If you’ve taken a stroll down the Ossington strip lately, you may have noticed that the doors to a familiar French dessert café are now open just north of Argyle Street on the east side.
Walking into Delysées Luxury Desserts is like entering a jewellery store, but instead of rings and diamond bracelets, the glass cases are lined with some of the most intricate-looking desserts in town.
Creative Director Fred Naggar is thrilled to now have their café open in such a vibrant neighbourhood, where the other local business owners have been nothing but welcoming and supportive since their grand opening on October 7.
The shop was once located on King St. West which closed in 2019. Soon after, Naggar and his team focused on wholesale opportunities, filtering their magnificent treats into luxury retailers like Nordstrom and McEwan Fine Foods.
The space -- once home to Peace Collective -- is the perfect spot for what Naggar and his wife Khariz had planned for Delysées. Their goal was to create a dessert bar where there could be a strong focus on exquisite desserts, but also on high-end cocktails, coffees and teas.
As an interior designer and artist, Khariz has done a spectacular job decorating and transforming the space into a little slice of French patisserie heaven, with a modern twist. The minimalist design concept makes the entire café so enticing and comfortable, with pops of gold from the tables and chairs, gorgeous industrial light fixtures that beautifully contrast against the marble and black panelling behind the dessert display.
The first thing you’ll notice when you walk in are the two marble cases at the front showcasing some of their featured rotating desserts, which have been carefully sorted by colour, shape and size.
The main display case is modern and opulent, with an array of house-made macarons, cakes and other extravagant confections that will make your decision on what to order incredibly difficult.
If you're hoping to get your hands on some macarons, you can't go wrong with the Roasted Hazelnut, the Roasted Pistachio or the Milk Chocolate Pop Rocks. They have the perfect soft and crunchy texture, and the inside filling is absolutely delightful. By getting a minimum of 12 macarons, guests can have them packed away in one of their unique takeout boxes that house the macarons individually and make the perfect gift for anybody.
If cakes are more your thing, the selection is expansive with several great options to choose from. All of the company’s chefs are from the south of France, and their exclusive dessert moulds are made in the Ukraine, so you know everything will be meticulously handcrafted, with strong attention to detail.
There are a number of made-to-order fruit tarts available, along with a range of chocolate-based treats that sit on a rich chocolate cookie base.
The Praline Rocher with layers of Madagascar vanilla sponge cake, praline and milk chocolate mousse is a house favourite, but so is the Nutella Tiramisu, filled with mascarpone, Nutella, vanilla and chocolate.
You can also pick up one of their larger layer cakes for your gatherings or special occasions, which come in various flavours, similar to their smaller goods.
The café has partnered with Nespresso, so you can have a high-quality espresso-based beverage like a cappuccino or latté to accompany your pastry. Naggar also plans on releasing a line of cocktails in the near future, so you can grab a seat at the bar-height counter and sip on a drink while you munch on your dessert.
Being located on the Ossington strip has given the pair an excellent opportunity to draw in the after-dinner crowd, so they have decided they will soon keep the shop open until midnight.
Delysées -- located at 131 Ossington Avenue -- is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Stay tuned on their Instagram, where they will post up-to-date announcements regarding the unveiling of their cocktail program and more.
