Kitten and The Bear (Dundas West), Toronto
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Inside Kitten and The Bear – Version 2.0
When Kitten and the Bear announced in late 2018 that they would be shutting down their original location and re-locating to a new space for early 2019 it was a mix bag of feelings. On one hand I was super happy for owners, Sophie & Bobby, who are not only the most sweetest and hard working couple, but also very much ingrained in the Toronto community. They and their shop had definitely become one of the most loved fixtures in the Parkdale area.
On the other had I wondered how things would changed. Would their new place have the same charm as the first? More importantly would they still have their housemade scones and jam? Very critical as I can confirm that their scones and jam are in fact the best in the WORLD. If you haven’t tried them yet, then you need to…and I doubt that you would be able to contest this fact.
What’s New
Well, obviously the space is new. Located now at 1414 Dundas Street West their new location is substantially larger than the original. Part of the charm of the original location was the postage stamp size of it. It was cozy and intimate and made you feel like you were having tea and treats with a good friend in the most beautiful nook of their home.
Despite the new space being larger though, it still maintains the magic of feeling like you’re in a friend’s home. Except instead of being in the nook you’ve now moved into a larger solarium that gets flooded with natural light. And yes, it is actually even more charming and more beautiful than you ever imagined. Another bonus of the larger space is that in addition to more seating they now also offer opportunities for event rentals. And believe me I would look for any excuse to celebrate here.
They still offer their famous Jam & Tea service which includes scones, a selection of jams, clotted cream, and of course tea. All served on the most beautiful vintage tableware which the owners source themselves. The catch though is that this is now only available on weekends. However, they do take reservations.
During the week they will offer counter service only. Grab a scone, some tea or coffee, or a pastry and seat yourself at one of their beautiful new marble tables. Speaking of pastries that is also what’s new. They now offer a selection of pastries sourced from some of Toronto’s top bakers like
- Sour cream blueberry and lemon pound cake ( The flavour will change seasonally )
- Loaf shaped croissant made with local Ontario Stirling butter. Flaky and with a unique depth of flavour that can only come from using local butter. Not to mention that a loaf shaped croissant is just super fun.
Both are baked exclusively for Kitten and the Bear from Toronto’s Bake Shoppe.
In addition to the above they will also be offering a Morning Bun, a sweet bun with generous amounts orange citrus and perfectly caramelized cinnamon sugar, from The Drake Commissary.
Previously they also only served and sold tea from local Toronto tea company Sloane Tea. And while many of the Sloane Tea favourites (including their own Kitten and the Bear blend of Sloane Tea) still remain on their menu they have now expanded their tea selection to include other fine tea merchants, a rare feat as many beverage companies require you to sign exclusivity contracts to only stock their product in shops.
Wanting to offer their customers more of a robust tea selection featuring the finest teas across the world they petitioned the various tea companies to allow them to stock teas from multiple sources and luckily for us were successful in doing so.
What’s the Same
The scones and jam of course remain the cornerstone of their offerings. But more importantly than anything else the people behind Kitten and the Bear, (Sophie, Bobby, and their staff ) are still the heart and soul of this place and it definitely shines through in every single detail of their magical new location which allows them to grow their business, their offerings, and what they have always brought to the community and the city of Toronto.
Now excuse me as I book reservations well in advance because you know that they’re going to fill up fast (they were already full for the month of March before they opened).
