Emmer

What is Emmer? Occupying a charming heritage storefront at 161 Harbord Street in Harbord Village, Emmer is the craft bakery and daytime destination founded by prosthodontist turned baker Philip Haddad. The compact interior places the baking craft directly on display, where you can watch the flour-dusted team laminate pastries and shape loaves right behind the pastry case. Because the interior is dedicated entirely to the ovens and ordering counter, dine-in patrons sit on the expansive, heated covered patio with licensed beverage service.

Emmer Menu & What to Order Pastries and breads are baked on a continuous daytime cadence rather than in a single morning drop. The undisputed headliner is the twice-baked pistachio croissant, saturated with emerald Sicilian pistachio paste and layered with toasted nuts. Mornings call for the towering sausage, egg, and cheese on a house-made English muffin splashed with hot sauce, while lunch pivots to sourdough melts, tahini-drizzled halloumi toast, and a stellar double smash burger on a house potato bun. Pair your meal with local drip coffee or Proof, an ale brewed exclusively for Emmer using their own sourdough loaves.

Know Before You Go Emmer operates exclusively on walk-in counter ordering and patio seating, with peak weekend queues regularly stretching down the Harbord sidewalk. Because items come out in timed batches throughout the day, a sellout in the morning might be replenished by lunch, but visiting between Wednesday and Friday yields a far calmer visit. Street parking is tucked away on nearby residential side streets north of Harbord, and the bakery is a 10-minute walk south from Bathurst subway station.