City Cafe Bakery - Ottawa St.

City Cafe is one of my favorite bakeries. Always a solid choice based on quality of food and amazing staff. They are a cash only business and operate on an honor system. You select your food, drinks etc, add it up yourself (calculator supplied) and if you need change, just tell them how much you need. Most of the baked goods are done in house and the rest is mostly sourced locally. They serve Baden Coffee which is a great coffee, but I wished they carried Hissing Goose. Today I purchased a Montreal style sesame bagel and a chocolate croissant. Not much can beat a warm, fresh baked Montreal bagel. The toasted sesame seeds give the exterior a pleasant crispiness while the bagel itself has a soft, chewy inside. You can get jam, cream cheese etc but I prefer to eat it plain. Delicious! The chocolate croissant was light and flakey and the chocolate inside was soft and gooey. Another positive quality of the croissants is they don't go crazy with the powdered sugar. Eat in, take out and also have a dog friendly patio. Love this place. These 2 items were $4.50

If it’s your first time here, you should know there are actually two locations of this bakery, one on West Avenue and the other on Ottawa Street. I found out from the staff that they’re owned by different people and operate independently. I’ve been to both and honestly prefer the West Avenue location. It has that cozy, local old-town bakery vibe that I really enjoy. The staff at both spots have always been nice and friendly, so no complaints there. That said, the Ottawa Street location does have the edge when it comes to variety, you’ll find way more pastries to choose from here. One thing you definitely shouldn’t miss is their giant croissants. They don’t look or taste like a traditional French croissant, but they’re fresh, tasty, and have their own unique texture. We also tried a few other pastries, and everything was good. Another difference is payment; West Avenue is cash only, while Ottawa Street accepts cards as well, which is more convenient. Prices at both locations are a bit on the high side, but I don’t mind paying a little extra to support small, local businesses. I’ve attached some photos of their pastries, and while I’ll happily stop by either location, my personal favorite is still the West Avenue spot, it just has a unique atmosphere that makes it feel special.

First time customer. Charming atmosphere. Kind and welcoming staff who were happy to help. They only take cash and you pay by putting the cash in the cash bin after self-serving your own drink. If you don’t have enough change, they let you pay the next time you come in and if you need to exchange change, I saw them help out quite a few customers with that :) I served myself a small coffee which was $2.25 and ordered tuna melt & coleslaw which was $11. The coffee was unfortunately not hot which is why I am knocking off a star, but the tuna melt was INCREDIBLE. Large portion of fresh bread with a crispy crust, gooey cheese, and excellently spiced. The pickle with the coleslaw was so good too! Tons of parking next to the pretty outdoor patio filled with flowers, and it is beside tons of thrift stores if you want to make a date out of your visit. I stayed back and did some work inside, which I enjoyed, but later went outside because it was way too warm inside. Overall definitely want to come back and try some sweets! I want to visit their other location too. Very homey. 🍵

My favourite place for wood fired bagels. You can see bagels baking in front of you and can enjoy the freshly baked bagels in the patio, if you go early. Their bagels are vegan friendly too. Their croissants and other bakery items are also a must try. Staff is polite helpful. Remember to take cash as they have self serve counter.

Very disappointed to experience the shrinkflation in their tuna sandwiches as well as the price increase. You pay more and get much less. Tuna melts at half the amount should not cost $12.50. It is noteworthy that the café was not crowded at lunchtime. I will make it at home from now on.