On Friday, our department had a team-building experience. We started with lunch, followed by some…read morefun painting pottery. We had a budget at the pottery place. Many of us chose pottery pieces that were well under budget. We ended up with $70 extra. It meant that each one of us could get an ice cream treat somewhere for $7 each. We did a quick search around the area for an ice cream joint. We found this La Diperie. It was a six-minute walk westbound. I am glad that I spent some time walking in Ottawa under hot, humid conditions earlier this month. The conditions were similar walking over to this place, but it was much shorter. Maybe I'm simply more prepared because: - I have finally broken into my newish sandals with an incline - the sidewalk going to this ice cream place was uneven and I had practice looking down more earlier this month - I didn't walk like a lunatic the previous two days, so my legs were less Jello-ish We managed to duck under some shaded trees as we walked over. My colleague had his kids, seven and four years of age, with him. They seemed to be fine. This ice cream place is on the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard West. It's in a plaza-like area with other businesses, but the entrances face the street. I walked into the store. It was packed. With $7 to work with, I decided to give the vegan menu a try. I was in line. My colleague with his kids were ahead of me. My other colleague who took over my event-organizing duties was behind me. There were two staffers behind the counter. Both were South Asian in decent. Something odd happened to me for the first time. They went ahead and served my colleague and his kids. They then skipped me and went with event-organizing woman. Why? They didn't explain their reason for ignoring me when I was in line like a polite human being. I stood in front of the ice cream selections. The man finally said to me that the woman would help me out. She came over at long last. I was annoyed. I said that I wanted mango sorbet. She said in a rather condescending tone that she didn't have mango sorbet. Okay, you have a menu saying sorbet. You don't list your flavours. I am also looking at something cold that looks like mango. Give this customer a break. Below that menu was mango soft serve that was listed, which is vegan. I became extremely precise and said that I'll take a large mango soft serve scoop in a cup. I then asked about dips and add-ons. Dipping is an extra 75 cents. Add-ons are $1.25. Both would make my dessert go over $7. I waived both off. She gave my cup of soft serve. I then confronted her by asking why she skipped over me in the lineup. Her reasoning was that the others were "a family." Um, no. We are a team of nine writers and one manager. I didn't understand her logic or thinking. Three of us are of Asian heritage, including my manager. This woman was fine clumping him into this "family," although the majority are South Asian. I don't want to know what her definition of family is here. I do know that the way that she treated this customer was wrong. I said that I was a part of this group. We are not a family in the traditional sense of the word. You, woman, assumed incorrectly and singled me out. You never asked if I was a part of the group. You should have asked if I was, instead of treating me like dirt and making a poor judgment call. She tried to apologize. The damage had already been done. I was hoping to like my mango soft serve. I had such a poor experience that I didn't enjoy it. I downed it and left. My friend and colleague wasn't expecting to stay for ice cream after we were done painting our pottery pieces. He actually passed having ice cream, but needed to head downtown to celebrate his sister's birthday. He had his bag in my car, as I had driven us over to this area. I offered to drive him downtown, so I ended up wolfing down my not-so-worth-it soft serve. I oddly did not get brain freeze. It wasn't cold enough. I don't know whether my other colleagues had enjoyed their frozen treats. They had finished theirs long before I was able to place my order. I won't be returning to this place again. Staff should treat each customer with respect. If staffers think that you're a part of a family and aren't sure, they should ask and confirm. I hope that their poor actions in judgment don't affect other customers and that they'll change their mindset. (272)

we had a great time here love the icecream so many options…read morefor desserts one of the recommended places for late night sweet treats service is amazing vibe is awesome

This place is still delicious! Unfortunately, the sit down area is gone but the hot table is still…read moreavailable with 10-12 options. The bakery is still divine! Staff remain friendly! Service is quick! Best parking is the green P lot about half a block away (not penalizing them for the silly arrangement on the street). Lots of options for food! Laid back environment and local. Definitely worth a visit!

Great place for desert baked goods and bread. Always come here to get halva bread. Bit pricey but…read moreworth it!

Oakville, you are lucky and you don't even know it. Did you know that just a stones throw north of…read moreLakeshore on the east side of Trafalgar there is a little sweet shop ('not' on the edge of town) making a big statement when it comes to cupcakes and cakes. A group of yelpers congregated here a warm sunny Sunday afternoon just over a week ago to take part in a 101 cupcake decorating class. Shop owner Kathy, aka the Oakville cupcake guru, walked us through how to decorate cupcakes in two different ways. Initially we learned how to load and tip a piping bag filled with her freshly made butter cream. Then using out tools we decorated our first cupcakes (a delicious dark chocolate) with the butter cream and an assortment of sprinkled toppings! For our second cupcake we got to learn how to colour, mold and design decoration for a cupcake out of fondant. Everyone picked a different colour and the end results were vibrant and uber creative for a bunch of baking rookies! While the classes aren't a regular feature, owner Kathy is incredibly flexible and with a call, I'm sure you could arrange a small class with her (we had 7 and it was tight). Perhaps a perfect idea for a birthday party! Sweetbites may be small but it's pushing out big flavour. They sell an assortment of flavour varieties but on any given day they also offer take away gourmet sandwiches and other lunch items for those in the area looking for a quick lunch! Baking EatCrest Out!

Me and several other Yelpers dropped by for Kathy's decorating class on a Sunday afternoon (this…read morewas a while ago but I forgot to write a review, oops!). We learned how to decorate cupcakes with buttercream icing and fondant. Initially, we learned how to fill and pipe an icing bag with buttercream. Afterwards, we learned how to colour, mold, and cut the fondant. It was a lot of fun and even the guys had a blast learning too! These classes isn't something that Kathy usually does but I'm pretty sure you could ask her and set something up. The store is pretty small so you can probably fit about 5-6 of your friends for a decorating class. It's also pretty cheap for the class which we only paid $12. I learned that Sweetbites not only sell sweets (ie. cakes) but they also do lunches where they sell freshly made sandwiches and snacks.

Tried the blueberry scone with lemon curd? (4/5) and nanaimo bar (5/5) today. The blueberry scone…read morewas moist, had a generous amount of blueberries but I found that a lot of the blueberries sunk down to the bottom so it wasn't evenly dispersed throughout the scone. The lemon curd complimented the scone wonderfully. One of the better blueberry scones I've had. The nanaimo bar was so tasty and chocolatey with different textures. I loved the coconut in it as well.

We love sitting here in the cafe having a coffee and scone! The decor and ambiance is very cute. My…read morefavourites are the chocolate hazelnut cake and scones! The cupcakes are made with a buttercream icing so the top isn't too sweet, which I love! I'm not a fan of the icing sugar frosting.

Tried a box of their cupcakes (lemon, red velvet, raspberry, hazelnut, cookies & cream and triple…read morechocolate ) plus the lemon meringue pie. Overall really good! A few flavours were moist and tasty without being overly sweet, though some were a bit sweet and slightly dry. The lemon meringue pie was the highlight at the party! It was perfectly tangy, smooth lemon filling and a beautifully toasted meringue. Would come back to try their other desserts and pastries.

I visited Bobbette & Belle in Leslieville, a bakery that feels lifted from a Parisian fairytale…read more Its enchanting interior--shabby-chic elegance with soft lighting and vintage touches--invites you to sit, sip, and linger far longer than planned. The pastries have earned their acclaim: the salted caramel cake is rich and indulgent, and the macarons, especially cassis and salted caramel, are beautifully crafted. They also create bespoke cakes for weddings and special occasions, each a true work of art. But really, I'll let the pictures do the talking...

A good pastry spot, but my everything bagel croissant was a bit dry. I like how the drinks come…read moreunsweetened, they have two types of syrup (honey and simple syrup) on the side to add into your drink if you want some sweetness. The service was quick and friendly! I really liked how they have a second floor for additional seating, it's super spacious and clean. Would recommend checking them out!

After hearing about Circles And Squares for a long time, I finally got to try it! My partner and I…read morestopped by on a Friday and the place was packed. Everything on the menu looked so good and the pastries looked divine in the display case but we ended up getting a classic butter tart (ive heard such good things and plus it's their mascot so it has to be good), a banana matcha latte and a strawberry matcha latte. The first floor is pretty tight, but they have seating on the second floor. The butter tart was soo cute and it was quite a hefty size compared to other butter tarts. It was not too sweet and super oozy in the middle, which is what I love! The banana matcha latte tasted so much like banana bread. It was delicious, though the matcha flavour isn't as strong because of the banana syrup. The strawberry matcha latte was also pretty solid. I am so happy I finally got to try this place and will be back to try their other drinks and goodies.

Pastries are beautifully made. Conveniently located at Hillcrest Mall…read more Lots of great varieties to choose from. Not much difference compared to the Downtown Toronto locations. Good quality. Warm it up slightly before enjoying it. Fantastic treat! Recommended!

Given the change in weather my family has started to cruise the mall more often looking for an…read moreindoor space that is warmer then our usual outside walks. We were pleasantly surprised at how Hillcrest mall has had a number of food establishments open up recently, and The Danish Pastry House is probably the latest addition. Its located right across the Winners in Hillcrest and has an awesome selection and display of all their goods. I was a bit skeptical when we first came in, as everything was on display and sometimes things like that can make the pastry come out dried out (looking at you stale Tim Hortons donuts!). We ended up trying out two croissants and I realized after taking a bite of the croissant that not only did I just get a little bite of delight, but I also inadvertently put my foot in my mouth by assuming the worse! The croissant was light, flaky and moist. It was pretty darn good by mall standards and is making me look forward to our next visit. Would definitely not hesitate to drop by here again and also pick up a Cha Time in Hillcrest to wash it all down

We loved the cupcakes and cookies we got for my husbands birthday…read moreI'd go back for more

As someone who's not fond of cupcakes and cakes in general, I was quite impressed with the quality…read moreof the cupcakes here. I stopped by to pick up some treats to bring over to a friend's place and tried some as well. They were delicious. I didn't find it too sweet but rather, just right. They tasted great! Staff was also nice and helpful. Would love to try other menu items.