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Clafouti Patisserie & Café
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
43 reviews for Clafouti Patisserie & Café
Review Highlights
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"The plain, pain au chocolat and almond croissants are my..." In 6 reviews -
"...with cinnamon and brown sugar, fig, peanut butter and..." In 2 reviews -
"...goes to show how great their baked goods and coffee are." In 6 reviews
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43 reviews in English
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Review from Sophia Z.
Vancouver, BC
5/14/2012 2 photos
Simply the best croissant place in Toronto!
A very small and cozy bakery located on the far west side of Queen street that always sell out of its yummy croissants before closing.
The size of the croissant is daintier than most of the "American-size" ones we see out there, but one is enough to satiate your cravings. I usually go for the classic croissant but last time I ventured their fig croissant and feta and cheese croissant - equally as good.
Their shrimp and avocado croissant sandwich cannot be missed either. All in all folks, hands down for Claufoti *woot woot*.
I suggest you try their latte as well, as it is served interestingly in a small bowl instead of a cup and full of flavor.
Let me know if you share the same appreciation once you try this place out.
Cheerios! -
Review from Evelyn W.
7/14/2011
I am a sucker for Euro-style shops and cafes. You know, the kind with the glass counter filled up with fresh looking sandwiches and croissants. Clafouti is exactly this.
You can take a cold sandy or have them press it hot for you. It's not super cheap, but my pressed mushroom, meats and cheese sandwich was delicious.
Being next to Trinity Bellwoods it is also ideal for some picnic grabs.
And yes, I said sandy... -
Review from Mary D.
9/13/2011
Since I moved to the neighbourhood 6 years ago, I have always considered Clafouti to be a reward for getting up early on weekends!
If I am up and out of the house before 10 am, I make a quick stop at Clafouti to treat myself to some plain croissants and "Pain au chocolate". The plain are soft, doughy and fresh, and yes, they DO sell out fast and early.
This is also one of the rare places in the area from which I enjoy a latte. They do it well here!
I've never tried anything else, but they do have breads, desserts, and sandwiches.
Where they lose points in my books: the customer service is not exactly oozing with friendliness.
Also Note - cash only!!Listed in: Sunny Side Up
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Review from Kent P.
6/1/2011
Quaint (little) shop with an assortment of baked goods, sandwiches, coffees, and other drinks. It's a little pricey - but tasty.
I had a pulled-pork/avocado sandwich (served cold) and a bottled water to have across the street in the park. It was a pleasant experience - they could improve the product by using bread that doesn't taste like a white/bread chewy dinner roll from Swiss Chalet (you know the type).
Three acceptable but you could do better PATS
patpatpat
ttyn,
-PAT -
Review from Isabella L.
Toronto, ON
2/17/2011
No. Just no.
Just like other reviews, I heard a lot of positive things about this place so I decided to try it out. The first time I came here, they ran out of chocolate croissants. However, I was in the neighbourhood strolling through Trinity Bellwoods, and I came across Clafouti once again so I popped inside to see if they had any chocolate croissants left and I got lucky.
I bought 2 immediately. Yeah...bad choice... should have tasted it first then decide to buy another one because damn I wasted my money. These croissants were so dissapointing and just tasted overall bitter. It literally tasted bitter. The price was okay since it was bigger than most croissants, but damn there was hardly any chocolate inside and the texture was not the usual flaky outside and chewy inside. It was more (Like most people have already said, bread-like) which just wasn't my style.
Sorry guys. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
11/8/2010
What the F do I know about Croissant? I know that the last one I had was more than a year ago using Pillsbury Croissant to make some Croissant Mummies for a Halloween Party. Croissant doesn't come up on my radar because it's considered a Breakfast item during Breakfast time.
Now that you know my review on Clafouti Croissant can be ignored, just go ahead back to Bed. zzzZZZzz I have made Puff Pastry before not in the form of a Croissant and being without pastry talent, I usually am easy to impress with most edible Pastries.
It tasted almost Crunchy/Crispy on the exterior rather than Flaky. What did I just describe? Some parts of it as I bit off pieces were FLYING off in all directions like if you eat Chips but half at a time and it shatters. The Buttery flavour itself and the more Doughy/Bready/Chewy element was yummy although might not be within the Classic Croissant context.
Simply said, I like it when it was in my mouth(Flavour) rather than when it was outside(Texture). At least the Croissant($1.50) was priced reasonably so you can't really lose. Total 3.5 *Star*Listed in: 3.5 ***Stars***, En Français
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Review from Koen V.
Toronto, ON
12/1/2010
There is nothing bad to say about Clafouti's croissants, but if you are sold out while people are still lining up on the street, it says something about your understanding of the financial consequences of underproduction at a given market price. I'm talking to you, owners of Clafouti. The pretentious québécois-french attitude isn't appreciated either.
Unfortunately for Clafouti's owners, a good croissant is not a scarce good anymore in this city. I therefore chose to walk into almost next-door neighbor Nadège, where they remember economics 101 and still replenish their even better baked goods around noon, which is a more reasonable time to get your brunch treats together.
Two stars. Nothing more to say about it. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
11/11/2010 9 photos
I came to Clafouti Patisserie & Cafe for their croissants and I am happy and satisfied.
We were there on a beautiful Autumn Sunday morning and it was such an excitment to see they brought out a whole tray of fresh croissants right when I walked in!!
If you like really buttery croissants, you will not have like what they offer here! I have to say they are light, flaky outside, doughy and bready inside.. taste more like a bread then a pastry.
"Pastry is distinguished from bread by having a higher fat content, which contributes to a flaky or crumbly texture. A good pastry is light and airy and fatty" *
I don't think that Croissant is Fatty enough! As there are no oil residues on the paper bag nor in my hands after eating that!
Too bad they only has plain butter croissants available.. maybe I have to make another trip to try out their almond and dark chocolate ones!
*quote from http://en.wikipedia.or... -
Review from Cat S.
Toronto, ON
10/23/2010
Clafouti gets 5 stars for taste, and 1 star for business savvy.
Can someone please explain to me why they refuse to make more croissants throughout the day, even though there is clearly a demand for them? I don't want to get up at 8:30 on a Saturday to make sure I get there in time, and showing up after 9:30 is basically pointless because all the croissants are gone. Please, Clafouti- check your business model! I want to buy your croissants, and so do all the other disappointed people who show up with me. Time to revisit the basic principles of supply and demand.
The fact is, I'm only mad because the croissants are TO DIE FOR. My favourite are the chocolate-almond and the cinnamon sugar. Flaky, buttery, almond-y, chocolate-y...my mouth is watering. I'm off to set my alarm so I can get up at the crack of dawn and be first in line tomorrow. -
Review from Jiao S.
10/25/2011
Techinically, I never really went in this store. I always pick up their crossiants from Pusateri's. The almond crossiant is a perfcet weekend breakfast
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Review from Luke S.
1/6/2011
Some may call this place 'charming', I would call it a crappy little hole in the wall.
They have Illy coffee which is a plus. Baked goods are mediocre. -
Review from Carmen D.
9/3/2010
Your low-carb diet has no power here. This place will break the most religious gluten-free dieter.
Croissant-gasm. Totally unfair. The devil in the form of flaky tenderness.
Shudder.
Come early, people are pigs.Listed in: TDot Adventures
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Review from Miriam W.
2/21/2009
Clafouti is a sweet spot on Queen Street West; it's just the sort of charming, thimble-sized cafe that I love. Unfortunately the peanut butter and banana croissant sounded a lot better than it turned out to be. The bananas seemed unripe, and the peanut butter was crumbly. The croissant itself, though, was quite good and I'd definitely return for a plain or chocolate version.
Clafouti is cash only so come prepared!Listed in: Toronto's West Queen West Art…, Toronto Cafes
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Review from Angela L.
6/19/2009 ROTD 7/7/2009
Standing in front of the beautifully varied assortment of tarts on display at Clafouti can cause some serious anxiety. I was sweet-toothing big time and soaked through from a rainy bike ride. Basically, I knew that my immediate future happiness depended on my choice of tart.
I finally decided on a tarte aux figues ($3.15) and a cuppa fragrant jasmine blossom green tea ($1.50) and parked myself at one of only three teesny round two-tops by the window. The tart was heavenly from the very first bite with a delicate buttery crust, not-too-sweet-or-custardy custard, and a crown of perfectly ripe fresh figs.
The painstakingly French countryside themed decor complete with vintage sugar cannisters and posters makes the space as cozy and comforting as the real thing (or so I imagine, rather). All the imported foods for sale on the side are a nice touch too. Now, if only the friendly lass behind the counter hadn't decided to blast Hot Chip's Over and Over (I love the song, mind you, but wouldn't have chosen it in this setting). Her unabashed singing along to the dance track loosened my imaginary girdle though. There was really nothing left for a girl to do but surrender to tapping her foot to the beat and enjoying the view of the distinctly West Queen West passerbys from this lovely slice of the French countryside. -
Review from KL M.
Toronto, ON
10/7/2010
Hands down some of the best croissants I have ever had, and I lived in Belgium for three years, land of the pastry!
Cannot recommend this place enough, although I realize this may result in a stock shortage. This is my only problem with Clafouti: bake more!
The plain, pain au chocolat and almond croissants are my favourites. For those of you that are pastry snobs, they use dark chocolate and a frangipane-like filling in the almond versions.
Just don't buy them all before I get there! -
Review from Tammy Y.
5/4/2010 ROTD 9/25/2010
Believe all the croissant hype - Clafouti reigns supreme! I'd been in a couple of times during the afternoon, with no croissant to be found (sold out, naturally). Luckily for me, swinging by at 10:30am on a Tuesday I was welcomed by an array of tempting croissants.
According to the friendly lady at the counter, her recommendation was the 'Staff Favourite', the brown sugar and cinnamon croissant. I went for it (despite my urges to indulge in their famous almond croissant).
Perhaps it was the beautiful sunshine. Perhaps it was the whimsical view of Trinity-Bellwoods. Perhaps it was the quaint bench outside, where I came to rest. Perhaps it was the dog I babysat while his owner snuck into the bakery to indulge. Perhaps it was that damn croissant. Whatever it was, those were the happiest 7 minutes of my day. -
Review from Dayna A.
9/13/2011
I love old authentic cafes, like one you'd find on a drive through Tuscany or Normandy. This hit the spot on our walk down Queen St. The wooden crates and old seltzer bottle decor was a welcome respite mid-afternoon. The small bistro seating looks out directly on the park. Unfortunately our pain au chocolate left something to be desired, as it was just a regular croissant with a few unmelted hard chocolate pieces in the middle. I'll attribute that to the time of day we came. Given the decor and seeming authenticity of the place, I would return, maybe earlier next time and maybe for one of the beautiful and colorful tarts in the case.
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Review from Ramanan S.
Toronto, ON
10/29/2008
Clafouti is one of my favourite places in the city. They make croissants worth killing someone over. Their Pain au Chocolate in particular is absolutely amazing. The only problem with the shop is that their stuff sells out far too quickly. If you don't make it to the store before 10:00-11:00 you're probably not going to get a lot of the pastries they sell. Their croissant sandwiches are also great. This place is a real gem.
The shop is very small, so it's best suited for take out. -
Review from Giuliana B.
SCARBOROUGH, ON
9/17/2010
I've been "hearing" ( reading on yelp) so much about this place and its delicious croissants that I just had to have one and see if they really were worth all the hype.
We came here on a beautiful morning, and it was still early enough that when we arrived there was still a good amount of croissants and pain au chocolat left.
In addition to the croissants and Clafouti they also have croissant sandwiches (chicken Dijon, turkey and brie, tomato,basil and cheese, etc...), and croissants with cinnamon and brown sugar, fig, peanut butter and chocolate, almond, almond and chocolate,and a few more that I cannot recall at this moment. What I do remember however is that everything in here looked absolutely delicious.
We decided to get a couple of the butter croissants, a cinnamon and brown sugar croissant and a pain au chocolat, as well as a couple of lattes. We took our purchase to Trinity Bellwoods sat down on a bench and indulged.
The butter croissants had a nice shell to them, and a buttery but maybe too chewy inside. They were very good, but I would have liked them to be more flaky and less chewy. The pain au chocolat was meh. I didn't particularly enjoy it, however the cinnamon and brown sugar croissant was absolutely, frigging delicious! I loved it! It was worth every single one of the billion hip creeping calories I'm sure it had. The coffee was good, but not particularly so. All in all, I was satisfied with the croissants and can't wait to try the almond or fig ones.
We were later meeting up with my bf's mom for lunch at her place so we decided to take her a croissant so she could try it. She said it was a bit soggy, and from looking at it, I could tell she was right. I guess these are better eaten fresh and don't do well when taken for a walk in the park before consuming. I'll remember that next time I buy some to take home. :) -
Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
9/21/2009 8 Check-ins Here
What more can I say about Clafouti that hasn't already been said? Their croissants are the best on the Queen West strip, in my humble opinion. I've heard Patachou has the best Parisian-style croissants in the city but they're a little far for me to make the trek. Thanks to geography, Clafouti is my main go-to whenever I crave flakey, buttery goodness.
Clafouti also has an excellent selection of homemade breads, and I will sometimes buy a baguette or one of their multi-grained loaves - if you're lucky enough to grab one before they sell out!
But it's their croissants that make me a return customer. Plain, with chocolate, filled with fruit or acting as a sandwich, their croissants pull me into this little shop each time I'm in the neighbourhood. Nothing is more satisfying to me than waking up on a beautiful morning, buying a fresh croissant and dipping it into my cafe au lait, whilst sitting in Trinity-Bellwoods Park. Simply heaven.Listed in: My locals, Cheap Eats
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Review from Christina K.
1/6/2010
Every single time we come to Toronto the first thing we do is come here at 9am, that's the time they open on the weekends, to wait in line for a warm-melt-in-your-mouth croissant! So for those of you who decided to roll in after 10am you'll be S.O.L.!
It's such a cute little place and you have to cram yourself in to get a pair of tongs and a paper lunch bag to stuff it with yummy croissants! Don't forget the sandwiches which are located next to the register, I recommend the Egg Salad and the Shrimp and Avocado sandwich! They also have a little showcase of 'special' croissants such as the almond cream!
This is a MUST stop but then again I would rather not have anyone know about this place so the croissants don't sell out faster! -
Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
8/16/2009
Clafouti has the best crossaints in Toronto, bar none. They are so popular, you have to get there early on a weekend if you want a choice, but whatever you choose, know it will be delicious. I have tried the raspberry, butter and fig crossaints and all were so buttery, rich and delicious.
These croissants are nt your $1 ones, they are more like $2.50 each, but soooo good.
So, don't be upset if your first choice croissant is not available. The fruit filled ones are all good, and they have chocolate too! The clafoutis look amazing. I have yet to try them. -
Review from Yvonne Y.
North York, ON
1/8/2009
I will drive down to Queen West, brave the one lane traffic and search for a parking spot just for a lemon meringue tart. Hell, I would take the bus, then walk, just to get a lemon meringue tart. THEIR l.m. tart. It's my absolute fave even though the lychee one comes close.
Yes, it's true. Clafouti sells quick...but that just goes to show how great their baked goods and coffee are. Actually, I'd be worried if I went to a much talked about place and they weren't selling their stuff. For a small place, they certainly have a decent amount of baked goods. I've lucked out many times and managed to grab seats. Otherwise, take out it is.
I bought the lavender shortbread cookies once just for something different and they were too lavender-y. I wouldn't recommend them unless you are into that.
The only reason I didn't give them a perfect score is because of the service. Well, you know being nice and friendly goes a long way sometimes even when you're just at the counter. Not all the staff are...should i say crusty? But it's probably a blessing that they don't offer table service. Anyway, even though some staff leave a bad impression in my mind, the tarts always leave a good taste in my mouth! Thank goodness too. -
Review from Devyn G.
Toronto, ON
5/12/2009 3 photos
One of the most charming, elegant, and incredibly edibly Queen West bastions of yumminess, I would lay prostate on the pavement for one of their freshly baked butter croissants and a cup of their amazing Lavazza coffee. I would gladly be up in the early morning to make sure I get my share of their kitchen's magic before it's all gone. I would pitch a tent outside their front door to scoop handfulls of their fresh custardly, freshly berried, fresh freshliness clafouti tarts.
And then I would laugh as I stick my tongue out at Igor's former bicycle theft shop that's a few doors down. But I digress.
It's tiny, but that only adds to its charm: get your treat and walk through the park across the street. Plan ahead and go there in the morning to wake your lover with lusciousness in bed. And if you actually do get there when a table is available, enjoy that newspaper and the lovely street view for as long as you can, baby.Listed in: Queen West, When Only The Best Will Do
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Review from Carmen M.
7/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
I still don't understand the difference between a clafouti and a tart, but the croissants were outstanding at Clafouti!
I arrived around 11:45am on a weekday and they were already sold out of the pain au chocolat. #fail
I had the chicken salad sandwich instead which was delicious! The croissant was truly yummy.
I had the strawberry pomegranate clafouti, which was okay. I don't really know what I expected but, since I'm mostly a chocolate person, I'm probably not the best judge. It was served cold and didn't have much taste. Meh.
Note: Clafouti is, SURPRISE, cash only. -
Review from Anne M.
4/9/2011
Chicken, dijon, raspberries on a croissant. Need I say more? It was a perfect, albeit slightly expensive, snack. If I hadn't been so hungry I would have brought it across the park for a little picnic!
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Review from Sam G.
Toronto, ON
3/7/2010
Mushy and lacking flavour is how I would describe a warm Clafouti croissant that just came out of the back. Even just a tinge of that sort of yucky flavour of the typical grocery store croissants.
I have to give a two to balance off all those other reviews extolling the virtues of these croissants.
I have to admit once the croissants are cooled off they would be quite nice as a sandwich croissant.
Coffee's pretty good.Listed in: Butter croissant rankings
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Review from Erwin M.
4/5/2010
I was so psyched to try this place's croissants having read so many raves about it. I was checking out blogto's croissant rankings and this was no 1. and the reviews seemed to back everything up. Heres the list:
http://www.blogto.com/...
I'm not sure if it's me, but their croissants were not good at all. The chocolate croissant I had had a very chewy texture to it like having a cinnamon roll. The hot chocolate was substandard, like something you make at home with powder nesquik or carnation. Which I found weird considering the amount of time it took to prepare it. If this is how it is made in France, like most reviews have claimed, then I find no reason to actually go there for patisserie.
Because of this disappointment, hours after, I went to the no. 2 ranked place Jules Cafe Patisserie and found it to be better by a mile. To satisfy the hot chocolate craving I went to SOMA at the distillery as well and finally had some real good hot chocolate.
Let me note that I still find Bonjour Brioche to be my fave croissant place and there are a few more not far behind.
its been brought to my attention that blogto doesnt really rank stuff (thanks Kat F.) which makes perfect sense because how can be clafouti be ranked no. 1 -
Review from Heather L.
Toronto, ON
1/25/2010
I'm so glad this place is now open seven days a week! (They used to be closed on Monday, like many small businesses on this strip).
I go to Clafouti about three times a week. They make a great latte - the Balzac coffee keeps me coming back. Their tea is ALWAYS the perfect temperature, never too hot. The croissants are excellent. Yes, they are doughy (I have heard complaints that this isn't exactly authentic) but amazing. The Almond croissant is my personal favourite. The broccoli and cheese is a great mini-lunch. They also make sandwiches with their plain croissants and other breads.
The staff is great, and they know what drink to make me before I even order - a great perk as a regular. Service is usually fast. They have recently started serving grilled sandwiches, which must be placed on a grill in the back kitchen. When a customer orders one of these, it slows things down a bit.
Go before noon if you want a croissant. You might even get one before 2. There on the weekend? Better be there before noon. Phone in your order if you want a half-dozen or more; I have seen people filling up bags with dozens. I imagine this is why it seems like they are always out! They don't make everything every day, so getting your favourite is the luck of the draw.
Bring cash - they don't take debit or credit. -
Review from Jonathan W.
Calgary, AB
8/16/2009
Came in on a late afternoon. All the croissants were well gone but they had the clafoutis still gleaming in the display. Custard filled with various berries, we had the pomegranate and raspberry which was delicious.
Had to come back and try the croissants sometime... -
Review from Robin S.
Edmonton, AB
10/10/2008
If I had to compile a top-10 of things I miss about living in Toronto,
picking up a croissant and a coffee from French patisserie Clafouti and devouring them, along with a book, under a tree across the street in Trinity-Bellwoods Park would be near the forefront of the list.
Get there early to snag a melt-in-your-mouth croissant, the best I've ever had, or try the pain au chocolat, similar to a croissant but slightly heavier and filled with, obviously, chocolate. If you're in the mood for a treat, their eclairs are absolutely divine, or try a clafouti, a delicate, baked custard-and-fresh-fruit pastry.
Clafouti also carries a selection of sandwiches and salads; my personal favourite was always the turkey and brie on a croissant topped with a saskatoon preserve.
Don't plan to sit in; there's, like, 2 tables and they're almost always filled. There's a bench outside, though, and there's always the beautiful park. -
Review from Jason K.
4/10/2011
- apparently when you arrive at 10:30am on a saturday, they are sold out of pain au chocolat... and have no interest in making anymore. wtf.
- "we made 100 today, and we're done making them"
- i defaulted to the regular croissant, and it was terrible. loblaws makes better croissants.
- had high expectations for this place - as it even reminded me a little of france with the 'who gives a shit about the customer' mentality... but it failed.
- never again. -
Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
9/2/2008 1 photo
When I was sick of all the normal breakfast food in my house, I decided to venture out into the great culinary hodge-podge that is Queen West. I had always seen tons of young Toronto hipsters leaving this locale with yummy smelling coffee and brown bags filled with French goodies. So I decided to see what all the hype was about.
If you can't afford a trip to France for some fine European Cuisine - stop in Clafouti for the next best thing. Their signature treat, Clafouti, is a flan with wild berries. They also serve a selection of other fruit tarts, like raspberry, apricot, apple, lemon, etc. If you think you're able to get out of the store without eating everything you purchase, you must pick up some pain au chocolate, croissants and breads.
They also have a line of sandwiches at lunchtime, and I was fortunate enough to try the mouth-watering tomato bocconcini pesto baguette. The cheese was fresh and soft and delicious and the tomatoes were sweet and succulent. Their latte was the perfect zing I needed to get me up in the morning and the aroma of the drink filled my whole house. The prices are pretty good too, and best of all you won't have to try and remember all that grade nine French! -
Review from Roland K.
Etobicoke, ON
1/31/2010
Absolutely the best croissants and pain au chocolat in the city. No better way to start your day than with a Balzac's latte and a fig croissant!
Their namesake treat, the Clafouti, is also excellent (it's a tart/pudding-ish dessert with lots of embedded whole berries). And I can't forget - their gourmet sandwiches are also quite tasty - interesting tastes with fresh ingredients.
If you can't get there in person regularly then buy in bulk and freeze your tasty treats (croissants actually freeze quite well and if you buy 6 you can avoid the GST!).
And yes, the good stuff sells out fast - so go early - at least before 10AM on weekends (but please leave the last croissant for me ;-)
Just doing my bit to maintain Clafouti's well deserved high rating! Keep the buttery yummies flowing... -
Review from Amy L.
3/24/2011
I made my return visit to Clafouti on a warm, sunny day. I decided to spend the afternoon at Trinity Bellwoods Park while enjoying my baked goods. Oh Clafouti, the place is extremely tiny, but man are their croissants and tarts divine! I went for their Hot Cocoa and the Mushroom & Asiago Croissant. The mushrooms tasted great, and the asiago complemented it just perfectly. It's unbelievable how certain ingredients can taste so incredible together. For dessert, I opted for the decadent Lychee & Caramel Tart. As I devoured my savoury croissant and sipped my hot cocoa, I did some people watching and "aww" at every dog I saw at the park.
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Review from Jenny T.
Toronto, ON
7/27/2009
Their Clafouti are to die for. When I lived in the neighborhood, this was the place to bring my daughter after ice-skating because the chocolat au pain was the bribing factor. For myself and lucky guests, I would pick up their Clafouti whenever there was any left. It is a bit pricey (last time I popped by, it was $30 for one that could serve 6-8 guests. The mixed berries is their best, but the pear is nice a well. The custard is sooo light that it doesn't even feel sinful. I've had half of the tart in one sitting before. Their bread is phenomenal. I had the focaccia with herbs and I believe that it has yet to be topped since I named it the bread worth quitting Atkins for (not that I'd ever be able to handle such a torturous diet).
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Review from Kat T.
4/10/2009
Although the croissant are some of the best in the city, I hardly think it's worth the trip to this cafe to see a wall of empty wooden boxes. Sure, they'll have some clafouti left- the indulgent pie-like eggy treats. But, we come here for the bread and as others have said, after 10am you'll end up leaving empty handed. I've had the vegetarian croque madame here once, which was something I have craved again ever since. MAKE MORE CROISSANT!
Listed in: A tourist guide to the T-dot
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Review from T. G.
Toronto, ON
4/11/2009
I'm a dedicated pastry lover who's eaten bakery treats from Beijing to Vienna, Paris, Florence, Montreal and San Francisco. Toronto's offerings invariably leave me cold. Clafouti is no exception.
People, just because it looks like a croissant doesn't mean that it is one. The bread bombs baked up here are neither light, nor buttery, nor flaky. Similarly, their breads have a density I've never encountered anywhere, although when it's made up into one of their sandwiches it's pretty tasty, especially the pate sandwich. I've tried the little tarts and while they look beautiful they aren't so great either. Serving Balzac's coffee is a plus, but ultimately, file Clafouti under overrated. -
Review from Sarah T.
Toronto, ON
10/24/2009
my favourite on a sunday morning.. yummy and warm croissants! The coffee is subpar
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Review from John P.
Toronto, ON
6/7/2011
On a recent sunny tuesday afternoon I stopped in with my family for some baked goods but had forgotten about their stance on plastic cash. My wife and two children waited out front for me as I ran down the street to retrieve some cash. When I returned a few minutes later the doors was locked. We knocked on the window and the clerk unlocked the door to explain they were now closed. It was 5:02 (they close at 5:00 on tuesdays). Unable to fathom that a clerk who had sent me walking to find cash for a purchase, let alone with family standing outside of premises, we left confused and dejected.
The only thing that explains this is a level of arrogance and dislike for the consumer. Even Tim Hortons has dabbled and accepted some digital means of payment. How can a business in this modern era not accept that varied methods of payment is actually convenient and respectful of their customers? The clerk claimed it was because they got busy on the weekend and it would just slow their service even more. My response to this is to just not accept this form of payment during rush periods. A few years ago they were the only croissant around. With more options in the neighborhood this absurd stance has driven me away completely.
