Patisserie Lawrence V

Bakery: Patisserie Lawrence V
Address: 4685 Ave du Parc, Montreal QC
Website: http://patisserielawrencev.com/
Style: French 
Price: $$$ 

I remember this bakery in the process of opening on one of my previous trips to Montreal and since then I've been looking forward to the chance to give it a try. Newly opened bakeries aren't the most common sight in other parts of the country - on the contrary - so it's nice to see bakery culture alive and well. One of the newer kids on the block, Patisserie Lawrence V is a bright airy space with a smaller selection of mostly individual cakes and tarts and colourful macarons. Prices are certainly a bit up there.

Being in the mood for something flaky, I was a bit disappointed that there were so little baked goods offered and that the few they did have came in the form of a label in an empty basket. That's right, they were all gone! So it was actually with a bit of reluctance and frustration at having my original plans thwarted that I examined the more elaborate cakes, but I simply wasn't in the mood for something rich. Yes, the cost was a bit of an issue as well.

I grabbed the lighter almond tartelette with cherries and raspberry ($4.25). Outwardly, it didn't look any different than fruit tarts found elsewhere. Breaking into that shortbread shell and chewy almond mass, the taste was an entirely different story. This was good, remarkably good. The tart shell was flawless in both texture and rich flavour. The filling had just the right amount of fruit for you to have one with each bite. Taking something simple and making it taste amazing - that takes skill and Lawrence V has got it.

Rating: ***1/2