AURA-LA Pastries + Provisions

It was a warmer than normal, unseasonably nice day, so walked down to this neighbourhood store for a coffee. Honestly, the drip coffee was ok. It was close to closing time, so perhaps it had been sitting for awhile in the carafe. Seemed a bit weak for my tastes.

That said, the staff – and clientele for that matter – were all very friendly. And it isn’t just a coffee shop. Various pastries were for sale, as well as a bunch of unique food items, and other interesting things created by local craftspeople.

There’s a bit of parking right off Frederick, and a small outside spot for customers to sit and enjoy the offerings in nice weather. There’s also a small seating area inside when it isn’t so nice out.

AURA-LA Pastries + Provisions is a must-visit destination for pastry and café lovers. From the marvelous chocolate croissants and tomato danishes to the heavenly hot chocolate, every bite and sip was a delight. Combined with the pleasant ambiance and excellent customer service, this café and pastry shop provides a haven where you can relax, treat yourself, and leave feeling thoroughly satisfied.

1. Outstanding fresh baked items with exquisite flaky pastry. Croissants, Belgian waffles, Kouign-Amann and so many other tasty options.
2. It’s not just a bakery: large selection of carefully curated artisanal local foods. Seriously interesting variety. Please see picture.
3. Friendly staff and cosy atmosphere with inside/outside seating to relax and enjoy food and/or drink.
4. Clean washroom.

In response to owner below: on the Lettie’s Vegan Fine foods website it says that this location carries them, so maybe some communication with that company would be helpful. Totally fair for not bringing it back and not really why the review was 2 stars, just the initial thought and reason for coming into the store.

Secondly, any Google search will confirm honey is not vegan, so when I asked staff specifically for vegan items I did not expect to be offered something with honey. People coming in who are “vegan” and eat honey are just plant-based by definition, even if they hope otherwise, but that’s a whole other issue.

Would have been awesome to know about the chocolate and ice cream when I asked staff about vegan offerings, but wasn’t told. The only chocolate I noticed was the sweet earth as I mentioned. Maybe more signage would help you for this, especially for ice cream for summer months.

The button I’m referring to is the accessibility/wheelchair button. In 2025 the AODA will become law which will require businesses to be accessible with handicap door operators so perhaps that’s something that this business should look into, despite not owning the building.

Went here as we were expecting Lettie’s Vegan Fine Foods to be here but they weren’t unfortunately. Found a couple of other vegan things including some sweet earth chocolate pastries, some sauces, and miso soups. They do have some super cute cups and cards and seem like a cute little shop. When I asked an employee about their vegan offerings they mentioned they didn’t have any vegan baked goods right now which is fine, but then they suggested some honey bars (ingredients including honey, so not vegan). The entrance is also not accessible, you have to go up a few stairs and there is no button, so that was a bit annoying.

We’ve always been a fan of Aura-La for their baked goods (the chocolate babka is wonderful!) so we recently decided to use their catering service for a party. We ordered cookies, squares, and pizza. The food was top notch, and reasonably priced – great value. We got rave reviews at our party for all the food, but especially the chocolate chip cookies and the pizza (we had guests asking where we got the pizza from). I really appreciate the focaccia-style of the pizza, as that’s hard to find. Also, the customer service when going through the ordering process was friendly and accommodating. When there was a small issue with the final invoice, they were quick to correct it. Would definitely order catering from them again. Best bakery in town, strongly recommend!