Melbourne is crazy for scrolls – here’s where to find the best (both sweet and savoury)

Call it the Sebby’s effect. Scrolls are rising up all over town, and dedicated scroll shops have become a bakery category of their own.

In Caulfield, Sebby’s 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. 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

But it’s not just classic cinnamon scrolls people are hungry for. Pull-apart breads of all kinds are found in cafes and bakeries across town. Tori’s in the CBD is known for its Korean street food-inspired garlic and cream cheese buns – a variation of which can be found at sibling venue Regulars on Little La Trobe Street (made with, you guessed it, shio pan).

“Shio pan and other pastries … they’re easy to enjoy on the go, and we’ve also seen a growing influence from Asian bakery culture, which has brought more variety and excitement to cafe menus,” Pan says.

Candied Bakery

This westside favourite marks a baker’s dozen years, but they’re not loafing around. The cake cabinet’s an enticing mix of cult hits and new tricks, including gooey cinnamon scrolls perfected over 11 years. A pegboard displays the daily bread (slicing is offered with a smile) or snag a sausage roll − perhaps sweet, juicy char siu pork. The same puff pastry perches atop a vanilla slice doughnut, a hat-tip to the original.

Good to know: Open for a pre- or post-Scienceworks pit stop.

136 Hall Street, Spotswood, candiedbakery.com.au

The Flour House

There’s plenty of pastry wizardry on display in 2026, but how many bakeries mill their own flour? Crackle-crusted loaves range from sprouted wheat with sesame to wand-shaped tordu flecked with confit garlic and mozzarella. Flaky, buttery pastries span the sweet – white choc-raspberry squiggles – and the savoury, headlined by hefty cups of egg, bacon, cheese and kasundi. Also in Hampton.

Good to know: The Highett HQ includes a cafe. Stick around for hot-from-the-oven pastries, croque-monsieurs and crisp buckwheat flatbreads topped with ham, egg and cheese.

3 Graham Road, Highett, theflourhouse.com.au

Groove

Just off the Vietnamese hub that is Victoria Street, this industrial-chic coffee shop has 40-plus specialty drinks. The signature? Ca phe trung, a famous Hanoi-style coffee that’s topped with a velvety foam of whisked egg yolk and condensed milk. And the most popular? An iced coffee defined by its head of sweet, salted Vietnamese-imported whipping cream. Also find various matchas and iced teas, plus burnt Basque cheesecake and creamy garlic cheese bread.

Must order: Ca phe trung coffee.

17 Lithgow Street, Abbotsford, instagram.com/groove.mel

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 (plus, glazed doughnuts and scrolls are also a specialty).

Good to know: If they’re sold out, scrolls are also available nearby at Hector’s Bakery.

1/94 Buckingham Street, Richmond, hectorsdeli.com.au

Little Sister Bakery

Jewish baking meets Middle Eastern flavours at this tiny takeaway space in Elsternwick where locals are greeted by name, hand-stretched focaccia is sold warm from the oven, and the aroma of chewy zaatar twists permeates the room. Scrolls and cookies are steady favourites, but the rugelach — pastry twisted babka-style with gooey chocolate — stands out. Also in Chadstone, South Yarra, Malvern, Caulfield and McKinnon.

Must order: Chocolate rugelach.

Glen Eira Road, Elsternwick, littlesisterbakery.com.au

Penny for Pound

This giant bakery-cafe is a beacon for sweet tooths. Ogle through floor-to-ceiling windows at croissants being filled with almond frangipane and tangy blueberry jam as you ponder your selection. The orange-poppyseed escargot is so zesty it’s like bathing in citrus, while cracking through the chocolate glaze of a peanut butter cup cruffin to reveal its oozing salty-sweet centre almost feels illegal.

Good to know: Nab a pack of pre-made croissants or pain au chocolat to bake at home and impress your friends.

7 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin, pennyforpound.com.au

Regulars

Led by husband-and-wife duo Prem (Tori’s) and Eddie Pan (ex-St Ali), Regulars is known for its finger-numbing, minus 85-degree “dirty coffee”. Beyond that, the menu is stacked with other specialty beverages like Kenyan cold brew with grape, berry and dark chocolate syrups and topped with berry cream. To eat, plain shio pan – soft, buttery Japanese salt bread – is the main drawcard, but there are also caneles, peanut butter cookies and fluffy pull-apart garlic shio pan, a riff on the Korean garlic cream cheese rolls at Tori’s.

Must-order: The dirty minus 85-degree coffee.

Ground floor, 38-40 Little La Trobe Street, Melbourne, instagram.com/regularsmelb

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

Simply Mike’s

Scroll shops are unfurling all over Brunswick (hello Roll Bae) with more on the way (welcome Scroll Lab). Are Mike’s simply the best? You be the judge of the tightly rolled buns, which come in classic cinnamon, plus on-trend and seasonal guises. The skinny shopfront’s scroll-inspired creme latte topped with cream-cheese foam packs a double-espresso punch. Croissants are filled with pandan custard or sticky frangipane, and crowned with flaked and slivered almonds for crunch.

Good to know: Pastries can be pre-ordered for pick-up, including cake-sized “XXL” scrolls.

871 Sydney Road, Brunswick, simplymikes.com.au

Tori’s

Tucked down a bluestone laneway, the vintage furniture at this student haunt matches the hue of its ever-popular iced matchas. Pair yours with strawberry and cream layer cake; a Thai milk tea friand; or cream-topped cheesecake in ube, matcha, or genmaicha with a surprise mochi layer. Can’t decide? Spin the cardboard wheel at the counter to find the slice that’s right.

Good to know: Open ’til 6pm daily for late-afternoon coffee-and-cake cravings.

28 Niagara Lane, Melbourne, toris.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.