This one is a bestseller. Don’t take your chances hoping there’ll be one in-store – pre-order online and pick up at Morning Market in Fitzroy or Prahran to avoid cheesecake heartbreak.

Also in Prahran: this very fine take on the cheesecake. It comes in small ($25) and large ($60) – but we recommend large. It's better to have too much Basque cheesecake than not enough.

Of course Melbourne’s best restaurant is in on the takeaway Basque cheesecake game. This one is made with three types of cream: mascarpone, pouring and cream cheese. It’s also one of the largest cheesecakes in this guide, dividing into eight generous slices.

Down the street from Morning Market Fitzroy, Calere sells caramelised pineapple Basque burnt cheesecakes. In Taiwan, caramelised pineapple cakes are often given as gifts for engagements, promotions and other special occasions. Those flavours are here added to the Basque cheesecake – and the result is worth celebrating. The original’s also on offer, for those who prefer the classic.

Sebastian's Basque burnt cheesecake is a total doozy. And, being a Basque diner, it has a good claim to having started – or at least heavily contributed to – Melbourne's current obsession with this sub-genre of cheesecake. Order one online or find a local stockist here, including Toscano’s and Scicluna’s in the eastern and southeastern suburbs.

Throughout lockdown Akira Toyama has been baking cheesecakes at Papirica under the name Only Cheesecake. Her signature is a miso and sesame number, but she also makes an excellent Basque cheesecake, which is available by the slice at Papirica or Mile End.

This South Melbourne Market fixture bakes its own fantastic – and frankly adorable – Basque burnt cheesecakes. Stop by next time you're getting your groceries and check the cabinet to see if they're there.

It’s almost perpetually unavailable and when it is, you can only find it on a Friday, but darn it if this isn’t a cheesecake worth holding out for. Refresh this page in hope of a restock.