I first came to that bakery in 2021. And 4 years later, prices have gone up and up. I'm used to buying bread loaf, it was a good size but now and it's smaller ! I don't mind paying more at all, but this is scaming. If you want better wages or improve the business or whatever, talk to your local MP and make things change ! But don't let us pay the price.
Vasyl Potochniak
One of the best bakeries.
VanFoodieParents
We first came across The Bench Bakehouse at a farmers market a few years ago, and now we visit their Commercial Drive location every now and then. Their kouign amann is a must-try, caramelized on top and soft and flaky inside. We also really like their baguettes, brioche buns, their croissants and pretty much everything they make. They serve coffee from Honest to Pete, and they offer frozen items you can bake at home, which is super convenient. Always a great stop.
wilson bates
The bread here is very good, but the prices are silly.
We bought a baguette yesterday and it measured 13 inches long. That's not a baguette. Maybe a baguettelette?
Caroline Liu
I had the apple almond double baked croissant. It was good. The apple was a bit dry. It I need to go back and try a plain croissant. The ham and cheese croissant also looks good!
Priscilla Yip
One of my all time favourite bakeries with a great selection of pastries and fresh breads (if you're early enough to snag one of them!)
We always come here for their Kougin Amann, Morning Bun and Sausage Roll. This time we also grabbed a chocolate chip cookie, palmier, double baked almond croissant, bacon and egg croissant as well as a bag of their brioche buns.
Their pastries here are all done SO well with a nice flake, plenty of promised filling and a nice balance of flavour without being too sweet. Definitely decadent but a treat worth having!
Wonderful staff at this French Bakery cafe as well and they recently expanded their opening hours too!
M B
SO GOOD. Cinnamon roll is out of this world. Coffee is awesome. We loved this place.
Allison R
Delicious baked goods. There’s other bakeries nearby that seem to get more attention, but I prefer the bread and croissants from Bench.
Rio Zen
The best almond croissant I have ever had!
Macha latte is mediocre.
candy L
My friend and I were strolling along Commercial Drive when we decided to take a break and stumbled upon the perfect little pastry shop. Tucked away in a small mall, this hidden gem immediately caught our attention. My friend was especially thrilled to discover such a cozy spot. The shop itself is quite small, with only two or three seats available, so it’s not the most comfortable place to linger. However, the pastries looked incredibly fresh and inviting. We ordered the double-baked almond croissant, the chocolate orange morning bun and a shot of espresso. Every bite was delightful—the pastries were perfectly crisp, with just the right level of sweetness. The coffee complemented the treats beautifully, making the experience even better. Both my friend and I were thoroughly impressed and so glad we found this charming little spot. Truly a hidden gem worth discovering!
This place is absolutely wonderful! Commercial Dr hidden Gem for sure💎 Best Sourdough I’ve ever tried, hands down!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Joanne D
The scone and croissant were not bad, but the cookie I bought was hard as a rock.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Robert Richards
Decent baked goods, brutally snobbish service - pretend they don’t hear you, blatantly serve preferred customers ahead of unknown customers. The clerk ignored me and then acted like I was speaking a different language when I simply asked if there was tax on an item; apparently I’m quite a nuisance for this. Despite having been next in line after self serving myself from the freezer, I waited for the clerk to fill the custom bread order of an, apparently known, customer who came in after me, and was then invited to walk past me and others to the head of the line, where they were served ahead of me and my one item that I had been patiently waiting to purchase. This place is too generic and too overpriced to also have to suffer snobby, entitled privilege vibes from their whitewashed retail staff, so I walked out of the store without purchase and next time I need baked goods I’ll choose one of the ten other, better and more authentic, bakeries on offer on The Drive.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
chris c
The food here is great, but the prices and portion sizes are going in opposite directions. The baguette should be called a "demi-baguette" nowadays. It barely fills the baguette bag halfway!
Also, please make baguettes that are not sourdough. Please.
Parking: park below bakery in basement
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Satu Toivakka
A lovely bakery with the best rye bread in town! Excellent service and delicious pastries. Highly recommended.
I first came to that bakery in 2021. And 4 years later, prices have gone up and up. I'm used to buying bread loaf, it was a good size but now and it's smaller ! I don't mind paying more at all, but this is scaming. If you want better wages or improve the business or whatever, talk to your local MP and make things change ! But don't let us pay the price.
One of the best bakeries.
We first came across The Bench Bakehouse at a farmers market a few years ago, and now we visit their Commercial Drive location every now and then. Their kouign amann is a must-try, caramelized on top and soft and flaky inside. We also really like their baguettes, brioche buns, their croissants and pretty much everything they make. They serve coffee from Honest to Pete, and they offer frozen items you can bake at home, which is super convenient. Always a great stop.
The bread here is very good, but the prices are silly.
We bought a baguette yesterday and it measured 13 inches long. That's not a baguette. Maybe a baguettelette?
I had the apple almond double baked croissant. It was good. The apple was a bit dry. It I need to go back and try a plain croissant. The ham and cheese croissant also looks good!
One of my all time favourite bakeries with a great selection of pastries and fresh breads (if you're early enough to snag one of them!)
We always come here for their Kougin Amann, Morning Bun
and Sausage Roll. This time we also grabbed a chocolate chip cookie, palmier, double baked almond croissant, bacon and egg croissant as well as a bag of their brioche buns.
Their pastries here are all done SO well with a nice flake, plenty of promised filling and a nice balance of flavour without being too sweet. Definitely decadent but a treat worth having!
Wonderful staff at this French Bakery cafe as well and they recently expanded their opening hours too!
SO GOOD. Cinnamon roll is out of this world. Coffee is awesome. We loved this place.
Delicious baked goods. There’s other bakeries nearby that seem to get more attention, but I prefer the bread and croissants from Bench.
The best almond croissant I have ever had!
Macha latte is mediocre.
My friend and I were strolling along Commercial Drive when we decided to take a break and stumbled upon the perfect little pastry shop. Tucked away in a small mall, this hidden gem immediately caught our attention. My friend was especially thrilled to discover such a cozy spot.
The shop itself is quite small, with only two or three seats available, so it’s not the most comfortable place to linger. However, the pastries looked incredibly fresh and inviting. We ordered the double-baked almond croissant, the chocolate orange morning bun and a shot of espresso.
Every bite was delightful—the pastries were perfectly crisp, with just the right level of sweetness. The coffee complemented the treats beautifully, making the experience even better. Both my friend and I were thoroughly impressed and so glad we found this charming little spot. Truly a hidden gem worth discovering!
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is absolutely wonderful! Commercial Dr hidden Gem for sure💎 Best Sourdough I’ve ever tried, hands down!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The scone and croissant were not bad, but the cookie I bought was hard as a rock.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Decent baked goods, brutally snobbish service - pretend they don’t hear you, blatantly serve preferred customers ahead of unknown customers. The clerk ignored me and then acted like I was speaking a different language when I simply asked if there was tax on an item; apparently I’m quite a nuisance for this. Despite having been next in line after self serving myself from the freezer, I waited for the clerk to fill the custom bread order of an, apparently known, customer who came in after me, and was then invited to walk past me and others to the head of the line, where they were served ahead of me and my one item that I had been patiently waiting to purchase. This place is too generic and too overpriced to also have to suffer snobby, entitled privilege vibes from their whitewashed retail staff, so I walked out of the store without purchase and next time I need baked goods I’ll choose one of the ten other, better and more authentic, bakeries on offer on The Drive.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
The food here is great, but the prices and portion sizes are going in opposite directions. The baguette should be called a "demi-baguette" nowadays. It barely fills the baguette bag halfway!
Also, please make baguettes that are not sourdough. Please.
Parking: park below bakery in basement
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
A lovely bakery with the best rye bread in town! Excellent service and delicious pastries. Highly recommended.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cinnamon Roll
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