Correction (4 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources between 2 October 2026 and 4 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
Five dessert stops. Two are in Thornbury, two are in Northcote and one is in Preston. Tarts, celebration cakes, gelato and kunefe.
Every entry comes from the venue’s own pages: what it describes, when it says it is open, and what it prints. Prices appear only where a page printed one next to the item. Where a menu was images or a shop price was missing, we say so.
Hours and menus change. Check the venue before you go.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese custard tarts | Casa Nata | Portuguese Tarts (box option) | $26.00 AUD |
| Made-to-order celebration cakes | Mali Bakes | Stevie | from $155 |
| Gelato, sorbet and cannoli | Biancolatte | see below | not printed here |
| Hand-made gelato and cakes | Gelato Papa (Preston) | Vegan Bombe Alaska (gf) | from $49.00 |
| Kunefe dessert shop | Cuppa Turca | see below | not printed here |
Casa Nata — 846 High Street, Thornbury VIC 3071
Custard tarts. That is the focus. Its site page is titled Portuguese Custard Tart Cafe, and it says its open kitchen design lets you witness the entire process of making authentic Pasteis de nata. The hours on its contact page are Monday–Sunday: 9am to 3pm. Its product page prints Portuguese Tarts: Regular price $26.00 AUD, with the page defaulting to a multi-tart box option, so treat that as a box price.
On the menu (copied from casanata.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- Portuguese Tarts: $26.00 AUD
Order: Open the Portuguese Tarts page on its site and check the options before you go.
Mali Bakes — 627 High Street, Thornbury VIC 3071
Cakes, not cones. Its site says it makes cakes with high-quality ingredients like Gippsland Jersey Butter. One listing is a vegan vanilla cake with spiced blueberry jam and pecan butter buttercream. Its Retro Cakes page prints Stevie from $155. It also prints Scribbly Bloom from $160 and Love Bite from $150. Studio hours on its site: Wednesday to Friday: 9 am – 4 pm, Saturday: 9 am – 2 pm.
On the menu (copied from malibakes.com on 4 October 2026):
- Stevie: from $155
- Scribbly Bloom: from $160
- Love Bite: from $150
The build: Treat it as a cake studio, not a walk-in shop, and check its page before planning a pick-up.
Biancolatte — 331 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Gelato first. Its site refers to its gelato and sorbet, with a note for vegan gelato lovers. It also lists fresh filled cannoli, with lemon ricotta, chocolate ricotta and pistacchio ricotta. The lemon sorbet is described as made with Sicilian grown lemons and marked Vegan. Northcote hours on its contact page: Mon – Closed, Tues – Thurs 3pm-9pm, Friday: 3pm-10pm, Saturday: 1pm-10pm, Sunday: 1pm-8:30pm. We could not find shop prices.
Order: Online ordering on its site hands off to a store picker, so pick Northcote.
Gelato Papa (Preston) — 14A Gilbert Road, Preston VIC 3072
This one is in Preston, not Thornbury. Its site calls it a gelateria focused on tradition and the authentic craft of Italian hand-made gelato. It says it is proud to be Australia’s first Coeliac accredited gelato maker, and that all of its cakes are now gluten free. Its cakes page prints Vegan Bombe Alaska (gf) from $49.00. We could not find scoop prices. Hours on its Preston page: Saturday: 1pm - 9pm, Monday: Closed.
On the menu (copied from gelatopapa.com.au on 3 October 2026):
- Vegan Bombe Alaska (gf): from $49.00
Order: Start with the cakes page on its site, since that is where the printed price is.
Cuppa Turca — 262 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Kunefe is the headline. Its site says kunefe is one of its core products, prepared with special sweet cheese and shred pastry. It also says all flavours except vegan options are Maras Dondurma. Its page data lists opening hours of Mo 15:00-22:00 to Th 15:00-22:00, then Fr 15:00-23:00, Sa 15:00-23:00 and Su 15:00-23:00. The menu is posted as pictures, which meant we could not read any prices.
Order: Look at the menu images on its site before you go, as we could not read prices from them.
Quick answers
Where can I get gelato near Thornbury?
Biancolatte on High Street in Northcote refers to its gelato and sorbet on its site, and Gelato Papa in Preston describes itself as a gelateria focused on authentic Italian hand-made gelato. We could not find scoop prices for either shop.
Are there vegan desserts in and around Thornbury?
Mali Bakes lists a vegan vanilla cake with spiced blueberry jam and pecan butter buttercream. Biancolatte marks its lemon sorbet Vegan. Gelato Papa lists a Vegan Bombe Alaska (gf) from $49.00. Cuppa Turca’s site refers to vegan options.
Which dessert shop is open on a Sunday night?
Cuppa Turca’s page data lists Su 15:00-23:00. Biancolatte’s contact page lists Sunday: 1pm-8:30pm. Gelato Papa’s Preston page lists Sunday: 1pm - 8.30pm.
Where can I order a celebration cake in Thornbury?
Mali Bakes on High Street lists made-to-order celebration cakes on its Retro Cakes page, with Stevie from $155 printed there. Gelato Papa in Preston says all of its cakes are now gluten free and lists a Vegan Bombe Alaska (gf) from $49.00.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 2 October 2026 and 4 October 2026: OpenStreetMap and the places’ own websites. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, between 3 October 2026 and 4 October 2026, the date given beside each menu. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Casa Nata: openstreetmap.org/3376061062, casanata.com.au/contact-us, casanata.com.au/products.json, casanata.com.au/portuguese-tarts, casanata.com.au
- Mali Bakes: openstreetmap.org/617504716, malibakes.com/contact, malibakes.com/pre-order-signed-copy-mali-bakes-make, malibakes.com/retro-cakes, malibakes.com/menu
- Biancolatte: openstreetmap.org/6744765536, biancolatte.com.au/contact-us, biancolatte.com.au/shop-now, biancolatte.com.au
- Gelato Papa (Preston): openstreetmap.org/5257515298, gelatopapa.com.au/location-1, gelatopapa.com.au/cakes, gelatopapa.com.au
- Cuppa Turca: openstreetmap.org/12245679258, cuppaturca.com, cuppaturca.com/menu
