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Thaw out with a hot, hearty pie – from old-school classics to fun and flavourful fillings – by one of our best bakers.
Hot, gooey filling sealed in crisp, buttery, flaky, golden pastry. There’s little as quick, comforting and warming as a pie. But they’re often relegated to halftime at the footy or regional road trips. So we’re lifting the lid on some of Melbourne’s best – from old-school classics to decadent lasagne and fragrant red curry fillings. (Disclaimer: for this list, we’re sticking to bakeries, so that eliminates your favourite pub’s pie, sorry.)
Falco Bakery
Good luck trying to steer yourself away from ordering one of Falco’s supreme sandwiches – its chicken and egg salad sangers are some of the best around. But head baker Christine Tran’s pastry powers are just as hard to resist. Head to either Collingwood shop for steak and pepper, or chicken and leek, each in golden-brown buttery pastry, then sweeten the deal with a cardamom bun or peanut butter and miso cookie.
Pick of the pies: The signature Rockwell ($11), in honour of the late cheeseburger from the owners’ previous venture, Rockwell & Sons – complete with a Big Mac-style sauce and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
288 Smith Street; 156-158 Langridge Street, Collingwood; falcobakery.com
Pie Thief
Beautifully burnished lasagne. Stir-fried Singapore noodles. Vegan-friendly spaghetti bolognese. If it tastes good, Aaron Donato and chef Scott Blomfield (ex-Supernormal) will probably put it in pastry. The Pie Thief pair have stolen hearts for the creations at their petite Footscray pie shop (they also pop up at Carlton Farmers Market and supply stockists around town). Can’t choose just one? Opt for a tasting paddle of party pies. Genius.
Pick of the pies: The creamy, coconutty, aromatic Thai red chicken curry ($9.50) has been a favourite since day one.
297 Barkly Street, Footscray, piethief.com.au
Tokyo Lamington
Don’t let the name throw you off the savoury scent: there’s more than meets the eye at this bijou bakery. Just as its signature lamingtons offer a pan-Asian spin on an Aussie classic – in flavours such as fairy-bread popcorn, Thai milk tea and yuzu meringue – its pies eschew mince meat and tomato sauce for creations such as slow-cooked beef sukiyaki or Japanese chicken curry encased in shortcrust and capped off with puff pastry and panko crumbs.
Pick of the pies: The cauliflower cheese pie ($9.80) with a hint of wasabi and broccoli in creamy cheddar sauce.
258 Elgin Street, Carlton, tokyolamington.com
Bread Club
Follow the queues to this popular pastry purveyor for all things carby: its shelves are densely packed with pastries, scrolls, morty sandwiches, bread loaves and more. Plus, a rotation of internationally flavoured pies such as beef bourguignon, potato gratin and chicken goulash (they’ve even done collaboration pies with neighbour Manze, such as braised rooster, and trout rougaille).
Pick of the pies: The comforting mushroom stroganoff ($10) packs as much umami punch as any meat pie.
65 Cardigan Place, Albert Park; 558 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne; @breadclubofficial
Pieman’s Son
Like pieman, like son. Pat Cremean, whose dad founded Boscastle Pastries, is following in his footsteps with this old-school pie shop. Classic fillings like minced beef; chicken and leek; and beef and burgundy sit alongside slow-cooked Moroccan lamb; Thai red chicken curry; and a spin on spanakopita – wrapped in filo and loaded with greens and three cheeses – plus nostalgic sweets like apple pie and vanilla slice.
Pick of the pies: The chunky beef and mushroom ($9.50) in creamy white wine sauce, amped up with Worcestershire and wrapped in robust shortcrust and a puff pastry lid.
42 Bell Street, Heidelberg Heights, piemans.com.au
Smith and Deli
You might think butter is key to a good pie crust, but with the plant-based prowess of Shannon Martinez behind them, these vegan pies are identical to the real thing. The flaky puff pastry made with a plant-based butter blend is a sturdy vessel for seitan or TVP “meat” and curried vegies. There’s even a very South Aussie pie floater ($24) on the dine-in menu, topped with creamy mash, mushy peas and gravy, and sitting in smoky “ham” and pea soup.
Pick of the pies: The curried vegie pie ($10.10) filled with spiced cauliflower, potato and peas is a winner no matter your dietaries.
107 Cambridge Street, Collingwood, smithanddeli.com
Drom
This buzzing Bayswater bakery might be better known for its showpiece moon-shaped pastries. But those in the know come for the rustic savoury pies, which sell out most days. Think “Humble Meat Pie” filled with a hearty beef stew; a classic beef, bacon and cheese; and a one-off mutton and fennel.
Pick of the pies: Chicken, leek and mushroom ($9) sealed in shortcrust with a beautifully crimped puff pastry lid.
1/19 Scoresby Road, Bayswater, drom.melbourne
Wonder Pies
Another argument for the no-butter case, veteran chef Raymond Capaldi has finely tuned these deep-pan pies to perfection, subbing in vegetable lard for butter to make for a more structurally sound vessel. His four stores (including Baketico spin-offs) sell over a dozen pie varieties – including Thai green chicken curry, and braised lamb shoulder with rosemary and garden vegies – sealed in sturdy shortcrust, topped with rough-puff pastry and finished with a French glaze.
Pick of the pies: The luscious lasagne pie ($9.50) with wagyu beef bolognese, silky bechamel and layers of pasta inside a crisp shortcrust cup and parmesan-crusted lid.
Various locations, wonderpies.com.au
Baker D Chirico
Until recently, this local stalwart only had one pie on the menu. That tells you it means business (that, and the $14 price tag). The time-honoured beef ragu, and new-addition chicken and leek, are each sealed in crisp, buttery, golden brown shortcrust from top to bottom, making for particularly crunchy and robust pies. They’re also heated to order (there’s no pie warmer among the tiny bakery’s crammed line-up of bomboloni, caneles, breads and more).
Pick of the pies: The original and the best: the beef ragu pie ($14) with tender chunks of slow-cooked beef and vegies.
183 Domain Road, South Yarra; 178 Faraday Street, Carlton; bakerdchirico.com.au
A1 Bakery
The cheese pie at this northside institution is one of the Great Melbourne Snacks. The pillowy soft foldovers are filled with shredded halloumi, then baked until golden for a simple, salty, slightly sweet treat. It’s one of many handheld hits here, alongside the famous falafel wraps and pie-adjacent parcels, such as spinach and feta triangles.
Pick of the pies: The half-moon-shaped cheese pie ($6) with its stringy halloumi inside slightly sweetened pastry is impossible to resist.
643-645 Sydney Road, Brunswick; 122 Station Street, Fairfield; 295 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy; a1bakery.com.au
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