City Cafe Bakery - Ottawa St. — Restaurant in Kitchener

A Cafe that believes in the goodness of humanity? That is worth supporting! City Cafe serves a variety of baked goods including bread, donuts, tarts and croissants. First thing you need to know: this place is cash only! If like me you never carry cash that is something to plan for. Second thing you need to know: they work on the honor system!!!! So if like me you have $10 of baked goods and then realize you don't need cash they will just smile and tell you to pay it next time you come in and totally trust that you will! (I walked across the street to the bank, got the money and paid them back right away)

The quality of the baked goods is on par with what you would get from the bakery at your local loblaws. I had a croissant that was bready rather than flakey, a decent walnut crunch donut (a strange nostalgia for what used to be a low pick at Tim Hortons for me) and a loaf of sourdough bread with no discernable sourness. As someone who seeks out and writes about high end bakeries this place is not in my usual quality tier, but if I had to choose between this place and Tim Horton's I would take this place every time.

Also of note: the cafe I went (Ottawa location) does not have indoor eating at this time and the weather is turning too cold for its patio area. The city is also doing construction on the street and a good section of the parking lot so parking is extremely limited!

Despite all that will I return? Absolutely, if for no other reason than to support a business that smiles and says "we trust you! Pay us back...

This was my second visit to this bakery. The first time I had a great experience. Delicious bread, good sandwich, friendly service. I visit Kitchener about once a year. The bakery had stuck in my head so I visited a second time. I noticed on their board that they stopped making sandwiches at 2:00. It was 1:45. When I asked for a tuna melt, the response was “REALLY”! “You must be kidding” under his breath. This was a weekday not very busy and before 2:00. Another woman ordered a sandwich after me and did not get this response. Maybe they should change the sign to say last orders at 1:30 if they don’t want to make sandwiches till 2:00. Just a thought. I remembered that they took cash only, and after reading reviews I understand more the concept of the honour system. Which is a lovely concept. I was however a bit taken aback when I brought my things to the counter and was asked to add it up myself, “there are prices on the bins” I was told, weird. Then they asked if I wanted change. The whole experience was odd, unexplained and maybe they get tired of repeating the concept but I was really put off until I read the Google reviews because I really didn’t understand what was going on. A business that gives back should still be polite to their customers and not assume that they know how their...

If it’s your first time here, you should know there are actually two locations of this bakery, one on West Avenue and the other on Ottawa Street. I found out from the staff that they’re owned by different people and operate independently. I’ve been to both and honestly prefer the West Avenue location. It has that cozy, local old-town bakery vibe that I really enjoy. The staff at both spots have always been nice and friendly, so no complaints there.

That said, the Ottawa Street location does have the edge when it comes to variety, you’ll find way more pastries to choose from here. One thing you definitely shouldn’t miss is their giant croissants. They don’t look or taste like a traditional French croissant, but they’re fresh, tasty, and have their own unique texture. We also tried a few other pastries, and everything was good.

Another difference is payment; West Avenue is cash only, while Ottawa Street accepts cards as well, which is more convenient. Prices at both locations are a bit on the high side, but I don’t mind paying a little extra to support small, local businesses.

I’ve attached some photos of their pastries, and while I’ll happily stop by either location, my personal favorite is still the West Avenue spot, it just has a unique atmosphere that makes it...