328460 Sun Sep 24 10:27:59 -0700 2006 24 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 1898279 I love baklava and wonder where I can find the best baklava in Toronto. Any tips? Sun Sep 24 10:27:59 -0700 2006 42712 Torfoodie 1 1898301 I'm not a huge fan of it, but I do live in GreekTown on the Danforth, so I would say definetly check out any of the places there, particularly Athens Pastries (i'm pretty sure thats the one I'm thinking of) Sun Sep 24 11:40:28 -0700 2006 1898279 26815 hungryabbey 1 1898340 Arz Bakery @ Vic Park and Lawrance. Sun Sep 24 13:10:13 -0700 2006 1898279 23835 mclaugh 1 1898341 I like my baklava very sweet with lots of dripping honey sauce. For that kind of baklava, there is a woman who sells it in Kensington. It is inside one of the 2 nutsellers stores (bad description I know, but you'll probably know what I mean) and it is delicious. For the drier kind of baklava, Arz grocery (an Armenian grocery on Lawrence East -- east of the DVP) is good and the choices are astounding. Sun Sep 24 13:12:09 -0700 2006 1898279 27847 mickeyj 1 1898568 Definitely ARZ. It's very different from the more common Greek style - drier and less sweet. What's more important is that they simply do it well. There are other shops along Lawrence East that may be as good as Arz or better, but I haven't tried them yet. Reports anyone? There's incredible choice on Danforth. I haven't tried all of the restaurants, but I have tried ALL of the bakeries along Danforth, Pape, and Donlands. I don't feel that any of the Greek bakeries is any good. (Your mileage may vary.) The trick with Greek style baklava is crispy, buttery filo under the dripping sauce. I consistently find soggy, soaked filo, butterless, and with too few nuts to taste. Europa (not Greek) gets the pastry a bit better, but ruins it with some kind of artificial flavour. Athens on Danforth is great, but they don't specialize in baklava-type pastries. Sun Sep 24 16:33:35 -0700 2006 1898279 23411 embee 2 1908367 I think you're referring to the middle-eastern style of baklawa that uses orange/rose water, ghee and sugar instead of lots of honey... they also tend to use pistachios, almonds, and cashews instead of the usual in greek style baklava. Thu Sep 28 15:59:16 -0700 2006 1898568 25504 chimichimi 1 1899033 Oh, do visit Arabesque on the corner of Gladstone & College, just east of Dufferin. Absolutely yummy yummy stuff. Somebody told me that the proprietor is of Lebanese descent, and that all of his various kinds of baklava (there are about 8 or 10) are homemade. Everything from the drier variety to dripping with honey. My fave: the little 'fingers' in the top right side of the display cabinet (made with rosewater and other stuff, it says). They're slightly drier and dissolve in your mouth when you bite into them. -g Sun Sep 24 20:53:25 -0700 2006 1898279 16347 goofibulator 2 1899058 I agree - Arabesque is wonderful - I eat there once a week and always get a piece of his baklava as a finisher. One tiny piece is just right. The owner is very friendly and easy-going. It's open Tuesday to Saturday 11-7, Sundays 11-4 if I remember correctly. Sun Sep 24 21:11:01 -0700 2006 1899033 42802 7katz 2 1904408 i second that Tue Sep 26 23:46:47 -0700 2006 1899033 43223 chocohead 1 1899083 Serano Bakery, on the west side of Pape, between Mortimer and Danforth, offers the best Greek style baklava in Toronto IMHO. Huge selection of other Greek pastries, too. I find their pastries fresher and more buttery than the other bakeries on the Danforth. Sun Sep 24 21:21:53 -0700 2006 1898279 10626 phoenikia 2 1899135 Agreed Serano is better than some others, but you still know it didn't come from a Greek home. Sun Sep 24 21:54:05 -0700 2006 1899083 23411 embee 1 1899171 Maybe you can tell that Serano products didn't come from a Greek home, but I honestly don't think most Torontonians would be able to tell. I brought some kourabiedes, melamakarona and baklava from Serano to a friend last year, and she mistook them for the homemade Greek pastries that I usually bring. It is the bakery most Greeks I know go to when they don't have time to bake.And Serano's version of kourabiedes (although it doesn't compare to my mom's recipe) is much better than the 2 homemade batches of kourabiedes I received from 2 Greek mothers in Toronto last Christmas. To each their own;) Sun Sep 24 22:11:53 -0700 2006 1898279 10626 phoenikia 1 1899639 I like Ararat; for both their baklava and lots of other good things to take away. Ararat Specialty Foods 1800 Avenue Road (416) 782-5722 Mon Sep 25 02:56:52 -0700 2006 1898279 42844 MichelinStarChaser 1 1901305 Has anyone ever tried warm baklava? It gets that same gooey, runny texture as a good butter tart. Just don't subject it to the microwave. The delicate pastry can't take it. Mon Sep 25 20:36:20 -0700 2006 1898279 20115 Webdude 2 1904410 that goes with anything made with phylo pastry Tue Sep 26 23:47:29 -0700 2006 1901305 43223 chocohead 1 1903501 Athens is a nut free bakery - no baklava but great if you ever have guests coming with nut allergies. Tue Sep 26 18:32:11 -0700 2006 1898279 16210 shana 1 1903544 I would also try Tahsin Market, a turkish market just east of Pape, on the south side of the Danforth. I know they don't make it themselves but they have some of the best baklava I've had in TO, made with pistachios, not walnuts/almonds. Very crispy, buttery phyllo as well. Better than any greek bakery I've tried thus far. As well, Europa, just down the street from Tahsin makes a passable baklava, and they make their own phyllo several times/week. They also do a chocolate covered baklava that is interesting (but the chocolate they use isn't rich enough IMHO). Tue Sep 26 18:42:04 -0700 2006 1898279 12074 bluedog 1 1903597 I've tried Europa's chocolate covered Baklava. Even though I'm a chocoholic, I prefer the plain style. The flavours of both the chocolate and baklava get drowned out when they're together. I still have not found a good baklava on the Danforth. They're all way to chewy and not nutty/rich enough, although they're plenty sweet. I was spoiled by mom's homemade as a child. Tue Sep 26 18:59:02 -0700 2006 1898279 11053 thenurse 1 1904486 They're not amazing or anything, but Sababa has these homemade walnut baklavas (they also have some regular ones) that are pretty tasty. Wed Sep 27 00:16:25 -0700 2006 1898279 14419 Chester Eleganté 1 1905952 This is outside of Toronto, but if you're ever in Mississauga at Dixie/403, Paramount is excellent for Lebanese desserts, including baklava. Wed Sep 27 17:55:18 -0700 2006 1898279 29184 Anna B 1 1906152 I live near Pape, north of the Danforth, and get amazing baklavas at Stany Bakery (between Mortimer and Cosburn). They are large, fresh and dripping with syrup. Wed Sep 27 19:05:18 -0700 2006 1898279 12413 pâté chinois 1 1914587 It is surprising no one has mentioned Patisserie Royale, on Lawrence a block before Arz. http://www.patisserieroyale.com/products/baklawa.html Their baklawa is superior to Arz, and they have amazing maamoul and other middle-eastern traditional sweets such as 3smalleyeh, halawet-jebn, knefeh, etc. Arz's baklawa is often stale because they make it large quantities and don't make it often enough. There are 2 main styles of baklawa: Greek or middle-eastern. comparing the 2 is a bit like comparing apples to oranges. Middle-eastern baklawa doesn't use honey and is more delicate on the taste, more crunchy and has more varieties in the fillings and shapes. Sun Oct 01 16:25:59 -0700 2006 1898279 44176 Explorer1 2 1914590 Thanks. I've been wanting to try them but couldn't remember their name. I think there are a couple of others on Lawrence E that are worth exploring. Names, anyone?? I've never experienced stale at Arz. Perhaps my timing has been lucky. Sun Oct 01 16:29:58 -0700 2006 1914587 23411 embee 3 1914910 I've bought baklava from Arz twice in the last week. Both times it was excellent--flavour, texture, freshness. I sampled the pistachio/pine nut, cashew and walnut. All were delicious, but I think I prefer the cashew. Sun Oct 01 19:55:48 -0700 2006 1914590 11490 Yongeman 2 2007723 I finally made it to Patisserie Royale today. Although I still like Arz, Royale blows away everyplace else I've tried in Toronto. Fresh, crispy, buttery, wide variety, generous fillings, not messy and NOT VERY SWEET. This stuff is amazing. If you are partial to the mid-eastern style of filo, you MUST try this place. I have never tasted anything better. Thu Nov 09 03:20:09 -0800 2006 1914587 23411 embee