Fratelli Authentic Italian Baking

I love this Italian bakery! They have a wide variety of pastries and sweets. Big and small. I can’t name them all here. If you love European sweets, you should visit this bakery and check it out.
One of my coworkers bought a box of pastries and sweets. We all loved them. Even the ones who are super healthy or health conscious could not resist the pastries and sweets! They were just so good and delicious! If you eat them, you cannot worry too much about calories or fat.
I would like to give them a «LIKE»!

Amazing little authentic Italian pastry place tucked into the south end of Commercial Drive. Do not miss it! If you haven’t come to try their pastries, then you are missing something in your life! I was just wondering down Commercial Drive this Sunday since I haven’t had a chance to truly explore it. And I was captivated by their multitude of art work and sport shirts at the top walls. However, it was the pretty little pastries and smells that brought me into their little shop.
I need to start with the mouth watering pastries. You need to come and get a dozen. It will take a lot of self control to just stop at one, or if you did, then a block from walking away from it, it will just make you regret leaving without bringing at least one home. I saw a couple there who said they come here on a weekly Sunday visit. I believe them. I will be that couple– or just me.
I had the chocolate éclair with custard filling. Truly amazing! It has been so hard to find ones w custard and I don’t like the cream filling. I couldn’t even wait for my friend to pick hers, I just dug into mine. The first bite tastes something like the second time you kiss a lover– the first time isn’t always the best, but the second time is closer to perfection. This is what that chocolate éclair tasted like– perfection melting custard into my mouth w so much sweetness that it made it unstoppable to not finish it. I was pretty sad when I inhaled it. I know I will dream about it every night till I go again… on Tuesday, hopefully.
I had the lemon puff pastry– the cream was so fresh and delicious, it was fluffy and light. Really scrumptious.
I will be back. And I hope you are not in front of me in line because I know you too want to get a dozen!

I am sooo glad I stumbled upon this little slice of heaven on commercial. The long line drew me in and I couldn’t resist buying something!
Deciding on what I would get was very hard. I wanted it all! They had soo many options but I ended up with a french éclair and whipped cream canoli. I have to go back for more! Both were delicious and were not too sweet, just right!
The staff were very attentive and kept the line moving– very impressive how fast everyone was in and out of the bakery… Minimum purchase for debit is $ 5. My order was $ 4.50– they let me get away with it! My hips will thank them later :)
Apparently the pastries are authentic– I have never been to Italy nor has an Italian ever baked for me so I can’t validate this. all I care is that its good!

Expensive bakery but there is a wide variety and everything is delicious. I haven’t had anything there that I didn’t like. Good coffee as well. Haven’t tried any of the larger cakes tho.

Not the cheapest bakery around but they do seem to have a giant variety of things to choose from! I ordered the Amaretti and Oatmeal Raisin cookie for this visit and was not disappointed. Neither tasted overly oily and left both palate and tummy happy afterwards! A++

Giving that this bakery is always packed up, I was expecting them to sell fresher products. I had chocolate and hazelnut eclairs and both were not fresh. I will give this bakery another chance because of the variety of products they have.

Big disappointment. Bought a St Honore cake last weekend and it was stale. Tasted like it was excess stock that had been frozen and brought out for the weekend trade. We have been getting cakes here for over 35 years and its a shame to see the owners sacrificing quality for a quick buck.

I love Fratelli, and the fact that it’s steps from my house is both amazing and awful! Any time I need a sweet treat I pop in here and pick something up. The staff are efficient and quick, and the selection is huge!
My go-​to favourites are the espresso shortbread cookies (chocolate dipped, of course), and the chocolate dipped macaroons. You know, for someone who doesn’t like chocolate that much, I sure eat a lot of it from Fratelli! It’s extra delicious!
They have full sized cakes and pies as well, and do custom ordering if you’re looking for something for a special occasion. They also have whole, but small versions of a lot of cakes and cheesecakes which are extremely tempting! And don’t neglect the fresh bread behind the cake counter — they have some amazing flavours there too.
It’s not super cheap, but these are handmade, home cooked slices of heaven — and well worth the price! Go, eat, fall in love!

Great pastries and cakes for a good price. The sweetness is just right and there is a large selection. Individual cakes go for $ 2 – 3 each and 6″-8″ cakes range from $ 18-​$ 20 something. Compared to other cake shops/​patisseries around I think this is a steal. I LOVE the Saint Honore cake, it is like a giant éclair with custard. There’s also a range of baked goods and coffee for those wishing to grab a quick bite on the go. Service is adequate– they do their job but won’t go above and beyond to ensure your needs are absolutely met. But that’s ok as long as they’re not rude. Would be nice to offer gluten free options. Hours are rather limited which can be inconvenient for me on a work day. Regarding an earlier review about some of their cakes not being made by them (ie. also found same cake at Nester’s), it is something I’d be cautious of next time just because if they claim to be an authentic Italian bakery then they should only sell what they make… All I’m all, I would come back again for sure.

Came here because of all the positive reviews. I have a huge sweet tooth and I lovee cakes and pastries but wasn’t very impressed with the ones here.
The little cakes (lava cake, triple chocolate cake, and chocolate cheesecake) I bought were not fresh and tasted incredibly dense. Maybe some people enjoy dense cakes but I prefer light and fluffy. I also expected a better selection of artisan coffees seeing as the place markets itself as «Authentic Italian» but was left disappointed at that too. Lots of room for improvement.

Fratelli’s bakery is quickly becoming my go-​to pie/​cake place in Vancouver. Compared to other bakeries that make apple pie, such as Breka’s, Fratelli’s is a league above them. They make the best apple, triple berry, and blueberry pies in town, even though they may be a tad more expensive than other places ($ 7.50), you can definitely taste the quality and freshness of their ingredients that they put in their baked goods.
Not only do they excel in their pies, but also their cakes as well. One particular cake that they are known for is their Saint Honore cake, made with a layer of puff pastry on the bottom, topped with a layer of white sponge cake, Bavarian cream, buttercream, and Vermouth. On top is a delicious combination of whipped cream and Bavarian cream-​filled puffs dipped in chocolate. They come in a variety of sizes, 5′ (serves 5) $ 17, 8′ (serves 10) $ 27, 11′ (serves 16) $ 36, 13′ (serves 20) $ 48. The custard and cream are ultra thick and rich, but because there’s layers of choux pastry (puff pastry) the dessert is still very airy and light. It’s very decadent and the first few bites are easy, until the richness sneaks up on you at the end.
(+) Absolutely amazing Blueberry, Apple, Triple Berry pies!
(+) Large variety of small pastries.
(+) Cakes are quite decadent
(-) They are a tad more expensive than other places, but you get what you pay for.

The pastries in the case looked lovely but the afternoon’s mission was to make tiramisu at home so we were looking to buy a loaf of bread to go with our cheese. The person who served us was very affable and explained the different types of bread that were available for purchase late in the afternoon (~3:30 pm).
We ended up with a loaf of French bread which unfortunately was really dry, not at all chewy, doughy and nice. Maybe it was an off-​day but with so many great bakeries in this city, it’s unlikely that I would trust this place again or return to try the cakes.

I grew up going to this bakery and honestly can’t see myself going elsewhere! I love the real Italian feel to it and the quality of all their goodies. They have awesome customer service and a good memory for regulars. I love that I can get fresh bread or have a ham and cheese croissant heated up or better yet any sweet goody to satisfy that sweet tooth!
Best of all they have gluten free options!

I wish I can admit this place was a perfect find, a gem on Commercial Drive. But Fratelli is already well-​established, a popular dessert shop. Talk about large lunch crowd! Needless to say, it is definitely worth the wait.
It is quit a small shop, there is a long dessert case that is packed. Goodies galore! There are so many options it was difficult to control ourselves. Just to name a few: eclairs, lemon bars, sicilian canolis, cakes, loaves of bread, etc. Seriously, how can one narrow down what they want??! The options are endless, but whatever you decide to order will be scrumptious. Everything was ordered was delicious. Fresh, sweet and packaged neatly in a box.
There a couple of tables and chairs right outside the place. So why wait until you get home if you can just gobble your dessert (s) outside =)

We visited today to order an Italian Wedding Cake based on reviews here and elsewhere. They told us that they would be closed for 2 weeks so we asked if the cake could be frozen — not optimal but what can you do? They said it would be fine but when I asked «What about the whipped cream?» (which does not freeze well) they said that it was no problem because although it’s called whipped cream it is actually non-​dairy — «Whipped Cream» being simply the copyrighted name name of an ersatz oil-​based product that they use. Until I asked about freezing, no mention was made of the fact that the whipped cream was not, in fact, real.
At this point we politely left and we will not be returning. In my opinion, there is nothing «authentic» about fake ingredients and I have little faith in the rest of the products they use, regardless of how they look.

There’s a good reason why I weighed more when I lived on Commercial Drive. Yep! Those were the days before my gluten allergy and boy did I indulge at Fratelli– the canolis, the croissants, the St. Honore… oh boy those were the days.
I only go there now when it is my turn to bring the «goodies» for work and even though I can’t eat the baked goods anymore, my co-​workers are ecstatic when they see the Fratelli box.
They do have 2 gluten-​free items– both are macaroons, one chocolate-​dipped, one plain and I must say they are the best macaroons I have ever had!
Oooh, almost forgot, it is a great place to get a custom birthday cake– they can do anything… not cheap, but not outrageous either.

Great little bakery which change a lot of the usual scenery of the same cookies and pastry from our usual groceries stores.
They have a great variety and few Gluten Free item like coconut macaroons, which are succulent even when you feel the fat in your mouth.
The price is correct and the staff friendly.

It’s too bad that they have nothing gluten free, not their fault, however, what they do have is awesome in terms of selections. They have such a large selection in such a small store that you’re overwhelmed by the colors, pastries and smells. I like to pop in just to be in gluten fantasy as everything there puts a smile on my face. I have on occasion bought some stuff for friends. The shop people are really nice and sweet. I personally cannot comment on the pastries themselves since I can’t eat them, however, those I have bought for have no complaints as of yet.

They call themselves ‘authentic’ but they don’t do all of their own baking!
I loved the chocolate fudge cake squares they served so I asked them if they could make the same as a cake for my son’s birthday. They said no, it had to be a different kind of chocolate recipe for the cake. I thought that was weird but whatever and ordered the cake which was good but not fudgy like the squares.
A couple if weeks later I was in Nesters and in their bakery the had what looked to be the identical chocolate fudge squares in plastic containers. The even had exactly the same decorations on top. I bought one and it tasted the same. I looked at the packaging and it was made made by some company in Richmond.
At least Nesters is honest. Fratellis makes a lot of yummy things. They just don’t make all of it themselves.

Mission to Eat Vancouver’s 101 Best Eats
**This is a consolation prize. but I think still should be recognized!**
The Gâteau D’Honoure… is a cake made like a giant cream puff. at least that’s what I think! Unfortunately, a medium size cake feeds 5. and I didn’t have 4 others to share with. I asked the lady behind the counter what the «puffs» at the top were. and she had told me they were Proliferoles (?)… aka cream puffs. I guess. I bought two of them, thinking that the puff itself should taste similar to the overall cake.
The cream puffs were not overly delicate and not overpowerful in sweetness — very surprised and very satisfied. For a small cream puff I felt like it was never ending and very worth trying if you cannot purchase the whole cake yourself for sharing.
Oh boy. if only I could eat all the other goodies :)