Charming patisseries on cobblestone streets feel like a distant European travel daydream these days – that is, until we discovered Barbershop Patisserie. The decadent European-inspired pastry shop feels like a glimpse into Parisian café culture, with a hint of London pasty shops mixed in (their signature pastry is a savoury sausage roll!), all in the heart of Toronto. After gobbling up our pastry haul, we found ourselves scraping up each fallen pastry flake and eating them off our (sanitized) fingers because we just couldn’t bear to waste a single one.
What You Need to Know About Barbershop Patisserie
Located on a bustling stretch of College St. in the Dufferin Grove neighbourhood, Barbershop Patisserie is the brainchild of renowned pastry chef Jill Barber (formerly of Black Bird Baking Co. and Paradise on Bloor). The takeaway shop opened mid-pandemic in late 2020 to great acclaim, regularly selling out of their buzzy pastries midday. Their rotating menu of pastries, cakes and cookies makes the most of fresh, seasonal produce for their fruit and veggie-based pastries, and fresh meat from local butchers for their meaty hand pies and pastries. They also serve up frothy coffee and tea based-lattes that pair perfectly with their baked confections.
See More: What’s in Season? Your Guide to Canadian Fruits and Vegetables
Must-Try Baked Goods at Barbershop Patisserie
Sausage Roll Bites
No trip to Barbershop Patisserie would be complete without trying one of their iconic sausage rolls, and we instantly fell in love with these mini bite-sized versions of their classic sausage roll. Reminiscent of London sausage pasties, the hearty sausage filling was perfectly spiced and the golden pastry shell held the roll together firmly, despite being oh-so delicate. Plus, the mini size (and price at just $1!) meant we could try even more off the menu, which is always a win in our books.
Roasted Eggplant Tart
The savoury veggie tarts at Barbershop Patisserie are often overshadowed by their sausage-filled counterparts, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice to not add one of these to your order. With plump eggplants currently in season, the seasonal veggie tart du jour was the roasted eggplant tart with fresh cream, spiced shallots and garlic chili oil. While eggplant isn’t typically a veggie found atop French pastries, you’d never guess it from this sophisticated tart – it was delightfully creamy with just a hint of spice, and the eggplant skin was so delicate that it just about melted into the flaky pastry.
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Chocolate Fudge Cake
A decadent slice of chocolate cake is always a good idea, and this single-serving portion of Barbershop Patisserie’s chocolate fudge cake is no exception. Moist layers of chocolate cake are sandwiched between thick, creamy chocolate icing for pure chocolatey bliss. At just the right level of sweet, our only regret is not getting a second slice for later.
Tip: Barbershop Patisserie also creates custom large cake orders, so you can order XL versions of this chocolate cake and other show-stopping creations for a crowd.
Craving more Toronto restaurant recommendations? See our 3 Things You Need to Order From Viaggio in Toronto!