All I can say is --masterful - - enjoyed every bite. A highlight of our trip. The dough was soft and chewy on the inside, perfectly crisp on the outside, a subtle hint of lemon and dusted walnut - - not too sweet, just right. read more

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European Bakery in Vancouver BC Since 2008 We made a special trip to this bakery in Vancouver for their chimney cake. I fell in love with this treat the first time I had them in Ontario. It was love at first bite. I was hoping to find a bakery in this part of Canada to have the same experience. We arrived a little before 11:00a (time stated in Yelp). Unfortunately, the business hours on Yelp was incorrect! They actually opened at noon! The shop opened promptly at noon but the chimney cakes took another 30 mins to bake. We were on a time crunch since we still had to drive back to Seattle to fly back home. The bakery was located in a tiny courtyard and there was a community area with outdoor seating available. He finished packaging the chimney cakes. Only four could be made every 30-mins so I purchased all 4 that he made. They only made sweet kind, no savory. While it wasn't as nice as the one I had in Ontario it is still good. Kürtőskalács (chimney cake) is a spit cake specific to Hungarians from Transylvania. Review #3174 read more

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I was so bummed that they ran out of chimney cakes when I went. This is a testament to their popularity. The person working at the counter was very nice and told me that I could reserve a chimney cake ahead of time so that I would not miss out again. I tried their rum cake and nuga cake and both were great. My favorite was the nuga cake as the rum cake's alcohol flavor was a tad bit too strong for me. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Sooooo good! The shop is small, and not a huge selection, but you can tell everything is made with really high quality ingredients. Prices are very reasonable, too. read more

Transylvanian Traditions is a Romanian bakery in the West End. Here you will find a nice selection of desserts to choose from. The storefront is on the main stretch of Davie Street. This is a good spot to visit for dessert if you have a meal elsewhere and want to go somewhere different for a nightcap. The space is small. I think there is only a table or two inside the shop. However there are plenty of tables outside to eat your desserts here which is fine assuming the weather is pleasant. They have many desserts and slices of cake to choose from. Though the bakery is Romanian, there are familiar items like eclairs and tiramisu offered here. If you have visited European bakeries before, than the selection here will seem pretty typical. From what I recall, almost all of the offerings were under $5 so that is a pretty fair price for a slice of cake. I decided to go with the tiramisu ($4.50). The cake was moist and full of coffee flavor. It made for a nice end to my evening. If you are looking for reasonably priced slices of cake on the West End that taste great, I would recommend Transylvanian Traditions. Though note that they only have desserts, tea and coffee here. If you want an (alcoholic) drink with your dessert, you will need to do takeout and go elsewhere for this. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Tiramisu ($4.50) - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

On our walk back to the hotel, my husband and I stopped in here to pick up some desserts to take with us. There were so many choices that we created our own assorted box of desserts to try at our leisure back at the hotel. For the most part what we got was delicious. The only desserts that didn't come out so well had "whipped cream" in them. I put that in quotes because the cream was heavy, thick, and tasted like some Crisco had been added (or maybe another form of lard). It didn't give those desserts a fresh, homemade taste. Rather, they reminded me of store bought ones. Otherwise, I enjoyed what I got there. read more

This is a small bakery offering different pastries /cakes. We asked the owner to recommend us two pastries and he suggested the walnut cake and Savarina. To be frank at first the cakes looked very generic and we weren't expecting to be impressed. But we were so pleasantly surprised when we tried the cakes, they were so light, moist and not very sweet. We ended up finishing both the cakes in no time. We will definitely go back. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - two desserts on a plate - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

If you're looking for some great dessert in west end area, you must try the Transylvanian Traditions Bakery. I got 2 things, the chimney cake and kréme cake/mousse. Let me tell you firstly, the chimney cake was super fresh and delicious. Secondly, the kréme cake was flakey, jiggly, moussey, soft and very very delicious. I am definitely getting it again. I paid around $11.00 for 2 items to give you an estimate. Great dessert and super fresh! Must try. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Chimney cake - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Post lockdown review: I always wanted to try this place as it has been in the West End for years. And I am glad I did. The actual store is tiny but the pastries are huge! And for $4.25 I thought it was worth it. Today I had the Savarina strawberry topped cake with lemon and rum syrup. It was very good. The cake was moist from the syrup and slightly chilled which was good for todays sunny day. Not too sweet but just sweet enough. They didn't have all their cakes out today but they had a few and I am glad I asked the man at the counter for a recommendation because there were too many good choices. This place is small but there is some patio seating now. I'll have to be back to try the rest of the cakes soon. read more

Oh Toronto...why don't we have a location? We were visiting Vancouver for the March Break and found this place by accident while walking down Davie. My husband is Romanian and was very happy to have found this Transylvanian bakery. We had the rum cake and the chimney cake. The rum cake was moist, flavourful, and not overly sweet. I couldn't eat the outside of the chimney cake because it had walnuts (I'm allergic to them) but I had some of the insides and oh wow! The dough was so fresh! I've tried quite a few Romanian sweets over the years and none have come as close to these ones in terms of deliciousness. I'd go back to Vancouver just for this place. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Rum cake on the bottom shelf. It was so tasty! - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Small bakery that has a signature item called a chimney cake, really good, simple with a sugary glaze and a hint of some spice I could not tell what it was though. Shared it with my office and it quickly disappeared. For a little under $6 was a great deal. The other pastries in the cabinet looked yummy, will be back to try more delicacies here soon! read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Chimney cake - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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MmmMmm Transylvania, why do you have to be sooooo far away??! If only you were within walking distance =( After dinner my sister and I went on a hunt for some dessert. We do not play around with dessert; we wanted a place that specialized in sweets! Luckily, not far from our hotel is this cute dessert shop. It was near closing time so we hurriedly ordered a slice of the Orange Burst and a slice of the Poppyseed cake. The Orange Burst is delicious, very soft and fluffy. The orange cream is really superb. Overall it is orangey, but not at all artificial tasting. The Poppyseed cake is just as scrumptious. There are layers of poppyseed and layers of wafer all one after another, and there is a top layer of chocolate. The man working behind the counter was so nice. He gave us a little history lesson of the place =) This place is exactly what we needed to end our first night in Vancouver =). read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Poppyseed - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I do not know about you but I like my baked goods to be fresh. I absolutely hate bakeries that sell day old or longer products at full price and not letting the customer know. I went in and ordered a Crème to go. It was not creamy it was eggy, the bottom crust which is suppose to be crunchy was completely soggy, the toppings on top were also soggy. Tasted way off. Complete waste of money. Always ask if the item you are purchasing made that day, if not walk right out that door. read more

3.5 stars After lunch at Samurai, we were feeling dessert so we went across the street to Transylvania Traditions bakery to get some dessert on. We shared a chocolate eclair and Chocolate Salami. The chocolate eclair was okay but nothing spectacular, chocolate coating with whipped cream in the middle, I would have liked the pastry shell a little bit firmer but that can't be helped when the whipped cream has been sitting in there for a bit. The Chocolate Salami (crushed cookies made with chocolate rum cake), on the other hand, was a surprise for me. I liked this. It was dense with rum and chocolatey. Their Vlad decorations on the wall were kitschy and fun to look at. I liked our dessert at Transylvania Traditions, I wouldn't mind trying more selections the next time I'm in the West End. read more

I just bought one of the Kurtos Colak (twisty sweet bread thingy). It was fresh outta the oven, still steaming. Really good. Owner was very pleasant too! I totally missed the loaves of bread hiding along the wall. I will be sure to try one next time and compare it to Cobs. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Transylvania Traditions Bakery, Vancouver, BC - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I bought a Boema cake from Transylvannia Traditions for an office party in Sept 2011. The owners specified that I could only get the cake after 2 pm the next day. I guess it was based on their baking schedule. I had to walk to my office, so they provided me with a tray to transport the cake. I just neeed to return the tray as soon as I could. I enjoyed the cake personally because it was not sweet. I chose Transylvania Traditions because it was noted that their cake was not very sweet. Some people liked the cake due to the same reason but I got the feeling that some people did not because they were expecting a regular cake with lots of sugars. I think it just depends on whether the crowd is into lots of sugar or less! read more

By now, you're probably thinking: Come on, Stacy. You spent two days in Vancouver and nearly everything warranted 4 stars? Well, yes. When I walk into a bakery, on a whim, and the nice girl behind the counter insists I try a 12-inch high volcano of a pastry, and it's DELICIOUS, that warrants four stars. I can't remember the name of the pastry, or the wooden doohickeys they're made on (see my photo), but it was certainly unique: a ribbon of pastry doused in a syrupy liquid with hints of honey and orange (maybe?), dusted with finely ground nuts. I've never seen anything like it, so of course I had to order it. Great suggestion, greater service, and the icing on the cake after dinner across the street at Stepho's. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Stuff we didn't buy - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Just heard about them on a talk radio show last week. If these guys had more seating, this place would be rocking. My first time ever from Romania! So always asked for the signature, some Savannah with whipped cream on a cake, dipped in some sticky honey, winner! Fluffy....but the real winner was this wafer cake, hazelnut of goodness, about a gazillions layers that just have the most amazing texture. Every bite, my eyes just closed.... I've been forever trapped now.... read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I read about the kurtoskalacs (chimney cake) from this bakery a few years ago in Seattle (in the Nov/Dec 2014 AAA Journey Magazine), and they sounded really delicious (and unique/interesting). I bookmarked in Yelp, intending to try on one of these visits up north. Yesterday was my chance... half of the family on our weekend trip were craving sushi and ate at Samurai across the street whereas hubby and myself take advantage of good Iranian chelo kebab every time we get into the Vancouver area. The two of us, along with our (twice removed) bro-in-law ate at Cazba next door. After our respective lunches, I stopped into TT and there was a neat stack of fresh kurtoskalacs lined up next to the cash register. Score! I grabbed a nice tall one and headed back out into the sunshine to share with the crowd. After a couple of pics, I peeled the plastic wrap off and we all started grabbing and unwinding pieces of the delicious fried and sugared dough. Not too sweet, and with a distinct orange peel flavor, this would definitely make the perfect bfast or afternoon tea snack! Even the next day, the kurtoskalacs retained its moistness and flavor. Two big thumbs up, the other pastries also looked interesting and I can see myself sampling on a future visit to the area. :) read more

I love good pastries and really wanted to find out about this hidden gem that is easy to miss because of the poor storefront and signage. I had read a few reviews and it took me a month to finally visit it. This little bakery has some incredible potential but lacks any cohesion or presentation. Their products are unique and seem quite authentic. We tried the Kurtos Kalacs ( a traditional sweet bread dough cone pasty from Transylvania). It was very good. It is known as a chimney cake or stove cake in Hungary and can be used as a wedding cake. Very unique and was worth a visit just to try it out. We also tried the Chocolate Eclairs. The whipping cream was real and not bad but the choclate filling was pudding. Overall good but not incredible. Haven't tried the squares and the Tiramasu which looked quite good. They had a custard dessert that I want to try. Overall presentation is poor but quality is quite good and the uniqueness of the product makes it worth a visit. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Chocolate Eclair - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I've been wanting to try the goodies here for awhile, ao after dinner and 1 hour before closing we popped in. I understand that close to closing time, staff are looking forward to going home but I did feel rushed, and it was my first time in the store, if I was given suggestions I would have bought up a whole bunch more. In any case the desserts chosen were still good, a crema cake, and a dobo cake plus 2 macrons, banana and coconut chocolate. The dobo was a bit dry, but the crema was very moist almost like a custard like texture. The macrons were good, the banana was very good and surprisingly actually tasted like those fluffy marshmallow banana candies. I might return to get that funnel cake thing that is supposed to be very good. read more

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"A treat from Transylvania Traditions is truly terrific!" Say it 10x in a row quick and tell me your record time. WHY GO THERE? Lovely moist cakes, cookies, eclairs to satisfy the sweet tooth in you. (This is what I love about a city with diverse population. It brings foreign cuisine and baking traditions, a melting pot of choices.) WHATCHA GOT? I've tried nuba, cremes and chocolate eclair. They're all good and moist. The tiramisu is way better than what I had in some Italian restaurants. The bestseller is Savarina and it delivers. It is in my sweet tooth list to try all that they offer. YOU GOT SERVED. The guy on the other side of the counter, who is half of the husband-wife team, has a ready smile and courteous. The bakeshop has a few small tables inside. There's outside seating as well, perfect on a sunny day to watch people on Davie. read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - The heaven of desserts - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Great great and deliciously great....it was our first time coming here and will be coming back for more. The staff was friendly and very courteous. ... the place wad clean and the dessert was to die for :) read more

Transylvanian Traditions Bakery - Love their pastries! !!!!! It was actually or first time here and will be coming for more. S - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

My sister grabbed some treats from here on her way to school one day and brought them home. One was a cream puff like thing, but it was a cake instead of a puff and it was soaked in some sweet rum-infused liquid and drizzled in strawberry. It was really yummy, but quite sweet and rich. Another treat was a chocolate mousse layer cake with a chocolate ganache topping. It was quite tasty and spongy. The last one was my favorite though... it was a layer chocolatey cake that seemed like it could be a Napoleon but it wasn't.. two of the layers were a thin poppy seed cake, and another layer was a bit crunchy. This cake was also covered in chocolate ganache. And it tasted chocolate hazelnutty. It was delicious!! read more

I am down with boutique anything - especially a boutique bakery. Deep in the heart of the Davie Village, Transylvania Traditions serves up pastries steeped in Eastern European tradition but with a contemporary twist - I've seen concoctions that suggest Snickers and Nutella and what-not. My personal favourite is under $2 and satisfies that I-need-chocolate-RIGHTNOWNOWNOWNOW feeling that occasionally overtakes my body, relative to the tidal shifts and lunar cycle. The aptly named Chocolate Salami (reminds me of this guy I knew in a previous life - I digress) is a slab of goodness. It literally looks like a salami - rich, moist chocolate cake slices dotted with white cookie-ness throughout, steeped in something Captain Morgan would approve of. Bacardi-licious. read more

I was stumped... I needed dessert for a dinner party and these guys saved the day! Who would think to show up at a BBQ with a cake shaped like a chimney (Kürtoskalác) that people can tear pieces from and dip into amazing sauces or just eat on its own? Who, I ask you? Not me!! That's why these guys were great!! How about some Tiramisu? Well, is it any good? Uh, yeah, it was REALLY good. Fruit cakes? Sunshine Romania! Sign me up. Chocolatey? Sure. Nutty? Uh huh. Yeah, these guys had it all. The best part is that the party hosts, my friends (who live a couple blocks away and had never been here), are not fans of sweet... like me, they prefer savory tastes. But they tried everything and enjoyed it all. They have become customers as well. So, Köszönöm! Multumesc! Thank you for saving the day... keep up the great work guys. read more

When I lived downtown I walked by this place for years and never realized what I was missing until today. At the suggestion of a friend who was craving some dessert, we went in to check it out. My friend commented on the tiramasu looking tasty and the owner, Narcisa, informed us with a laugh that we had not tried tiramasu unless we had tried theirs. Bold statement, I thought, but challenge...accepted. We also ordered a savarina and a creme since we were feeling particularly gluttonous. Gym days start again Monday, Sundays are for indulgence damnit! The savarina was a hollowed cake filled with whipped cream and crushed strawberries. The cake was moist and had just the right amount of sweetness without being too rich. Next up was the creme had a crushed walnut topping, creamy custard base and a phyllo pastry bottom layer. It was light, not over-sweet and had flavour to die for; a perfect balance of all that is custard-like and good in the world. Last on the table was the tiramasu, which I was certain couldn't live up to its hype or to the previous two dishes. Apparently I should have asked for a side of humble pie as well because Narcisa was right; the tiramasu is absolutely the best I have ever had! It was light and delicate, with none of the heavy richness that bogs down most others I've tried. This cake-shaped slice of heaven alone would be worth rowing across the Atlantic for if it was in Transylvania but, thankfully, its right here at home so get out and try it. read more

ROMANIA. I've never been there. But after trying out their pastries, I have a new found love for Romanian pastries. I think I just found an epiphany and I see my future lies in Romania. I will bake pastries with an infinite passion, and with those pastries I will bring paradise to this foul earth. No, I'm not a freak. STOP STARING AT ME. Anyways. kürtskalác, chimney-shaped pastry thingy. Yummy yummy. Crisp, yet sweet and somewhat chewy. The shredded almonds made it tenfold delicious. The cremes cake: fluffy, creamy, and lightly sweet. Ohhhh so good. It's as if Vlad the Impaler's orgas... *ahem* I spent $9 in total for both. Pretty worth it. Place is small, not very traditional-like but whatever. Service is so-so. Come in and be prepared to be ROMANIZED. What?! read more

Count Dracula would be proud. Super friendly Romanian baker. Unique baked treats. Everything I've tried has been delectable. Nothing is too sweet. Missed out on the kürtskalác the first time. Discovered it this time around. What a unraveling tunnel tower of pleasure. Guaranteed repeat visit. read more

There are so many things to love about Transylvania bread. (And sorry on not putting a street #, I can't find the bakery in the phone book!). The storefront appears as a bit Disney-esque in its eerie feelings. And when you walk inside the perfection of the place does not disappoint. Behind the counter are often only a few loaves of bread standing against the back wall. There are 2lb. and 4lb. loaves of the peasant bread: Those are pretty much your options. The friendly baker will greet you and if you have any questions be sure to ask away. Further back in the store there is an archaic-looking brick bread oven where all the daily fresh bread is baked. It appears to have survived from the age of the Romans. Anytime I buy a small loaf from here it lasts a full week. It's the kind of bread a shepherd would want to take if he's moving sheep from the summer to winter pasture. The rib-sticking, tummy-filling kind of bread most of us have never eaten. read more

Walked past this bakery and saw the picture of the chimney cake and knew right then and there that I HAD to have one lol. I split it with my friend because it is rather large, nearly a foot tall. It's a hollow pastry that's super soft and taste of cinnamon, sugar, and hint of something zesty! I'd love to try it freshly made one day because I'm sure it's even better warm. read more

Yum! I ate both creme and sunshine cake in one sitting. How could you not? It's like eating pillowy, sugary layers of heaven. It's too far for me to trek here everyday, otherwise I would be eating one of each until I tried them all, thrice. read more

I'm always on the hunt for new treats and this weekend I found a winner.!!! A small bakery with a variety of cakes slices to choose from (including a nutella hazelnut cake). Looked like a lot of the cakes were cream based (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) and they looked light and moist. BUT I had my eye on something that was being "baked" right in front of me. Imagine the dough of a Cinnamon roll wrapped around a tall cone, baked (hand rolled over and open fire), then coated in caramelized sugar and walnuts (I think I tasted a hint of lemon too). That's the best way I can describe it so you have to go for yourself and try it! I'm just afraid I liked it too much because I'm already trying to find excuses to be in the area this weekend! read more

WOOHOO! BEST CAKE EVER I got my friend a birthday cake from this place. I placed my order over the phone. Super easy, the lady on the phone was super nice and answered all my questions. When I went to pick up the cake, the guy there saw that it was raining outside, so he helped me open my umbrella because my hands were full! It's a really near sweet little shop! I would definitely come back again! Oh of course, the cake tasted DELICIOUS!!! I got the romania sunshine cake because my friend loves light cake, and she told me the cake was "on fleek" afterward read more

The Creme is subpar, I'm Romanian, and know good quality when it comes to pastries. These are not authentic pastries and they definitely don't serve the best pastries on Earth like their motto suggests. read more

One of my favourite places downtown to pick up desserts! Thanks to a recommendation from a friend who lived downtown, we started going here for tiramisu. When it's warm enough, there are a few tables where you can eat outside but usually, I take my stuff to go. The cakes and pastries are always lovingly tucked into a cardboard box, even if you treat yourself to just one piece. I had always been curious about the spiral-shaped pastry, which from reviews here I see are called kurtos kulac. I took one of these with me to work one time to share and we were all delighted by it. The review by The Curvy Gourmet H. gives a detailed description of this treat. If you're in the Davie neighbourhood, stop on by! read more

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in the summer I was craving a sweet and chocolaty treat that would not make me feel heavy so I stumbled upon this place. Having walked by it a few times I'd always wondered about the quality of their cakes. I still believe Vancouver's food scene lacking significantly in the sweets department but that's a long story for another day;) Back to the yummy chocolatey treat, it looked like a chocolate mouse cake but was heavier and had some form of alcoholic beverage in it. My taste buds couldn't pick it out but definitely worth a try. read more

The kurtos kalacs or kürtskalác is amazing and usually hot and fresh. Also the cakes are not too sweet and have a nice texture. I can't say I've tried much else but they look good. I also found the baker behind the counter to be nice and friendly, we left a pair of gloves behind by accident and he quickly answered my phone call and reassuringly said they have them and are ready to be picked up. read more

Yum! I love my deserts. Some times I love my deserts too much. And when I die and go to desert heaven, I'm hoping that most of the deserts at Transylvania Traditions are there. We've tried pretty much everything here. The Sunshine Romania Orange cream cake is over the top for me, but take a look at their menu, there's nothing there to disappoint. They make amazing birthday cakes too - pricey but worth every penny. read more

Kurtos Kalacs - Get it hot and fresh or not at all. Nice mild lemony tang to it. Fun to tear and share, but not that great cold. $5.50, $5.78 after tax. Chocolate éclair - Maybe it was because this is end-of-the-day 6PM eclair, but it wasn't that great. Chocolate cream inside was very firm and not particularly chocolatey tasting. Cheap-ish prices, but mediocre taste experience, sadly. read more