This little shop only opened its doors on Queen West in December but as Toronto’s first éclair-only bakery, it has left people talking. Nugateau Patisserie is the brainchild of former Jelly Modern Doughnuts pastry chef Atul Palghadmal and his partner Abm Kadir who wanted to offer up the classic French dessert in an unforgettable way. The café ranges anywhere from 10-12 flavours at all times, with sweet classic like coconut cream and lemon meringue along with savoury options like maple bacon and foie gras and salmon. We suggest getting showing up early as they have been known to sell out frequently since opening.
You may have seen these bad boys on Instagram but you have not experienced true happiness until you’ve had your very own Sweet Jesus cone. Owners Amin Todai and Andrew Richmond (La Carnita) opened this shoebox-sized spot near King and John in September offering up carnival-style soft serve cones, six regular soft-serve flavours, popsicles and espresso. The most talked about ‘pimped out’ cone is the 'Krusty the Cone' - a cone decorated with a neon pink drizzle, birthday sprinkles and huge tuffs of cotton candy. No matter the time of year, it’s definitely worth the -ahem- religious experience.
If you’re looking for some 1950’s charm and flavour, Harbord Street’s Bean and Baker Malt Shop will do the trick. This spot, which opened in June 2015, is a cozy 16-seat shop dedicated to the art of serving up good old-fashioned fixings with no detail spared right down to the 50's staff uniforms. The menu is simple: milkshakes (regular or malted), floats, handcrafted sodas, sundaes and a small selection of savoury pies and pastries. They use ice cream from Kawartha Dairy, Ed's Real Scoop and as well as dairy-free organic ice cream courtesy of Coconut Bliss. Each of the soda syrups are made in-house with natural ingredients and are frequently changing to keep you coming back.
Doughnuts have been 'trending' in Toronto for quite some time but owners Isabelle Loiancono and Vanessa Baudanza are introducing a unique twist on the traditional treat in their Bedford Park bakery The Rolling Pin. The nostalgic 50's (we're seeing a trend here) style spot has Toronto’s Instagram foodies going wild with their popular injectable doughnuts. Winner of Food Network's hit TV show Donut Showdown, these doughnuts allow diners to inject their yeast doughnuts with syringes packed full of delicious maple, salted caramel or espresso syrups over the sweet sounds of Buddy Holly. The shop sells out on the regular and is on a very strict rotating schedule so check their website daily.
In August 2015, Toronto got its very own gourmet candy store with Squish Candy opening inside the Hudson Bay's flagship Queen Street store. The artisanal candy shop, founded by former chief tea developer at David’s Tea Sarah Segal, attempts to bring the complex flavours of Willy Wonka’s factory to life with over 100 different gummies on offer. With flavours grouped into fruity, intense, decadent, calm and cocktail profiles, and flavours like 'magic mushroom' (er not that kind), chili ginger and Bubbly Bear prosecco, tasting a Squish Candy is a real experience. Another cool things about the company is that beyond their regular candy offerings, they also offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and have been certified nut-free options.
Finding the perfect macarons in Toronto may be a quest that will never end, but a top contender is chef Nadège Nourian’s own shop Nadège. Known for her classic take on French pastry with a modern twist - the treats served up at the shop are always decadent and mouthwatering. Nourian is best known for her French macarons - of which there are 12 flavours to date at $2.50 a piece - however there's plenty more sweet fixes on offer at the three locations (Queen West, The PATH and Rosedale) pastries, cannelés and house-made chocolates.