The Sweet Spot Patisserie located in Steveston, Richmond is a favourite among local Richmondites. Diplomat Bakery is also another bakery in Richmond that has a large fan base so I'll be reviewing both bakeries here in a little 'bakery showdown' post!
The Sweet Spot is quite hidden so it'd be hard to just 'stumble' upon this patisserie. When my mom and I came to pick up some desserts, there was an endless turnaround of customers coming in minute after minute.
From heavenly coconut macaroons to lemon madeleines, their gluten heavy choices are sure to captivate your eyes the minute you walk in.
Every dessert item inside the glass case looked delectable! You can really tell each piece of cake was made with a lot of love and care.
A lot of people commented about how amazing the service is here. However, on the two occasions I've visited The Sweet Spot, I actually didn't feel very invited or welcomed. The ladies (not sure if they are the owners) didn't try to help my mom and I in recommending a dessert when we asked for their advice.
The
Pistachio Opera Cake ($4.50) was very light and creamy with just a hint of pistachio.
This chocolate caramel mousse (sorry, forgot the name) was not overly sweet which I appreciated. Overall, loved the presentation yet wasn't wowed but it.
I really enjoyed the freshness of the
Fruit Tart with Vanilla Bean Custard ($4.25). Their dense shortbread like crust was also delish (albeit a tiny bit hard- takes a lot of force to cut it).
My favourite one was the
Lemon Curd Tart with Italian Meringue ($4.25). Not only did it look amazing, the curd wasn't too sour which is a common lemon tart error from other bakeries.
Lastly, my second visit consisted of a
Tiramisu and a
Peach Frangipane Tart. I didn't try either of them so I can't judge the taste.
Overall, The Sweet Spot is a good spot for refined French desserts if that is what you're craving. However, the prices are steep and the service wasn't particularly friendly, so in my opinion, they are a 3/5.
Overall Rating: 3/5
Now, on to Diplomat Bakery. This bakery is also in the middle of nowhere and is definitely not a walk-able distance from Steveston (contrary to popular belief). It is located on London Road in Richmond.
Their cakes are similar to
True Confections in both variety and size.
In addition, they have a lot more simplistic pastries and desserts like chocolate covered cream puffs, cream horns dipped in chocolate, danishes, croissants...etc. Their prices are also reflective of their simplistic approach.
I ordered the
Almond Croissant (~$3.00) for breakfast and I was surprised to see it being served on a cafeteria like tray. The croissant itself was not incredibly flaky and lacked the fluffy, moist custard inside. To this day, I have yet to find an almond croissant better than the one at
Thomas Haas.
All in all, Diplomat surprisingly didn't excite me as much as I expected it to, especially with all the hype around their baked goods. Maybe I also didn't choose the right item to represent this bakery so perhaps I'll give them another try and order a slice of cake instead.
Overall Rating: 3/5
Based on both ratings,
The Sweet Spot wins!!!!
Happy Eating!
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