Chez Fred

I’ve been going to Fred’s since it opened and wow does he do a great job. This weekend I found out that he used to be a lawyer and in France and gave it all up to come here and bake, so happy he did.

Pastries and bread are really fresh on the day — unlike what I’ve found at any other bakery in town.
Their most popular items appear to be their croissants and chocolatines as well their cereal miches. You have to try these, best in town.

Few friends of mine spoke highly about Chez Fred, so in my recent visit to Montréal had to try their baked good. I tried few of their baguettes, bread loafs and croissants which were all excellent. In my view this is one of the best bakeries in Montréal.

French pasteries omg. Excellent croissant and choclatine. Never had a sandwich, but they look good.
Decent coffee, service a little slow during rush period s.

A friend of mine spoke very fondly of Chez Fred, so I decided to stop by the bakery while I was in the area a couple of days ago. The first thing I noticed when I landed at Chez Fred was the size of the breads; they were so tiny compared to what I’m used to that I found myself looking around for bigger ones for an instant, realizing quickly enough that this was all they offered. I decided I’d go ahead and order their biggest, Le Bûcheron, and give it a try.
Taste-​wise, the sourdough bread is better than most commercial breads, yet it did not sweep me off my feet. Its hard crust only became harder as the hours passed, so much so that 48 hours after purchasing the bread, it had become difficult to chew and I had to resign myself to dipping it in soup in order to finish it before it reached its final form: A fossil! I also suspect that by the time the bread would have reached the third day, I might have been able to recycle it into a soccer ball.
In all seriousness, I find it difficult to justify buying again a bread which I must devour completely within 48 hours or less; for a family of 4 or 5 it makes total sense, however for a couple or a person living alone it is less sensible. And while purchasing a smaller bread might solve part of the issue, its quicker consumption resulting in the avoidance of its fast hardening process, it would leave me bread-​less after a couple of days only, and therefor obliged to seek new bread several times weekly.
Chez Fred’s bread tastes fine, but it comes with an issue which for me is unsustainable; so I will continue buying my bread at Première Moisson!

This is my favourite neighbourhood bakery! Their croissants are to die for, decent coffee and always excellent service! Even though it is a bit far from my place i still prefer to take an extra effort to come. And you know that only good places deserve extra effort!

Easy, open atmosphere with awesome art on the walls. From March 4^th to April 4^th, 2014 see Audrey Klewer’s exhibit «Coming Home to Prud’homme» while enjoying coffee, teas and delicious nibbles. Wifi available, open 7:30 — 20:30, 7 days a week.

This is a great bakery. The bread is fantastic! Good coffee too. I have done a large order of croissants for the office a few times and those are amazing too.
End of day they sometimes run out of some bread but not the end of the world.

Overall, it is a good little bakery. Reminds me bit of a random bakery you would find in Paris (price and selection). I really enjoy their pastries and being able to buy a simple croissant for 1 $, you can’t go wrong. Perfect for on the weekend, you can grab a couple of pastries and go home have a nice breakfast!
I will recommend the place to my friends and family.

Chez Fred is a GEM! Ignore the naysayers like Tarushka. The other side of that story is that Fred generously gave this man food and has now arranged for him to come at closing time to pick up his bread. Fred cares about his customers and it shows in the strict principles he adheres to when buying ingredients for his creations. His flour and butter are both imported and are specifically selected according to their taste and health benefits. His breads about 70% less gluten than the junk we buy in grocery and even in some ‘artisinal’ shops. THere is no fat used in his breads which are just beyond delicious. Every one of them. The pastries are heavenly and have never once disappointed. Our 3 year old grandson still raves about the vegetable pizza, chocolat chaud and pain au chocolat he devoured a couple of weeks ago. So go and enjoy, everyone!

I used to think I knew a thing or two about Saturday mornings, but it turns out I knew nothing and was barely even living before the warm chocolate croissants at Chez Fred. These things are cheap and incredibly delicious, easily my favourite in Montréal. I’ve only spent a little time in the place itself (I usually grab them on the way to a friend’s place), but the fact that it has free wifi and big windows suggests I’ll be back next time I need to get some work done.

Nice to see to see this somewhat desolate area of the West-​End starting to attract much needed goods and services previously unavailable. I recall this locale being empty for ages until it was turned into Chez Fred. That being said, I found that so far, their bread can’t compare to the other small artisanale or even the 2 large chain artisanale bakeries. Their brioche is simply NOT up to par, not at all buttery, the épeutre is just ok. As for the pastries, I don’t know as I’ve yet to try them; the service is pleasant, prompt and courteous. It’s nice to see a small café area should one decide to sit down and relax for a bit with a latté and a sandwich (also not tried) or pastry. All in all, a welcome addition to the West-​End, but I’ll stick to my other places for my bread and goodies purchases.

Another neighbourhood bakery that I frequent, Chez Fred is a clean establishment with ample seating for couples and the odd group. A good selection of pastries are available, with the usual personal favourites of croissants and chocolatines there.
I found their croissants a bit crustier than I personally like but overall they are good and their coffees are nice and my wife loves the Kusmi teas.
The ambiance isn’t the greatest but it’s inviting enough to sit and have a chat or make use of the wifi here.

Sorry to bring this place down a notch. Chez Fred has everything going for it including a great location, a nice space and friendly staff, but the food just doesn’t measure up. The desserts are decadent, the pastries are OK but the saltier items like croque monsieur are too bready and very little creativity has gone into them. They also seem to offer nothing more than ham sandwiches; you can’t even get a chicken, tuna or turkey sandwich here. On the other hand, the coffee and Kusmi tea are excellent. Performances are held here certain nights and feature anything from music to painting exhibits. And some of their clientele could easily get on your nerves, especially the fat older loud bald man who comes in daily when he’s not in the hospital and won’t shut the —- up! Not to mention the other emotionally unstable people who sometimes congregate here between their therapy appointments at the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex next door. So they’re harmless but they kill the atmosphere. If Chez Fred would only improve the quality of their food and raise prices, then they’d attract a very different crowd, and maybe I’d be more of a regular.

Not just your typical café. While there are some pastries, they mainly focus on breads. My friend ordered the chocolate croissant which was flaky, and delicious and I ordered the smoked salmon quiche which I found quite good as well. We both ordered coffee, which was offered in dark or mild roast. The dark roast was delicious and full bodied. They offer an extensive selection of Kusmi teas though some are priced differently than others.
The open concept kitchen is refreshing to see and overall the whole place is pretty spacious.

Amazing breads and pastries! Take them to go or stay to take advantage of their Wifi. Fred is really dedicated to his customers and it shows. There’s a little more variety in the breads on the weekend since there is more traffic. They also offer coffees, sandwiches and salads from time to time. It’s still reletively new so the menu is always changing.
The only bad thing I could say about this place is that I live nearby and it’s so tempting to just go in and buy whatever just came out of the oven!

I’ve been walking by this storefront for a few months waiting for it to open, and now it’s finally here. I bought a regular croissant and a chocolate croissant (elsewhere called a chocolatine). Both were pretty inexpensive and looked crisp and inviting. Having now had bites of each I’m pronouncing them delicious. The chocolate version had chocolate that had not yet hardened. There isn’t a lot, but it seemed to be the perfect amount. I could also taste all the butter in the pastry– bad for my heart I guess, but soooo tasty for me. The regular croissant was also wonderful, not mushy or oily, instead flaky and rich. I’ll definitely be going back to try more.
Another nice surprise– they seem to offer free wifi. I can’t speak to the speed/​reliability of the network (only saw the sign, didn’t try it out), but I’d like to try this place out as a writing spot. The kitchen is open– I’d also love to see the baker at work.

I can’t write much about them just yet, they only opened their doors for the first time this morning, but from what I have tasted thus far (Paris breast, a flaky apricot pastry with pastry cream, a piece of bread) they seem to really have it together.
What I can comment on is that the baker seems to truly care about perfecting his breads and took the time to talk to me about the process and even gave me tips on baking at home.