It's time to face the music and admit that our favourite meal is dessert. Sure, we love eating our way through Toronto's best bakeries and planning our next date at the city's most romantic restaurants, but the key to our heart is really at these impressive Toronto dessert shops.
From oven-fresh croissants at the iconic Bonjour Brioche to multi-coloured macarons at Nadège Patisserie and gourmet brownies at the new Butter and Spice, it's hard to have a bad day when you make a pitstop at one of these Toronto dessert shops. And while sweets can't solve everything, they are quite the delicious distraction, especially when they're paired with some festive cocktails.
We've narrowed down our favourite Toronto desserts (tough job, we know), so you can go ahead and make your day a little bit sweeter.
9 of Toronto's best dessert shops
1. Aux Merveilleux de Fred
224 Queen St. W.
On your next commute, don’t be surprised if you see TTC riders pressed up against the window of the Queen streetcar, dazzled by the glow of Aux Merveilleux de Fred’s chandelier. Take your pick from an array of French baked goods, all displayed in gleaming glass cases. Try the cornerstone moniker, Le Merveilleux — a fluffy meringue ball coated with chocolate whipped cream and rolled in dark chocolate shavings.
2. Nord Lyon
665 Queen St. W.
Soothe nostalgic feelings about your last trip to Paris with a visit to Nord Lyon, a two-storey French patisserie and restaurant in West Queen West. Often teeming with patrons digging into flaky croissants and melt-in-your-mouth macarons over a steaming cuppa, Nord Lyon offers a warm and pleasant atmosphere to enjoy tasty treats. What’s their sweet secret to the delicious pastries? French butter, which contains a slightly higher fat percentage than regular North American butter.
3. Hazukido
Multiple locations
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With a handful of locations around the city, Hazukido is home to some of Toronto’s best croissants. The delightful little pastries are baked with Japanese flour and French butter for the perfect golden-brown crunch in every bite. Pick from unique flavours like truffle crab, salted egg yolk or lemon meringue.
4. Bobbette & Belle
1121 Queen St. E.
You’d be excused if you decided to wear a ball gown to this charming Queen East bakery. The shop is furnished with vintage chairs and tables, while baroque-style picture frames hang on the walls — a prelude to the ornate decorations that adorn Bobbette & Belle’s exquisite, upscale sweet treats.
5. Barbershop Patisserie
859 College St.
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Two words that always get us excited: puff pastry. The flaky, golden-brown pillows of perfection at this College Street bakery are to die for. Looking for something more extravagant? Barbershop Patisserie also presents a stellar lineup of rotating seasonal cakes.
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6. Vegan Danish Bakery
Multiple locations
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Just because you don't eat dairy, doesn't mean you can't indulge in perfectly flakey pastries, decadent cakes and more. Get your Hygge (Danish saying for "cozy") on inside Vegan Danish Bakery's gorgeous light-filled café in Parkdale or Thornhill. Obviously, you have to get a danish, but they're also famous for their vegan cheese cakes and smørrebrød — open-faced sandwiches.
7. Butter and Spice
1418 Dundas St. W.
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Butter and Spice chef-owner Marchelle McKenzie is always up to something clever and delicious. Her speakeasy bakeshop tucked inside Dundas West's Death in Venice gelateria is our go-to spot for seasonal gourmet brownies that we can't keep to ourselves anymore because they're so good. The brownies even come in vegan and gluten-free versions too. If gooey chocolate squares aren't your thing, there are lots of other treats like apple crumble pie and custom cupcakes.
8. Nadège Patisserie
Multiple locations
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There's no greater feeling than picking up a bright pink box from Nadège... actually, scratch that, opening up the box is even better. Whether it's multi-coloured macarons, chocolate bonbons or double chocolate chunk cookies, you know whatever awaits inside is going to be oh so good.
9. Bonjour Brioche
812 Queen St. E.
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Since 1997, Leslieville's Bonjour Brioche has made people's days a little bit sweeter. The family-owned French café and bakery is the definition of a neighbourhood spot that we'd happily go to every day if we could. Stop by for breakfast and lunch, and, let's not kid ourselves, a dozen croissants.
