If there’s something worth waiting in line for, Melburnians will block out a morning in their calendar to procure it. It’s almost a sport for some.
For cafes and bakeries, this organic hype can become a marketing strategy. Create one or two signature items that people will happily wait for, and let the queue do the talking.
Melbourne’s most famous bakery, Lune, learnt this many years ago, releasing monthly croissant specials (perhaps coconut rough or Black Forest-inspired pastries) that create commotion and discourse. Queues at its Fitzroy flagship haven’t ceased since it opened 10 years ago, and continue at its four shops across the city.
Bun Bun Bakery proves you don’t have to be in the CBD – or have a slick Instagram account and a big marketing budget – to bring in the masses, with customers travelling to Springvale from all directions just to get their hands on what’s considered one of the state’s best banh mi.
In Caulfield, Sebby’s is considered a catalyst for Melbourne’s current cinnamon scroll obsession. Established in 2020 as a wholesale bakery, Sebby’s now bakes up to 5000 scrolls a week and has a second store in St Kilda. Still, drive past the original shop on any given day, and you’ll find scroll-loving Melburnians waiting up to an hour for one of Sebby’s signature gooey buns
“People know we’re the originals, and somehow we’ve built loyalty,” Sebby’s co-founder Sebastian Castro says.
The bakeshop was one of the first dedicated solely to scrolls, and now keeps customer interest piqued by frequently releasing new flavours, weekend specials and collaborations with local brands.
A1 Bakery
It might feel chaotic, but that’s part of the charm of A1, a bustling Sydney Road mainstay since 1997. Thanks to a devoted following, this family-run Lebanese bakery has since expanded to Fitzroy and Highpoint. At the original, bakers churn out freshly kneaded flatbread all day. They’re an absolute steal, starting at $2.50 for a herbaceous zaatar pizza bigger than your head. Breakfast platters make for a more substantial dine-in brunch, while wraps brimming with house dips and falafel or lamb kofta are quickly snapped up. Before you leave, hit the grocery section for jars of Middle Eastern pickles and pantry staples.
Must order: Molten halloumi cheese pies ($6) are a crowd favourite.
643-645 Sydney Road, Brunswick, a1bakery.com.au
Bakemono
The often lengthy queue snaking down Drewery Lane – a bluestone laneway just off Little Lonsdale Street – is worth joining. At the end lie pastries from a tiny Japanese-inspired bakery. Shoji-style timber frames are found throughout, including on the large window that allows eager customers to peep at the pastry kitchen before entering. Specialty treats include custardy caneles (pick from Earl Grey, rum-vanilla and matcha) while buttery shio pan salt bread and various Danishes and croissants make regular appearances.
Must order: Any of the croissants – crunchy on the outside, delicate and soft inside, and last year ranked in the top five in Good Food’s croissant taste test.
273 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, bakemonobakers.com.au
Bun Bun Bakery
Of course Melbourne’s Vietnamese heartland is home to what many consider the state’s supreme banh mi. Bun Bun has been a Springvale stalwart since 1998. Join the U-shaped queue, survey the line-up of glossy meats, but definitely try the shatteringly crispy pork. Staff in colourful aprons don’t skimp on the pâté (or chilli) so you’re in for a flavour bomb. Just find a bench to perch on as there are no seats in-house.
Good to know: You can only pay with cash or PayID, not card.
1/288 Springvale Road, Springvale, instagram.com/bunbunbakery_springvale
Daybaker
He worked at Tivoli Road Bakery, then spent five years at Small Batch coffee roastery. Now Charlie Duffy has a polished stage for his precisely formed pastries. Long-fermented dough drapes like fabric over the pork-and-fennel-seed filling of a sausage roll. Ham and cheese croissants are perked up with fermented green tomato, and a roasted broccolini sandwich gets a deli cabinet glow-up from fat green olives and capsicum-tomato pesto.
Must-order: Bomba Calabrese, a savoury pastry smeared with salty Italian chilli paste and finished with whipped ricotta.
66 Nicholson Street, Abbotsford, daybaker.com.au
Hector’s Deli
When Hector’s hit Richmond in 2017, it signalled a seismic shift in Melbourne’s sandwich scene. The team’s fine-dining pedigree didn’t mean adding flourishes for fancy’s sake; instead, it meant creating souped-up versions of staples we already knew and loved. These days, that’s less novel, but Hector’s prevails. Bolstered by new locations and menu items, Hector’s remains what many still consider the city’s number-one sandwich destination.
Good to know: The breakfast muffins give Macca’s a serious shake.
1/94 Buckingham Street, Richmond, hectorsdeli.com.au
Luke’s Banh Mi
Luke’s been busy – now with six banh mi franchises around Melbourne – but Puckle Street is where the magic started, and continues. The efficient crew weigh, assemble and dispatch well-filled rolls to hungry queues. It’s the little details that count: shatteringly crunchy pork marinated for three days, signature sauces, and “secret recipe” pâté and egg mayo both made in-store daily. Portions are generous, lines move fast and with all banh mi priced between $10 and $12, it’s a true bargain.
Good to know: It’s takeaway only, but there is limited bench seating on the street if you really can’t wait for the first bite.
11 Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds lukesbanhmi.au
Lune Lonsdale
Morning queues form like clockwork outside any Lune, including its fourth Melbourne outpost on Lonsdale Street. Dubbed “Maxi Lune”, the 418-square-metre shopfront churns out more than 6000 croissants a day behind its signature glass-walled “cube”. Peer in on the pastry being laminated, either centimetres away from an inside bench seat, or through a huge window from the footpath. It’s also got the most seating of any Lune store, with room for 50 people – so queues move a little quicker.
Good to know: On top of the classics, out-there monthly specials could mean peanut-pretzel croissants or “everything bagel” twists.
670 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, lunecroissanterie.com.au
Patricia Coffee Brewers
The sky is blue, the earth is round, Patricia heaves – even after 15 years. More remarkably, the coffee is good every time. The austere menu (black, white or filter coffee made using house-roasted beans) is the flipside to the cheery team working briskly, thriving on the buzz of tourists and regulars who will happily queue for an incomparable flat white and a treat from a top local bakery. In good news for office workers, the cafe recently opened a second outpost on Lonsdale Street.
Good to know: You’ll be standing in a nook, spilling into the lane or perched on a milk crate.
Rear of, 493-495 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, patriciacoffee.com.au
Pinned Coffee
Walk along Bourke Street and you might start to notice passersby clutching trendy iced coffee cups like they’re a uniform. Follow the mont blanc trail and you’ll find yourself down plant-lined Rankins Lane, where Melburnians queue for creamy espresso drinks at Pinned. The bestsellingLion Tamer gets its moniker from the coffee beans used, roasted by Reverence in Campbellfield. Get there before midday or risk missing out on pastries from new Richmond bakery May Bakes such as shio pan salt bread, Basque cheesecake and chewy choc-chip cookies.
Must order: The Lion Tamer - double ristretto, “secret” milk blend, cream and fresh orange.
Rankins Lane, Melbourne, instagram.com/pinned.coffee
Sebby’s Scrolls
Sebby’s is all about doing one thing well: scrolls, particularly the cinnamon variety. What sets them apart is Saigon cinnamon, which lends a sharper flavour than the more common Dutch or Sri Lankan varieties. It’s balanced by a generous swirl of cream cheese icing or a dairy-free alternative, making Sebby’s one of the few vegan-friendly scrolls around. Savoury flavours include cheese and vegemite and a cheesy pizza, while the monthly special could be a sticky date spin on the classic cinnamon, or apple pie.
Good to know: Weekend queues are often lengthy at the original Sebby’s in Caulfield South – head in early in the morning or prepare to wait.
367 North Road, Caulfield South, sebbysscrolls.com
Stefanino Panino
Nailing old-school Italian deli sandwiches in new-school surrounds – that’s what makes Stefanino a star. Mornings are for toasties, while crunchy ciabatta rolls headline all day long – stuffed with cold cuts or house-roasted porchetta with crackling and salsa verde. You can also build your own from a selection of salumi, cheeses, spreads, and fresh and preserved produce. Beat the post-lunch slump with an espresso and cannoli.
Good to know: Look out for monthly parma nights and other evening events.
Collingwood Yards, Unit 4/30 Perry Street, Collingwood, stefaninopanino.com
Vandels
Chef Shaun Quade (ex-Lume) and his partner, Veronica Fil, opened their timber-trimmed bakery in June and quickly earned a legion of hungry fans. Pies with soaring puff pastry lids (made with Lard Ass butter) are bestsellers. They might be filled with lamb shank, confit garlic and potato, or chicken in a mustard-cream sauce. Quade’s finely trained palate amps up everything from a simple pork-and-fennel sausage roll to a salted chocolate cookie made with nutty buckwheat and malted barley flour.
Good to know: Their pies are in hot demand so aim for an early visit. Right nearby, Ovens Street Bakery keeps the momentum going with legendary sausage rolls, well-priced loaves and danishes.
446 Sydney Road, Brunswick, vandelsbakery.com
Zelda
Fun-sized and dynamic, this shop does not stop. Its window is stacked high with cheese and jalapeno pretzels, sour cream coffee crumble cake, challah sandwiches and babka braided with rich chocolate or herbed butter. Toss in apple hand pies, spiced bear bostocks and bear claws, and decision paralysis is guaranteed – a situation made all the more urgent by the fact that Zelda opens just two days a week. Our advice? Arrive early, leave logic at the door and buy one of everything.
Must order: The traditional croissant – a feathery, buttery thing – took out top spot in Good Food’s 2025 blind taste-test.
54 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea, zeldabakery.com.au
Can’t see your favourite cafe? Chances are it’s in another category. Explore the full list of the 100 Essential Cafes and Bakeries of 2026 in the Good Food app. It’s available as a standalone subscription and is included in premium digital Sydney Morning Herald subscriptions. Download it from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
Good Food reviews are visited anonymously and paid independently. A venue can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the 100 Essential Cafes and Bakeries guide.
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