The finest sourdough in Melbourne? Attica and Cumulus Inc. certainly seem to think so. Baker Mike Russell, who also makes baguettes and bagels, has worked in some of Sydney and Melbourne's most iconic bakeries. And the student may just have become the master. Also in Prahran.

In addition to creative pastries such as brioche dabbed with Biscoff, the French-trained chef and co-owner does classics made with a healthy dose of French butter.

Huw Murdoch's fantastic slow-fermented sourdough loaves are well worth picking up to bring home, but we recommend heading to Wild Life for a meal if you can. Inside this striking converted warehouse, you'll find a mostly vegetarian menu where toasties are the heroes.

Inside a converted warehouse, the world-famous croissanterie’s Melbourne HQ takes the French pastry to a place you’ve never seen before. Specifically, a climate-controlled glass cube where the bakers assemble their creations beneath a striking LED light display. For the full Lune experience, book a seat at the lab for a pastry degustation with bottomless coffee. Also in Armadale and the CBD.

Bread is the main game at this baking institution. That said, no visit here is complete without trying one of the round doughnuts, filled with rotating flavours such as lemon custard, rhubarb and salted caramel. They’ve earned cult status for good reason.

This bakery specialises in treats that riff on traditional croissants. Find a knafeh number inspired by a family recipe, and a croissant topped with red velvet cake at this spot from pastry chef Jazmin Jammal Ladkani and her husband Samih Ladkani.

Boris Portnoy's baked creations are influenced by classic recipes and by his time cheffing in some of the world's restaurants. You might find anything from gianduja babka buns to Czech honey cakes here. Add in coffee by Everyday and some of the best sourdough in town, and it's no wonder it's always so busy. Also in Thornbury and Ivanhoe East.

Daniel Chirico is one of Melbourne's best bakers, and his bread is some of the best in town. But it's his wildly popular cannoli and bombolini that have kept us coming back for all these years. Just be sure to get in early, almost everything here tends to sell out well before close.

Two French bakers are behind this airy, mint-green bakery – and its spinoff across the river in Albert Park. They’re doing classic sourdough, fruit loaves and three-ingredient baguettes, plus creative croissant flavours and killer weekend specials. Also in Albert Park.

This Japanese-inspired bakery is from the team behind Little Rogue just across the street. It's selling whole loaves of shokupan (fluffy milk bread), flaky almond-yuzu croissants, Danishes piled high with berries, and soft buns filled with cream cheese, then doused in garlic butter.

A take on an old-school Aussie bakery by a team of hospo veterans. One of the owners happens to be an incredible baker, who's turning out rustic sourdough loaves, standout pies and mighty fine sangas. To drink, there's espresso or filter coffee made with house-roasted beans. Also on Langridge Street, Collingwood.

A Noma alumnus – and one of the city’s best bakers – has a sleek operation inside the Richmond Traders precinct, turning out exemplary European-style sourdough breads, danish pastries, cookies and more. Also in Yarraville and South Melbourne Market.

This is the flagship for the beloved bakery chain. The infamous Vegemite-bechamel pastries are a recurring favourite. Bloody Marys, however, are available all day long. Also in Maribyrnong and the CBD.

An Austrian-inspired bakery serving pretzels, sachertorte and unmissable croissants. On the walls of its former warehouse digs, you’ll see nostalgic murals depicting the owner’s favourite Austrian town. Otherwise, this is a sleek operation with baked goods to match.

An enormous Middle Eastern bakery, cafe and grocer stocked with hundreds of herbs, spices and specialty ingredients. It’s all tied together by a suitably Middle Eastern soundtrack – and the intermingling aromas of roasted meat and freshly baked Lebanese pizza coming from the kitchen. Also in Fairfield and Mornington.

Pop into this simple shopfront for house-baked tarts by the slice. On a given day there are at least five to choose from, such as the signature pear, a classic lemon tart and an ooey-goeey caramel and chocolate custard. Also in Collingwood.

This is much more than a bakery. Sure, the bread and sweets are great. But what you really want to do is stay for a meal. The brunch menu – with past dishes including mascarpone pancakes – is too good not to try. Also in Middle Park, Albert Park and Armadale.

A sourdough micro-bakery by loyally followed baker Maaryasha Werdiger. She's pulling crowds with her sourdough loaves, pillowy focaccia, beautifully braided challah and swirly chocolate babka.

Cruffins, strawberry-cheesecake croissants and stunning petit gateau in a matching petite shopfront. From the sleek marble counter, you can watch the team knead, laminate and roll its sell-out viennoiseries – some of which take a couple of days to make. Also in Camberwell and Moorabbin.

French pastry technique meets Lebanese flavours at this homey bakery. It’s a destination for oven-fired flatbreads, za’atar croissants, labneh crepes and more.

A research trip to the United States was the inspiration behind this Aussie bakery with a twist. Find lamingtons, fruit buns, croissants and cookies (think chocolate and marshmallow with sea salt), as well as organic bread and focaccia slabs.

At this vegan-friendly bakery, you can get pillow-soft milk bread by the whole or half loaf, as a classic katsu sando, and more. It’s an extension of cafe Fuumi Fuumi, which has locations in West Melbourne and Port Melbourne.

Behind this low-key shopfront is a vast sourdough bakery powered by a vintage Austrian flour mill. But it’s not all about bread – take a seat inside for loaded Middle Eastern flatbreads, fluffy American-style pancakes or a classic croque monsieur to go with your coffee.

Operating out of an old workshop on an unassuming street, this bread and pastry outfit supplies some of Melbourne’s best cafes. Head here if you want to go straight to the source – and be sure to pre-order its sell-out danishes online so you don’t miss out.

An affordable Lebanese bakery and cafe serving za’atar pizzas, spinach and cheese pies and classic sweets. It also triples as a grocery stocked with imported specialty ingredients to create your own Middle Eastern meals at home. Also in [Fitzroy]/melbourne/fitzroy/shops/a1-bakery-fitzroy) and Fairfield.

Queues to snatch Loafer’s organic breads, buttery croissants and breakfast sandwiches aren’t uncommon on weekends. Get down early for a sunny spot on the footpath, or cosy up indoors with a coffee while you ponder your choices.

French-born baker Quentin Berthonneau has trained at Vue de Monde and Chez Dre, and wants good bread to be as accessible as good coffee in Melbourne.

This bakery has been a Fitzroy North Village since 2005. Its versatility is its greatest strength: the excellent sourdough is bolstered by a line-up that includes plenty of pastries and gluten-free cakes. Don't miss the hot cross buns at Easter-time.

Visit this tiny bakery for knockout sweet-and-salty croissants, hazelnut pains au chocolat and asparagus and goat's curd pastries. But get in early and be prepared to queue – it almost always sells out.

Since opening a wholesale bakery in Richmond in 1999, Phillippa’s French-inspired delicacies and breads are now prized in restaurants, cafes, delis and farmers markets across the country. Pop in for breakfast and indulge in a croissant or pastry, and make sure to check out the fridge for take-home smallgoods and more.

For days when you’re not feeling sourdough, head to this smart bakery that specialises in slow-fermented breads made exclusively with wholegrain flour. Grab a loaf to go – or perch on a milk crate and tuck into Argentinian- and French-style pastries paired with Symmetry coffee.

This tiny bakery churns out a colourful array of coeliac-friendly cakes and treats – plus bagels, babka and challah. Need an egg-free, gluten-free celebration cake? A fodmap-friendly focaccia? Baker Yinon Hacham has you covered.

Lofty cakes, flaky house-made pies and a killer fried chicken sandwich are the hallmarks of this homey cafe and bakery from two Kiwi expats.

This retro-tinged north-side spot lays claim to being the city’s first plant-based bakery. Naturally, vegan gluten-free treats are the specialty, made from kosher, soy-free and organic ingredients. Try one of the decadent tiered cakes in flavours like peanut butter pretzel and popcorn mudslide.

Croissants, mille-feuille and melt-in-your-mouth pies are just some of Choukette’s specialties – but it’s also a pit stop for those who fancy a breakfast baguette with flair. You won’t find a more convincing recreation of a Parisian cafe than this when you’re on the north side.

At this dedicated house of Portuguese tarts, watch your “pastéis de nata” be made, then eat them fresh from the oven – flaky, silky and with a touch of cinnamon.

Bringing a slice of Paris to Essendon, this spot turns out textbook macarons, beignets and brioche made from a recipe that took six years to perfect. A visit here will transport you to the picture-perfect, slow-paced cafes of Montmartre.

This petite bakery is renowned for its cinnamon scrolls and croissants (especially the savoury one – go for the garlic butter croissant if not sold out). It’s by two French chefs that have swapped out the bustle of Michelin-starred Parisian restaurants for the calm of Bentleigh’s main drag.

With roots in Puglia and Calabria, Italian pride runs thick through this bakery’s copper pipes. That means generational recipes, Italian-speaking staff and a standout ciabatta with a crunchy crust and a light, airy inside.

The Camberwell bakery is one of the city’s most inventive. Come for pillowy house-shaped loaves, cream-filled pretzels and more.

From humble beginnings in St Kilda, Woodfrog has since built a steadfast following and expanded with locations bayside, in the CBD and eastern suburbs. Once you’ve tried its fermented sourdough loaves and chewy bagels, you’ll understand the hype. Also in Malvern, Camberwell, Elwood and more.

By an ex-Sunda pastry chef, Kudo serves all sorts of coeliac-friendly creations – like baguettes, cakes and cookies, and chewy, custardy canelés in left-of-centre flavours.

Try 15 types of salt bread, a buttery Korean and Japanese speciality not unlike a dinner roll, at this compact bakery.

Cult-followed lamingtons by a former Black Star Pastry chef. Alongside its playful range of lamingtons (think yuzu curd and cream; and fairy-bread popcorn), expect made-to-order onigiri, pork-katsu sausage rolls and miso-mushroom pies.

This patisserie is a small slice of French life. Its Paris-bred owner serves fluffy almond croissants, much-loved cheese sticks, sourdough baguettes and more – until they sell out.

This family-run bakery serves up Middle Eastern-inspired pita pockets, bagels, challah and loaves. Bag a loaf of bread for home or pick up its grab-and-go lunches of shakshuka-stuffed pita pockets, and bread twists topped with fragrant za’atar. Also in McKinnon and Malvern.

A grand chandelier and marbled walls give this tiny French patisserie an extra dose of opulence. That’s before you get to the Paris-inspired madeleines, baguettes, house-blended coffee, and a new take on the classic croissant.

It doesn’t get more hole-in-the-wall than this backstreet bakery, which started as a lockdown project. Its roller door rises early to serve sourdough loaves, flaky croissants and a knockout sausage-roll-croissant hybrid.

Watch the bakers in action at this queue-worthy bakery, where creative croissants are made over three days. Try those alongside picture-perfect cakes, triple-cheese toasties, Basque cheesecake by the slice and more.

The couple behind it lived in Copenhagen for three years, and wanted to bring their love for Danish bread to Melbourne. Find sticky-sweet cardamom buns and an artisanal loaf as big as a cushion – served with a hearty helping of hygge.

It’s all about the standout cinnamon scrolls at this corner store. Expect oozing, super-soft layers of dough, cinnamon and caramelised brown sugar with a heaped layer of cream cheese icing. Plus, savoury scrolls, hot chocolate and coffee.

A day-to-night bakehouse and brasserie serving sourdough and laminated pastries in the mornings, and refined dishes by an ex-Gimlet chef around lunch. It’s by the group behind Sunda and Aru.

The viral self-taught baker behind Raya has caught the attention of Vogue and MoMA. Come for singular cakes, jumbo cookies, and the signature kuih (petite, glutinous desserts with mung bean paste, coconut and more).

Familiar with piononos, glaseados, doblegats or xuixos? You’re about to be. This one-woman show specialises in regional sweets and pastries, from syrupy sponge cakes filled with custard to one of the oldest desserts in Spain.

Ex-Attica pastry chef Rosemary Andrews is known for her picture-perfect sweets. Here, find her singular layer cakes (think flavours like honey-misu), Negroni chocolate tarts and fluffy focaccia alongside Market Lane coffee.

What happens when a Paris-trained baker and an ex-civil engineer open a bakery? Ocab happens: a friendly spot with outstanding flaky croissants (including a Vegemite spin-off), French flans, crumbly Persian tarts and more.

A light-filled bakery best known for its brownie-croissant hybrid. Its owner, an ex-Dinner by Heston Blumenthal pastry chef, has also served hazelnut croissants, chocolate babka and inventive toasties.

This tiny pastry shop, set in a bustling north-side market, serves traditional French pastries with a Hong Kong twist. Find choux-pastry swans, caramelised hazelnut eclairs and Hong Kong-style jellies.

A third-gen baker is behind this micro-bakery, where Basque cheesecake might come spiked with yuzu or ube. Plus, find a rotation of takeaway-friendly focaccias, ham and cheese scrolls, and more.

It feels like your grandma’s lounge room – in the best way. And in true grandma style, it’s nailed the art of afternoon tea. Go for Japanese shortcake and Basque burnt cheesecake by the slice, plus topnotch matcha and matcha madeleines.

Fancy a sliver or a slab? This deli-style bakery in a light-filled warehouse is dedicated to cheesecakes. You can sample its offerings before you buy – like Basque cheesecake, a New York-style number and pandan.

Top local restaurants and bars (like Aru and Bar Bellamy) love the loaves at this this micro-bakery. Head to this suburban shopfront for its famous sourdough, as well as fruit bread, fougasse and fluffy focaccia.

Among a strong selection of Asian-inspired viennoiserie, you’ll also find focaccia pizza for lunch and specialty drinks that can be served with three baby croissants on a skewer.