- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Dufflet Pastries
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 7 pm
Sun 12 pm - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
31 reviews for Dufflet Pastries
Review Highlights
"A great option if you are looking for gluten free cakes."
(in 3 reviews)
"Seduction is so much more fun (and successful) when..."
(in 4 reviews)
"just the right balance of sweet and tart."
(in 4 reviews)
Loading...
31 reviews in English
-
Review from Mel C.
9/22/2011 2 photos
I am a sucker for bakeries. Rarely can I go into a bakery and not buy anything and Dufflet Pastries is not an exception! I got a hazelnut cakelet for I don't remember the price but I do remember it was a very reasonable price. You're suppose to keep this cake refrigerated but I left it in the trunk (inside a cooler) for almost the whole day and it was totally fine with I got it home.
Unfortunately, I had a stuffy nose when I ate the cake so I can't say much on the taste. I can say that my parents really enjoyed it and from the little that I could taste, I enjoyed it too.
Side note: Pusateri's (the high end grocery store) sells Dufflet cakes but I would highly suggest going to Dufflet to get a cake. (I'm not a huge fan of Pusateri's.)Listed in: Cure for your Sweet Tooth
-
Review from Jessica B.
10/24/2011
I picked this place thanks to my fellow Yelpers. I had a cute hazelnut chocolate cake delivered to my hotel as a surprise birthday cake for my boyfriend. The the ordering website is a little confusing, and when I emailed them, they basically sent me the same info. However, I figured it out and placed my order over the phone. They were very nice and the order made it safely to the hotel before I even arrived.
As far as the cake itself, it's not too bad. -
Review from Jen W.
Scarborough, ON
2/11/2012
Ive either gone to too many cupcake shops and am starting to grow tired of how cute and identical they seem to be or this place jus did not blow me away like cupcake shops normally do. Now don't get me wrong, it was definalitya nice, place and I won't ever say not to check it out, just its your typical cupcake shop. 1.58 ( tax inc) for a mini cupcake,that I could just eat a bowl of the icing alone, it was soo damb good. The staff were very nice and there was enough room for a group to sit, so I think ill be back when im not so tired and froozen to soak in the enviroment abit more and hopfully get a change of mine. I also noticed they sold misc things near the cash but was to out of it to notice what it was.
-
Review from Linds B.
1/2/2012
I find the baked goods at Dufflet to be, well, just not very good. Kind of just un-frozen, dry, bland, heavy. I don't care for their stuff at all. I think they use decent ingredients, but somewhere along the line, things just taste mass-produced. It's not for me!
Listed in: Cupcakes
-
Review from Aviva S.
6/6/2011
Average.
They have some yummy sandwiches, some gluten-free stuff, delicious fresh lemonade and some other miscellanious stuff.
Not worth the hype, and the workers just seem miserable. I wish them more happiness.Listed in: Places I Checked Out Due to…
-
Review from Craftlover K.
Markham, ON
7/20/2011
I was attracted by the window display , and then I was hoping to get some treats after shopping the yarn in Romni. I've got a chocolate cookie (with white chocolate) for myself and got a little banana cup cake and flower sugar cookie for my daughter. Seems like she pretty enjoyed the mini cupcake , but the cookie was really so-so. I thought that it was a chewy one, but it's crispy and dry. It's chocolate cookie but no much the taste of chocolate though, it's just feels like you are eating a sugar cookie.
I was quite disappointed for that.
May be the cakes are better?!
We wanted to order a fresh juice, I asked,'what kind of fresh juice you have?" she told me, "only lemonade"... I thought they would have freshy squeezed orange juice, or apple juice..or something like that... ! another disappointment.... -
Review from Luis H.
Toronto, ON
11/2/2011
One of the top two bakers in Toronto (the other being La Patisserie Cocoa in Etobicoke). They have cakes for every occassion and the detail they put in creating a memorable cake really shows. From screening photos on edible sugar decorations that can be placed on a cake to creating flowers (weddings), booties (baby showers) and ribbons (birthdays), the cakes here are a visual delight. Great customer service also adds to the overall exeperience. Highly recommended!
-
Review from Cat S.
Toronto, ON
10/23/2010
2 Words: CARROT CAKE.
Actually, everything that Dufflet produces is gold in my mind...I have never had a dessert here that didn't leave me wanting more. My other favourite: the Lemon Tarts.....just the right balance of sweet and tart. Delicious.
I frequently stop in here to pick up desserts for dinner parties. Not only does it save me time, but their cakes, squares and tarts are prettier and more delicious than anything I could produce myself. The staff at this particular location are really great. I always get overwhelmed by the choices and they are always happy to give recommendations. -
Review from Monica F.
10/1/2010
Dufflet's. Pure and Sweet.
A birthday in my family has not yet been celebrated until the candles are blown out on a Dufflet's cake.
The CARROT CAKE is the best. So good. Well, actually everything that's made by Dufflets is good, IMO.
Their customer service isn't great by any means. But whatever, nom nom nom nom nommmmmm ... I love Dufflet's!!!!Listed in: 5 star reviews!
-
Review from Andrew Y.
12/31/2010
So, was looking for cupcakes. Maybe not fair of us to judge based on that, but I agree with other reviews. The carrot cake one was really good. It was moist, it was tasty.
I do have to say, the guy serving did not look that happy to be at work. He was definitely having a tough time trying to make it looked like he wanted to be there. Sorry, it's what I saw. -
Review from Sonia P.
Toronto, ON
8/23/2011
Despite reading many 2-star and 3-star reviews for this place, I decided to make my way there as I am a HUGE dessert fan!
First off, the service has got to improve! The person behind the counter was unhappy and did not help with suggestions on popular items. I went there mainly to try the carrot cake and lemon tart, which were both highly recommended through these reviews. Both items were not available. So the server recommended the pink velvet cake as a replacement for the carrot cake (I don't see how they are similar in any way!). I decided to go with my own judgement and order the 3-chocolate mousse. It was a great choice! Delicious - soft, rich chocolate, just the right texture.
He recommended the lemon square instead of the lemon tart. I found the square to be waaay too sweet. Not impressed.
I'm sure the other desserts there are delicious, so I may visit again to try them out.
However, the service does leave a lot to be desired. If they are not interested in providing suggestions or explaining what's in each item, maybe they should put little signs next to the dessert that describe exactly what it is. -
Review from Christine C.
Etobicoke, ON
10/22/2009 4 photos
Two & half stars.
Say it isn't so. After chowing down on Dufflet's desserts for the past 20 years I have finally been disappointed by one of their products. I have loved Dufflet Rosenberg's goodies for an eternity and was one of the first to to sell her products outside of the Toronto market (back in the days when I had a foodie shop/catering/event planning business). Alas, the day has come where I've gone WTF is up with this as I started gobbling up a Pink Velvet Cupcake. It was eye poppingly bad.
This pink velvet cupcake was dry like the Mojave desert. The icing was totally tasteless, not buttery, not even waxy, just tasteless. They topped it with some odd looking sprinkles. And talk about chintzy with the icing! (see the pics) How can this be? Dufflet set the bar for the whole sweet movement in the foodie community years back. Could it be they've just gotten too big and too commercialized? Maybe Dufflet's should stick to what they do best and leave the cupcakes to the Yummy Stuff & Sweet Bliss's of the world.
What's a girl to do when she gets her heart broken? I think I'll run up the street to Swirls (they just opened a new location a few doors away from my office) and see if I can lift my broken heart with one of their Mango cupcakes. Stay tuned for another cupcake review to follow..... -
Review from Cheryl B.
12/29/2009
On my last trip to Toronto I went with my friend to the Dufflet shop downtown. We didn't need dessert, didn't need pastry and after finishing a hearty lunch we certainly didn't need to eat any more! However....this was a "have to" stop on my whirlwind tour of the city and so it was a necessity to stop in and take a gander at what they had to offer.
Needless to say it took all of 5 seconds to spot a pastry, order a cappuccino and settle in at a window seat to enjoy our lucious treat! While we were noshing away the range of folks coming in were varied - some wanted a quick treat to take home, some were there to purchase the perfect cake for a birthday surprise and others just needed a sugar and caffeine fix I'm sure!
All in all my time spent at Dufflet Pastries was worth the extra calories! -
Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
9/3/2008 1 photo
I have never had anything at Dufflet's that wasn't mindblowingly delicious. Their pastries are absolutely heavenly. I've had a selection of the fruit tarts and chocolate cakes and they are all soo freaking yummy. I always order my birthday cakes from there as they taste so sweet, filling and rich - none of that Tim Horton's cake fakery. This is the real deal - all natural, handcrafted desserts that'll have you salivating like mountain dog on a hot day in August.
I highly recommend the chocolate raspberry truffle cake. I firmly believe it's what our taste buds were intended for.
Also, their savoury food is also quite delicious. I've had the spanakopita, pizza and flavoured flat breads several times and I've never been disappointed.Listed in: Top Restaurants
-
Review from Lan T.
Toronto, ON
6/8/2009
I would really give this place 3.5 stars, but decided to round up. They screwed up an order for my sister once. Gave her a small cake when she ordered a large one, this is despite a call to confirm the order. My sister is not the kind of person to ask for a discount, and I guess this isn't the kind of place that offers one either.
I treat my coworker to Dufflet cakes because it beats the supermarket variety. My favorite is the chocolate mouse and the cheesecake. -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2008
As someone who bakes, and bakes often, maybe I'm judging Dufflet's a little harshly. But what a lot of people are ignoring about this store is that it's a huge chain, NOT a local bakery.
As Ernest points out, Dufflet's is now a huge corporation that sells its frozen cakes to grocery stores all over the country. Their pastries and desserts are mass-produced in the same way that ice cream cakes are at Dairy Queen. To me, that takes away from it being a true bakery that would make me feel as though it's worth spending $7.50 on a tart.
There are so many other locally-owned and operated bakeries in the area that make far better desserts and for much more reasonable prices. Dufflet's mass produces everything and then lets it sit in the display case all day, getting stale. Since there is not actually a baker on premises, there is no restocking, and the treats aren't getting any better.
Like I said, maybe my standards are too high, but I'd rather go somewhere less corporate and more fresh. Dufflet's is not doing it for me. -
Review from Joyees Y.
Scarborough, ON
3/24/2010
I wouldn't say it's 2 or a 2.5 maybe a 2.75? (And wouldn't something just "A-OK" mean you've had better o.O?)
Anyways, there cakes are so average but to be honest, they're a franchise, so what to expect.
Every cake tastes like what they said but it's very one note and just boring. Cake sweet, chocolate chocolatey, fruit sweet but artificial and out of season. -
Review from Vanessa C.
11/7/2009
we got my friends wedding cake here, a beautiful white cake with white buttercream frosting. I know they like to say "serve at room temperature" but we stick it in the fridge, stick it in the fridge, stick it in the fridge and MMMMMMM..... I think we ate it for every meal for the next 3 days.
we ate at the cafe when we went to pick it up and had nice spicy samosas which were lovely, and some tarts which were also nice but this place is really all about the cakes!
I very much look forward to updating my review when I come back to visit. love dufflets! -
Review from Dardana M.
ON
11/28/2008
For four and a half glorious years, I worked at the now-defunct Indigo Cafe, housed within the corporate book merchant of same name. Here, I developed a taste for the many delicious, expensive food items we served, but the most lingering was the array of Dufflet's desserts that we had shipped in from the city.
Many other eateries around the GTA also borrow sweet and attractive treats from this Mecca of pastries, but nothing beats heading to the place where it all started on Queen West. In a quiet, small-ish cafe, which belies the brand's legendary reputation, you can choose from a far better variety of their vast repertoire, fresher and more plentiful than the many secondary dealers.
It would be impossible to even begin to convey the hundreds (yes, I said hundreds, meaning at least 100) of items I have sampled over the years, or how superior most are to other places' similar offerings. The many varieties of cheesecake, boasting a wealth of evolving seasonal flavours, have the same impossibly rich and creamy base (starting with a gasp! Shortbread crust??!) that changed my standards for the dish forever, and their carrot cake made me re-evaluate my previous stance on carrot cake (nay).
In spite of their recent and considerable growth, this Toronto institution's original headquarters still feels small, comfortable and homey (to me, anyway), enough to feel like (I imagine it did) the first time. The sun streaming through their gigantic window, soaking my perfect lemon square makes me believe it's true. -
Review from Brenda S.
9/15/2010
Six bucks will get you a really nice cup of fair-trade organic coffee and a decent-sized spanakopita with oddly stiff pastry. Very tasty, though. If you are not wowed by the cupcakes, which I haven't really been, try the tarts. I go because it's comfy, friendly, and close to a place where I volunteer.
-
Review from Molly S.
10/4/2010
Every Dufflet dessert I've had was better than the last. I love that I can ask for a glass of milk with my teeny-tiny cupcakes and no one bats an eye, because you can't have cake without milk.
-
Review from Susan C.
Toronto, ON
4/30/2011
Drool.
-
Review from Angela H.
4/9/2009
For office birthdays we turn to Dufflets to provide us with deliciously fattening cakes and pies. My favorites include the gluten-free Turtle cake, and the Dutch chocolate cake. Their cheesecakes are killer too. Killer, as in amazing - also killer, as in "this cheesecake totally killed my workout for the whole week"
-
Review from Ernest C.
Toronto, ON
10/29/2008
I just want to provide a counterpoint review for the other dear Yelp readers. Dufflet's basically makes mass produced baked goods from a plant that I believe is on Sudbury street. They ship to lots of grocery stores as well like Pusateri's, I think even Loblaws and the like. So if you compare it to other mass produced baked goods like a box of Voortman's cookies or Tim Horton's reheated donuts, the quality is quite respectable. Prices are also reasonable. But these aren't really "handmade" from what most people would think of as "handmade". If you compare with deserts you get at genuine, small bakeries like say a Rahier (on Bayview) you will notice a significant difference. So if you are taking a cake to the office for a birthday party, a Dufflet cake is like manna from heaven. But if just the two of us want a dessert that is really special we will make a Rahier run.
-
Review from Devyn G.
Toronto, ON
4/29/2009
Seduction is so much more fun (and successful) when chocolate is involved. If Godiva made cakes, they would be Dufflet's. 'Nuff said.
Listed in: Queen West, When Only The Best Will Do
-
Review from Amanda L.
Toronto, ON
8/28/2010
A great option if you are looking for gluten free cakes. I've ordered here twice in the past and had no difficulties. The cakes were a big hit at the party and I had no complaints! I actually have to restrain myself from wandering into the store on a regular basis.
-
Review from Gregory J.
2/23/2010
I'm on the fence between two and three stars here, but Yelp says two stars = "Meh. I've experienced better." and that more or less sums up my opinion about this place, hence the two stars.
My hosts in Toronto told me I absolutely had to go here and try some cake, so I did. Actually, the first time I tried to go was after 7:00 which is their closing time on weekdays as of this writing--and seems a bit early to me.
When I actually did make it in I opted for a piece of carrot cake because the employee highly recommended it. It was... okay, but nothing to write home about. The actual cake itself was rather bland in my opinion. Nothing much more remarkable than a grocery store cake mix. The frosting was good though. Rich and hearty, but not so much so that I felt a heart attack coming on.
Also, to their credit, I felt the portion was pretty generous and worth the price I paid. The shop environment is also pleasing, and I lingered for a while without anyone complaining.
Still... bottom line is that in my experience this was more or less just another cake shop and not any fabulous, must-try experience. -
Review from Michael J.
2/25/2010
There was no delicious cake. The cake was a lie.
-
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
10/24/2008
In the culinary world there are two sorts of chefs, there are the real
kind and pastry ones. I will admit that I have had little respect for
pastry chefs because I've always felt that there is so much more soul in
real cooking and too much chemistry in pastry, but Dufflet changed my
mind. I had had Dufflet pastries before, they carry them in some of the
finer food shops but I had never been to the actual bakery and I
was impressed. I went with the expectation of spending about $20. I
knew that this was a bit extravagant but I also knew that good pastries
are hard to come by and they certainly don't come cheap. I went and
selected a key lime pie tart, a frosted brownie, a black and white
brownie and chocolate tart. They were all large and I honestly expected
to pay about 15 bucks but it was half that and they were all delicious.
I would definitely recommend Dufflet's to anyone because in your year
there will always be a need for baked goods and if you are planning on
buying it anyway you should get the best and that's Dufflets.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Jenny T.
Toronto, ON
7/27/2009
I've had bad experiences with their internet orders, but that would not keep me away from indulging here. I am not a fan of sweets, I eat dessert about once a month. I will say that I eat desserts here about 12 times a year so that should tell you how good their sweets are. When I went through a phase of craving cakes, I bought a small one here weekly and I must say, it was worth the 5 lbs I gained. I've never tried anything here that didn't make me feel like I was in heaven. I bake a lot and the difference between Dufflet's baked good is this - the perfect balance of fruits, nuts, creaminess, and cake. Balance is important as you would know from seeing emptied plates compared to plates with piles of cream or other parts pushed to the sides. That's the main difference I can taste. It's worth the weight gain!
-
Review from Richard S.
Toronto, ON
2/10/2010
I cannot even say Difflet's name without gaining ten pounds...her meringue is a standard for me...melt in your mouth and on to your hips in one bite. Heaven!!!
