A1 Bakery

The way to do A1 is this: walk immediately to the counter, place your order, and then—numbered ticket in hand—take a tour of the humble timber-paneled room to round up some baklava, pitted dates, yogurt drinks, frozen falafel, and hey, maybe even a hookah for later on. Just stay within earshot of the kitchen, as staff won’t call your number more than a couple of times. An institution of more than 30 years, A1 is famous for its Lebanese, Turkish, and Iraqi breads.

North of the CBD, indie-spirited Brunswick claims A1 Bakery, a much-loved Middle Eastern bakery, café and grocer in one. Don’t let any queue put you off: it moves quickly enough and any wait is worth A1’s citrusy, oven-warm spinach triangle. How to get it: Order to go and take a walk along Sydney Road, an atmospheric melting pot of inked hipsters, Lebanese 'aemam (uncles) and Sicilian nonne (grandmothers).

For the freshest rounds of Lebanese bread, go to the source of the best khobz (bread) in the city: A1 Bakery has been running the ovens here since 1992. Sit in for Lebanese pizzas and kibbe (deep-fried lamb mince in cracked wheat) or order a platter of dips and kofta and a falafel wrap to go. Don't forget the baklava.

Another Lebanese gem located in the bustling hub of Brunswick, A1 Bakery is a super popular pick among the cheap eats in Melbourne and operates as both a Lebanese bakery and Middle Eastern grocer — selling a variety of bread and Mediterranean grocery items, alongside a delectable range of pita, pies and Lebanese pizza. Most things on the menu are under $11, like the falafel pizza—falafel spread on the base and topped with lettuce, tomato, pickled turnips, pickled cucumbers, mint, parsley and tahini sauce—for just $10.50. Location: 643-645 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

643-645 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056, Australia Opening hours: 7AM- 7PM; 7AM- 9PM(on Thursday, Friday and Saturday) Phone: +61 3 9386 0440 Price: around $20 for two persons. Another Lebanese restaurant on our list (because their dishes are just that good!), A1 Bakery will satisfy even the most pretentious of clients with its tasty Manquosha pie or the spinach and cheese triangles. Have a break from all the veggies with an equally healthy Chicken Pizza, topped with haloumi cheese, mushrooms and flavorsome herbs.

The famed Lebanese bakery on Sydney Road in Brunswick has developed a cult following, so much so that they have opened two more locations in Fairfield and Fitzroy that stock merch, groceries, and of course, baked goods. A1 is popular for its savoury produce, including a variety of Middle Eastern breads, pitas, pies and pizzas with flavourful fillings and toppings. Customers can also buy a range of the region’s groceries, from baba ghanoush dip to cheese sambousik and a range of herbs and spices.

Golden spinach and feta pastries, herb-flecked boat-shaped shanklish pies, and sugary layered baklava are among the desserts on the menu this year. You can easily understand why A1, a Lebanese bakery and supermarket, has been a popular Sydney Road destination for nearly two decades when you see the delectable treats on offer. The ovens at this location bake a variety of classic Middle Eastern breads, ranging from soft souvlaki-style rounds that are ready to roll to five-inch pita pockets.

Young and old, friends and families, rusted-on locals, and new migrants are all brought together to break delicious bread at beloved institution A1. For little more than the change in your pocket, you can walk out of this always-bustling bakery with freshly made flatbread scattered with za'atar, pillowy halloumi-filled pies, and juicy chicken tawouk wraps overflowing with crunchy pickles and garlic sauce. For the sweet tooth's, the baklava is honeyed, nutty, flaky perfection.

It’s the thick, sweet stuff that has powered Lebanon for generations, and at A1 Bakery this black gold — Lebanese coffee — is served up to be enjoyed with syrup-drenched baklava and other sweet treats. Run by ebullient brothers Leo, Eddie and Sami Abdallah for the past 12 years, A1 is also the place to go for sumac spiced bread, haloumi cheese pies and sujuk pizza, along with Middle Eastern groceries to go (pomegranate molasses, sumac, tahini and more).

Lebanese institution A1 Bakery has been around since the 1992, and are popular for their affordable and delicious Lebanese dishes. The falafel pizza, which sees falafel spread on the base, then topped with lettuce, tomato, pickled turnips, pickled cucumbers, mint, parsley and tahini sauce, is a must try. The falafel wrap – falafel, pickled cucumbers, pickled turnips, lettuce, tomato, and tahini sauce wrapped in a fluffy house-made pita, is also great.

A Sydney Road favourite for two decades that's still one of our faves. This Lebanese bakery and grocer has been a Sydney Road favourite for about two decades — but too many people stop by for a quick takeaway treat, missing out on the stellar dine-in options. Yes, we are also obsessed with the golden spinach and feta pastries, the boat-shaped shanklish pies flecked with herbs and the holy layered baklava drenched in syrup.

A1 Bakery has been a Sydney Road institution since 1992, serving up Lebanese pizzas, spinach and haloumi pies, and an ever-busy atmosphere where students, families, and longtime locals gather over cheap, delicious eats. More than just a bakery, it also functions as a café and Middle Eastern grocer, offering essentials like sumac, pomegranate molasses, and rose water for those looking to bring a taste of Lebanon home.

Golden spinach and feta pastries, herb-flecked boat-shaped shanklish pies, and sugary layered baklava are all on the menu. It’s easy to see why A1, a Lebanese bakery and supermarket, has been a Sydney Road favorite for almost two decades when you see the treats on display. From soft souvlaki-style rounds ready to roll to five-inch pita pockets, the ovens here produce a variety of classic Middle Eastern breads.

A1 Bakery and its affordable and delectable baked goods attract customers from all walks — from students looking for cheap eats to Lebanese locals who appreciate A1’s quality among them. After you’ve enjoyed your sub-$10 goodies wander around the Middle Eastern grocery and become inspired by all the aromas and colours to try your own hand at Lebanese baking at home. Check out more of Melbourne's best here:

For 29 years A1 Bakery has been living proof that food brings people together. Tradies take five with a chicken wrap, keen cooks shop for pulses and tahini, Muslim families sit down for ful medames, while out front hungover 20-somethings nurse their heads and pick at falafel plates. But the cheese pies are the thing, a pleasing contrast of salty, stringy cheese and slightly sweet dough.

A1 is a treasured institution that brings together people of different ages, backgrounds, and nationalities for a hearty meal. Freshly prepared za'atar-covered flatbread, halloumi-stuffed pies, and chicken taouk wraps stuffed to the gills with crunchy pickle and chilli sauce can all be had for the price of a few quarters from this always-packed bakery. 643-645 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

Location: 643-645 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, VIC 3065 Ph: (03) 9386 0440 See Website For Further Locations. Rather like Oasis above, A1 Bakery is so much more than simply a local bread shop. Yes, they make amazing Lebanese Bread of all kinds – though our personal favourite is their Turkish Bread – but that is just a fraction of the delights in this fabulous store.

A cost-of-living ally, A1 Bakery has been serving delicious and affordable Lebanese treats since 1992. It’s a certified northside institution that dishes up freshly baked bread, pita, pizza, and pies as well as a whole host of Lebanese staples. It’s always buzzing as locals and devoted followers drop in for a famous zaatar and cheese pie.

When A1 Bakery first opened its doors on Sydney Road, it was a humble Middle Eastern grocer meets Lebanese bakery. For Melburnians, it was love at first bite and A1 has since become a beloved Brunswick institution. From Baklava to deep-fried lamb meatballs, there really anything A1 can’t do, but the MVP is definitely their falafel.

The kind you use to mop up oil and za’atar or hummus, or fold into a pie bursting with a creamy mix of halloumi, tomato and onion. A1 calls itself Melbourne’s “original Lebanese bakery,” a point that’s difficult to argue with. The tender marinated chicken tawouk wrap is the best we’ve tried in Melbourne.

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.

A1 Bakery is a Melbourne icon known for serving traditional Lebanese baked goods. Since 1992, they’ve offered a menu filled with manoush, cheese pies, spinach triangles, and fresh Lebanese bread. Their Brunswick and Fitzroy stores also include a mini market with Middle Eastern grocery items.

In 1992, the A1 Bakery opened its doors on Sydney Road in Brunswick, a thriving business district. Lebanese breads, pitas, pies, Lebanese pizza, and other Middle Eastern culinary goods were on sale at the bakery and Middle Eastern grocery shop. Address: 643-645 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

A1 Bakery first opened in 1992 in the commercial heartland of Sydney Road, Brunswick. Operating as a Lebanese bakery and Middle Eastern grocer, selling a variety of bread (khobz), pita, pies, Lebanese pizza and Mediterranean grocery items. Address: 643-645 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

A1 Bakery holds icon status amongst Melbourne’s halal food scene. This is the place to come on a Saturday morning to indulge in a smorgasbord of salads, dips, pies and pastries. You can check out all their locations here.

The Sydney Road icon has single-handedly brought life back to Brunswick Street’s decaying lunch scene. On offer are all the favourites: Cheese pies, spinach triangles, za’atar pizzas… we all have our favourites.

Bowling up to the brand, spanking new branch of the A1 Bakery chain, I am fully expecting a duplicate of its slightly older Werribee sibling.

They also went to the A1 Bakery nearby, a pho place in Richmond and a Szechuan place in Little Bourke (forgot the names)