Chocolate Zen Bakery - Winnipeg, Manitoba

I stopped by search of French Macarons for my daughter’s 20th birthday. She wanted that instead of cake. I called in advance to see if they had the flavours she wanted and they had one of them. So I made the stop. It turns out they were mistaken. No ... biggie. I considered another flavour and started to browse and ask questions about some of the items I was interested in that didn’t have labels on them i.e. flavor. I asked for 6 macarons which was met with a stare and long silence. Awkward. It was like they were deciding if I was there to snatch baked goods and run or what the h*** I was even doing in their store. Though I was considering the meringues and focaccia I decided to shop elsewhere. Somewhere I might feel more comfortable browsing. As I began to pay, I realized that the Macarons were ringing up higher than the price I had seen on their website. Apparently they weren’t surprised it differed. Anyway, to their credit they offered to honour the price I quoted. And I was happy to take my leave. Afterward I wondered if I had a mistake - they were also selling coconut macaroons (the cookies) at $1.50 each. Maybe I hadn’t searched hard enough. (But who knows if that website price was even accurate.) I didn’t feel terrible for long though, because the Macarons were disappointing - hollow with a brittle top (see photos). Thankfully, I found some perfect vanilla macaroons at a shop near Edmonton and Graham where the folks knew how to smile. Birthday celebration saved. It is a hallmark of professionalism to treat all potential customers well, regardless of who they appear to be. To do otherwise is bad for the bottom line. As I was deciding how I might spend my money Chocolate Zen made the decision for me. Leaving was a relief. Read more

It is such a sweet cozy place that sells amazing dessearts! I tried several of them, can't say I love them all, but I am sure everyone would be able to find something to satisfy their sweet tooth craving here

We get cakes here for special occasions. Some in our family are gluten sensitive and CZB accommodates accordingly by offering gluten free cake options. The last one was a raspberry cream filling cake with white chocolate frosting and flakes. All delicious. Their Easter display was delightful (see the photo)

I placed an order for a quarter slab of cake about two days prior to when I needed the cake. The woman who take care of me over the phone was so great and patient. She answered all my questions and helped me determine what size of cake I needed ... based on how many people there were. Ordered the lemon raspberry and it was delicious. It was moist and not overly sweet. I've also tried their strawberries and cream on a different occassion and it was just as yummy. I would say the cake was reasonably priced. I was quoted $75 for the quarter slab and can say that I will definitely order from them again. My message on the cake was beautifully transcribed. Since I placed my order over the phone, they do require pre-payment. I picked up my cake and it was a very smooth transaction. Would definitely recommend this shop! Read more

The smell was out of this world. The welcome wasn’t warm. Waited several mins to have anyone come help. Great looking items. Some nice cakes with rich flavors but left a sour taste for me.