Americas
7 Dessert Cafes in Toronto You Should Visit
It’s become very common for new dessert cafés to open in Toronto.
Whether on Facebook or Instagram, it seems like restaurants are competing with who can have the most outlandish, Instagram-able dessert dish, and they’re depending on customers to make their restaurant famous through social media pictures. From ice cream tacos, to black ice cream, to a ten-inch stack of buttery, custard-coated toast drowned in mangoes, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream, you’ll find no shortage of dessert options in Toronto.
With my sweet-tooth, I’ve had a fair share of the sugary goodness Toronto offers. With so many dessert places to choose from, I’ve narrowed down a list of 7 Toronto dessert cafes you should visit:
- Delysees
My addiction to éclairs came early. My dad used to purchase éclairs from a Toronto bakery to make me feel better after my dentist appointments. Gourmet éclairs came into my radar a few years ago, and I’ve been hooked since.
French patisserie, Delysees, not only serves artisan éclairs, but also uniquely-flavoured macarons, chocolate bonbons, mini cakes and cappuccinos that will melt you in a puddle of sweet bonheur.
Location:
780 King Street West
- Cacao 70
Cacao 70 takes the aphrodisiac diet-buster to create a fun, exceptional menu. If you live, breath or—of course—eat chocolate, this is your spot.
Indulge in their extensive chocolate collection, which includes 64.5% Peru (a slightly bitter cocoa taste with a fruity note) and 31% French Cream (white chocolate, with nutty undertones, and a hint of citrus and vanilla), to choose which chocolate you’d like to pair with your waffles, fondue, drinks and other treats on the menu.
Locations:
485 Queen Street West
28 Gristmill Lane
- Snakes and Lattes
A lively café, which boasts over 3000 board games. Don’t know how to play a game? Servers are well-versed in board game rules and will happily teach you and your group of friends how to play. You can imagine spending hours here, long after your latte is finished. Wait times get 1-2 hours long on weekday nights and weekends, so it’s recommended to go early.
Locations:
600 Bloor Street West
489 College Street
45 Eglinton Avenue East
- Bakerbots Baking
This little café is in the quaint Toronto neighbourhood, the Annex. Its owner, Roasanna, began as an illustrator and painter working out of New York, but she quickly succumbed to her love of sweets and pastries after traveling to Europe. She later enrolled in the Baking and Pastry arts program at Toronto’s George Brown College.
Bakerbots features tarts, crème puffs, cakes and cookies, yet its reputably known for its ice cream sandwiches. Customers can choose a cookie and ice cream pairing from the chalkboard menu or create an ice cream sandwich concoction themselves. And it’s delicious.
Location:
205 Delaware Avenue
- Poop Café
The name may sound unfit for a place where people eat, but it’s exactly this that drives people to the café—to check out the absurdity.
This self-proclaimed ‘Doo-Doo Themed Restaurant’ has customers perch on toilet bowl seats, under the dim glow of plunger-shaped lights. Dishware consists of potty bowls and urinal water glasses.
Do people go for the food? With the plethora of poop-emoji pillows, poop facts on the wall, and large poop doll, it’s more for Instagram photos and the social media hype. The food, however, is good. It’s Asian-inspired and consists of desserts like Nutella bingsu and custard poop-shaped waffle.
Location:
706 Bloor Street West
- Butter Avenue
A classy café famous for its fresh macarons. Described as Japanese perfection with Scandinavian style, Butter Avenue is the perfect spot to buy afternoon tea and dessert. The macarons come in a spiffy ‘Butter Avenue’ embossed box and gift bag, making it nice for gift giving.
Location:
477 Queen Street West
- Eva’s Original Chimneys
Eva was born and raised in Hungary, but made her way to Canada during the revolution. Missing her childhood, Eva often spoke about how she would eat Kürtoskalács (chimney cakes) on special occasions. Her grandson and his wife set off to travel the world for a year, and found themselves in Hungary, eating the very same chimney cakes Grandma Eva used to tell them about. And that’s how Toronto’s Eva’s Original Chimney came to be.
I remember when Eva’s O.G. Chimneys was just a food truck. Now, their brick and mortar cafe is a hit. The chimney cones are baked and then rolled in organic cane sugar. They are filled with ice cream and come in flavours like matcha crunch, banoffee pie, Thai mango sticky rice and even some vegan options.
Location:
454 Bloor Street West
Did I miss anything? What’s your favourite dessert spot? Let me know in the comments below!