Don Ellis | Last Updated: June 10,2009 4:26:33 pm
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If you've done any time tooling around town, you’ll already know Patachou, the Rosedale French café serving up croissants for more than 20 years. You may have seen the little patisserie - all cute-like and packed with Rosedale types happily dipping into French pastries and hot, frothy lattes - on the corner of Yonge and Summerhill. If you’ve never stopped by, it’s too late now: Our sweet and cuddly Patachou has vacated the premises.
Not a big worry, Patachou merely relocated down the street, taking over yet another corner, this time at Yonge and MacPherson. While the café’s vacated digs remains shrouded in mystery (it’s slated, over a bit of controversy, to become another MBCO) the new Patachou, which takes over the old Rowanwood Pharmacy, is an absolute beauty.
Out is the French cottage look - the overcrowded food counter and packed quarters – and in is a sunny, streamlined space, showcasing a bleached wood service counter, designer chairs and tables and a refinished tin ceiling. Hanging from that tin ceiling is a breathtaking chandelier, a spider-like affair that seems to snake outward to each corner of the room. Interior design is harder than people think; it requires guts, rigor, and clear goals. Without a goal, design is just decoration. This Patachou - which owner Robert Sidi designed - oozes very big goals indeed.
“We wanted to stay modern,” says Camille Serebecbere, Sidi’s daughter and operating partner. “But we also wanted to keep some of the original Patachou in place. When we moved, it was emotional, but because of this space working out so well, it was all very smooth.”
As for the goods, Patachou still makes a great latte. But, you'll have to wait for a table at prime times (the buzz is on, after all), but mid morning sees a relaxed newspaper-reading sessions. We love the homemade pressed sandwiches, something the old location didn’t offer. Even better is the croque-monsieur, a thick sandwich of grilled aromatic bliss. Patachou's classic French pastries - croissants, raspberry tarts, chocolate éclairs and baba au rhume are still offered, but you have to get there early for these sell-out crowd pleasers.
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AT A GLANCE
Patachou
1120 Yonge St, Toronto, ON, Canada
416-927-1105
French
Rosedale
Venue:
Cafe
Hours:
Mon. to Sat.: 8:30am - 6:30pm
Price Range:
$$ (Affordable)
Payment:
Master Card, Visa, American Express
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THE BUZZ
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IN THE AREA
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5 Reader Reviews | Quick, unobtrusive service. Good food presentation. Informal, yet quiet environment. Good for business lunches when time is short.
1. Trey Dawn's Review :: October 24, 2009 Trey Dawn's Rating: 3 Stars |
I have been going to Patachou for about 15 years. Their quiches are very good for brunch, often I would buy them take-away. I also like the apricot tortes. But I have noticed over the past 2 years that the croissants do not taste the same. Something tastes very different, my brunch pals agree with this as well. It would be nice if they could just make them like they used to.
2. Susanne's Review :: August 23, 2009 Susanne's Rating: 2 Stars |
I am the co-owner of Patachou with my daughter. Although I trust that the people who continue to insure Patachou's success after more than thirty years in business may take issue with Ann's review I can only acknowledge that she is no less entitled to her opinion than they are to theirs. However I am in a good position to state the following :
The recipe for the Patachou croissant has not changed since October 1978 when it was developed. Patachou does not use margarine but only unsalted butter in its croissant. That is the case for all the pastries and baked goods made at Patachou.The mocha macarons are made with Patachou's blend of espresso coffee beans I personally developed with the help of friends and family over thirty years ago and which Patachou continues to use for its coffee. Finally The Pastry Chef at Patachou will soon celebrate his 30th year with the company and the sous chef her 25th year and both along with their dedicated team have insured that the standards of quality continue to be the highest.
Respectfully,
Robert Sidi
3. Robert Sidi's Review :: July 24, 2009 Robert Sidi's Rating: Stars |
My father used to frequent Patachou when he was younger and remembers their fantastic pastries. Its sad to say that he and i acknowledge the drop in quality with the products.
The shop is charming and cute, and the service is friendly. The croissants are a nice size, and have a nice flaky(not too greasy) texture. But, they are salty and have a cheap taste to them. It doesn't seem like they use butter... probably margarine. The puff pastry dough for the apple turnover was nice, but the filling was comparable to any supermarket taste. I tried their croque monsieur, which was pretty pricey for a re-heated disappointing grill cheese(the server asked me if i wanted it warmed up). The ham in the sandwich tasted awkward and left an unpleasant after taste. The espresso was pretty bad, bitter/sour with no visible creme.
The mocha macaron tasted like maple syrup... overall very disappointing as I have heard nothing but good things about Patachou.
You can get much better croissants, coffee, and cakes at La Bamboche just north and off Yonge St at Manor Rd.
4. Ann's Review :: July 21, 2009 Ann's Rating: 2 Stars |
The best croissants in Toronto - especially the chocolate almond. I love their ready-made sandwiches as well.
5. Eilleen's Review :: June 13, 2009 Eilleen's Rating: Stars |
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1120 Yonge St, Toronto, ON, Canada
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