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14 reviews for Riviera Bakery
14 reviews in English
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Review from Jay M.
Toronto, ON
12/6/2011
Was doing some shopping in Little Italy and had my lady suggested stopping in to pick up some desserts for later that night. I'm never one to argue with the idea of eating decadent sweets so we stopped in.
After perusing their wide variety of snacks and baked goods to choose from we settled with a couple chocolate cupcakes, a piece of blueberry cheesecake, and a chocolate rumball.
The cupcakes were amazing, probably the best cupcakes I've found on College Street. The blueberry cheesecake was also really enjoyable as it wasn't over the top sweet which I find a lot of cheesecakes can be. The rumball on the other hand, well, it tasted like rum. A lot of rum. I guess some people might enjoy that but I typically like my booze and my chocolate served separately.
I was especially surprised and pleased that when I went to pay, all 4 desserts came to less than $10 after tax. I'm definitely going to be stopping back in here, and maybe even for lunch as they did have some really good looking sandwiches for what looked to be very fair prices. -
Review from Cindy Y.
Scarborough, ON
2/16/2012 2 photos
I'm a little surprised to read the negative reviews about the service here. Maybe we happened to come here on a good day?
It was prompt, the little old woman helped us decide what to get, and once my boyfriend joked around with her a bit, she crackled a smile right back and chuckled. Maybe if customers were just friendlier sometimes, we'd get better service huh?
We got:
1) Traditional cannolis: very good! the ricotta filling is the perfect level of sweetness, and not cloying/rich at all despite how much there is
2) Another kind of cannolis: this was different because it was made from a flaky pastry rather than deep-fried dough, but pretty decent! nothing too special
3) Valentine's meringue cookies: these were a bit tasteless and didn't have that 'chew' that I like meringue cookies to have.. it was just very, very crunchy and airy
There were a bunch of other nice-looking desserts so I think I'd still come back and consider trying 'em! (and definitely get a cannoli or two) -
Review from Anne M.
1/24/2011
Yum, yum yum!! Sweet old school Italian bakery/pasticceria. I bought some chocolate glazed doughnuts and cheese "Sicilian" cannolis to bring to a cottage weekend. We didn't end up eating anything the day-of, so the doughnuts were a little stale (although my friends enjoyed them) but the cannolis were still awesome.
Next time I go back, I want to try to the meringues (or were they macaroons?!), the eclairs, the gelato, the coffee... I might have to go back a few times.
They also sell freshly made breads. -
Review from Laura D.
Toronto, ON
7/15/2009
Although I will admit that Riviera always immediately comes to mind when I think of bakeries in the Downtown area, I must agree that its really just "ok". Although they make a mean Cannoli and marvellous Calabrese Pita, beyond that the pastries are rather mediocre.
However, and its a big however, if you have never tried a Zeppola from Riviera, you are missing out on the most fantastic Italian pastry experience of your life. For the feast day of St. Joseph (March 19) Italian's in North America for the most part bake a special dessert, and Riviera makes the best ones I've ever tried (and I've tried quite a few)! They are donut shaped dough fritters filled with pastry cream and amarena...divine!
Facing the bakery ladies' wrath is worth in it, the month of March! -
Review from Andrea W.
Toronto, ON
8/13/2008
Whenever I go into Riviera Bakery, the women behind the counter glare at me as though my custom were the world's biggest irritation.
On days when I can screw up my courage to face the ladies' wrath, I treat myself to a fresh and delicious roast chicken sandwich on focaccia ($5 but worth it). There are also salads and pizza slices available for eat-in or take-out.
I walk past Riviera every day multiple times and it's always humming with neighbourhood folk sipping their espresso. Since there is plenty of choice for cafes around here, the constant crowds suggest that this is one of the better ones. I'm not really a fan of Italian baking but the cannoli are excellent. Take some home in a white box tied up in string for a vintage treat. Riviera is also okay for gelato but only if you can't be bothered to walk to Dolce with its much broader selection of flavours. -
Review from ness y.
Toronto, ON
1/25/2010
Wow. Judging only from my visit, I thought that Riviera Bakery was fairly new. But there's already 7 reviews here on Yelp. Given that bit of insight, I will have to start by saying that Riviera Bakery looks unfinished.
Though the selection of beverages, breads, and pastries is plentiful and there's a lovely mini-tiled landscape in the entrance, something seems to be missing in terms of coziness. Yet, I can't quite put my finger on it.
Apart from that, I guess it does make sense to me that the Riviera isn't that new and is well-known. It seemed to be quite popular, especially for dinner time on Saturday evening. That's when I was there with a friend, to do a quick email/work break before dinner across the street. Unexpectedly, people were constantly coming in to pick up homey, bakery style, celebratory cakes.
I had two cappuccinos made with Lavazza espresso. They were served quickly and in a friendly manner. However, if you're a stickler for micro-foam, stick to drinks without steamed milk. For later, I ordered a ricotta-filled pastry the size of a three-year old infant's head. My friend ordered 1/4 of the pastry case as an appetizer. He enjoyed them only moderately.
For lunch the day after, I barely managed to eat the infant-head pastry. From the inside-out: Sweet ricotta-filling that is gently flavoured with citrus and chocolate; rounded out with a pastry that is surprisingly thin to carry the weight of its contents; rolled in (panko?) crumbs and deep-fried. Indeed, it stood up to the test of time and was still tender, crisp, and tasty. Even though I don't usually like the citrus + chocolate combo, it was subtle and the ricotta was just the right sweetness for me.
New or not, Riviera Bakery has a couple of kinks to work out to maximize its overhead. Its current location is convenient, yet close to competition, and possibly costly. As it is, I would probably only go back to pick-up an infant head and leave immediately. There's so many other bakery options. -
Review from Sophia K.
Toronto, ON
5/6/2009
Riviera Bakery is okay...but it could be better! I think I'm with the general consensus here on some of the mediocre pastries and unfriendly staff. There's nothing worse than someone acting like they are doing you a huge favour by ringing you in, or helping you. I work in the service industry, and I think that kind of attitude is just unnecessary, but it could have just been bad timing or something.
I really like their salads they sell in individual portions. Their bean salad or cold pasta salad make great quick lunches that you can grab and go. There's also a decent amount of seating if you want to grab a drink and pastry and hang out for a bit.
Overall I think their prices are very reasonable and they offer a great selection, they should just hire some happier people. -
Review from Lynda W.
Toronto, ON
10/4/2008 1 photo
It's a little funny that the previous reviewer noted a sense of hostility from behind the counter, because I too have fallen victim to that. My friend and I walked in, wanting to stop off for a hot chocolate or tea. There were two ladies behind the counter, one on the phone, the other just standing back there. As I walked towards the back of the store, the lady on the phone shouts "Where did you come from?". I glared back at my friend who looked equally surprised. She was talking on the phone, but staring right at us! It was a little strange and awkward.
They have some really delicious cookies, of the butter/sugar variety. Brings back childhood memories. These are the type of cookies you buy per lb and end up costing close to $1 per cookie!! They have some realyl big and tasty rice balls too, those are always a treat.
The staff aren't the most friendly or inviting, so don't expect much and you might be surprised! -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
10/17/2008
While I love Italian food I've never really liked Italian pastries, but I
like to think of myself as an open minded person and I'm always ready to
change my mind about anything. This is what brought me to Riviera
Bakery on College in the heart of Little Italy. I went for the gold
standard, ie canolli. It was good, but as I
usually find with most Italian pastries the actual pastry was almost
mushy in a way that I personally don't find appealing. The filling was
very good and if it's possible maybe even a little too sweet. The
dining room is small and not very nice, it unfortunately brings to mind
Coffee Time, which is never a good thing. I would recommend this Bakery
to people who like Italian pastry because they do a good
job of it, but if you're like me, I would stick to the French.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Alejandro A.
Toronto, ON
11/27/2008
It's been a while since I've been to the Riviera Bakery, but I remember it fondly. Friendly staff, great coffee and delicious deserts pretty much says it all.
One thing I remember not being overly impressed with is their espresso drinks, and so I usually go for a drip coffee when I'm there. They've got a number of Italian baked goods that are delicious, but often times I've found it not necessary to buy one. You know how there are places where you just can't turn down the goodies? Well, I can turn down the goodies here. They're great, but not vital.
Inside you'll find one of the coziest places around. It's a truly warm and inviting atmosphere. You'll always want to sit down when you're there, but there isn't an overwhelming amount of space, and those limited seats are quickly snatched up. Something to keep in mind. -
Review from Liora I.
Toronto, ON
1/9/2011
I have no clue what their baked goods are like, but come christmas-time this is the place to go to find marzipan! Beautifully sculpted and painted to look like miniature fruits, they sell by the gram and although they are a little pricey they are delicious!
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Review from Denis L.
North York, ON
2/14/2011
Amazing Canolli's, other pastries were also excellent. Kind of Soup Nazi in service style, but it only adds to the charm.
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Review from Robin S.
Edmonton, AB
10/25/2008
This shop serves great coffee and the employees are always sweet, but the one cookie I've had from Riviera ended up being stale. I guess with such a huge selection of bakery items, it's hard to turn them all over quickly, but it was a bit of a disappointment nonetheless.
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Review from Sasha V.
Toronto, ON
11/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Riviera Bakery is not for the connoisseurs of interior restaurant design, or for foodies making a career out of writing reviews. It's not going to win awards for customer service. BUT - I can't help coming back here again and again. Mind you - I am not making a special trip across the city, I work across the street. Still - with the variety of options for a caffeine boost, a quick bite or a sweet craving on College - the fact that I'm always here with a nice loud crowd is a testament to well deserved Riviera popularity. It's a friendly neighborhood place. The glum ladies behind the counter often forgave me 15 cents or a quarter. They always try to guess what I want. The place has a very genuine vibe about it. It's damn good coffee, damn good pastries, damn good salads and soups. And damn nice owners - once you bother to look behind the stern appearance. I've never been to Italy. But I imagine that's what a bakery somewhere on the outskirts of Bari or Palermo feels like. Thumbs up
