Sourdough Loaf
Long-fermented, dark crust, sold out by early afternoon on a weekend.
Bakery · Bloor West Village
Mabel’s Bakery
Sourdough, butter tarts and a queue that says everything
BakeryBloor West Village, Toronto$Details being confirmed
The review
There is a version of the neighbourhood bakery that exists to sell coffee and a version that exists to sell bread, and Mabel's is firmly the second. The sourdough is long-fermented with a properly dark crust, and it is gone by early afternoon on a Saturday, which is the only review that matters.
The butter tart is runny rather than set — a position that divides this neighbourhood and should not. The almond croissant is the honest use of yesterday's croissant, done the way it is supposed to be done rather than as a way of shifting stock.
Honest notes: it is not cheap, there is almost nowhere to sit, and if you arrive at three on a Sunday hoping for a loaf you will be disappointed. Go early, buy more than you planned, and walk it off in High Park.
What to order
Butter Tart
Runny, not set. The Village is divided on this and the Village is wrong.
Almond Croissant
Yesterday’s croissant done properly, which is the only way it should exist.
What works
- Bread is genuinely good, not just good for the neighbourhood
- Everything is baked on site
- Easy walk from Runnymede station
What doesn’t
- Bread sells out by early afternoon at weekends
- Not cheap for a bakery
- Very little seating — this is a counter
Verdict
Sourdough before noon, a butter tart for the walk. Worth planning the morning around.