Could this be Melbourne’s best cannoli? Well…I’d have to say it comes pretty close, if not nails the title quite squarely.

T.Cavallaro & Sons have been dolling out these little tubes of custardy goodness for many years. And they aren’t on display getting all soggy like in most other shops. You sidle up to the counter and place your order - vanilla, chocolate, vanilla and chocolate, or traditional ricotta. The staff then whip out back and pipe your cannoli fresh. That’s right - on demand cannoli.

The pastry - oh my - the pastry. It is crisp, crunchy and bubbled from the boiling oil, but more of a surprise is the taste of marsala. Mmm. And the crema pasticcera (custard) piped into the cylinders is divinely and wickedly sweet. Some poor sod has stood over a hot pot of milk, egg, sugar and flour and stirred this baby till it thickened.

One can also purchase the equally good Brutti ma buoni - which literally transaltes as the “ugly but good” cookie. Yes, they may not be pretty, but these Italian chocolate and nut meringue cookies are crisp on the outside and gloriously chewy, nutty and sweet on the inside. The perfect treat with a good cup of espresso.