Harbord Bakery — Restaurant in Toronto

I have been a devoted patron of Harbord Bakery for over 30 years and regarded it as one of my all time favourite bakeries. The fresh buns; which included bagels and Harbord’s magnificent Sweet Rolls with sweet crumb topping, were always on my shopping list. Of course, I would never leave the bakery without adding a large box of assorted danishes, which I had considered the best in the city. I could go on and on about the list of incredibly executed sweet and savoury items available and how, over the years, I made it my mission to sample almost all of them. Sometimes, I was lucky enough to run into Albert himself and find him sampling some of the savoury dishes, just to make sure that everything tasted just right. When he cashed me out, I might add, it was always with a smile, it was not uncommon, since my purchases were substantial, for him to throw in a, Babka, on the house. Most recently, I visited my beloved Harbord Bakery, after moving away from the city of Toronto. To my dismay, I was saddened to discover that things do not always remain the same. The “Kotlety,” which are Eastern European Veal hamburgers and which I have had on many occasions in the past, were lacking in flavour and texture and actually had a hint of gaminess to the meat. My beloved Almond Danish, was not the danish of yesteryear, when Albert was still with us. The actual colour of the almond filling was lighter and had a yellow hue to it, clearly, the original recipe had been altered. In the past, I remembered the almond filling having a tan colour to it and in my estimation, it was missing some actual fresh ground almond in the mix along with additional flavourings, like cinnamon. The Cheese Danish, also, does not taste the same. Again, the danish is missing the proper amount of cinnamon, the taste of the cheese filling is off and the dough of the danish itself has been altered, it does not have the same light airy texture to it, It seems too dense and the flavours are not as they once were. It is sad to say that after Albert’s passing, I had noticed a decline in the bakery’s quality and I slowly recognized that things were changing. Unfortunately, I guess nothing lasts forever and I have made the decision that my most recent visit to your establishment...

I absolutely love their daily soups (made from scratch, wholesome which can be a meal on their own), their delicate quiches (especially the spinach, but also the other vegetable one), their lemon meringue pie. Their carrot cakes with cream cheese topping and cheesecakes are also lovely, although I wish they'd top their cheesecakes with fresh fruit (they don't somehow). Some of the other cakes I tried were disappointing and not worth it, surprisingly. I don't much care for their granola either, though I believe it's made from scratch too. Their new beet borscht bottled beverage which they developed in honor of their 70th anniversary is very tasty (tastes wholesome and healthy) and unique. Their breads are good, although I prefer and mostly buy Ace Bakery bread, but I love Harbord Bakery's rye bread with extra caraway seeds. One gets the feeling soon after walking into Harbord Bakery that it's a business that the owners run themselves with integrity and pride, and with a strong sense of connection to the community that their family have been serving for over seven...

Picked up some desserts here on a whim for a dinner . It was a little on the pricey side but well worth it. I got a mixed fruit tart and it was amazing. Light and just sweet enough. The butter tarts were legitimately the best I've ever eaten in my life - the filling was just the perfect consistency and sweet without being overly sweet, and the tart crust was crumbly on the outside but carmelized and chewy near the top and on the inside where it met with the filling. I couldnt believe how good it was. I thought maybe I was just hungry but I had another one the morning after and it was almost as good as the first, just a day less fresh. Also got a poppy seed challah bread and it was just perfect - even though I didnt eat it until the next day, it wasnt stale. The thing was just beautiful and I felt bad cutting into it. It was dense in structure but light overall, so it was easy to cut with a serrated bread knife and toasted so nicely. The staff were very sweet, friendly and very helpful. I would make my way back here even though it's a bit out of...