Visiting/bday...Dessert/cake shop recommendations for Montreal?

[mtx]

I'm looking for a good cake shop near Guy-Concordia STN in downtown, Montreal. I'm from Toronto, chilling out a few days for the gf's bday and I want to surprise her with something delicious. Does anyone have any recommendations? Not looking for anything big, small and high quality is what I'm aiming for. And it must be nearby or metro-accessible as well! Thanks!

[kpzoo]

If you want to blow her mind and get something really special and unique, go to Cocoa Locale. Google Maps says it's a 20-30-min. trip by public transit from Guy & Ste-Catherine. Note that they're closing for the last 2 weeks of July and closed Mondays & Tuesdays.

Cocoa Locale
4807 Avenue du Parc
http://cocoalocale.com/

Cocoa Locale cakes?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/404732

If you want something good and fairly close, take the metro 2 stops (or walk) to Lionel-Groulx and pick up a cake from the Premiere Moisson bakery chain at the Atwater Market - and maybe also get some local strawberries (depending on your timing) to go with the cake: http://www.premieremoisson.com/

Super-close options that don't come close to Cocoa Locale, but are near to where you are:

Wavel - Polish baked goodies
1413, rue Saint-Marc (near Ste-Catherine)
http://www.wawelpatisserie.com/

Harmonie Bakery - Chinese & Western baked goodies
http://www.patisserieharmonie.com/
There's a new branch right down the stairs from the Guy metro entrance on Guy

Au pain doré - chain bakery
http://www.aupaindore.com/
1415, Rue Peel

[mtx]

What kind of cakes do Cocoa Locale have? Their site is not friendly!

[kpzoo]

re: their site - I know!

Did you take a look at the thread I gave the link for, which is all about Cocoa Locale cakes? That might give you some idea.

Some of their cakes include chocolate-chai (made with Valrhona chocolate), chocolate-chile, red velvet, maple peach, lemon-coconut, blueberry-lemon, creamsicle, vanilla-lavender, key lime... depends on the day. You can call ahead and find out what she has that day. These are fairly simple cakes, made with top-notch ingredients. They also have cupcakes.

[kpzoo]

Here's a Montreal Mirror article about Cocoa Locale: http://www.montrealmirror.com/2005/10...

[maisonbistro]

There is also a premiere Moisson on Sherbrooke just a little East of Guy - South side of the street - no need to go to the market.

[bakersdelight]

tiny cafe selling illy coffee and chickpea flour pastries, which i love, though some do not--corner mackay and sherbrooke. also myriade on mackay next to the arts & science bldg for award-winning coffee and decent eats. bistro in the basement of holts for fancy shmancy, and there's also one in the basement of ogilvy's.
i'll take wavel over reema's/cocoa locale, if that's ok.

[cherylmtl]

None of those places sell cakes, or even really desserts, which is what the OP is looking for. Great cookies and muffins, but not the same thing...

[kpzoo]

Cool - thanks for pointing that out!

[wilmagrace]

there is a premiere moisson on sherbrooke near guy and they have the kind of cakes like shortcakes, genoises, mousse cakes, etc which we have always tended to buy to celebrate birthdays, click on pictures to see choices, could call ahead to get prices, reserve
http://www.premieremoisson.com/Products/Pastries/Our-classics-/Vanilla-Birthday-Cake

here is location/hours
http://www.premieremoisson.com/Points...

[mtx]

Thanks for all the useful replies. I think I may go with Cocoa Locale. When they are open on Wednesday, I will give them a call and see if they can make me a nice personalized mint chocolate cake for 2-4 persons.

[cherylmtl]

Reema won't do custom cakes, AFAIK. It's whatever she happens to have baked, depending on the ingredients available. But she certainly has small cakes (for 2-4 people) and often has chocolate mint available, which I'm sure she'd gladly put aside for you if you called and explained. Better yet, I'd be willing to guess that if you call the day before you need it, she could probably arrange something.

[mtx]

Just saw this place, it's crazy close to Guy-Concordia, within walking distance. May have to give this place a shot instead just because of convenience.

[whiskeytits]

Harmonie Bakery most certainly does sell cakes in the front cooler...I was down there today.

Also, I'm pretty sure Wawel has some sort of cake-like things in their cooler, but I can't be for sure.

There is a place in the Pepsi forum just down the street from both of these called Pekarna and they have many different varieties of cakes and deserts...all very beautifully presented. It's a sit down coffee shop type place where you get a slice and sit down with an espresso.

Also, for Cheesecake, there's always Broadway Cheesecake, which is on President Kennedy (the street that Lincoln turns into further East)...it's about a 15 minute walk from the Guy metro.

-----
Broadway Cheesecake
16991 Rte Trans-Canada, Kirkland, QC H9H5J1, CA

[bakersdelight]

ya, i was thinking maybe Reubens deli on ste catherine for old-school cheesecake, carrot cake, etc. The downstairs Reubens under the Commensal corner McGill College, not the street-level one.

[hala]

It is true the website is not very "friendly", but if you search for cocoa locale on youtube. There is a video of Reema making cakes.

Edited: Sorry, I did not notice the date.

[kpzoo]

Do they even have a site anymore? Their domain seemed to have expired quite a while ago - http://cocoalocale.com/

[hala]

As usual, you are right.

Here is a link to the video I was talking about. You can see exactly what she is making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXY8MJ...