Where to find Melbourne’s best hot cross buns

With its neon signs and bright pink and yellow tables, Candied Bakery is hard to miss and you really wouldn’t want to!

Baker Orlando Artavilla and chef Toula Ploumidis are the husband and wife duo behind what they describe as an “Aussie bakery with an American Twist”.

Famous for their Nutella croissants and cheeseburger sausage rolls, amongst many other fine baked things, their hot cross buns land them on all the right lists year after year.

Made with a sourdough starter, hand-ground fresh spices and intense orange flavours, you can order these fragrant buns online or pick them up from the store.

Even if you order ahead, expect a line, especially over the weekends, but trust us, they are well worth the wait!

Dish Cult’s top pick: Hot cross buns (six for $19.50)

Wander down South Yarra’s iconic Chapel St and you’ll find
Rustica, a shrine to all things bakery. While the space is elegantly modern, with high ceilings, it’s the glass walled bakery behind the counter that really makes an impression.

If you come early enough, you can watch the bakers hard at work, crafting the hot cross buns from the freshest local and sustainable produce. The buns themselves have a great balance of spices and citrus that really leaves you wanting more.

If buns aren’t your thing, know that Rustica is also bringing back last year’s hit hot cross bun donut with cardamom brandy cremé. I know where I’m going…

Dish Cult’s top pick: Hot cross buns (six for $20)

Falco might be a tiny local bakery on Smith St in Collingwood, but you’ll feel a big, warm welcome from the moment you step inside.

The space is cosy, the staff are passionate and the hot cross buns are top notch. If you’re looking for some crazy hot cross bun mash-up, go somewhere else because this bakery loves tradition.

Falco’s brioche buns are fragrant with freshly ground spices and feature the perfect ratio of fruit to dough. Whether you go plain or toasted, slather your HCB in butter and be safe in the knowledge that it will be one of the best you’re ever going to taste.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Hot cross buns (six for $24 or $4.50 each)

French bakers Tim Beylie and Brice Antier opened Bread Club in the early days of Covid to create a local bread store just like one you would find in Paris (well, if Paris was a suburb of Melbourne!).

Currently serving takeaway only, this minimalist all-mint green shop invites you in by stacking its gorgeous sourdough bread on racks in the window.

The hot cross buns are made two ways here. The originals are for citrus lovers, as they are fresh and full of fruit. The other HCBs are rich, dreamy and made with the highest quality chocolate. Either way, you might have to wait in a queue to get them, but your taste buds will be rewarded.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Original (six for $20 or $3.50 each); Chocolate (six for $22 or $4 each)

Sydney import Black Star Pastry, insta-famous for its Watermelon strawberry cake, made a big splash with its vegan hot cross buns last year, and they are set to do it all again this year.

From the end of March, you will have to be quick and head to the Chadstone store to get these vegan buns glazed with a sticky frankincense syrup that adds a perfect balance of sweetness to the deliciously soft buns. Put March 28 in your diary, if you haven’t already!

Dish Cult’s top pick: Vegan hot cross buns

Looking for more Easter treats? Check out where to find the best Easter chocolate and eggs in Melbourne here.