La Cornetteria Inc

Let us think back, if you will, to the spring of 2013. Seemingly out of nowhere, a new culinary craze caused line-ups in New York and had Internet users drooling over their keyboards: the cronut. These half-donut, half-croissant confections made their way to Montreal via La Cornetteria. The small bakery, which christened its version the cronetto, quickly found favour throughout the city. “People were really jazzed to hear we were offering cronuts, and that generated a lot of first-time traffic for us,” recalls Alex Ficca, who runs La Cornetteria with partner Stefano Cicali.

Although short-lived, cronut-mania had a lasting positive effect on La Cornetteria’s business: it allowed hundreds of Montrealers to discover this intimate spot on the fringes of Little Italy where Italian pastries, coffee and friendly service are always on-trend. “Our cornetti – cream-stuffed croissants – remain popular,” says Alex. “They are our specialty, the best in town, and always made fresh daily. I challenge anyone to find a better one anywhere in Montreal.” Besides cronettos and cornetti, La Cornetteria bakes delicious bombolones, an Italian custard-filled donut, as well as panfortes, cannoli and custom-made Italian cakes. It’s also a vibrant lunch spot thanks to the homemade panini, or a morning pit stop on the way to work where the coffee is always just right.