Absolute Bakery & Cafe

Based on the reviews, I expected to love this little bakery in Cabbagetown, so I bought a variety of items to take home and everything left me disappointed.
The reviews for the Danish was what lured me in at first, and I guess it all comes down to what type of Danish you like.
These were very thick and bread like, which some might like, but we prefer light and flaky (Hansen’s, MonK, Nakamura, even Sobeys are flakier) so these were a major disappointment.
The Sri Lankan savoury pastries were interesting, and likely popular with those who grew up with this style of Roti and samosa, but it didn’t leave us wanting more.
The éclair was very stale. :(
Saving the best for last — the twisted ring pastry was flaky pastry twisted with jam and coated in almonds. It was nice and crispy, and not too sweet, but again, not so great that it will inspire another visit.
It took me months to even remember that I stopped in here, and notice I had never done a review.
Perhaps if I lived around the corner in Cabbagetown, I would love this bakery the way the other reviewers do.
Sometimes I think Cabbagetownies just love everything in Cabbagetown.

Best cheese danish in the city! I was raised on eastern-​European-​style cheese danish made with quark/​farmer cheese and since moving to Toronto I’ve experienced nothing but cheese danish disappointments… Apparently I’m very picky about my cheese danishes (I had no idea!) and nothing I tried hit the spot. Luckily, I stumbled upon this bakery during one of my cabbagetown strolls and now I refuse to get danishes anywhere else. The portions are huge and stuffed with dense, lightly sweetened cheese filling (there are also cherry and blueberry flavor options). Absolutely delicious and the prices are very reasonable. They also sell day-​olds at a rate of $ 2.50 for a bag of 3 pastries, which is a pretty good deal (depending on what you get).

This quaint little shop has tons of goodies to offer. You go in, ogle… point, pay & enjoy! I’d say a couple of anything is enough for a 5k run along the lower Don trail then head back to get some more, haha! Seriously, if you’re ever around the area, don’t make the mistake of looking without giving in. It will haunt you for the rest of your life.

It was a nice indian bakery. Pastries are not expensive and tasty. I often bought pastries and a loaf of bread there. One lady at my congregation brought their pastries and it was right. It would be nice to bring pastries from Absolute Bakery for an informal gathering.

I am reading everyone’s reviews, and maybe I just had a bad experience. I went to this bakery a couple of weeks ago to buy brioche. The lady at the counter gave me chala. I asked if this was chala or brioche. She said that they are the same thing. No they are not the same. I explained to her the difference, and she told me «whatever.» She then walked away. That should have told me to leave the store because they obviously don’t want my business.
Another lady came to serve me, and I decided to get the chala because I needed bread, and I didn’t want to walk to St. Lawrence Market. I also purchased some rolls on the back counter – Indian flavoured rolls… they were $ 4 each, and they were not very good. They were greasy, the meat did not taste very good, and it was soggy. I couldn’t eat it, and I had to throw it away. The bread was also stale. It was not flaky or eggy like a good chala bread.
I get better service and quality at the Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens. I don’t get attitude, and the bread is fresher.

This is my favourite bakery in Toronto. What’s not to like about this place. They do Sri Lankan baked goods and French booked goods, and they do them both well. They make beautiful cakes and tarts, challah bread, huge rum balls, and everything in between. The prices are very reasonable and service is always very fast and efficient. My favourite items are:
1. Sri Lankan roti. hefty pockets of fried roti bread wrapped around delicious curry (they do vegetable, meat (I think beef or mutton?) and chicken varieties. The vegetable and the meat varieties are my favourite.
2. Sri Lankan style stuffed buns, they look like baked samosas but with a puffier shell, and they are filled with the same aforementioned curries, this type of pastry also comes in a fish curry option which is delicious!
3. Cream cheese danish — massive golden danish that is absolutely crammed with sweet cream cheese and topped with powdered sugar
4. Chocloate chip danish — also massive, layers of buttery dough with semi-​sweet chocolate chips and granulated sugar.
I love everything I’ve tried from this shop and I’ve been visiting them for years. I now live in the west end but I still travel over to Cabbagetown at least once a week just to visit this bakery! Very friendly family that owns it. Great hours too, they are open from early morning until 10:30 pm every night and they’re always open on holidays too. I recently heard they are opening a new location near on the Danforth this summer! Go check it out!

If I lived in Toronto, I would be here all the time!
This place is a hidden gem, and their baked goods are a steal! I’m so sad that we only got two items from this place — if those two items are a representation of the quality of the other baked goodies, this place is phenomenal.
First of all, you are invited into the bakery by just looking at the baked goodies in the window. Everything is massive, and looks decadent and amazing. We ended up getting a chocolate pastry and a palmier. The chocolate pastry was AMAZING. It had loads of chocolate inside and out, and was buttery and moist. SO GOOD. The palmier was average, but it was practically the size of my face! And both cost about $ 3 together.
This isn’t your fancy bakery, but a bakery to indulge and come for big portions. They don’t skimp on the quality though!

This is a very nice bakery. Suits the area perfectly and has the nicest owners making you feel at home! Great products for Very fair pricing! I’m a big fan of cabbage town and this place is a nice spot to go to to grab some delicious treats!

Woa. A (hidden until now) fabulous bakery for me!
It is a Canadian style bakery with some oriental and French inspirations. Do not go there for fancy expensive pastries. They have the basics, with their personal touch and the result is really good! They also have some personal creations baekery goods. And the prices are so good as well!
Finally, the owner is very nice as well, as it is nice to see the owner and bakery chef being so involved in the store and nice to customers.
Just dare enter, as the store is small and may look as in desolation at first glance… but it definitely is not!

If I lived any closer to this place, I would definitely weigh about 300 lbs by now. Their cream cheese croissant/​danish/​pastry is fantastic; it’s rich, sweet, and creamy. The pecan pie is also amazing. To top it off, the prices are very affordable, and dare I say it, incredibly inexpensive for the quality you receive.

Cute place with cheap, delicious baked goods and friendly staff. Everything’s amazing, but make sure you try the veggie roti and the poppyseed rolls. I hear their pies are great too. Probably my favourite bakery in the city.

Only giving 4 stars cause there’s always room for improvement despite this place have such delicious pastries and such a nice owner! I tried Cinnamon rolls and cream cheese Danish. Can’t describe concisely how good these were. But put it his way; imagine warm heaven in your mouth, slowly melting away in soft creaminess…

We’ve been coming to this bakery for years. Mostly for their egg bread — you will devour it fast! But we usually pick up a couple cinnamon twists or danishes while we are there, which are also quite good. And if we are hungry, a chicken or beef roti to eat on the way home!
Never had a bad thing from here.
I’m writing this review today specifically because I am so thankful that a) they were open Thanksgiving Monday, and b) that the woman highly recommended I get their Berry custard pie, as she said it was one of her favourites. It was SOO good! So fresh, not too sweet, full of fresh blueberries and raspberries and a little bit of custard to hold it all together. It was a big hit at the dinner I brought it to.

Definitely 5 stars.
Low prices, but really great bread and pastry with quality ingredients.
They have roti and other savoury things at the back, but I only stick to their pastry. So, so good. Especially if it still warm… Then it just melts in your mouth.
Not a café, as there is nowhere to sit. Also, if it were not for the 4 star Unilocal rating, I would not have set foot in the place, as it looks a little, well, ghetto and dated.
But one bite into their warm pastry, and I knew this was a darn good bakery.

Definetly a bakery not a café as there is no seating, the baked goods are delicious! The best cream cheese croissant i’ve found since the italian bakery that was located on the danforth closed about 20 years ago… Chocolate croissant is to die for as well!
Service is always prompt and very pleasant!

Had a couple of hours to spare after work today and so thought I would check this bakery in Cabbagetown out. It’s quite easy to find and there was a spot almost right out front. They have a wide variety of baked goods (I wouldn’t consider them a café so to speak definitely a bakery). I ordered a loaf of bread and finally decided on a poppyseed Danish which was delicious and sweet. Price point was reasonable coming to a total of $ 4.50 for the two items. Service was fast and attentive and they were happy to provide recommendations. They lost a star as I was expecting a wider selection but what they make seems to be above par quality. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go to this place but if I was in the area I would return.

Having recently moved into Cabbagetown, I found myself searching for a good bakery and I found a great one! Absolute Bakery is an absolute gem. The service was wonderful and friendly and the baked goods delicious and fresh. I’ll keep going back to this wonderful spot and I’m certain you’d experience the same.

This place is so cute. For such a small shop, there’s a huge array of baked goods to satisfy sweet and savory cravings. Ask what’s fresh — I’ve had chocolate croissants fresh out of the oven at the recommendation of the woman who works there. Everything I’ve had here so far is delicious.
Highly recommended for selection, flavor, and freshness.

Quick assessment: absolutely yummy.
We had the apple turnover and the cherry cheese Danish. I’d have liked more cherry but most likely more people like it the way it was made. It was very fresh and the very nice lady at the counter went to the back for one of the freshest apple turnovers– which was made with fresh apples and a pastry layer that melted in your mouth without that slick nasty after sensation in your mouth like what you get from bakeries that use cheaper ingredients.
Great job Absolute. Keep up the great work! I definitely recommend.

A good bakery is harder to find than it would appear. The Absolute Bakery & Café is a very good find though!
Before finding this place I would pick up buns at T.O. Fine Foods, and other breads at No Frills or Loblaws. Now I don’t mind taking the extra few minute journey to get fresh bread that they always seem to have in abundance. Sometimes you have to wait in line for a little bit (the longest I have waited is probably 10 minutes), but it is well worth the wait.
The selection of breads and other baked goods the carry is extraordinary for such a small shop. I have never been able to come up with a bread they didn’t have, and I have asked for some pretty weird things when I am in that kind of mood. Everything that I have purchased from them has been fresh and very tasty.
Not only would I recommend them to everyone in the area, but I will probably be in line right behind you!