Tivoli Road Bakery

If you're after a bakery in South Yarra where the pies and savoury pastries get as much attention as the sweets, Tivoli Road Bakery is a name that comes up a lot around here. Locals know it as a neighbourhood bakery-café where you can grab something to go, sit in, or have it delivered, and the coffee gets a good word too.

The sausage roll is the one we hear about most. Someone who grew up with proper New Zealand pies called it the best sausage roll they'd ever eaten, full of flavour and nothing like the standard version. The beef pie has its fans as well, with chunky beef and vegetables cooked down in red wine and a flaky top, though a few folks reckon it could use a touch more seasoning. There's a vegetarian pumpkin sandwich on sourdough that one local rates as the best sandwich they've ever had, and the bacon and egg rolls get a regular mention.

On the sweeter side, the crème brûlée pastry is the one people keep thinking about afterwards, and the strawberry danish, palmier and croissants (almond, ham and cheese, hazelnut) all turn up in the conversation. The bread is sourdough based, and the prep kitchen is big and well set up. People tend to say the staff are friendly, and one regular treats it as a weekly stop for themselves, their dogs and work morning teas.

One visitor found the sandwiches fairly average on a recent lunch and felt it had lost a bit of its shine, and another thought the sweet croissants were good but pricey for what they were. Most people leave happy, though, and the baked goods look as good as they taste.

Street parking out front is free, and they take cards and phone payments. They're open daily from the morning through to mid-afternoon, so it suits breakfast or lunch more than a late pick-up. Check the hours before you go, and if you want a sausage roll, don't leave it too late in the day.