Duchess Bake Shop — Restaurant in Western Mature Area

It breaks my heart to have to change my review of Duchess to only a 1 star review. (Sorry for the long review)I had a serious 10+year love-affair with everything from Duchess. I even signed up for almost all of their Atelier classes. We went for their viewing of their participation in a french patisserie competition and even attended their tasting events. We couldn't have been happier when they opened Little Duchess which made access to heavenly treats even easier. Unfortunately, noticeable changes rolled in after Giselle and her partner left in 2022. First these changes were small - replacement of ingredients in signature tarts, then sizes and presentation of these monthly signature tarts started changing, along with pricing changes, and finally, monthly feature pastries started being replaced with less elegant and less tasty options. I had to step away as every Duchess Bakeshop visit would bring dissapointment. Today, after a year and a half away, I happened to be on 124th Street and so I decided to pop-in. The sadness I felt when viewing their pastry line up - pastries in their display case are lacking the dainty, visually appeling and delicious french patisserie appeal that was there prior to 2023. I decided to take home 2 long time staples (keylime tart and their lemon meringue). The pasteries tasted so different and so I decided to dust off my Duchess recipe book and made my own keylime tart ...drumroll...my Duchess recipe book version, tasted better than the store bought version...how is this possible? Anyone who has been a Duchess regular prior to them getting famous, and prior to 2023, will understand where I am coming from. I hope this review will help the new-ish owners re-evaluate their direction - please bring back the glory of Duchess with the tasty, delicious and visually appealing pastries from the past.

My 5-star review of Duchess prior to 2022 : Best baked goods in Yeg...a bit pricey but worth every penny. Mouthwatering macarons, cakes, tarts and baked goods. If you love chocolate cake try their Duke cake. Their monthly features never disappoint. I only wish they would consider bringing back their verrines - especially their choc mousse, coconut and raspberry flavorful...

If you haven't visited Duchess Bakery yet, you're truly missing out on one of life's greatest pleasures! This cozy little spot has easily become my favorite bakery in town, and let me tell you why: their irresistible Key Lime Tart, divine scones, and scrumptious savory macarons are nothing short of perfection.

The moment I set foot in Duchess Bakery, I was welcomed with a warm and inviting atmosphere, accompanied by the enticing aroma of freshly baked goods. The courteous staff were eager to assist me in navigating their mouth-watering selection.

The star of the show for me has to be their heavenly Key Lime Tart. The buttery, flaky crust perfectly complements the lusciously smooth and tangy lime filling, creating an exquisite balance of flavors. I was transported to a tropical paradise with each bite, savoring the refreshing zest that lingered on my taste buds.

But Duchess Bakery doesn't stop there; their scones are genuinely to die for. These delightful pastries are the epitome of British tradition, with a tender, crumbly texture and a rich, buttery flavor. Pair one with a hot cup of tea, and you've got yourself the perfect afternoon treat.

The savory macarons, though, were an unexpected surprise that left me speechless. These delicate, French confections were transformed into delightful savory treats, packed with exquisite flavors like sun-dried tomato, goat cheese, and basil. Each macaron was a harmonious blend of tastes and textures, leaving me craving more.

Overall, Duchess Bakery has exceeded my expectations on every level. Their delectable Key Lime Tart, to-die-for scones, and mouthwatering savory macarons have secured their spot as my go-to bakery. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Duchess Bakery, don't wait any longer. Treat yourself to a heavenly experience that will leave you...

Use these guys every year for many years and decided to pre-order this time to avoid the HUGE line up they have. Well that was a big mistake! They ask you to pre-sign that you received the order and with how busy it is and the space at pre-order desk, you can’t check the order for accuracy (although it should be accurate). Well, not the case. I was given the excuse that they ‘filled so many orders’ that mine was overlooked and not filled correctly. While I can appreciate mistakes can be made, the lack of empathy was very evident in the call I made to this business to advise them of the mistake. In my job, if I make a mistake, I fix it right away. They advised me that they had no more of the pie I had pre-ordered (which makes NO sense to me since I PRE-ORDERED IT, so wouldn’t it make sense there would be a pie unaccounted for?? so they obviously gave my pie to someone else) and instead of offering me a replacement of something else, anything else, I was offered a refund, but not until Sunday because no one could do it today.

With the lack of an alternate offer of a replacement dessert and an excuse that they had ‘so many orders’ I’m done. I guess due to ‘so many orders’ mine just didn’t matter. With my experience today, that was enough to move on to someone else that doesn’t make excuses and offers an alternative, or more importantly don’t make mistakes and maybe ensure orders are right and value ALL their customers orders.

While it likely doesn’t make any effect on this business, I’ll share my experience with as many...