Athena Bakery

Athena is one of my favourite places to go whenever I crave for something sweet. Afterall, Greek desserts are naturally sweet. Their meat pies and spanakopita are also my favourite.
However, if you’re sensitive to coffee… Do not drink the greek coffee for its not for the faintest of heart. It’s definitely a strong brew!
They also have a branch closer to the Ashbridge park area at the Beaches. It’s suitable and beautiful during the summer.
If you can’t stand oily or sweet food, then this is not the place for you.

Very sweet. Very very sweet. Not just cloying, but clinging (see below).
I tried 2 specialties: baklava and chocolate coke (a whoopie pie, essentially). Both were just ok, but exceedingly sweet. The baklava is SOAKED in honey. This is a shame, because the phyllo and nut filling are very tasty — but all you get is so much sweet that the enamel in your teeth starts to hurt. The chocolate glaze is similar. Don’t think it’s a ganache — it’s not. (Recall that honey is often added to repair chocolate that has not been tempered properly.) It’s honey– or perhaps corn-​syrup-​based, not just too sweet but also too sticky. You can’t eat this with your fingers, even if you have napkins. You need hot water to get this goo off your fingers.
At $ 2 a treat, you really can’t go wrong, but I expected more from a Danforth institution.
Service was good, friendly, fast, and patient with my questions.

Small little bakery in Greek town :) Lots of Greek desserts packaged on display, also a wide selection fresh pastries for very decent prices! We got the Cream Horn, Chocolate Coke, and Chocolate Éclair (cannot remember the Greek names for any of these. tldr;) All of these were delicious (but a little too doughy for my taste –as in, not sweet enough) and only $ 2 each: O Cream horn was Greek croissant with whipped cream, Chocolate Coke was a Greek. donut (?) covered in chocolate with caramel-​y filling. Many other desserts that looked worthy of trying, would go back!

I exercise. A lot. And from time to time, after a multi-​hour bike ride, a run, and a gym workout I lust after cheesecake. It took me two days of searching to finally find a shop selling an apt-​looking cherry cheesecake to undo all my hard work, and after being talked into buying more to meet Athena’s $ 5 debit minimum, I was able to ‘feast’ on possibly THE WORST cheesecake ever. And I say that with the stomach I growling intensity of someone so hungry almost anything would taste good. It was like one of those JELL-​O brand no bake concoctions, no disrespect to JELL-​O. A crust that doesn’t hold together, a weird gelatinized over-​sweet filling, and a horrible cherry-​like goopy, sticky, dried out sauce on top. Do they sell one slice a month? Gross. The next morning’s G.I. issues are a tribute to this mess. Save your money, go to Pizza Libretto nearby and eat their entire menu.

People that know me know that I have a weak spot for sweets, bakeries, treats, desserts, and just about anything that satisfies my sweet tooth; not to mention I am a coffee lover so I join these two loves of mine.
There is something’s that has to be said for Greek pastries, wether it’s a traditional treat or a specially backed bread for a celebratory occasion like Easter or Christmas. There is something that is always for sure; you will not be disappointed! A nice combination of honey and sugar is used to give each pastries a unique taste from the simple to the complex. The Greeks really know how to make a good pastry to satisfy the pallet and the stomach.
It goes with out saying that in Greek town there is no shortage of bakeries each better than the last, but this place to me one of the top! I highly recommend just about everything, my favorite little treat are the honey balls — simple yet delicious trust me you can’t have just one. I highly recommend this place if you not been already.

Their Loukoumades are amazing, along with their walnut honey cookie! Delicious!
Their shortbread cookies taste like anybody else’s, not a fan. Their pastries are very large, enough to share among 4 people.

Cookies looked delicious. We wanted them.
So we tried to buy two.
«We only sell six at a time» the cashier barked back at us in the empty store.
But we only wanted two.
So we asked nicely. Flashing our innocent smiles and hungry looking eyes.
«We only sell six at a time. Look at the sign.»
I don’t read a word of Greek. Nor do I know the fancy word for their cookies.
It was late in the day. There was no one else in the store. The lady could have easily broken her minimum-​cookie rule and let us buy only two.
Instead she just deadpanned at us and repeated her mantra. «Six minimum».
Her cold glare followed us as we walked out the door empty handed into the barren cookieless wasteland of despair.

Omg. I am so angry I can scream! I sent my husband down to danforth (we live in Ajax) to get loukoumades because we are going for dinner and thought it would be a nice touch to bring something greek… Well he came all the way home an I taste one… Thank god I tasted it. They were stale, hard and honestly discusting! I was born in greece and came here when I was 6. I am not new to what these should taste like! Shame on them. They sprinkles some cinnamon on them to??? Core the bitterness of the staleness? I called and told them whts going on… No I’m sorry no response. Only «ok» wtf??? I will never recommend this bakery to anyone again! U wanna mimic greece… Make sure your shit is fresh… That’s discraceful!

Their lukomades are to die for. Decent spanikopita as we’ll. Just avoid the coffee unless you’re desperate for caffeine. And be aware: this place is popular and there’s not a ton of space, so it’s usually pretty cramped/​bustling in there. But 100% one of the must-​not-​miss spots on the Danforth.

I used to live in the area and this place is great if you need to get some last minute items. From Greek to Italian to french favorites Athena satisfies most sugar fiends like yours truly.
This is one of those quint essential mom and pop bakeries that’s been a staple within the Greek/​Danforth corridor for decads. Décor is a little homely, but what can I say, they’ve been around for this long so it must work. Everything is always fresh and makes you want to risk a diabetic coma just to sample everything. The only issue I have is that large custom orders do take a little longer, so PLAN AHEAD.
Recommendations:
–Cream Horn
–Baklava (sooo syrupy ^o^)

My girlfriend and I call this place the grumpy bakery
Seems like the lady behind the counter is about two pastries short of a smile.
But then maybe it’s because she’s surrounded by such sweet delicacies and is not allowed to have any!
I bet if i worked there i would be about 300 lbs in no time.
They certainly have the most appetizing pastries around.
Definitely worth stopping in

Sweet Sweet Sweet! Athena Bakery carries Extreme Sweetness of all sort of Greek treats that I cannot handle…
I love places like Athena Bakery that I can buy some samples of everything and just try them out first!
Helpful staffs… but I know my questions like is this sweet… is this really sweet… is that dipped in honey…
The answer is YES YES YES! These are Greek dessert and they are supposed to be super sweet…

One word: choc-​lava.
If you’re a fan of chocolate and also happen to like baklava, then you’ve basically arrived at the doors of Eden. For everyone else, this is a bakery with a taste for any sweet tooth.
I tried a «coke» — basically a giant cream puff with custard filling — and although it wasn’t my favorite thing ever, it was quite good.
I’ll definitely be going back to sample the rest!

Athena Bakery is a comfortable place to browse and to indulge in delicious fresh sweets! They have a variety of Greek style cookies, pastries and more. They also sell whole wheat and home style breads, spanakopita (spinach pie), Tiropita (cheese pie), Koulouria (Greek Bagels), Boughatsa (cream pie), Frappé (Greek ice-​foamed coffee drink), fruit preserves, a variety of baklava, and so much more. The spanakopita and tiropita’s filo dough is soft instead of crispy, the way I love it!
This bakery also sells Greek vases, busts of Greek philosophers, Christian Icons, etc. However, I find those items to be a bit overpriced. The staff is friendly and efficient. You can even order pies, wedding and birthday cakes from here.
Overall, Athena Bakery is a great place to get some delicious Greek goods!

This place is freakin OUT OF CONTROL!
Had I not just eaten a ridiculously huge meal at Ouzeri, I would have been doing some major sampling here.
Athena has the widest variety of Greek pastries and treats I’ve ever seen. All sorts of goodies piled so high, I can only begin to imagine how long it took someone to stack them.
Prices were very reasonable, some fancy looking cakes for $ 1.95 a slice/​piece and most of the other cookies and biscottis were priced per kilo.
They had some nice Christmas gift bags/​trays assembled.
The lady behind the counter was helpful and was happy to answer a few questions (ie «What is that… ok…and what is that?»

I love this place. The chocolate covered baklava is amazing. I definitely try to stop by Greektown when I’m in Toronto and quell my urge for Greek food and dessert.