Delicious parties. Lots of interesting varieties. I recall that the pistachio pastry was yum

I was walking from the Mile End area over to the Jean-Talon Market, when Alati-Caserta caught my eye. I think it was the bright Italian colors in the signage - and since I'm no stranger to Italian bakeries I was curious how this one compared to others I've been to. That being said, we decided to stop in for a little treat. The interior of Alati-Caserta is set up similar to other Italian pasty shops though I will say it was a smidge larger than standard. There's no interior seating (only benches outside), but the queue area inside was a decent size, and the display cases were filled with bakes. The usual suspects were there - lots of cannoli, some cakes, lobster tails, and sfogliatelle. They also had ices which was a pleasant surprise. We decided to get a few mini cannoli - they had several flavors so we got 6 of their varieties. They were just fine. I applaud the shells for being crispy despite the cannoli being pre-filled (I think they may have double rolled them), however they were too sweet for my personal taste. They were also served at room temperature - I'm used to them being refrigerated. Service was good, and the place was very pretty - but overall I wasn't impressed with what I had. Perhaps their other pastries are better, so a return trip may be in order the next time I'm in Montréal. read more

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Absolutely amazing Italian pastry shop! Alati‑Caserta offers truly authentic Italian desserts made with care and tradition. Every pastry tastes fresh and genuine -- just like in Italy! The staff is friendly, the atmosphere is cozy, and the prices are very reasonable. A must‑visit spot in Montréal for anyone who loves real Italian sweets. read more

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Alati-Caserta is a fixture near the Jean-Talon market. You can feel it when you walk pass, or if you sit down in front of it. People go in and out like following a magnetic field. It is a feast for the eyes when you enter. Beautiful cakes fill the refrigerators along the walls. The display shelves shine with pastries of all kind. Colours, flavours, everything to make children and adult eyes go big. Service is fast, and you soon get to leave the shop with the iconic Alati-Caserta pastry box, with its signature red, green and white cotton string. So far, that's where the charm stopped for me. The cannoli was not fresh enough, the cassatina was drowned in royal icing nearly 5 mm thick, and the lobster tail, although golden and crisp, was much too sweet from its ricotta filling. It is possible that some sacrifices were made in terms of quality in order to keep up with the huge demand. read more

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the freshly filled-to-order cannoli are elite, with a perfect crispy shell and delicious ricotta. it gets super hectic on weekends, but it it a legendary stop for authentic treats read more

I'm speechless. I could not have been more shocked by these gluten free cannolis. The line took about 5-10 minutes and the service was fast and easy. They understood my extremely lacking French and I received my cannolis promptly. The store itself was beautiful and had a great atmosphere. Highly recommend for all you gluten free cannoli lovers! read more

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Tourist trap. Cannolis are filled with cheap cream instead of cheese. Authentic ones that have ricotta and mascarpone. Authentic cannolis places will never fill cannolis and display as they can get soggy. Authentic places fill cannolis after you order them. read more

It's Impossible to walk around Montreal's little Italy without having your olfactory system assaulted by the alluring smell of baked goods flowing from @alaticaserta. The cartoonish image of floating towards the source of the scent comes to mind and your choice becomes clear - you must have cannoli. With over 50 years of experience it's no surprise that they are considered by many to be the best in town. Every element, every ingredient is nothing less than perfect. The Gluten-Free version is indistinguishable and equally excellent. From there, a seemingly unlimited display of flavours and sizes are available for any mood you may currently find yourself in. - Pastries, cakes, pies, bombolones... All incredible choices that will make your mouth water at the mere thought. read more

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I don't think there's anyone in town who doesn't know this as THE stand-out place in Little Italy. I've been going here all my life and just as I had my first cannoli here as a baby so, too, have all my children. Always fresh and incredibly tasty it is always a treat to pick something up and always worth the detour even after I moved out of the area! It's amazing that there are always customers lining up and every face is filled with wonder at the goodies prepared inside. What makes this place extra great for me is that the owners and workers that I have interacted with have always been friendly, welcoming, and just nice! :) Also, every November cannolis are half price for the entire month as they celebrate their anniversary with this client appreciation event! I have never ever been disappointed by Alati-Caserta :) read more

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Alati makes my favorite Italian cookies in the city! They have a huge selection of cookies, at least a dozen choices. In addition, they have a large selection of cakes, mini pastries and flaky traditional pastries such as sfogliatelle, lobster tails and cannoli. I don't love their cannoli, they are stuffed with a whipped filling and I prefer ricotta. however, they just recently introduced a new pistachio cannoli, which is very good! It has a ricotta based filling, which I am more accustomed too and I really enjoyed it! All pastries are really reasonably priced. If you haven't been to Alati yet, you definitely need to drop by! read more

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I had my engagement party cake from here and it was delicious! Everyone commented on how great it tasted. I would definitely order again.

Being a total sweet-tooth, I am always on the hunt for new patisseries to try. Having heard and read that Alati-Caserta has the best cannolis in Montreal, I knew I had to visit! We visited the bakery during a busy Saturday afternoon. There was a little line-up but it was moving very fast (mainly pick-ups) which was great as it gave me some time to decide... there is way too much to choose from this treasure-chest of sweet delights which made it even more difficult to make my mind up! I decided to play it safe and based on reviews, ordered some original mini and chocolate cannolis and lobster tails. I noticed our server, a lovely Italian lady, started discussing something with her co-worker which I was quite confused about. Surprisingly, she asked if I was Muslim and then informed us that the Lobster Tails and similar pastries contain lard (pig fat). I was extremely impressed by her honesty and kindness - such places are hard to come by. The Cannolis certainly lived up to the hype despite having an unusual whipped-cream like consistency. The shell was perfect and crunchy and the inside very sweet, just to my liking. I was not too keen on the chocolate filling, definitely prefer original! Overall, a wonderful and genuine bakery that truly cares and are passionate about the interest of its customers. I will definitely be back soon! read more

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What?! My cannoli was terrible. It was like a fried wonton wrapper filled with a lumpy flavorless cream. I also think I had 3 mini chocolate chips in my filling...I think they were chocolate chips. My boyfriend wanted an "iced coffee", he got a shooter sized cup. It was good, but the lady almost put more coffee ON the cup than in. She gave him a piece of parchemin paper that collected the overflow but didn't absorb anything. It was a mess, and I won't talk about the service inside. Why would you want to go there? Authentic doesn't mean stuck in the past. read more

Alati-Caserta - A sticky "cup" of iced coffee and the saddest cannoli of my life. - Bakeries Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

What? What. I forgot to review Alati? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I feel lucky to live near this tasty bit of history. We were there again last night picking up a half dozen cannoli for a dinner party and the magic of it all came back to me. The shelves just piles with different beautiful goodies, the fridges of gorgeous cakes, the wood and brass, the smiling, brusque Italian boss lady behind the counter proud of her wares, the kids in awe walking in. These few little blocks of Danté are the spiritual heart of Montreal's Little Italy. Small but mighty, and most delicious. read more

I've been back a few times, and every time I come away with a new favorite item. Their chocolates with nuts and orange on top? So good, and make a nice gift. I generally don't like cookies, but their lingua de gato are a favorite of mine. Alati Caserta is one of my favorite places to go in Montréal. read more

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You can't go wrong. Walk in and let your eyes and stomach do the picking. Cannolis were outstanding and so many choices!

Went based on the good reviews but this place was meh. Had a lobster tail and plain cannoli. Cannoli shell was thinner than paper and not good and the cannoli cream wasnt good either. Same cream in the lobster tail although the pastry shell was on point with that one. Wouldnt go back. read more

Best Pastecceria in Montreal. If you're looking for authentic Italian dessert and cakes this is the place. It's understatement to say to this place is an institution in the city. Located in little Italy, highly recommend the lemon cookies and the cannolis. Enjoy! read more

Alati-Caserta - Bakeries Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

I've visited this location a couple of times now - I literally walk out of my way to get there. It's near the Jean-Talon market area, I would say a 5-10mins walk. Most of the time, there's a short line-up but it moves pretty quickly. I've never waited longer than 10 minutes to place my order. Besides, you need the time to carefully choose what you want to try! My go-to order is the Pupillo creamy coffee drink that is SO delicious but tiny (the size of the palm of my hand) for $3. Trust me, order it and you'll thank me later. It's like a rich, MUCH better version of an Iced Cap. I also love their cannolis ($3 each) and lobster tails filled with chantilly cream ($6). Worth the hype! read more

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For me, the sign of a great bakery isn't whether I appreciate it when I'm hungry - it's whether I do when I'm full. Pasticceria Alati-Caserta certainly meets that criterion. Located in walking distance of Jean Talon Market and Pizzeria Napoletana in Little Italy, I'd initially only intended to stop in for a post pizza cannolo (cannoli being the plural word, and is widely misused as singular). Even that was a stretch after a bite or two at Patisserie Ryad and Boulangerie Premiere Moisson in Jean Talon. But, it would have been silly to not do so after having ventured this far. It was one of those lazy summer late afternoons and only a cannolo could provide the right bookend to a pizza. I ended up getting a lot more baked goods to go, as the display cases were just too tempting to resist. So, the highly regarded ricotta cannolo? Best-in-class. 5 stars. One of the top 5 I've had in North America, and I've been fortunate to have tried Italian bakeries extensively coast-to-coast. Many bakeries make a great show of piping in the ricotta into the shell right in front of you as if that's all that matters. It doesn't. Of course, the shell should not be soggy. But, just because the cannolo is pre-filled doesn't mean it's an average or subpar cannolo. All you need is the elements to come together well: crisp shell, splattering on bite, excellent ricotta cheese, not-too-sweet. All my favorite versions have had a shell that works well refrigerated, and obviously popularity leads to turnover ensuring a virtuous cycle of fresh cannoli. Surprisingly, I've never had pistachio amongst the different amaretti biscuits I've eaten (traditional, sliced almonds, Rosette). The version at Alati-Caserta is delicious. Also scrumptious: the Cassata Verde, a classic Sicilian dessert from Palermo featuring sponge cake, ricotta cheese, and candied peel, covered in a shell of marzipan. Beyond the two, I played safe in selecting a chocolate pastry (not necessarily limited to Italian bakeries) along with one accenting pistachio (Traviata). I was less than thrilled with the Traviata, but did enjoy the chocolate one. There were quite a few other items (particularly passion fruit pastry, or the nutty and crunchy Brutti ma Buoni cookie) that seemed interesting had I any stomach space left, which I didn't. And that's without even considering the Lingua di suocera, which translates as mother-in-law's tongue. So, I can't tell whether it's nutty, bitter, or what. Surely can't be subtle or nuanced ;) (4.5 stars) read more

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Went here expecting amazing pastries as this is what I have been told by many people who come here. We ordered half a dozen pastries to share between four people. When I got home, I noticed they made a mistake and they put one pastry instead of the one I asked for. Already I thought this was a bad start. We started eating them trying a piece of each and at the end we all agreed that it was pretty terrible. It was extremely dissatisfying - I would never go back. The service was also terrible - with the mistake in my order as well as making you feel super rushed when somebody is behind you. read more

Alati-Caserta - Half eaten pastries that we didn't finish. - Bakeries Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

My first visit to this charming bakery was great. I had to call my mother to get her order while I was there, but they kept checking on me to see if I had been served. We chose a variety of pastries for the family to try, including a Limoncello baba, cannoli, tiramisu, opera, mona lisa, and a strawberry tart. Surprisingly, of the three I tried (tiramisu, opera & strawberry tart), none were overly sweet, and they were all light enough that I could have finished any one on my own. I can't pick a favorite! I also tried some chocolate/hazelnut amaretti cookies, which were mind-blowingly good. This is now my new favorite patisserie...I only wish they were closer to me! read more

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JESUS! I walked into pastry heaven! Which was handy since my one and only goal was to obtain a Cannoli. As I stood in front of a counter that was positively brimming with delicious-looking pastries, nowhere could I find cannolis. Oh. Sh*t. After doing a second scan of the counter, what do I see tucked away on the second shelf, left side? ONE cannoli. I guess my panic soon became evident because before I knew what was happening, I was shouting "Oh my God, D! There's only one left!!!' When I heard the ladies behind the counter chuckling, I realized that I really had exclaimed those words aloud. They reassured me though - they had a secret stash in the back. Praise the good Lord for the Cannoli fairies. The goods: Well, I only bought a Cannoli and it was excellent. Perfectly crunchy on the outside, nice and creamy on the inside - not too sweet. Perfeto. That said, they had a ton of pastries from whole cakes that were so pretty I would hate to be the one to cut into them, to individual pastries, tarts, cookies, Marzipan lambs (if you're in the market for those), HUGE lobster tails and other assorted dessert things to make you nice and plump. I seriously doubt that you could walk in here and not find something to eat. If you can, there's something wrong with you. Location: On Dante, across the street from the church. What church? I can't recall so you're going to have to map it using the infamous Yelp app because guess what? There are lots of churches in Little Italy. The decor sort of looks like the shop was frozen in time - maybe in the late 60s or early 70s - but don't let that throw you off. You're only there to eat. read more

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*A must visit in Montreal if you love Italian pastries *Not much seats, more of a grab and go place. *Portion is very generous. *Pro tip: November is their anniversary so all the cannoli will be half price :) -Cannoli with ricotta filling - $2? The cannoli was super fresh and perfectly crunchy on the outside, not soggy at all. The filling was also nice and creamy - not too sweet. -Code d'Aragoste (Lobster Tail) with ricotta - $5.95 (They have 2 flavors: ricotta and chantilly) The lobster tail is the American version of the sfogliatelle ricci (there are two types: sfogliatelle ricci and sfogliatelle frolle). The lobsterl tail was almost as big as my face lol. Though the pastry looks hard and crunchy on the picture, it was actually because I left it in the fridge after I got back to Toronto. When it's fresh, the pastry is supposed to be flaky, crispy and have distinct layers which a lobster tail should have. The inside also had a great distinct ricotta flavor, not just an ambiguous filling to complement the shell. read more

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I am huge HUGE pastry fanatic. I love it all: French, German, English, Mexican, Swedish... if it's made of dough and sugar I'm interested. But my absolute favorite is Italian pastry; specifically, sfogliatelle and lobster tails. If you've never had them, I encourage you to find and try them, as they are a confection unlike any other. And Alati-Caserta did not disappoint. Nestled on the border of little Italy in Montreal, it was definitely worth the 25 Métro ride from downtown. You absolutely will not regret the trip! Bon appetite! read more

Alati-Caserta - Bakeries Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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I had one of the best crepes of my life here, along with a delicious iced espresso latte sort of drink that was absolutely delicious and light and fluffy. The only thing that ruined the experience for me was the bees who couldn't seem to keep off of my dessert! But alas, if you are in Little Italy, you should definitely pop by. This place is a gem. read more

In my opinion, this place is a Montreal landmark for Italian pastries! My family has been coming here since they landed from Italy. The small bakery is located in little Italy, right in front of Dante church which is popular within the Montreal Italian community. Do you want to have the most authentic Italian canoli's? Go here. They also make different flavoured canoli's; pistachio, coffee, etc. But honestly, I wouldn't even bother -get the original, real deal, traditional cannoli! I would suggest you go for the plain ricotta. This is the true definition of a cannoli, not those flavoured custard/ whip cream canoli's you find at typical commercialized stands at a food court or shopping mall. Another very good traditional pastry is the sfogliatella which is in the shape of a shell. In English, we often refer to this pastry as a "lobster tail". It has a crunchy croissant like surface with a thick custard filling which is absolutely decadent. Oh and a wonderful tip, The month of November offers canoli's and traditional Italian cakes half price! read more

Alati-Caserta - Original canoli's and I believe the one on the left is cappuccino flavoured - Bakeries Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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I became a fan of cannoli since i travelled to Sicily. It is made with a sweet crunchy tube which are filled with a whipped cream or creamy ricotta filling, often flavored with nuts or cocoa. This is a very traditional dessert in Sicily. The cannoli is super fresh and crispy, not soggy at all like the ones sold at grocery stores. They also serve with chocolate filling or ricotta topped with chopped pistachios, but I prefer sticking with the original version -- sweetened ricotta flavored just with lemon. As far as the shop itself, very lively and busy on a Saturday afternoon, with a total of 4 Italian women behind the glass counters. most customers entering the shop after I did ordered cannoli: a dozen, half a dozen, etc. it kind of reassured me about that the choices I made at my first experience. We would not go wrong with cannolis!!! read more

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After coming back to Montreal I was craving some great pastries from Alati Bakery, I'm 67 years old and I have been going there since I was 7, you could always bank on the best pasties in Montreal. On this trip however, I bought a red velvet cake and it was awful, toooooo much icing not enough cake, even the children wouldn't eat it, it actually looked like it was outsourced, the canoli's less than impressed with also, and the sfogliatelli, well, the pastry was a little burned and tasted bitter, the cream was ok, but no better, the peaches were passable. All in all not the best experience I've had from this one time fabulous bakery shop. The rest of the Montreal family was less than impressed also. read more

Alati-Caserta - So much heavy frosting, couldn't eat it. - Bakeries Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Last November, during COVID, Alati-Caserta was offering their cannolis at half their price. I happened to pass by in November - and the line up was down the block. Why? Not just because of the price -- but because their cannolis are *that good* (a couple of the others below who give them bad reviews don't know what they're yakking about - or they simply don't understand what that Sicilian pastry should be like). They have a range of cannolis on offer, although I prefer their traditional ones: a crunchy rolled exterior largely filled with ricotta (if you're buying them elsewhere and they stuff them with cream cheese, run -- don't walk -- run far, far away). I tried about 10 different places in Montreal, but I've stopped now - I'm totally hooked. But when zeppole season rolls around (March), I forget all about the cannoli (and yes, it is zeppole season right now, and yes, I am stuffing one in my mouth as I write this). Get the traditional zeppole stuffed with ricotta. As for those who talk about the bad service below - I think, who cares? The pastries are so good, I think they could abuse me and I'd still return (but they haven't - they're friendly enough). The bombolone almost bring me to tears; the lobster tails, and the hazelnut and chocolate amaretti slide my weight on the scale on the generous side of things. Totally worth it. So: highly recommended. read more

One of the best Italian bakeries in North American, hands down, amazing. My favorite dessert is the boobie looking Cassata, which is a small layer of soaked sponge cake topped with a scoop of cannoli-ish filling then draped with a sheet of marzipan and lastly glazed with a cherry on top. It IMO is one of the finest Italian desserts on earth, and almost no one makes it outside of Italy/Sicialy/Malta. This place makes it. I bought so much here, their cannoli, marzipan balls, tortas. All good. It's very old school, I grew up in NYC area and I have not had flavor like this since I was a kid, it brought me right back to one of the first cannoli I ever ate. This is old school nonna baking right here. For me IMO modern Italian bakery in North America and Italy is going in a particular direction with flavor and texture which is amazing, but at Alati-Caserta it tastes and feels like a tradition which the first Italian immigrants to North America started is being kept alive. it's a time warp in the BEST of ways, truly unique. While Italian bakery is more and more dying off in areas especially like NY/NJ/CT/PA, it's so beautiful to be in little Italy Montreal and eat at a place like Alati-Caserta. read more

Needed a last minute birthday cake and I live in the area, so I traipsed down here around lunch hour and was greeted by the smiling, happy staff. I stared at the cakes for about 10 minutes as I had to take into account the different tastes of the guests at the dinner I was attending that night, and I finally settled on the limoncello cake. They packaged it up in a sturdy box with cute Italian flag coloured-string and sent me on my way. That cake, let me tell you, as soon as the birthday girl sliced into it, the room filled with the most delicious lemon smell and the cake itself was fluffy and not overly sweet. Everyone wanted seconds and there wasn't a crumb left on the plate. So I would say that this cake was a hit! I also had a cannoli, shhh don't tell anyone, but it was delicious as well (hey, carrying a cake home is hard work, don't judge!) read more

I had very high hopes for Alati-Caserta based on reviews and other good things I've heard from friends and colleagues, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. Mike's Pastry in Boston has completely ruined all cannolis on earth for me I think, and so I found the ones here were not comparable to the ones sold at Mike's. That being said, if you do opt for cannolis here, do not get the chocolate ones - they are very grainy and have a weird after taste. The ricotta ones are perfectly fine (not great but fine) but the chocolate, I'd stay away from. All in all, A-OK read more

SPECTACULAR! Pastry lovers, come eNJOY the absolute best, crunchiest Sicilian canoli's stuffed with love! My first date was at Alati's and now my wife and I return often, especially and specifically on that special date of the year. read more

Went to this bakery after looking at the raving reviews for their cannoli. And let me tell you that this place does not disappoint! I ventured there on a quiet rainy Tuesday evening. The lady at the front said that they only had the traditional ricotta cannoli, which was completely fine by me. And I was NOT disappointed. Most possibly the best I've had in Montreal and it's worth making the trip there! read more

Alati is easily one of the greatest patisseries in the greater Montreal area, if not beyond. Being in Little Italie, you can conclude this is an Italian patisserie. Here's how I found out about the gem. When I was 12 or 13, living in the burbs (aka Hell) I watched The Godfather for the first time with my mother. Now there's a scene where a wiseguy dies of lead poisoning to the brain. His killers/former partners step out from the soon to be abandoned car and one says to the other "Don't forget the canollis". DING! So I turn to my mother and ask her what a canolli was. We found out the easy way, by hunting them down. We went to the Jean-Talon market and visited Vinnie's charcuterie and asked the meat guy where we could find good canollis. "Canelones?", "No Canollis", "HAAAAAA" he smiled with glee only a person remembering its amazing taste could produce and he gave us the directions to Alati and thus we found this awesome patisserie. I don't have to mention, I guess, that the canollis are the best you'll likely have. This is why I trashed Boston's world renowned Mike's Pasteries. The chocolate éclairs are to die for. The Zeppole are bang your head in a brick good. As is pretty much everything else in this patisserie. There's nothing that isn't awesomely good here and worth going out of your way to get some desert or sugary sweets in your belly. read more

If there's a better Italian pastry shop in Montreal, it must be well hidden. Everything here, including a wide selection of biscotti and other biscuits, is delicious. And amazing-looking cakes -- none of which I have ever tried. They also have coffee. Very good service. read more

Alati-Caserta - Bakeries Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Great place for Italian sweets. Very busy and great service behind the counter. Even the espresso was great. read more

Alati-Caserta - Bakeries Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

On the 8th Day, God chose to chill in the kitchen and make desserts for mankind. He decided that the best place in the world to do this was in an Italian bakery on Dante street in Montreal. On that day he created 3 masterpieces; the Cannoli, sfogliatelle, and the Baci cake. Desserts are obviously the best in the universe since the hand of God mixed the batter and supervised the whole process with the help of the Angels. Been going here for 18 years. Bought pastries here to bring to my future in-laws on the night I asked for their daughter's hand in marriage. We are still happily married and my in-laws still love me. read more

I always reject the popular, but we got the cannoli which I read about here and on chowhound. It was fantastic. We came after they closed, and probably looked like puppy dogs in the window from the inside. They were nice enough to let us in, and pick out something to eat. They were so lovely, that I was certain they were just going to Give the stuff to us. We paid, but the warmth was appreciated just as much. 6 stars. read more