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    Modern Pastry Shop

    4.3 (3k reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Modern Pastry Shop Photos

    Business Info

    MODERN PASTRY SHOP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Build your own Cannoli
    Stephen D.

    I forgot how good the cannolis are in the North End. The filling is just to die for. So good. I don't think there is a better cannoli anywhere in Boston or anywhere else for that matter. Don't go here if you want to be gushed over. They had a "could care less" if we were there attitude but who cares the cannolis are exceptional.

    Rainbow Cookies
    Elaine M.

    When in the North End, Modern Pastry is the dessert shop one must go. We came here specifically to get the cookies by the pound, and especially the rainbow cookies. This place has thee best rainbow cookies (trust me, I know!) What I love about this pastry shop is you can order and take away in a box, or you can sit down and order food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]You can't sit in the other dessert places it's just a counter.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Entrance
    Emily B.

    Tried Mike's in the past so I had to check out Modern. There's a line but it moves quickly. Tried a chocolate chip and pistachio cannoli. Both were good but my fav was the pistachio. Check out this iconic sweet spot if you're visiting.

    Michelle C.

    Fresh yummy beautiful pastries & desserts! - Fast moving lines - Fresh made cannolis (also have gluten free) - individual macaroons approx $1.30ish. So pretty so yummy! - they have merch (hat, tshirts, hoodies, mugs) - CASH only! Parking is rough on Hanover! Hope for a spot or try side roads

    Boston cream pie!
    Tony S.

    Modern Pastry is my gold standard. Twenty-five years ago, the Sicilian side of my Boston family taught me one of the city's most important unwritten rules: tourists debate. Locals know. And the locals go to Modern Pastry. I've never questioned that advice. After being away from Boston for eight years, one of my first stops was bringing everyone in my group here. As always, the cannoli was the first thing I ordered. Some traditions aren't meant to be broken. But this trip came with a new assignment. My brotha Paulie from the Saint Joseph Society didn't recommend the Zeppole... He *commanded* it. Apparently, Modern only makes them during Easter, but on his personal special request, had them made this year for last weekend's Feast of Saint Joseph. Miss the season, and you wait another year. So the rule isn't to buy one or two. It's to buy as many as you can carry. I can't believe I'd gone my entire life without ever trying one. Imagine impossibly light fried dough surrounding silky pastry cream, finished with a simple cherry hidden in the middle like a secret treasure. Nothing flashy. Nothing overcomplicated. Every bite works because nothing is trying too hard. That's really the story of Modern Pastry. They don't chase trends. They don't reinvent classics. They simply make traditional pastries exceptionally well, year after year, generation after generation. Twenty-five years after my family first pointed me through these doors, they're still right. And now I have one more tradition to look forward to every Feast of Saint Joseph.

    Amy W.

    SOOOO, if you know you know. This rivalry between this place and Mike's is like the Gino's vs Pat's Philly sandwich war. BUT IMHO, this debate is more philosophical: Mikes is more modern offering a bunch of crazy flavors like peanut butter and key lime, where here at Modern, they (ironically) stick with the classics, chocolate and vanilla, pistachios or cc chips. My husband is not a connoisseur, so he wobbled and ordered the chocolate cream with pistachios. I went with the classic marscapone version with CC chips. YUM. I imagine Mike's is also fantastic, and if I had a hollow leg and a less fat a$$ I might have suffered the line there. Note here that if you want to eat in, you do NOT go through the line, we got reprimanded, but they did let us sit and enjoy only bc table service was about to end.

    Tiramisu Slice
    Angie L.

    When in Boston's north end, make sure to stop by Modern Bakery. Amazing selection and super friendly service! Make sure you have cash- it's a cash only business. They have amazing cannolis and other delicious treats. Every time I visit Boston, I stop and try something new. This time was Tiramisu. The coffee flavor was delightful and not over powering, the cream was amazing, smooth and delicious- very yummy all around!

    Alexis T.

    This is the best cannoli I've ever had in my entire life. I didn't get to try any other ones in Boston, but we chose to try this place over Mike's since it had some seating inside. The line was long, but it moved fast. I ordered a cannoli with a plain shell, traditional ricotta filling, and pistachios-- it was perfection. I think about this place every time I crave a cannoli.

    1 dipped in pistachio and 1 in chocolate chip
    Mike H.

    Modern vs Mike's is the Boston version of Pat's vs Geno's except with cannolis. Both have long lines on weekends and peak times and both move through those lines quickly. Modern has a lot more overall pastry option than Mike's. Hell, they even serve alcohol and have a small number of tables to sit if you can actually get a spot. Modern doesn't have as many cannoli options as Mike's, however. I found that Modern's were a little sweeter and the filling texture was a little thinner. It was still really good though. So, it's all about personal preference, if you want your cannolis to be like Kim Kardashian go to Mike's but for more of a Kate Moss style stick with Modern.

    Cannoli menu!
    Cindy O.

    Every visit to Boston, we always go to Moden Pastry! It's a must for us! What a treat today, we dined in with table service! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Itbeen years and usually too crowded to wait for a table.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Their pastries are amazing as take out, but to enjoy them there with a nice hot drink; best thing ever! I ordered a regular (ricotta) cannoli with chips and a hot tea. My husband ordered a chocolate ganache with coffee. He stated it was the best coffee he had ever had!! The ganache desert waa excellent. My cannoli was heaven! I have had a lot of cannoli but nothing beats Modern Pastry. Shells are great )made in Sicily). They fills them while you wait. So fresh! I have been coming here since I was a young child, they taste as good as they did back then! Cash only, that too hasn't changed! We had a great server. Staff is always nice and patient!

    Cupcakes
    Tony H.

    Part 2 of my review in the battle of the North end cannolis, while Modern didn't get the victory over the other M named bakery they still made a solid cannoli. Pros for modern is they're cost a little less and I was in and out of there in a few minutes. I even think mine was made on the spot since I got to pick what type of "crust" I wanted. They're a cash only establishment and also things considered I think both of these shops on the north end are worth trying so you can judge for yourself to see which one you like best.

    Pastries
    Ed D.

    Ok there's always a line so be prepared to wait but at least the line goes fast. But the wait is well worth it. Sooooo many options of pastries. We got the lobster tail pastry which was similar to a large croissant with lots of cream filling. It was super sweet and the crust was harder so definitely a pastry that needs reheating before eating. We also got the cream puff and it was also very sweet. My favorite was the chocolate mousse that had 3 layers, a hard butter cookie bottom, a middle cake layer and the top mousse layer with whipped cream icing. It was delicious! Prices were very reasonable. The only thing is they only accept cash. We wanted to order more but I don't regularly have cash on hand. Great place for delicious pastries

    Modern (top box) vs Bovas!
    Maria L.

    My mission for Boston was to find THE cannoli...and we sure found it at modern. It was a very close tie to the local favorite at Bovas but this ended up taking first place. I love the fact that the cannolis are made to order leaving you with a crispy shell everybody. They even offer many cannolis for those like myself who don't have a large sweet tooth. The filling people might find on the Tad sweeter side in which I would recommend the pistachio or almond topping if not, go traditional with the chocolate chip. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The location is adorable with a variety of pastry options, notably, the moon cookie![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was great and attentive, and if you get the chance I would recommend sitting and enjoying a nice coffee or tea versus waiting in the line. In comparison to Boa's, it was very close for our party, but the fresh shell put it on top. I will state that Boba's cream filling was more of my style with the less of the sweet kick. Either way you can't go wrong either location, but the additional pastries offered at modern along with the sitdown option was also another touch. Don't be timid by the line it moves rapid and it's well worth it!

    Carrot Cake Slice & Cannoli

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    Modern Pastry Shop Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Modern Pastry Shop

    Are their gluten free cannolis fried in a separate fryer?

    It is my understanding that their shells are made off-site by a different bakery.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Cafe Bonjour

    Cafe Bonjour

    4.6
    (1.2k reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    We were in Boston for the weekend, and my wife had done a bunch of research to find a good…read moregluten-free breakfast spot. She was so excited when she found Cafe Bonjour because they had several gluten-free options on the menu. We took an Uber there right after we landed and were able to walk right in and get a table when they opened, which worked out perfectly because the place started to fill up! It's a cute little spot with plenty of seating inside, and they also had a nice outdoor parklet that would be great in good weather. We asked to sit at the bar so we could watch the cooks in action, which was really fun. The menu had all the classic breakfast favorites like eggs and French toast, along with some lunch options like hamburgers and chicken wraps. The staff was very friendly and attentive. My wife ordered the gluten-free eggs benedict and absolutely loved it. I had the Bonjour omelet, and it was delicious. Overall, this is a fantastic breakfast spot with great food, a fun atmosphere, and solid gluten-free options.

    Food was good, pretty standard brunch fare. Servings are not super large nor overly small. Their…read morepastries are not very fresh and a little too sweet/mushy. Service was lacking. Waiter didn't bring out water, didn't offer any cream or sugar for coffees, and was difficult to flag down to ask for extra plates/utensils. The inside is quite cramped and we were shoved into a tiny little corner. Overall a meh place for brunch. The appeal is the convenience of the location. Other than that I'd stop somewhere else for a brunch.

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    Inside
    Inside
    Bonjour Omelet
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    Mike & Patty's - Bay Village

    Mike & Patty's - Bay Village

    4.4
    (2.3k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    My husband and I had some time to kill before an appt at Tufts. We were heading somewhere else for…read morea sandwich when we walked by this spot. The smell of bacon was too good to keep moving past it and we decided to head inside. Best happy accident!! Any place that has staff wearing shirts that say "Stoked for yolks" and has an array of pig decor- jackpot! The small menu was deliciously stacked with breakfast and lunch options; the griddle was sizzling, there's a drink fridge, and a spot to stand and consume. My husband got a turkey and I did a ruby melt; SO GOOD! I perused the menu, and the breakfast options all looked incredible! If you find yourself on this end of Tremont and you smell amazing bacon, follow your nose to Mike and Patty's - you will not be disappointed! Also, staff was super friendly! This place is a total package!

    This restaurant is tiny (175 square feet) and only has 2 seats - which were both occupied when I…read morestopped by around 11:30am. There's a small park with shaded benches about 2 blocks away (Elliot Norton Park) which is a great place to sit down and devour the food. I ordered the Mission Breakfast Burrito and it was delicious. As of August 2026, the website lists the burrito as $14, but the price on the in-person menu was $16. I would give the burrito 4 out of 5 stars because of the way it was wrapped - about a third of the burrito was just egg and cheese and the toppings (avocado, red onion, hash browns, salsa verde, crema) were crammed on the other side of the burrito. If there was a way for the burrito to be wrapped so all the ingredients were more evenly distributed - this would easily be a 5/5 breakfast burrito. One random detail that stuck out to me was that their drinks in their refrigerator were very cold - no lukewarm sodas here! I would come back here to try their signature "Fancy" sandwich. Overall, this is a very solid breakfast spot in Boston!

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    Mike & Patty's - Bay Village
    Milk-y way to quench your thirst! Try our flavored milk in banana, strawberry, or chocolate.
    Milk-y way to quench your thirst! Try our flavored milk in banana, strawberry, or chocolate.
    Fancy Sandwich (~$11) with hash brown

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    The Friendly Toast

    The Friendly Toast

    4.3
    (3.5k reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    I love this place and the Back Bay location is special. The atmosphere is old school diner meets…read morevibrant colorful food haven. The staff at every location are friendly (shocking...I know) but these Back Bay servers don't mess around. They get you in fed and out all without ever feeling rushed. Definitely recommend the NH egg scramble - so good, but you really can't go wrong on the menu.

    TL;DR: Smelled like dirty water, sat us at a dirty table, food was not impressive, drinks were…read morewatered down with odd flavors, honestly don't know why there were so many people in there. Won't go back. Wish I had pictures, sorry. I wasn't thinking about a review. After a 15/20 minute wait, in an effort to seat us quickly, they sat us at a table that was wet, with water, and sticky from what was presumably the last table's syrup. There were 2 open, used, nips of syrup on the table that they hadn't seen or bothering to pick up. The ambiance/decor was very confusing, a lot of colors and patterns. It wasn't quirky (I've been to quirky done well), it was bordering on scatterbrained? I joked that the place was meant to be visually confusing so that you wouldn't see the lack of cleanliness. We asked for napkins to wipe our table and we were given napkins to clean it ourselves. I mean sure it was what we had asked for but when I asked in the past, someone came over with a rag and cleaner and cleaned it for us so I was a little underwhelmed with that one. Also, the table was visibly not ready because my partner noticed some hesitation in the guy before he sat us and instead of saying, "wait let me get someone to clean it for you" he sat us anyway. The entire placed smelled like a mix of dirty water and wet dog. In all fairness we should've gotten up and walked out but the restaurant was packed, so we were assuming the food must be good and we were hungry. The first two appetizer plates were got were dirty and my boyfriend's silverware. We asked for new ones. The second two were also not exactly clean but not as bad as the first. We opted to eat our appetizer from the plate it came on. We ordered the Some Like it Tot. It was cool, nothing to write home about. Expected it to be more crunchy (they are tater tots after all). I ordered the mimosa flight. Only one of the drinks had any semblance of alcohol in it. They were... oddly not good? Like not bad, but not great. The flavors on the menu sounded like they should've been great together but what served me was disappointing. I got the cookie monster pancakes. Maybe 2 stars. Very mid and uninspired. Unimpressed. The pancakes were middle of the road. Not great not bed. Best thing about this place were the nips of maple syrup. My boyfriend ordered the Monster breakfast. Also mid. The home fries were not well seasoned. Will not be returning. I'm assuming they need to pay their staff better or hire ones who care or can cook. Our server was kind though.

    Photos
    Side of bacon and 7-grain sour dough bread
    Side of bacon and 7-grain sour dough bread
    Having breakfast before the MIT tour.
    Having breakfast before the MIT tour.
    Cinnamon toast crunch French toast

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    Flour Bakery + Café

    Flour Bakery + Café

    4.3
    (1.4k reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    This place rocks so much we came back for a second time, though our stay at Seaport was so short…read moreand originally we wanted to use every meal at a different spot. First of all, the pastry case just beautifully displays all the baked goods. It's quite a sight to see! I love the variety and flavors, very unique. If you know what you want, gotta get in line and grab it quick! If you wanna put in your own order, you can use the kiosk, which is really fun to use. I ordered a chai with oat milk (it's very light in flavor) and got a bialy. Honestly I had not had a bialy in over 25+ years... and was surprised to see it in the case and I had to have it. A corn + cheddar bialy. It did NOT disappoint. I also got london fog with oat milk previously, also very nice, but this place was soooo good we had to come back. My daughter loves pop tarts so when she saw it in the case, she got a blueberry pop tart and said it was very flakey and the jam was very jamful. It was the-last-one, even had the sign stuck in it!! She also got the french toast (2 slices) with kid's milk and said it was the best french toast she's ever had. My sis got a chocolate pain suisse, which I had never seen before. It's basically brioche filled with pastry cream and chocolate. It looked delicious and with coffee, my sis ate the whole thing up. All in all, this place has so much delicious eats.. I can understand if you live here, you could come every morning and still not get to everything in the pastry case! Definitely be back if we're in the Boston area again.

    I recently ordered delivery from Flour Bakery + Cafe(Boston location), and it was absolutely…read moredelicious! I tried the breakfast egg sandwich and the chicken tikka masala naan and both were so yummy and incredibly satisfying. The egg sandwich was perfectly made, fresh, and flavorful. The chicken tikka masala naan was packed with taste and surprisingly filling, it made for a great lunch. Everything arrived well-packed and fresh. Definitely ordering again!

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    Modern Pastry Shop - bakeries - Updated August 2026

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