Highwheeler Cafe & Bakery — Restaurant in Baddeck

"you had me at hello!" when you're new to a place, and scouting out your next morning's coffee spot, you pop your head in and check the vibe. that's what i did, and i got a friendly hello and the offer of a limited menu, even though they were closing that minute. a quick chat with one of the owners made us choose to come back the next morning.

and oh! what a sight! a display case full of mouthwatering sweets, and the delirious smell of fresh roasting coffee. as my eyes refocused on the pastries on offer i saw two kinds of scones and the holy grail, i mean, cinnamon buns!

but first, the coffee: the latte was a work of art, but who cares about art if it doesn't taste good? this one had the right balance of coffee taste and foamy milk. my triple espresso (it was a rough morning, what can i say?) was also delicious, smooth and the best of the third-wave-ish coffee I've had.

I'd tried the many scone-offerings along the Cabot Trail, and most were ok, but i was looking for a sconier scone--the kind with a bit of a crust, and tender, fluffy insides. these folks have it down! we had the apple cranberry scone, perfect for the season, and delicious.

but those cinnamon buns! i eat cinnamon buns when i can find them and I'm fussy about them. the dough needs to be firm, but tender and there needs to be lots of cinnamon stuff in them. from the first bite to the last, these buns delivered the (baked) goods.

so do yourselves a favour and stop in for a smile, a hello and a world of tasty. I'm going back for their oatcakes, next time...

I had a very mixed experience at this place. I'd give a 3.5/5 for the food, but I'm rounding to a 3/5. It's mixed because they do some things really well, but other things make it a real missed opportunity for the business. For example, the BLT is fresh and on delicious bread, but it has almost no bacon and the price at $14 is ridiculous (who only puts 2 pieces of bacon a BLT??? 😜). Similarly, I'm terms of mixed feelings, the staff is extremely friendly but at the same time they upsell their products and I don't think I feel I could trust their honest opinions.. For example, they claim their cookies are unique, but they aren't really that unique or that good. I was shocked at how expensive it was to eat here also, our total came up to 54$ for two sandwiches, a coffee and two cookies.

The coffee was pretty good though.

Overall, I think this place has a lot of potential and it could really be a great location with some simple tweaks. E.g., if your gonna charge 14$ for a BLT maybe add more bacon, and some...

We absolutely loved our visit to Highwheeler Café & Bakery! From the moment we walked in, we felt warmly welcomed by the incredibly kind and attentive owners. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting — the kind of place where you immediately want to linger a little longer.

The pastries and baked goods are simply outstanding. Everything tasted fresh, homemade, and prepared with great care. The salmon bagel was perfectly balanced — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully put together. The crumble was the very definition of comfort food, with just the right mix of sweetness and texture. And the parfait was a real highlight: light, refreshing, and layered with such delicious detail that we couldn’t stop raving about it.

Highwheeler Café & Bakery is one of those rare gems where the food, the people, and the atmosphere come together perfectly. We’ll definitely be coming back — and recommending it to...