Larry's Place — Restaurant in Toronto

Wyck Recommends: Larry’s Folly (Parkdale, Toronto)

Rating: 4.2/5

Larry’s Folly isn’t just a café—it’s a Parkdale institution. The original space had soul. I’m talking mismatched furniture, a massive front bar island, and the kind of old-school charm that felt like you were drinking espresso in someone’s quirky, over-decorated living room.

The cheese croissant? Let’s not play around—it’s basically wearing a cape of melted cheddar. It’s bold, flaky, and exactly what your cheat day deserves. Add in their legendary plain croissant, killer desserts, and a hot chocolate that feels like a warm hug during a bad week, and you’re in business.

But the catch? It gets slammed. Always. Staff are in the trenches, so don’t expect full-service TLC. And if you’re eyeing a table, get ready to throw elbows—this place has about as much seating as a waiting room at a tattoo shop.

The newer location? Smaller, and doesn’t hit the same. It’s functional, but lacks the character that made the OG space a local legend.

Pros: ✔ Cheese croissant = baked masterpiece ✔ Plain croissant and pastries are top-tier ✔ Hot chocolate actually tastes like chocolate ✔ Good cup of Joe ✔ Original space had unbeatable vintage personality

Cons: ✖ Seating is cutthroat—expect to hover ✖ Always busy = slow service, not by choice ✖ New location lost the charm ✖ Comfort? Depends on how much you like velvet armchairs from 1984

Final Take: Larry’s Folly is chaotic in the best way. It’s the kind of spot where locals post up with laptops, lineups spill out the door, and everyone’s chasing that croissant like it’s the last one on Earth. It's messy, nostalgic, flaky perfection—and worth the...

I went to Larry's Folly today and ordered a coffee. As I was paying, a cockroach started running around the counter. I tried to point it out to the staff members, who couldn't understand what I was saying until finally I lifted up the pay terminal to show them the roach hiding underneath. I heard "Oh, that happens sometimes" -- not sure if that was from a staff member or a customer, but either way it was deeply alarming.

Once a staff member finally noticed the roach, she flicked it directly toward me with a receipt to get it off the counter. I dodged the roach, but of course, since she didn't kill it, it was still alive. I told them it was scurrying around down on the ground now, so a staff member came to my side of the counter to kill it. She did successfully kill it.

The pastries were NOT all completely covered, meaning that there could easily have been roaches crawling on them. Additionally, roaches can get into coffee machines if not properly cleaned: this entire cafe is a health hazard. The place is kept dark, so it may be difficult for the average patron to notice how nasty it is.

Look at my review history: I'm not the kind of person to leave bad reviews. I don't like harming local businesses for no reason. But this was such a disgusting experience, the public needs to know about this health hazard of a cafe.

Advice to the cafe: There is NEVER only one roach: you need to close down for a few days to fully deal with this problem, not ignore it. Buy roach gel and place it in dots rather than lines. Clean everything deeply and aggressively after the roaches have been...

I'm searching for the best butter tart in Ontario - see some of my previous reviews for other options. One name that repeatedly came up was Larry's Place, so this weekend I visited to check them out.

First, it's worth noting that Larry's Place is a great coffee shop. There's a fun vibe, the place is clearly popular in the neighbourhood, and the barista was very friendly. I would gladly return for a coffee in the future.

But my visit was strictly for business: I needed to taste their butter tart. I'm pleased to confirm that they have an excellent iteration, among the best I've tried.

The crust is an interesting mix between flaky and soft, whereas most butter tarts tend to be one or the other. It's sort of the best of both worlds, and with a pleasant sticky texture, too, from the filling caramelizing against the tart.

In terms of the filling, the tarts are not particularly stuffed. Based on comments I've heard from friends and family, I would view this as a bonus: it seems that most people don't want a deluge of the filling. The texture of the filling is also pleasing: it's gooey, but not too liquidy.

Overall, Larry's Place is a strong contender among the best butter tarts in the province. It's definitely worth checking out - and maybe grab a coffee while...