Kitten and the Bear

This place is so cute. A friend and I popped in thinking it was a coffee shop and were we ever pleasantly surprised to find they actually do tea service here. It’s really tiny, actually only 2 small tables so we were very lucky to get a spot. The tea service is pretty pricey at $ 14.50 per person but it is very much worth it for a treat. Each person gets a pot of tea and a ginormous scone. To share you get 4 little ramekins of jam. I had the chai tea with rose petals and it is one of the best chai teas I’ve had. The scones are out of this world and huge, about the size of 3 regular scones. The featured jams were a Meyer lemon marmalade, an orange and whisky marmalade, a berry wine jam, and my personal fave, a banana, bourbon, vanilla jam. The banana one was so good I had to take a jar home. The service was great. Our server was friendly and explained all the teas and jams to us. The great service is what really makes it worth paying $ 14.50 for a scone and a pot of tea. Definitely worth a visit.

The scones here are really great. To my knowledge they only do one kind — a buttermilk scone and you get your choice of jam that comes with it. Each one is $ 4 and comes with jam. Clotted cream is an additional $ 1.25, which you pretty much have to get. So all in, for the full take out experience, its $ 5.25.
Theres a dine in option for about $ 15 per person, and you get a high tea type of set up with scones and tea. But theres only two tables there, so I’ve never braved the wait.
Overall, a pretty good place, that is IG worthy, if you’re into that.

I’m so happy that this was my first stop once I arrived to Toronto (10+ hour drive)! They first caught my eye through the photos I’ve seen on Instagram, so I decided to check out this cute little tea and jam café. What the images didn’t show however, was how small the place was.
Beautifully decorated, I didn’t expect there to be only two tables available. One had two seats, and the other was probably made for a group of at most, 4 people. The lady at the register greeted us with much enthusiasm, and described each jam to perfection! We were lucky to come here at around 10/​11am because we just wanted to sit and enjoy the food and tea. I got the Celebration (?) herbal tea, which had notes of citrus. The front desk had the dry tea leaves in jars that you can smell before ordering, so I was immediately attracted to this one and loved it when I got to actually taste it.
Along with our jam samplers, we got giant scones! The scones were freshly made and put Red Lobster’s biscuits to shame! Piece by piece, we ate the scones, jam, and sipped the tea while enjoying the city view from the giant store window. The silverware was very elegant, pastel-​colored, and miniature. I felt like Alice in Wonderland! Definitely a must-​try if you visit Toronto, but I suggest you come early!

LOVE LOVE LOVE! Came here because a friend brought their ridiculously delicious scones home. I went to the store and got some myself, pity they only had about 3 left at the time but they were amazing. Really wish they were closer though think they would do so much better in the core where quality scones lack :) :)

Just picked up a gift box from Kitten & Bear, while I was there I also bought two additional jams. I had my young daughter with me who was overjoyed by the «tea party» look of the shop. My daughter asked for a treat and wanted to sit at one of the little tables to eat a scone. We were promptly told no. There were no other customers waiting for the seats, my daughter would have eaten her scone and felt special but apparently the seats are reserved for «tea and jam service.» Apparently my $ 92 purchase plus whatever the scone would have cost did not earn us the privilege of sitting for 5 minutes to eat a scone. Instead my daughter left in tears. Pretty lame!

I bought 12 jars of jam today. TWELVE. Because it’s that good. To be more specific, I bought 5 gift boxes with 2 jars each, plus 2 jars for myself, because they are the absolute best holiday gift ever. For my kiddo’s teachers, for family, for that holiday hostess gift — these are just perfect. Kitten and the Bear is just PERFECT. The owners are awesome, and their jams are HEAVENLY. The scones are DIVINE. My fave flavour, Apricot –White Cherry — Amaretto, was available today, and I was sooooo happy. I also love every other damn thing they have ever made, from Plum — Rose to Blackberry — Fennel to White Peach — Orange Blossom. They are true artisan geniuses, producing a heady mélange of complex flavours, and they deserve so much happiness and success. So in closing — if you ever need a treat or gift for anyone, ever, including yourself, for any reason, buy this jam. Also just buy it to have on hand for later, because this is what you need. And buy scones! And tea! Just go and see for yourself, before you know it you’ll be buying 12 jars too. ;)

I’ve been wanting to check this little shop out forever.
The staff was helpful, tea was lovely, scones delicious.
Everything was so well put together: décor, plating, displays, packaging.
I found some of the jams were too subtle for me to distinguish which were which, but they were all delicious.
Amazing place, will keep coming back!

The scones were wonderful. Light, big! and fluffy. The jams were wonderful, and extremely fresh and tasty. They came with clotted cream, also great. Tea was wonderful and a nice selection as well, to choose from. The only drawback for not giving it a 5 star, is that there are 2 tables. One table is for 2 people, and the other table is for 3 people. So we had to wait for about ½ hour which was not too bad, but they are certainly not high turnover. The server/​hostess/​cashier was probably the best of everything, because her wonderful manner totally made us feel special. She even called us «lovelies». Can’t get better than that. I suggest that they could find a bigger establishment so they can have more tables.
Cost per person for tea and scones — $ 14.50

I had such a nice experience here! I was craving scones with jam after having afternoon tea at the Fairmont when I was in Montréal for work. Unfortunately, the same thing in Toronto would cost twice as much, and since I only want scones anyway, I set out to look for alternative options and came across this place.
First of all, it’s a beautiful space — quaint and antiquey! The ladies working there were also very welcoming.
I was lucky enough to score seating (there are only two tables there — one for two and one for three). I got the Darjeeling estate tea, a massive scone, and three jams to taste (strawberry-​basil-​lime, four berries, and nectarine).
The scone was deliciously buttery, crispy and fluffy. I wish it were warmed up but it was good nonetheless. The jams were great. The tea was nice and full-​bodied.
I woke up with a cold and came back the next day! Two big thumbs up!!!

Very cute little shop
Got the chance to sit down and do the sampler of watermelon, Apple lime and berry jam which was great :)
And the scones are really good too
They also have a great lots of different teas
All in one its a super sweet place :)

I’ve been here twice and I’m already scoping out a third visit. There’s nothing quite like this place anywhere else in Toronto — they offer some of the best homemade jams that make great gifts and their tea service is a must-​try. The owners put their heart and soul into making this place a success — they don’t like making people wait for seating, but they want everyone to have a great experience and they’re doing the best with what they have. It’s more of a «tasting room» with just two tables, but you won’t regret it once you manage to snag a seat!
I’m getting hungry just thinking about their scones right now — they are the epitome of buttery goodness. They’re only open from Wednesday — Sunday so head down there and don’t miss out!

Coming to the kitten and the bear is like sitting in Cinderellas carriage that is made out of a freshly baked scone.
Every holiday season I buy jars of their jam without anyone in particular in mind, such an easy, tasty and lovely gift to give.
Their scones are +++++++++++

I was a bit skeptical as I prefer a non-​traditional fruit scone and am not a huge fan of jam but I was running an errand in Parkdale and decided to grab a scone to go. Holy buttery goodness, I have seen the light!
I got a warm, fresh from the oven scone and chose the earl grey plum jam to go along with it (there was a choice of 3 – 4 jams). I took the scone home, cross town, before eating it but it was still slightly warm and nice and buttery, flaky, soft all at the same time. The jam was pretty tasty too, not too sweet.
Hoping to find myself back in that neck of the woods again soon, though I certainly wouldn’t think twice about making a special trip if the craving strikes.

For product alone — I would say Kitten and the Bear gets 5 stars straight off the bat.
Small batch jams, local ingredients with seasons offerings, plus amazing scones are all reasons why one should make a trip out to Kitten & the Bear.
So the store is pretty upfront about the fact that they are an artisanal jam store first and a place to grab and enjoy a cream tea a very distant second.
But they do have a «tasting» room; which is itty bitty tiny to practically nonexistent — we’re talking about 5 seats MAX. Breakdown as follows 1 table of 2 and 1 cozy table of 3.
So a classic cream tea for one is $ 14 and you get one scone and 1 choice of their current jams on sale and clotted cream with a cup of tea. Their cream tea for two is for $ 28 and comes with 3 choices of jam plus clotted cream and 1 pot of sloane tea.
However, if you are willing to wait and are lucky enough to grab a table;this is where things can get a bit sticky.
The husband and wife team are good at what they do which making jam. Their in-​house scones are easily one of the best I have eaten.
But their service is not the greatest. Their store is very cozy — so if there is a wait on front of you — be prepared to wait outside; since they will ask you to leave the store so as not to pressure the customers that are enjoying their cream tea. Plus, they will tell you that they will stick their head out the door to let you know that your table is ready — so don’t wander too far away from the store. So while this wait outside might be a pleasant wait in milder weather, I can see where this will most likely be pretty uncomfortable on really hot and sticky days, plus on frigid and miserable days.
Also, once you have finished your cream tea — don’t linger to chat cozy with your companion either — since they will ask you to settle up and pay if there are people waiting behind you.
Add to that — there isn’t any formal reservations taken either — so first come, first serve basis; plus no bathroom on site. Plus their scones depending on demand; they can run out — so you call them and ask; but they may not be willing to hold on to the scones for you.
So overall 4 — mostly because of things I had detailed above.
They take Cash or Debit only.

— You haven’t had a scone until you came here
— All the jellies and the butter creams are delicious
— The ten dollar three scone special is great for two people
— The owners are great, colloquial, and they know the neighborhood
— Coffee is grand

I went to Kitten and the Bear one afternoon to pick up some scones. Probably got there around 2pm and they were sold out so I had to come back 45 minutes later if I wanted a fresh batch. Im glad I waited because the scones were hot and fresh — perfect with some homemade jam and butter.
The store itself is quite small with about 2 – 3 tables; they also have jams and teas available for purchase. Would love to go back for tea with some girlfriends but it’s quite out of the way for me. However, if I’m in the Parkdale area I would not hesitate to stop by again!
Edited — I recently went to pick up gift items at this cute store and the packaging is so cute and pretty! I also got some jams for family and friends and they loved the flavours.

In the last 3 – 4 times I’ve visited Kitten and the Bear, I’ve been consistently amazed by the whimsy and quaintness of the service offering. I’d like to think of KatB as hipster afternoon tea. I adore that this place is local — the jams and scones are made on-​site.
The teensy Parkdale location features 2 tables seating a total of 5 people. This is not a typical café or coffee shop. Kitten and the Bear is a confiturier, meaning they create jams for sale. The few seats they have are so that a few people may be able to sample jams as a set. They offer a tea sampler set approximately $ 10; a pot of tea, two scones and 3 small samples of jams. This option is meant to be shared in pairs since the scones are quite large (they offer 2 cups). They also offer clotted cream and pour over coffee.
The beautiful iconography of the store sent me to a very romantic place in my mind — Marie Antoinette meets Alice in Wonderland. It’s just the kind of venue you’d lose yourself in — a perfect blend of capitalism and romance. KatB offers Sloane tea, which although pricey when purchased individually, are so exceptional in quality that the experience sets the bar quite high.
The jams are so divine that I’ve purchased both, the Banana and Ceylon Cinnamon and Meyer Lemon and Lavender. I’d be back in a heartbeat!
Everyone take me here. Please and thank you.

If I were to rate this spot for scones alone I would say its pretty high up as this is the better version of the scones I have had. The jam offerings are also very good with you can tell they are made fresh taste and texture.
Now for the bad if you are planning to eat and enjoy here I would say forget about it as unless you get lucky there are only two tables and one fits two while the other will be hard pressed to fit 4. The person handling the cash is almost curt so not sure it goes with the inviting ambiance they are going for here.
The teas are from the Sloane. I had the perfectly pear version and it was quite good. The scone itself is pricey but substantial. The trio of jams except the seville orange version were top notch.
Worth a try if you are in the area and manage to find a spot.

Teensy tiny little place with only 2 tables, but oh wow, what they do is cute! The scones are delicious — moist and sweet but not too sweet. I had mine with clotted cream and a banana preserve. So unique and delicious. The tea was nicely made, hot and perfect.
They also have take-​away scones and jams, sampler platters… the owners are friendly and welcoming, and personable without being intrusive.
Sitting in that sun-​filled window with cute flowers on the table and the tasty treats… it was the perfect way to pass an hour on my birthday. A girly, relaxing treat. I want to come back with my Mom, my girlfriends, my daughter.

«Holy Hell» those were the first words to come out of my mouth after trying the magnificent scones at Kitten and the Bear, frankly I’m surprised I was able to speak at all.
Kitten and the Bear is a small shop off Queen West in the Parkdale area. This Husband and wife team are doing scones, homemade jams, and good tea/​coffee all culminating in a modern take on afternoon tea. We came in here one afternoon while in the area to give them a shot. We opted for 2 scones, 3 jam samples, clotted cream and a pot of tea ($ 10 for scones and jam, $ 6 for the tea). The scones were absolutely to die for! Made with buttermilk, these babies are dense, moist, and a little crispy on the outside, with the perfect amount of sweetness. These are not really traditional scones but more of a mutant scone/​biscuit hybrid. Not only were they delicious, they were also massive, making it a joy to peel back the layers and use them for jam sampling.
As if the scones were not obscene enough, the jam was equally ridiculous. We sampled the blood orange, lime and jasmine, and Meyer lemon and lavender. All the jams contained real pieces of fruit and complimented the scones perfectly. My favourite of the three was the lemon and lavender. You can also buy jars of their jam to take with you; flavours are constantly changing depending on what is in season. The owners really seem to focus on sourcing their ingredients locally.
The place itself is really tiny, with only two tables so you should be prepared to take your baked goodness to go. We were lucky enough to get a seat and dare I say we received the royal treatment. Our tea was served in fine china that the owners hunt for themselves and sitting in the beautiful shop was so relaxing. The husband and wife that run the shop were very welcoming and provided amazing service; you can really tell they are passionate about what they are doing.
I for one cannot wait to go back!
*FYI fellas this place is kind of girly and would be a GREAT place to take a date or a significant other.