Buttery Bliss on the Ottawa Croissant Crawl

Who Makes The Best Croissants In Ottawa?

It's not just anyone I would trust with the critical task of researching the best of Ottawa's croissant scene, but Reese is just the kind of gal who can handle the pressure! Reese is a mom of 3, a passionate reader, a fan of sports, TV, and shopping - and is a blogger to boot! If anyone can balance the demands of croissant research, it's Reese!   www.reesespeaks.wordpress.com 

Hey There Readers!

The croissant. That golden, crescent moon shaped delicious pastry. It is one of my absolute favourite guilty pleasures. Ever since my mom introduced me to these sinfully delicious treats when I was 14, I have always craved them!

Thanks to Vanessa, she helped me to cross an item off of my blogger's bucket list of posts. I have always wanted to go on a hunt to find the tastiest croissants in Ottawa to satisfy my croissant crush.

Now, make this comparison fair, I only noshed on butter croissants. Why the simple butter croissant, you ask? Well, besides the fact that I love the flavour of a good butter croissant, I wanted to choose my favourite bakeries based on a croissant flavour that should be uniform across the board, so the ingredients and technique used to make them would not change too much.  I also only tasted croissants from bakeries. I did not pop into restaurants or coffee shops that offered croissants on their menus because some of them may have had their croissants delivered to them.

For this croissant tour, I visited four different parts of Ottawa:

• Westboro/Wellington 
• The Glebe
• Elgin Street 
• The Byward Market. 

I looked at the following criteria to make my decision for each area of town:

• Its exterior 
• Its interior
• Its price 
• Its flavour. 

It took me a few trips to compile all of my "research," but it was fun!

Westboro/Wellington West:  Macaroons et Madeleines – 46 Lorne Avenue ($1.75)

In the growingly popular Westboro/Wellington West area, I visited five bakeries that offered croissants on their menus. Of these bakeries, my favourite had to be the one I ate from Macaroons et Madeleines. 

Technically, this bakery is just outside of the Wellington West areas, but it will be moving into the area as of July 1, 2014. The saying "Good things come in small packages" rang true in this case. It was actually the smallest of all of the croissants I ate, but it packed a punch of flavour! It was darker than any other croissant I ate, and it had a crunch to it unlike any of the others I consumed. Its centre was soft, buttery and flaky. It was gone seconds after I shot this picture of it, and I was sad to have taken my last bite of it. I also loved the egg wash finish on it. It added to its crunch and taste.

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The Glebe: Second Avenue Sweets - 151 B Second Avenue ($2.00)

For the trendy and family-friendly area of the Glebe, I visited three bakeries that offered croissants on their menus. Of all of these bakeries, I am giving the nod to Second Avenue Sweets. I love the croissants they bake here! Unlike the croissants baked at Macaroons et Madeleines, the croissants here had a very light crust, which surprised me since I'm used to eating a more firm croissant, but it was so light and buttery. It was also pretty big, so it was an added bonus! It just had such a different flavour because it was so different than any other croissant I have tasted that I had to put it on this croissant tasting tour!

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Elgin Street: Boko Bakery – 280 Elgin Street ($1.05)

Amongst the party atmosphere that Elgin Street is partially known for, there are also bakeries nestled in this popular area of Ottawa. Of the four bakeries I visited that offered croissants within this part of town; I chose the croissant I ate from Boko Bakery. Their butter croissant had a thin, crunchy exterior with a great egg wash, and a light, flaky inside that just peels away with every bite. This croissant was also the least expensive out of all of my picks, so I was really surprised by how much I liked it.

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Byward Market: Moulin de Provence – 55 Byward Market Square ($2.10)

I then made my way to one of Ottawa's most visited areas of town by both visitors and locals alike - the Byward Market. Of the four places I visited here, my croissant of choice was from Le Moulin de Provence. Their croissant had a crispy golden brown shell, and a nice fluffy interior. There was a light eggy/buttery flavour from this croissant that I did not get from any other croissant I ate in the Byward Market, so my choice was a tough one, but it helped me to make my decision. The price was about average for a croissant from a bakery, so I was happy with my treat.

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Honorable Mention: The French Baker – 801 Bank Street / 119 Murray Street ($2.50)

I must give kudos to The French Baker on this tour. They are located in both the Glebe and the Byward Market.  I did enjoy treating myself to their croissants. Their croissants had a thicker crust and an amazing egg wash with a really buttery, soft and fluffy inside. They were so tasty! The price was also a bit higher than most of the other croissants I consumed, but it was worth it. I purposely did not make The French Baker my choices for the areas I visited because there was more than one of them, but I did want to show them some love.

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I do have to say that there were so many bakeries in the nation's capital that create some delicious croissants! I implore you, whether you are visiting Ottawa, or if you have put roots down in O-Town, to try going on a croissant your own of Ottawa! I would suggest taking a companion or two with you so you can bounce ideas and opinions off of them. It also makes your tour a lot more fun! 

I would also try doing this tour either as a walking or biking tour. For half of this tour, my eldest daughter and I were on our two-wheeled chariots. The other half of this adventure was spent mostly on foot, with a bit of assistance from public transit for stops that are a bit of a distance apart. Both methods also helped to justify doing this tour, as croissants are not exactly the healthiest of foods to eat on mass!

So, if you in Ottawa, and are looking for a tempting treat to eat, try going to one or all of the places I recommended on my croissant crush tour! It was a fun, and delectable experience. Have fun on your tour, Readers!