where jess ate

The first time Mike and I dropped by Bobbette & Belle, it was just we were having lunch at Queen Margherita, just a few blocks away. Although we didn’t want to spoil our appetite, we couldn’t resist getting some of their mouth-watering offerings.

Located on Queen near Jones, Bobbette & Belle really sticks out in the area. Walking into the store, I was mesmerized by the gorgeous cakes and prepackaged goodies like marshmallows, cookies and meringues, lining the walls. The Victorian-style décor is elegant, consisting of antique-looking furniture. The space just has a very sophisticated feel to it.

Since Queen Margherita wasn’t open yet, we decided to share a Blueberry Scone – with a side of Devonshire cream ($3.25). The scone was on the lighter side and wasn’t too dry. Although it tasted fine on its own, a little bit of the cream gave the scone an extra bit of oomph. Overall, a tasty scone but it’s not one of my favourites. For some tasty blueberry scones, I’d suggest the ones at the Drake.

Although we stopped eating after the scone, we still purchased a number of treats to go. I’ll start with my favourite item, the Red Velvet Cupcake ($2.95). This cupcake was a little taste of heaven! The moist and fluffy cake was topped with an oh-so-light cream cheese buttercream. The buttercream just had this fluffy texture to it as though it was whipped and it wasn’t overloaded with sugar…no post-cupcake sugar coma from these! Bobbette and Belle tops my list for best red velvet cupcakes in the city. But I’m open to recommendations!

After eating the melt-in-your-mouth red velvet cupcake, Mike and I were really let down by the Salted Caramel Cupcake ($2.95). The cupcake was made up of a classic vanilla base which was topped with “handmade salted caramel buttercream.” I thought the vanilla base was decent – nothing special like the red velvet and I didn’t find the buttercream very salted. I would have preferred a little more salt incorporated into the buttercream. I wouldn’t get this cupcake again.

Between the two times I’ve been to Bobbette & Belle, I’ve tried a selection of their Macarons ($2 each): Salted Caramel – filled with handmade salted caramel cream, Chocolate – filled with a rich dark chocolate ganache, Milk Chocolate Caramel – filled with a creamy milk chocolate ganache combined with handmade salted caramel, Pistachio – filled with freshly ground pistachio paste in a creamy buttercream and Passionfruit – filled with a white chocolate passionfruit ganache (my personal favourite).

The first time I tried the macarons, I thought they were delicious. They had a crisp, airy exterior with a soft, slightly chewy center. However, my second experience wasn’t quite the same as I found them a bit too chewy – maybe it was just a bad batch. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Another item we tried from Bobbette & Belle was the Butter Tart. I have never tried a butter tart before and was a little hesitant when Mike suggested it since they don’t look very appetizing in general. They just look too brown! I’m glad Mike fought for it though because this butter tart was delicious. The crust was nice – not too thick and it had a gooey centre which spilled out after biting into it. Mike told me this was the best butter tart he’s ever had – not your typical store-bought butter tart.

The last thing I’ve tried was the Raspberry Tart which consisted of fresh, ripe raspberries sitting on top of cream and a shortbread crust. Although it was a nice tart it wasn’t anything special and paled in comparison to the butter tart.

While some things are better than others and Bobbette & Belle, I highly recommend dropping by to pick up a few desserts if you’re in the area.

At a glance:
• Favourites: red velvet cupcake & butter tart
• Specializing in wedding cakes
• Sophisticated, elegant atmosphere
• Located on Queen, near Jones

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 4 stars
• Service: N/A
• Atmosphere: 3 stars