Abla's Patisserie - Glen Eira

I called for a funeral to wait on the road, needed something after 4 o'clock to get a flight. had a coffee and was just okay, a little hot for a great coffee. but I saw a sign for baklava and while they won. an award in 2013 (previously 7 years) and may not cook around anymore, the baked on the display was nothing less amazing. had to have a few small ones and they smeared as good as they looked.

The restaurant advertises Belgian hot chocolate on their boards, but in reality, it tastes like the hot chocolate served in every café. It is delicious but overpriced.

We ordered a hot chocolate and a flat white at this café in Prahran Market, located in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra. The total cost was A$10, which I found to be quite expensive. The café was actually busy on Saturday, not Thursday as incorrectly stated. My hot chocolate was served in a cup upon request, but it was not very hot and tasted a bit watery. The male owner and waitress were friendly, but I didn't feel that it was good value for the price. This experience reaffirmed my reluctance to frequent expensive Australian cafés for coffee.

Ablas is a hidden gem in Prahran that should not be missed. They serve coffee that is absolutely delicious and can be customized to your liking. Their selection of hand-made baklava is extensive, so you may need to make multiple visits to try them all. Don't forget to try their home-made coconut macaroon biscuits, which are reminiscent of the old-fashioned originals before fancy macarons became popular. These biscuits are not available every day, so be sure to snatch them up when they are. The best part is that they are gluten-free and taste amazing.

The four of us had been to the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne in the morning and we decided to visit the Prahran markets for lunch and a bit of a wander there and nearby Chapel Street before cocktails in the evening. What we were...looking for was a nice cafe, good coffee and maybe a small pastry to hold us till dinner. Abla's attracted us with a $8.50 coffee and apple pie special. Pricey? It was a big slice of apple cake and the coffee that came with it was very good. A customer who had had the same before us announced when we made our orders that it was the best that he had ever had. What made this apple pie special was that perfect ratio between crumbly crust and filling; too much of one or the other and it just doesn't work. Besides apple, the filling had bits of different nuts and sultana. It made for great taste and texture. The restaurant also serves other Lebanese pastries.