The mother of all pastry shops has arrived, and it’s just one block up from its Unley Road child.
One Block Up isn’t just another offshoot of Abbots and Kinney, it’s the bakery’s spiritual home, a new flagship that carries the brand’s story, coffee obsession, and baking excellence into one space. Sitting at 259 Unley Road, the new venue is dubbed a “mother” for the brand because it serves as a production kitchen, roastery and cafe, marking an exciting new chapter for one of Adelaide’s most celebrated names in pastry.
“We knew being just one block from Unley meant we had to do something that felt different,” says Abbots and Kinney managing director Richard Wilson.
“Those venues are really high-energy and takeaway-driven – people grabbing their morning coffee and pastry on the run. Here, it’s slower, more relaxed, and focused on the dining experience.”
The difference is felt as you dine inside. Gone is the clatter of the morning rush, instead there’s space to come for breakfast and hang around for lunch.
While the Abbots and Kinney favourites remain – and yes, that includes the almond croissant, chocolate croissant and cinnabon – the One Block Up menu elevates the bakery staples into cafe territory.
“Every dish starts in the bakery,” Wilson says. “We build on top of the things we bake – the croissants, sourdoughs, focaccia, brioche rolls – and make them the centre of the plate.”
Expect chilli scrambled eggs piled into a flaky croissant, ‘I do not like green eggs and ham..’ focaccia muffins with spinach and feta hollandaise and housemade hash browns, and a steak ciabatta sandwich topped with chimmichurri and curry mayo.
Coffee is also front and centre. The team is sourcing its own beans from some of the world’s top producers and roasting them in-house.
“We’ve gone deep into filter and single-origin coffee,” Wilson says. “We’re working with producers like Colombia’s Lohas Beans, who’ve dominated world coffee competitions in recent years – we even have first pick of their exclusive competition lots.”
And they’re not messing around when it comes to sourcing direct. “I’m heading to Colombia next month to visit some of the best farms in the country to showcase in-store.”
The drinks menu continues the creative thread. Specialty drinks like a Cascara Fizz – a bitter-sweet sparkling collaboration with Mischief Brew, “like a non-alcoholic Aperol Spritz” – sit alongside playful signatures that nod to the bakery’s DNA
“We’ve got fun twists on the usual drinks – caramel, chocolate, hazelnut iced mochas – but they all tie back to the bakery, using our pastry fillings,” explains Wilson. “Like the Biscoff iced latte has a spoon of our house-made vanilla custard stirred through.”
The fit-out pays homage to Abbots and Kinney’s Pirie Street roots with timber cladding and the signature font, but in reversed tones. It’s recognisably kin if you have a good eye, and that’s all part of the fun.
“Everything connects back to what we do at Abbot’s and Kinney, and you can definitely see the connection between the two venues,” Wilson says.
True to Abbots and Kinney’s perfectionist spirit, the move to the new site was a logistical feat.
“We finished baking at our old site, threw a bucket of water into the oven to cool it, unplugged it, wheeled it onto a truck, and had electricians waiting to connect it at the new venue,” Wilson says. “We were operational again within four hours.”
The mother of Adelaide’s cult bakery is alive and well, and as of last week, she’s baking.
“Come in with an open mind and try something you might not usually associate with an Abbots and Kinney store,” Wilson says.
“The whole team has worked incredibly hard to put this together. It’s a showcase of everything we do – our bakers, chefs, baristas and creatives all in one space.”
One Block Up is now open
What: One Block Up
When: Mon to Sat 7am-3pm, Sunday 7:30am-2:30pm
Where: 259 Unley Road, Malvern
@oneblockup.unley
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