfast.

Everything is described as fresh, baked through the day and often still warm from the oven. One regular mentions you can order ahead and collect your pies hot. They also do takeaway pre-made meals like lasagne, scalloped potatoes and homemade soup, along with a good run of sweets, cakes and pastries, and custom cake orders. Vegan options and catering are on offer as well.

You can take it away or eat in, and the seating and decor get a kind word. Coffee and breakfast are on the menu, so a morning stop works well. There's free street parking, an accessible entrance and car park, and card and mobile payments are all accepted.

What really sticks is the people. Staff are friendly and welcoming, the owner is said to greet regulars warmly, and it's the sort of place a group of local cyclists has made their regular stop. Locals also point out that the portions are generous and the prices fair for the quality.

Opening hours are posted for every day of the week, but it's worth checking before you head in.