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Wagamama Pastries & Cafe
Categories: Food Bakeries Food Coffee & Tea Bakeries, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
766 King St WToronto, ON M5V 1N6
Neighbourhood: Niagara
(416) 603-0369
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 5 pm
Sat 9 am - 5 pm
Sun 10 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for Wagamama Pastries & Cafe
14 reviews in English
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Review from Thea M.
Toronto, ON
11/15/2011
I love this as a lunch spot. Delicious daily soups and sandwiches on yummy fresh bread. But what I appreciate the most is how baby friendly it is! This isn't the easiest neighbourhood to find high chairs & change tables (& they even have a Bumbo and will bring your kid a plastic plate so he can share your lunch.) Thank you Wagamama!!!
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Review from Amy L.
11/22/2011
"Wagamama" is Japanese for selfishness or willfulness. Wagamama Pastries & Cafe is located on King St, just west of Bathurst St. Japanese-run and home to an assortment of Japanese-inspired baked goods, Wagamama is also much known for their daily soups and sandwiches. Their soups definitely have a homey feel and are made in-house daily, ranging from apple squash, to corn chowder with bacon, to potato leek. Sandwiches are available on the half or the whole, with types such as tuna, ham & swiss, and grilled vegetables. As I sipped on my coffee and indulged in my pastries, I noticed a constant line-up at the front counter which seemed to consist of mostly regulars. They all seemed to be familiar with both the staff and menu items, and that's when I noticed how popular Wagamama's sandwiches are. I haven't tried them before, so I can't comment on whether they're tasty or simply a convenient grab n' go item, but judging from the interactions, I would think it has more to do with the former than the latter.
My iced Americano ($3.50) was brought to my table along with small portions of milk, cream, and syrup. Although a bit surprised at the options, I appreciated that no assumptions were made. Customers are free to adjust their beverages according to their own liking, conveniently in their seats. With that said, I couldn't help but to realize the potential waste since (probably) no one would require all that milk, cream, and syrup.
Wagamama's front counter is filled with jars of cookies and biscuits, as well as baskets of muffins, scones, and croissants. There is also a refrigerated display of cakes and crème brûlée. The croissant ($1.80) was buttery and flakey; always a delight. I don't think their croissants are made in-house, but the other baked goods probably are. The Green Tea Mousse Cake ($4.50) was a huge portion but the taste was nothing to be excited about. The green tea flavour didn't really stand out and there seemed to be something missing. To me, the cake was rather boring and failed to leave much of an impression. In short, the green tea mousse cake is not something that I'd order again.
If I were to compare Wagamama and Le Cafe Michi's desserts, I would say there are similarities between them with Wagamama being more "western-influenced". Wagamama uses ingredients like blueberry, pumpkin, cranberry, and carrot, whereas Cafe Michi focuses more on "Japanese tastes", offering sake cheesecake, tofu cheesecake, and green tea crème brûlée. If you happen to be in the area, Wagamama would be a great place to grab a quick bite; I just wouldn't purposely go out of my way to try their pastries. Their soups and sandwiches might be a different story though :) -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
4/22/2011 4 photos
I have Wagamama bookmarked for the longest time, but never have a chance to pay a visit!
After my brunch at Beast.. I walked past Wagamama without realizing.. until I was waiting for the Streetcar which took forever to come then I thinking oh a Coffee shop.. Wagamama? why it sounded so familiar?
Really simple and homey interior. Most of the patrons here seems like regulars on this rainy, snowy, windy Mid April.
All the pastries and sandwiches looked good..but I just could not take my eyes off the little mini cookies in the cookies jar.. (BTW, they do resemble dog treats!)
Sesame/Almond Chocolate Cookies for 30 cents each
- They are on the smallish size.. but great as treats or if you are on a diet.. and don't want to over indulge
- Small on Size but Big on Flavours
So if you still hungry after having brunch at Beast, Wagamama's croissants and other pastries would definitely makes your Sunday complete!Listed in: A Day in Trinity-Niagara!
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Review from Lia E.
Toronto, ON
1/5/2011
I heart Wagamama. Everything is made in house, the service is friendly, prices are reasonable and it's a very comfy place to sit and read the paper.
Their homemade soups are really good, particularly Monday's soup with which is curried chickpea and veggie made with coconut milk. Their sandwiches are made with homemade whole wheat bread and are big n yummy.
I've had their chocolate banana muffin- it's addictive! Stay away! :P -
Review from Mariko M.
3/9/2010
I am and will always be a fan of King Street. Last summer I started exploring this street as it has a myriad of cafes and restaurants. Being a Japanese speaker, the name Wagamama caught my eye as it means "whiner, complainer etc."
It's hidden and the second time around I had to look closely to find it.
The pastries were delicious each time I went - especially the croissants. In addition, the lattes aren't too bad. The staff are all quite pleasant and it's a nice quiet place to do work or read a book. Although I have never gone during lunch, a friend of mine who works close by has. He has nothing but good things to say about their soups.
Quantity is limited so I would recommend coming here as early as possible. :]Listed in: Yokoso! Japan
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Review from Kelly O.
I love Wagamama. I have never had a better croissant. Ever. It is so buttery and flaky it gets all embarrassing when the crumby flakes get all over your shirt. And I don't care. Their coffee is good, their hot chocolate is rich and decadent. Chai latte, ditto. The vanilla brioche is ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome. And their muffins...don't even get me started. I can never decide whether to get pumpkin or apple crumble. I usually get both.
I sometimes share them. But not often.Listed in: ROTDs! Holla!, All About Croissants Yo!
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Review from Alex W.
Toronto, ON
8/15/2010
The cafe's interior design has got a minimalist feel to it and provides a comfy, peaceful atmosphere. No sofas, just wooden tables and chairs. They provide magazines, including Japanese ones in case you're bored. I am not sure if the area around wagamama is usually busy but it seems to be a quiet neighborhood, which personally to me makes the experience that much more pleasant~
Everything is house-made~ or so they say...
I heard the croissants are amazing but instead I had...
tuna sandwich: what stood out was the bread. It's sliced soft white bread, thick (love it), with some kind of grain mixed in it. the miniature size bean sprouts add a crunchy texture to the sandwich. awesome!!
ham and swiss sandwich: clearly a bit of Japanese fusion with the wasabi mayo in it~ who doesn't like wasabi mayo in their sandwiches?
squash soup - just like any ordinary squash soup.
earl grey tea cake: i've never had it before elsewhere, but it sure tastes like early grey tea! not too sweet, not too heavy, nutty, just right~ i would like to try their cheesecake and green tea cake next time.
All in all, a cafe with an Asian-feel, peaceful atmosphere, inexpensive, standard service, and a good selection of lunch items and pastries~ I'll definitely come back! -
Review from Sam G.
Toronto, ON
7/12/2009
Pleasant, spacious cafe, great to have in your neighbourhood but probably not a destination.
Went to try the croissant, which was somewhat flaky on the outside and had a nice flavour, but was a little heavy / bready on the inside. Decent overall Good coffee. Croissant + medium coffee = $3.40.
Other baked goods looked tasty... real scones, not the monstrosities available at chains. Pleasant staff who will serve your food, but you can just sit as well (well I did).
Repeat visits could easily get this to a 4 but I'll stay with 3 for now.Listed in: Butter croissant rankings
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Review from Medhat S.
Toronto, ON
9/29/2009
One day I left my bike unlocked outside their store after getting a coffee in the morning. I didn't realize the mistake until after work! Devastation! Of course the bike was gone. I came back the next morning, and the staff had actually rescued my bike, taking it in for the night for safe keeping purposes. They were super cool about it, and I'll always be grateful to them.
Also - I used to go there regularly when I worked down the street - great coffee, nice pastries, and a safe place to leave your bike... -
Review from Ernest C.
Toronto, ON
10/29/2008
I'm pretty sure Wagamama is Japanese for selfish. So we come here for breakfast; they have tiny little chocolate croissants that when they are fresh from the oven or when they reheat them are amazing, kind of like the Choco-Cro you get from St Marc's Cafe in Tokyo. They are Japanese-style (in my mind) so that means a little sweeter and a little smaller than their Parisian brethren. But they are sometimes lazy and won't reheat them unless you ask. They also have a nice little custard danish thing that is all kinds of flaky and sweet-but-not-too-sweet.
Annoyingly, they don't let you eat their sandwiches until about noon, so you are stuck with all sweet and no savoury if you try to make this a brunch stop. The sandwiches are on this very nice, light bread, but Steven Davey already talked them up too much on Now so no more of that. They also have a pile of Men's Nono and Can-Cam magazines from two or three years ago on this bookshelf by the window, so if you want to know what was cool in Japan a few years ago, and thus what will be cool in Toronto a few years from now, you have come to the right place. -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2009
My lips become paralyzed at the mere mention of cream puffs. So when I heard about Wagamama's chocolate and green tea cream puffs, I went altogether koo-koo.
And the chocolate cream puffs ARE delicious, although a bit pricey ($1.50) for a single bite of pastry and cream. But the green tea cream puffs? Eek, no thanks. Then again, I should've known better to think that green tea flavouring is actually decent outside of, well, green tea. Too bad, because this flavour seems to be a popular ingredient in their dessert roster.
I also ventured into cookie land and had their signature Wagamama cookie, an oatmealy-chocolate chip-coconut mix. Unfortunately, that was a little too dry and crisp for my liking. No need to have that again, either.
I suppose I'd return to try their sandwiches. However, until that trip manifests, I will refrain from going green-tea koo-koo and get my puffs and pastries elsewhere.Listed in: Giving in to the sweet tooth
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Review from Tanya N.
3/1/2011
This place is cozy and welcoming. It has plenty of seats for a quick lunch along with magazines if you want to browse through them.
I had their earl grey mousse cake since it's uncommon. The mousse is light and you can definitely taste the earl grey tea in the cake. It also had bits of walnuts so since I'm not a huge fan of them, I didn't enjoy it that much but would have loved the cake otherwise. They also had a cheesecake and a green tea mousse cake.
I also had the homemade lemonade (hey, spring is around the corner, so why not?). It was busy right after I ordered so it took them about 10 minutes to make it....after they served everyone first. Ho hum. It was refreshing and definitely didn't have that artificial sour taste to it nor was it too sweet.
A number of people there were having the sandwiches & soup which all looked freshly made. I'd have to come back to try it out...if it's not busy. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
12/28/2008 11 Check-ins Here
This neighbourhood cafe is a welcome addition to the plethora of mega-chained coffee shops in the area. It's also extremely helpful that this little gem is just a few steps from my front door.
Inside the place is cozy with dark wooden chairs and tables for you to enjoy your food with friends. Along the front windows is a bar ledge and stools for those who prefer to people watch and sip at their coffees. The invitation to sit and work there is open, so it's not uncommon to see people with their laptops working. Whether or not if the internet is free, I'm not quite sure.
Carrying fair-trade organic coffees from around the world, they make delectable pastries in house as well. Open for lunch at 11:30am, a generous size sandwich and soup will definitely tie you over till supper.
In my personal experience, the staff have always been friendly and helpful, and being a regular, they know exactly which cup of Joe I want. -
Review from Deanna W.
2/17/2009
Very cute neighbourhood cafe. Kinda small inside but the excellent soups and sandwiches make up for it. Their croissants are pretty decent as well, buttery and nice crisp exterior. Probably a nice place to relax and grab a bite to eat if you are in the hood. They have a good selection of teas and cofee drinks, some pastries and sandwiches and soups for lunch. Too bad it's so faaaar from my workplace!
