Great little gift shop/ coffee shop. Had bacon egg n cheese…read morecroissant and a cinnamon roll. With coffee. All were fantastic. Service was fast and friendly.

I'm always up for a little journey out of town in the name of food and that's precisely what my…read morerecent visit to the city of Leduc was all about. Fifteen minutes (or so) south of the city makes Leduc feel more like a suburb and very much a part of the greater Edmonton area. It didn't take me much convincing to jump in the car when I heard that a little cafe was home to the Best Dessert 2024 as named by EDify Magazine. What delicious secrets were being kept in Leduc and how could I taste them?? Step one is to drive yourself to Leduc, which I did on a Saturday morning. While nearby, I haven't spent a whole lot of time in Leduc and found myself pleasantly surprised when the navigation took me to a quaint and cute small-town-style main street area. I really don't think that I'd ever been there before. Sweet little independent shops lined both sides of the street, lending to an idyllic pedestrian experience. Shopping areas like these always feel good to stroll through. Leduc Coffee Shop is located within two other stores; Magpies Collection and Playing For Keeps Toys. So don't get confused when you enter into a retail space; home decor and gifts on the left and children's toys on the right. Head to the back of the store and keep going until you find yourself surrounded by bistro tables and can smell the coffee. The space is cozy and cafe-like with chocolate-coloured walls and pieces of local art as decoration. I noted that each table was adorned with a vase of fresh flowers - a lovely touch. I also noticed a very adorable China cabinet filled with antique cups and saucers. The idea is that you can choose your own teacup to use, select your tea of choice, and then sit down to enjoy! What a beautiful idea that only adds to the experience! I was surprised by how large the menu is - the whole thing is posted right on the wall and it's huge both in physical size and in terms of content. In the end, the offerings include; drinks, eats, and sweets n treats. If you're looking for visual guidance most of the food items are on display in the glass case, which is helpful. I knew that I wanted to order a coffee-based beverage - it is a coffee shop after all - and I was delighted to find a special "Winter Drinks" menu. I am someone who loves a seasonal beverage, to the point of ordering off of these types of menus almost exclusively. I just like trying new things and enjoying flavours that compliment the season. This menu included six different choices, each sounding perfectly appropriate for the winter. The Gingerbread Spiced Mocha (Espresso, white chocolate, topped with whip cream & cinnamon) stood out to me, which I ordered in the small size. The girl at the counter was pleasant and got to work on preparing our drinks and eats. The drink looked like everything that I wanted it to be (AKA more like dessert than coffee) but unfortunately the flavour didn't really hit the mark for me. It mostly just tasted like a mediocre, watered down cup of coffee and didn't deliver on all of the gingerbread and spice and mocha that was promised. It just seemed like this coffee was supposed to have a lot of exciting stuff going on and I felt disappointed as I sipped it. The food menu includes a whole array of sandwiches that look really appetizing - many on croissants or bagels. And each sandwich is served with a side of corn chips which is something that I can totally get behind! I would recommend taking a look in the case and choosing whatever appears the most delicious on that particular day. However, I was visiting for one item and one item only: the Orange Bun ($3.50). This is the current best dessert in the Edmonton area and I couldn't wait to try it. These golden twirly rounds are baked in-house from scratch using real butter. The orange buns are served warm and seem to be a member of the cinnamon roll family. I know that this isn't a popular opinion but I'm not much of a cinnamon roll fan (unless we're talking about the ones at Sugarbowl, in which case I love them). This, however, is not a cinnamon roll. The homemade dough is hand-stretched every morning and the freshness is evident in every bite. There's a gooey mix of orange zest and coconut within every warm layer, bringing a sweet and unique flavour all its own. I loved this comforting bun, like something that a grandma would make. The flavour of the dough itself was almost the best part because it wasn't too sweet and it held the orange and coconut together so well. An absolute delight! I totally understand why this orange bun is on the foodie radar. It's wonderful that a little cafe like this, off the beaten path, is getting some notice. The food is the highlight at Leduc Coffee Shop but it would be nice if the coffee beverages were up to the same level. Delivering every bit the cozy cafe experience, this is the type of space that you'll be happy to spend some time in.