Sweet Treats In Melbourne

From traditional afternoon tea to cream cheese frosted ice cream, this is my hand picked selection of the best sweet treats in Melbourne.

Warning: the post will cause doughnut cravings!

Shortstop Coffee & Donuts

Whilst it seems Sydney-siders (myself included) are crazy for cronuts, in Melbourne at the minute its all about the doughnuts. First stop on my doughnut trail was Shortstop Coffee & Donuts.

Recently opened on Sutherland Street, Shortstop Coffee & Donuts does what it says on the tin. They’ve taken the Melbourne coffee culture (wooden benches included) and combined it with a range of speciality donuts to create an incredibly cool new concept cafe.

The donuts are baked fresh in store each day (you can see the bakers hard at work through the clear glass fronted kitchen) and the flavours of the day are displayed next to their respective labels in a trendy cabinet near the till. My donut of choice was a banana, chocolate and hazelnut concoction, which had the consistency of a muffin and not the overbearing sweetness you sometimes get from a donut. As I was visiting first thing in the morning this was a great choice – although I’d love to go back in the afternoon and indulge in a Boston Cream Filled instead.

Find it: 12 Sutherland Street

Doughboys Doughnuts

Doughboys make some of the prettiest doughnuts I’ve ever seen. Since the moment I first saw one on Instagram I’ve been salivating. Their store at Queen Victoria Market is open from Wednesday to Sunday, which was unfortunate for me who wasn’t in Melbourne on those days, but luckily they stock a range of cafes throughout the city from Tuesday onwards.

I tracked down my first Doughboy at Kinship & Co on Gallagher Place, and boy was it worth it. In stock that day was a banana cream, hand dipped, glazed Doughboy with a dusting of cocoa powder on top. It tasted just as good as I’d hoped and has to be one of the most sophisticated doughnuts I’ve ever encountered.

Next time I’m in town for the weekend I’ll be heading straight to Queen St for a Doughsundae – a handmade ‘Doughie’ filled with Gelato Messina’s heavenly gelato. Need I say more?

Find it: 456 Queen St (for cafes who stock them click here)

Dex2Rose Gelato

Dex2Rose is another new addition to the Melbourne sweet treat scene. From outside it looks like another laneway bar – we were attracted to the crate seating in the alleyway – but inside it’s all about the desserts. Using liquid nitrogen your order is created fresh before your eyes, by ladies wearing quirky scientific glasses. The flavours, which rotate regularly, are not your usual gelato fare.

Although I was nearly tempted by the Peanut Butter Capp, involving Reece’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups smashed into cappuccino gelato, it was the Scarlet Slam that eventually won me over. Featuring red velvet flavoured Tim Tams smashed into red velvet gelato it was like the love child of a cupcake and an ice cream and it was good. Really good. The piece de resistance was the cream cheese frosting on top. Yes, cream cheese frosting on gelato totally works. You have my word!

Find it: 377 Lt. Bourke Street (access through Racing Club Lane)

Adriano Zumbo at The Emporium

Adriano Zumbo is Sydney’s famous master patissier but now you can find his sweet treat creations in Melbourne too. Zumbo’s Melbourne stores can be found in South Yarra and, more conveniently for shopaholics like me, also directly outside Topshop in The Emporium.

Zumbo at The Emporium features a pastel coloured array of Zumbarons (Zumbo’s special breed of macaron) as well as his pop art style tarts and mousse cakes. Zumbo’s Zonuts, his crazy cronut inventions, are currently having a rest but you will find a weekly changing variety of fresh cream bun instead – moreish salted caramel and red velvet fillings will apply!

Find it: Emporium Melbourne, Level One, 287 Lonsdale Street  

Hopetoun Tea Rooms

For something a little more traditional head to the Hopetoun Tea Rooms, which has been serving tea and cakes to the ladies of Victoria since 1892. Situated in the ornate Block Arcade, the Hopetoun Tea Rooms window display is a real crowd pleaser.

With cakes as bright and floral as the traditional tea room’s wallpaper, everything here looks as exquisite as it tastes. There’s an extensive breakfast, sandwich and tea menu as well as a High Tea option, which includes a three-tiered stand of sandwiches, scones and petit fours.

Find it: The Block Arcade, 282 Collins Street 

Do you have any favourite sweet treats in Melbourne I may have missed?