Babka

Very rude. We waited 25 minutes with 2 children and were scowled at every they got in someone’s way. At no stage did anyone let us know that they knew we were waiting in the queue. I understand there are less tables to seat 4 people. No one communicated with us. 4 tables of two people were seated who were waiting behind us. Still no one communicated with us to let us know how long they thought it might be. When I asked the manager, the response was «we have a limited number tables.» Not something helpful like it shouldn’t be much longer. At this I took my family and left. Sorry I can’t comment on the quality of the food.

Stopped by for soem Babka but they didnt have any? Go figure. So we opted to sample their tarte tartin with cream on the side. Holy Moly! It was insanely good. The nice crispyness of the base which had soaked up the gooey syrup! Wow! I could indeed be back to eat one all to myself! You order and pay at the counter and they will bring it out! Tiny cute space that was very busy when we stopped by around 10.30 on a sunday!

This rating is solely for the almond croissant, I haven’t had anything else from here. It’s a very good almond croissant. Crispy outside, tender inside, loaded with almond and a nice hit of vanilla.
Not sure if I’d go so far to say it’s the best I’ve ever had (possibly a little too much on the sweet side), and I’m going to keep up the search (’tis my noble duty to the world) but it’s a mighty fine one and in a world filled with broken promises (I maintain that the almond croissant is a high-​reward but also high-​risk pastry item) the babka version will give you the strength to keep believing in (almond-​filled) love.

Coffee is superb. You don’t have to be a beetroot lover to enjoy the borsch, and the almost croissant was one of the best I’ve ever had. Go on a weekday as weekends can be a bit crowded.

Stumbles upon this place by accident!
Yummo pulled pork roll.
BIG servings — their sandwiches looked ginormous — good value!
Relaxed atmosphere and one of those places where you can’t decide what to eat because half the items make it to your — could totally devour THAT right now — list!

I mean, we really wanted to like it.
after coming here 2 years ago, D and I thought it would be fun to return to a place we remembered so fondly. We even got seated immediately and were so excited for our breakfast here. Unfortunately, as almost every table around us got served, turned over to new patrons, who then were digging voraciously into their food, we realized we did not need to be neglected. After being offered free beverages because there was a «delay» on one of our items, and waiting 20 minutes for said beverages to arrive, we decided we could no longer tolerate the wait. The servers avoided all eye contact with us and after about an hour of waiting, we got up and left. No apologies from the staff, ever. I know Babka is good and I really wanted to enjoy a pleasant meal there, however something must be done about this horrendous treatment of patrons.

Babka is somewhere I’ve been meaning to try for a while and now I wish I had tried earlier. I think this has to be one of my new favourite’s.
I ordered the blintz with cottage cheese, raisins and honey. It was very rich, but extremely delicious. I also had a chai, which would have to be in my top five chai’s in Melbourne, served how it should be-​in a pot!
My mum and brother opted for chicken sandwiches, it was obvious this place is foremost a bakery as the bread was amazing, with the filling be just as great.
I highly recommend this place for lunch or a catch up over a chai latte.

A small little bakery but it is big on quality. I love their breads. you can eat in but i havnt done that yet

Not the cheapest but it’s always FULL and FRESH … should make an effort coming in early …

Always busy as it is popular especially on weekends. Great breads and cabinet food. Menu is comprehensive and also specials each day. Staff friendly and courteous and deal with crowds well. Recommended.

Babka serves the finest food I have had in this city. The entire menu amazes me, the sandwiches a super standout. But also all the pastries. Look out for the Rasberry Danish.
Best in town!

So i’ll probably be crucified for saying this, but i’ve definitely had better!
I’ll agree that the coffee was nice, the trays of baked goods smell delicious and the complimentary plate of freshly baked white, rye and wholegrain breads were a real treat.
On the flipside however, the service was overly attentive in an annoying way. Mark ‘The Terrifying Sharptooth’ and I had one waitress try to take our orders before she had even given us menus, and then we had two more different waitresses try to take our order within 5 minutes of being seated. On several occasions, our coffee glasses and plates started to be cleared before we were asked if we had finished with them, and it was evident by the amount of coffee and food still in front of us that we weren’t.
We also chose to sit outside, which unfortunately meant that we didn’t have easy access to the two specials boards that were inside, which meant I had to get up a couple of times to go inside and memorise the dishes and prices as all three waitresses failed to mention them.
I also wasn’t impressed that my original order was unfortunately sold out at 1.30pm, and that piece of information hadn’t been mentioned to us when we were seated, so I wasted a considerable amount of time deciding on something that was never going to be, and had to hesitantly order something different.
My beef and burgundy pie was yummy, but for the price of it to dine in, well let’s just say I was expecting some sort of pie from the big pie in the sky, and the Russian dumplings were nowhere near as delicate as imagined; i’ve eaten better Russian dumplings elsewhere.
It’s a top place for bread and other baked goods, but in my opinion there are much better cafes out there to spend your hard earned dollars on.

Great coffee and breakfast. I had the beans and feta and husband had French toast. Both yummy and filling.
Coffee was really nice, atmosphere cute and artsy… Very Fitzroy.

In my fairytale life, this is the café that would be sitting pretty at the end of my aspirational leafy suburban street.
Cosy provencal interior, fantastic salads, seasonal offerings, delicious coffee and exceptional baked goods. The aroma and sight of fresh baked breads and croissants is beyond delightful.

I swear every waiter and waitress working here is waiting to be picked up as an extra in a movie. There is pretentiousness oozing from the walls. Damn I hate this place.
Why does the food have to be so good? Why do their blintzes have to be so very magical and feel like a warm hug with ricotta and sultanas and lemon syrup? Why must they simply be to die for? Damn I love this place.
In Polish Babka means grandmother, but it is also the name of several different traditional cakes, be it a spongy yeast cake, or a coffee cake flavoured with orange rind and raisins and almonds. That’s right, this place is named after cake and family. Damn I love this place.
With extra menu items that include vegetable breads and pies, be prepared to cue for a seat in the not so huge space.
And if you even think of bringing a pram in you will be set on fire. Maybe not on fire, but they won’t like it.

Every time I come here I think about the Seinfeld episode with the Babka. What a show, and what a delight for the sensors this place is. I love being able to have a meal so go that it makes me salivate just to think about what is about to arrive at the table and then after the meal be able to take a souvenir home with me from the gift shop (bakery, whatever you want to call it).
The last time I came here my friend ordered the borsch. For some unexplainable reason I have never in my life had the desire to order this dish, so many wasted years. It was amazing! Highly recommended. Also highly recommended are the Siberian lamb dumplings, at first when they arrived under my nose I was actually a little reluctant to eat them as the smell was a little of putting but once I had a little taste my life changed. What a flavour, sweet, salty, spicy and sour all in one. I could go on for hours about the other meals that I have had here but it would be better to wait in line and try for yourself.

Unless it’s some random and relatively rare hour of the day that Babka is not absolutely rammed with hungry, sugar-​starved locals, I can’t handle eating in here. It’s just too busy and I can’t quite relax.
That’s no bad thing though as the staff at Babka are only too happy to pack up whatever sweetie it is that you crave and send you off on your merry way, which is how I like to do it.
It’s no secret that the lemon tart here is legendary, and pretty much any of the cakey, biscuity treats are worth a taste. I’ve never tried their eggs or other savoury dishes, but if the sweetness is anything to go by, then the rest of it is bound to be a winner too.

Babka is a tiny Russian bakery that makes the most delectable pastries, breads and meals. The place can get so busy they’ve had to devise a clever system to make sure things run quick and efficiently. If you’re there for takeaway you must wait in the right queue and if you’d like to eat in, then wait in the left queue.
Everyone has a favourite here, some love their sausage rolls and pies, others the pasta, maybe it’s their borscht or the Russian blintz. Some swear they have the best lemon tart in Melbourne, and well, I have tried it and I must say it was damn good. So were the hotcakes. Slight crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Plus I’ve got to say the combination of strawberries and pistachio was so delightful I’ve used it several times at home for myself and to impress my friends.
There’s something so cosy about this place. The people are welcoming and I find the matryoshka, or babushka, prints on the wall outside kinda calming as you wait and wait for your turn.

This is one of the best cafes in Melbourne. There I said it. Prove me wrong.
Babka is an institution on Brunswick Street, always busy, always delicious and well worth a visit on any day.
Freshly baked bread and pastries (don’t leave without an almond croissant), delicious seasonal produce: cabbage rolls braised in white wine stuffed with beef and rice, ham hock and pea lentil soup, and ricotta hotcakes with honey and pistachios are just some of the highlights currently on the menu.
Getting a seat can be difficult, if it’s a sunny day then opt for an outdoor table, if there’s no space available then queue.
The chefs and wait staff are organized and professional enough to make service fast and still friendly.
On several occasions I have bough pastries and cakes from the café. The tarte tatin and Belgian chocolate cake are sensational, and Babka is home to my favourite lemon tart in Melbourne. Buttery pastry and citrus curd it is perfection in every mouthful.
The bread alone is worth the wait. Follow it up with the chai tea, it’s brewed in the pot with soy, skim or full cream milk and served with leatherwood honey. On a cold day the tea and bread is the perfect way to start the day.
Babka is consistently brilliant and worth queuing every time.

Do I really need to tell you about Babka? It has resided on Brunswick Street for almost 20 years and I think there would be public outrage if it ever closed.
If you use it as a Bakery you will never be disappointed. The pies are phenomenal and priced for even the poorest of students. Whenever I bite into the luxuriously soft bread, I remember that the crap I buy at the supermarket probably isn’t bread. The cakes are rich yet delicate — I’m not quite sure how they manage to bake juxtaposition into them but they do.
If you frequent the establishment for its café purposes you’ll be equally satisfied in taste but perhaps just the slightest let down with service. I’m not sure if it’s official but the staff is of Fitz-​Royal descent, so never expect more than a fading glance, a stern face to greet you and a napkin to soak the spilt Chai Latte (which, I might add, is The Bomb).