Babka

Ph: (03) 9416 0091; 358 Brunswick St, FITZROY 3065

bakery-cafe, $ -, ** for Food & Ambience
Open Tue-sun 7am-7pm, Closed Xmas Day-mid-january; Licensed, BYO; MC V; No bookings

Mietta's Review
This is a very womanly restaurant. You are enveloped by its warm homely atmosphere and tempted by comfort foods, breads and other baked goods. And, everywhere there are women - businesslike behind the bar, shyly welcoming on the floor, all providing in the kitchen - the only male presence is kept in its place at the back tied to the baker's oven. It's little wonder that customers are content to queue for a seat at one of the dozen tables crammed into this small shop. There are queues, too, for the breads coming in a steady oven-fresh flow from the backroom kitchens. Babka has been mothering Brunswick St for a long time now, her apron strings always comfortably within the reach of her ever increasing brood.

Other published opinions

The Age Cheap Eats 2008 "Scoring a table in Babka's warm, white dining room is a cutthroat (and squeezy) business which is why fans often queue to the door"

The Age Cheap Eats 2007 "The time-poor should probably avoid Babka. This popular little bakerycafe keeps its own unhurried pace, which usually means a wait, but gosh it's worth it."

The Age Cheap Eats 2006 A bowl of borscht or mushroom and barley broth. A glass of wine. Breakfast all day ... This Brunswick Street stalwart does it all, and pleases a11.

The Age Cheap Eats 2005 "A SESSION on one of Babka's leather-cushioned chairs is a marvellous restorative. Breakfast goes all day, coffee is strong, teas are leaf, wine's by the glass and bread is fresh baked."

The Age Cheap Eats 2004 "BABKA continues to besot all comers with exceptional breakfasts (perhaps scrambled eggs with chilli and mint), terrific pies and a bevy of beauties in the cake cabinet."

Herald Sun Donna Coutts 31/8/04 "It's 7am on a weekday and Babka's regulars know that behind the steamed-up shop front there's hot, strong coffee ($2.50) and an intoxicating aroma of baking bread. This is Babka at its best: when the day's cold, the bread's hot and the crowds are yet to replace the hardcore breakfasters."

The Foodies' Guide 2004,Allan Campion & Michele Curtis,'You need to be early to beat the rush-this is one popular spot.Queue up for baker Nico's legendary shoo-fly buns,croissants and Danishes,or indulge in some of the Russian-inspired dishes such as cottage cheese blintzes,kippers or borsch.Top it off with fresh juice and one of the best coffees in town.'

The Age, Agenda, 14/3/04, Roslyn Grundy,'Beat the bread line at this boho Brusnwick Street bakery cafe by rocking up early or late-tables are in short supply...And with brekkie over, buy up some sticky shoofly buns for afternoon tea.'

Herald Sun, citystyle, 2/12/03, Michele Curtis,'Melbourne's top 10 brekkies.'

VE+T, March/April 2003,'Breads to dream about.'

The Sunday Age, Sunday life, Eat Streets, 26/5/02

The Age (Epicure), 13.07.99, author unknown. "For some, the combination of fruit, citrus and a yeasty bread dough in a bun shape with a sticky glaze is way too good to be restricted to one day a year, at Easter. So here is the news. Although not identical to his hot cross bun - Melbourne's best, some say - Babka's Nico Lewis bakes his shoo fly buns every day, and they're just as good."

The Sunday Age, Sunday life, Eat Streets, 26/5/02

The Age (Epicure), 13.07.99, author unknown. "For some, the combination of fruit, citrus and a yeasty bread dough in a bun shape with a sticky glaze is way too good to be restricted to one day a year, at Easter. So here is the news. Although not identical to his hot cross bun - Melbourne's best, some say - Babka's Nico Lewis bakes his shoo fly buns every day, and they're just as good."