Glick’s Bakery Cafe Malvern: A Taste of Tradition on Glenferrie Road

Glick’s Bakery Cafe is far more than a neighbourhood bakery. It is a living piece of Melbourne’s culinary heritage — a place where the aroma of freshly boiled bagels, golden challah and European-style pastries greets you the moment you step through the door. For locals and visitors alike, this kosher bakery cafe has become a cherished destination for quality, tradition and genuine community spirit.

A Proud Family Legacy

Glick’s story begins in the late 1960s when Mendel Glick OBM, a Polish-born Holocaust survivor, opened a modest retail shop on Kooyong Road in Caulfield. Having learned traditional baking techniques while working in a US military kitchen after liberation from the camps, Mendel revived an authentic Eastern European method for boiled bagels. The result was an instant sensation. Word spread rapidly through Melbourne’s Jewish community and beyond, and the Glick’s bagel quickly became a household name.

What started as a small bakery offering cakes and biscuits evolved into Australia’s largest and finest kosher bakery. Mendel’s famous motto — “If it’s Glick’s, it’s good” — still guides the business today. The family-run company now operates several Melbourne stores (including the popular Balaclava flagship) and supplies wholesale products nationwide, while remaining deeply committed to traditional artisan methods, skilled craftsmanship and the highest standards of food safety and kashrut.

The Malvern store, which opened around 2000, brought this heritage to the leafy streets of Stonnington. It combines a full bakery counter with a welcoming cafe atmosphere, allowing customers to enjoy sit-down breakfasts, light lunches or simply grab-and-go favourites.

The distinctive Glick’s Bakery Cafe sign at the Malvern store.

What Makes Glick’s Special

Step inside the bright, wood-panelled interior and you are immediately surrounded by the day’s fresh bake. Shelves and glass cabinets groan under the weight of:

• The legendary boiled bagels — available plain, sesame, poppy, onion, garlic, everything, soy & linseed, rye, cinnamon raisin, chocolate chip and more. Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy within, they are widely regarded as Melbourne’s finest.
• Golden challah — the famous light, fluffy plaited loaves that disappear especially quickly on Fridays ahead of Shabbat. Perfect for the Friday-night table, French toast or sandwiches.
• Artisan breads, baguettes, rolls and sliced loaves (plain, wholemeal, rye and more).
• An irresistible pastry selection — rugelach, doughnuts, croissants, hamentashen, biscuits, cakes, slices and seasonal specials.
• Savoury options and cafe fare — filled bagels (smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers is a standout), egg mix, tuna, avocado, cheese and tomato, sandwiches, wraps, salads, dips and good coffee.

Many customers stock up on Friday mornings, when queues for hot challah and bagels are a local institution. The cafe also offers seating for those who prefer to linger over a coffee and a fresh bagel sandwich.

Inside Glick’s Malvern — the bakery counter bustling with fresh bagels, rolls and customers.

A staff member carefully selecting from the impressive bagel display (Glick’s signature style).

More Than Just Baking

Glick’s is firmly rooted in community. It remains a cornerstone for Melbourne’s Jewish community while warmly welcoming everyone. The business supplies catering for offices, functions and events, and its products appear in homes and eateries across Australia. Special holiday offerings (such as honey cake around Rosh Hashanah or festive treats for Purim and Pesach) keep the calendar deliciously traditional.

The Malvern location benefits from its prime Glenferrie Road position — easy parking nearby, close to shops, cafes and public transport — making it a convenient stop for locals running errands or visitors exploring the area.

Customer Favourites and Atmosphere

Regulars praise the consistently fresh baking, reasonable prices, friendly service and that unmistakable homemade quality. Whether you’re after a quick coffee and bagel on the way to work, a dozen mixed bagels for the weekend, or a Friday challah to grace the family table, Glick’s delivers. The cafe space is bright and welcoming, with a mix of takeaway efficiency and relaxed seating.

A tempting spread of Glick’s bagels, filled sandwiches, pastries, cakes and treats.

Close-up of classic sesame and everything bagels fresh from the oven.

Stacks of plain and seeded bagels ready for customers.

Visit Glick’s Bakery Cafe Malvern

Address: 153 Glenferrie Road, Malvern VIC 3144

Phone: (03) 9500 8233

Website: www.glicks.com.au (Store locator and catering information available)

Opening Hours (subject to minor seasonal or public-holiday variations — always best to check):

• Sunday: 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Monday – Thursday: 7:00 am – 5:30 pm
• Friday: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm (summer) / until 30 minutes before sunset (winter)
• Saturday: Closed

Glick’s is fully kosher (Kosher Australia certified) and caters to a wide range of dietary needs within those guidelines. Corporate catering and larger orders can be arranged through the main stores.

Whether you are a long-time devotee of the famous Glick’s bagel or discovering this Melbourne institution for the first time, a visit to the Malvern Bakery Cafe is a delicious reminder that some traditions only get better with time. Pop in, breathe in that wonderful bakery aroma, and take home a little piece of history — one perfect bagel (or challah) at a time.

If it’s Glick’s, it’s good.