The Best Baklava in Toronto

The best baklava in Toronto can be found in cooler cases in a vast array of places, from specialty supermarkets to cafes and pastry shops across the city, in almost every neighborhood.

The history of baklava goes back so far it's nearly impossible to pinpoint a single origin though some believe its earliest incarnations can be found in Central Asia. As the recipe traveled westward, various cultures in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Turkey and Azerbaijan (among others) each put their own spin on this sticky sweet treat.

The main thing they all have in common is nuts, and any number of varieties are made with almond, walnut and pistachio and sometimes a combination of these three. In Iran, phyllo is replaced with a sweet, more cake like dough. In Greece, you'll find baklava coated much heavier with syrup than you might in say, Lebanon or Syria. Regardless of the style in which it's made, every place on this list offers up the highest quality ingredients and a dizzying array of varieties that is enough to make you drool in anticipation.

Baklava is typically sold by the pound, though you can sometimes find a price by the piece. Expect to pay anywhere from $17 to $25 per pound and $1-2 per piece depending on where you are and when you're there.

Here is a list of the 9 best places to find baklava in Toronto.

Patisserie Royale

Patisserie Royale near Victoria Park and Lawrence Avenue East has a huge assortment of baklava made fresh and available daily. Their baklava is infused with rosewater and orange blossom and not completely saturated in syrup which results in an almost cookie-like texture in some of their varieties. Catering trays are available, if by chance you want to be the most popular person at any party. More »

Arz Fine Foods

Also on Lawrence Avenue East, Arz Fine Foods might be known more as a general grocery store specializing in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods, but don't miss their piles and piles of baklava, all in different shapes and sizes, laid out at eye-height for your viewing pleasure. More »

Arabesque

This tiny restaurant/cafe on College near Dufferin might make the strongest cup of coffee you'll ever drink. But that's not what you're here for. Add to your 3pm java break a large piece of baklava, chosen from the 10 plus varieties in their cooler. More »

Ararat International Fine Foods

This small shop on Avenue Road is packed with a huge assortment of specialty food products from the Middle East and beyond. If you look behind the counter you'll find a few trays of delicious baklava made especially for the tastes of shop owners Peter and Aurora Kashkarian. More »

Serano Bakery

Serano Bakery on Pape north of the Danforth is insanely busy on weekends. You might be lucky to get a parking spot. But all is worth the effort as they have a vast, vast array of baklava and other greek pastries and sweets. Try not to get mesmerized by the many different shapes and styles available. More »

Stany Greek Bakery

Stany Greek Bakery is tiny and might be easy to miss, tucked away on Pape Avenue but it definitely shouldn't be at any cost. Behind the glass sits the most delectable of baklava varieties, made in house and doused in high quality chocolate. Good luck trying to wait until you get home before you devour one of these babies. More »

Shirini Sara Pastry House

Shrini Sara on Leslie is wildly popular within the Persian community. They offer a large amount of Middle Eastern treats all made in the huge on-site kitchen, including Iranian baklava which is slightly different from what you might be accustomed to with its cake-like texture and rosewater and cardamom flavour. More »

Athena Bakery

The Danforth storefront might be nondescript but inside Athena awaits trays of more than a half dozen varieties of large, dense baklava ($1.75 each) baked on site "almost every day". "They don't go bad", a lady working there tells me. "They'll only dry out a little bit." More »