I know this store has been open for a while now, but I found myself in North York last week and felt it was the perfect time to finally check it out! In this review, I will share my honest thoughts about the store, what I ate, what I recommend, and more including my thoughts on their exclusive St. Paddy’s Day donuts! Before reading below, please follow me on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook especially since I will be posting more food content and things to do in Toronto (and other places)! For a visual POV/teaser, see below!
About
Paris Baguette is a premium bakery and cafe originating from Seoul, South Korea (hence why in the preview video you will see a clip of Seventeen’s Mingyu promoting it). There are thousands of locations in South Korea but the cafe is franchised all over the world including retail stores in France, Singapore, China, and Vietnam with a projected goal of having 1,000 bakery cafés in North America by 2030. The location I went to was at 4841 Yonge Street, Unit 120, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This is at Yonge and Sheppard and there is some limited parking on the street but a fairly large paid parking lot nearby across the Government of Canada building and at the Yonge Shopping Centre. Fun fact: this is the first location in Canada!
Concept
When you arrive, you will see some limited seating and then numerous pastries you can choose from. Make sure to pick up your tray and read all the instructions prior to picking up anything. Each item has a label that provides a name for what it is, the price, and what it contains to be mindful of allergies. I liked the selection of different items including standard and limited edition things. There are also items you can enjoy a few days later including milk bread, small cakes, muffins, and more. Once you are done picking your items you line up for the cashier to check you out and that is where you can order your drinks as well. Keep in mind I did go near closing time.
Price
In terms of pricing, as you can tell it is on the more expensive side. The bakery is positioned as a premium bakery and there is some exclusivity with the products they offer and the ingredients used. There are some things you can get for a more affordable price here. Tip: make sure to post a product of theirs on social media to get a free hot drink.
Taste
Now, does the taste live up to the price? I think it varies based on the item but there are some that I enjoyed far more than others. Starting off with St. Paddy’s Day exclusives, I tried the king cream donut which was good but overly sweet, especially with the sprinkles and explosive cream. This donut is perfect for those who crave sweet things and need a big sugar rush as cream oozes with every bite and reminds me of an elevated Boston cream. The other St. Paddy’s Day exclusive I tried was the mochi donut and what I liked about this was that it was nowhere as sweet as the king cream donut but the reason why I wouldn’t list this as one of my favourites is that I found it very oily at the bottom. I liked the perfect amount of sweetness and sprinkles on top. However, the best part was the texture of the donut was great and ripped apart easily which made it easy to eat and share. My favourite pastry that I picked up was the cream custard bun because they perfected the texture and sweetness of this. The bun reminded me of a brioche bun texture and the sweet filling was not overpowering.
Another item I enjoyed was from the pre-packaged section and that was the “Ms.Bear” cake which reminded me of Madeline cookies where there was a nice buttery cake feel to it. Easy to eat, and even easier to eat fast, I highly recommend it! Another item I got from this section was the milk bread which tastes great with a little fluff and sweetness with every bite which makes it good on its own but I also used it for sandwiches, pizza toast, and egg toast where it did hold up. However, I would recommend using it within a few days or immediately putting it in the fridge after opening it. Lastly, I had to try the drinks, and the free drink I got was the Matcha latte. The matcha was good, wasn’t bitter nor was it sweet so it found the right balance, however, I did find it tasted like regular matcha but what sets it apart is that there is a nice aftertaste. Something I did find a bit too strong and bitter for my liking was the iced americano. I am curious to try this hot and was told this is very popular at Paris Baguette by one of the staff working here. I think this will be great for coffee lovers that enjoy a more strong coffee and frankly, this was perfect to balance things out after eating the St. Paddy’s king cream donut!
Overall
All in all, I enjoyed going to Paris Baguette and can see myself going there again. I admit that it is pricey for me to go often, but I would love to go back to get Ms. Bear cake, the custard buns, and milk bread but also try other exclusive/limited-time pastries and other hot drinks. If you have been here or are curious to try, let me know your thoughts in the comments below or on social media by following me on especially since I will be posting more food and Toronto content!