A1 Bakery

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Posted 2024-11-12 by Jen ⇒ follow

Melbourne's Original Lebanese Bakery

Images - Writers Own

What can I say about A1 Bakery ! Located at 643-645 Sydney Road, Brunswick, we braved the Sydney Road traffic and headed out there over the weekend as someone had told us the night before how wonderful it was. And wonderful it was. It was no frills, chaotic, homely, friendly and welcoming like a big family hug in a humungous shed. That's how it felt. There were lines out the door waiting for diners to leave and free the tables, and one dedicated staff member taking care of customers biting at the bit to get in. The place was huge, wide and filled with locals and a good dose of multiculturalism filling the 'bakery' - but don't be fooled, this is no ordinary bakery at all! The prices are shockingly reasonable, and the three of us were full for $30 in total, sharing a platter and a pizza with hot Turkish coffee to wash it all down.

We absolutely loved the 'half and half platter' which had a toasted chicken tawouk wrap, pickled cucumbers, pickled turnips, lettuce, tomato, 2 falafel balls with pita and tahini dipping sauce. The chicken in the wrap is the best most tender chicken I've ever tasted. It was full of flavour, warm and toasted. Wrapping pieces of the falafel, and pickles in the pita and dipping it in the creamy tahini dipping sauce was a welcome experience. Loved the dipping sauce so much, we made sure we brought a container home. Pizzas at prices on the menu you would not believe (Zaatar from $2.50-$3.50, and we're not talking a slice), it is filled with generous toppings, which made it eat a little differently from a traditional pizza. For me it tasted more like a sorta wrap as it had so much on top, the toppings too heavy to be carried by the pastry slice that held it at the base. However no complaints at all. It was filling, freshly made and warm, and of course tasty, and I loved all the black olives strewn through it.

The Turkish coffee was strong and just that - a coffee with a stronger flavour and aroma, with the grounds settled at its base and served in an ornately painted copper coffee pot with a long handle. It was accompanied by miniature cups (like little bowls) with no handles, that held but a couple of mouthfuls. However, the coffee pot had enough in it to satisfy all three of us. At A1 Bakery , they do have a catering service and there's lots you can buy at the restaurant to take home. We bought a mix of baklava to take home at $15 a container as you can see in the pic and it's one of the best I've eaten in a while. It wasn't gritty and grainy, nor overly sweet. It was just perfect and very 'moreish' and didn't last beyond two days at my place. It made me wish I had bought another container. Everything we ate tasted like someone's mum had cooked it with love!

I was so tempted to buy 3-4 pizzas to bring home and keep it in the freezer for a few nights of dinner. If I were you, forget getting those frozen pizzas from the Supermarket. Just get them fresh at 'A1' and stick them in the freezer for future use or in the fridge for dinner the next night. They'd be far tastier than those frozen ones in all supermarkets. My imagination is running wild for a no-fuss get-together with family and friends. Just hop down to A1, get a load of their pizzas and sweets, and whatever else you fancy, for an easy work free evening of entertainment that won't cost you an arm and a leg. You can also buy their dips, sweets and more. Unfortunately, their Epping Store just closed down, but they do have two other bakeries at Fitzroy and Fairfield. Though I have not been to the two other stores, I dare say the Brunswick location is the mothership and the mother-load. I felt very at home and was very happy to be there. A1 Bakery has been around in Brunswick since 1992 0 their longevity, even through COVID, a testament to their popularity and the wonderful variety of food they serve at very reasonable prices. Check them out on their social media, and by all means, do get out there and experience their food and hospitality if you enjoy being in the bosom of warmth, community and ethnicity. They will transport you to another world, and the prices are great!