A guide to Montréal’s best yule logs
The end of year Holidays are almost here and with them come all the traditional meals and treats. Yule logs are definitely the most loved and consumed Holiday cake. Many Montréal pastry shops go out of their way to create traditional logs as well as more unique and elaborate productions. Below are a few that have caught our attention. Don’t forget to order yours soon as they tend to sell out quickly.
Lloyd
At the iconic, downtown Montréal Marriott Château Champlain, Lloyd draws inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright. His bold, innovative style informs both the hotel and our restaurant, creating a setting where architecture and cuisine blend seamlessly. This Holiday season, Lloyd’s pastry chef Sylvain Vivier is offering a pistachio, milk chocolate and mango yule log as well as a chestnut and vanilla one. Both beautiful logs will be available for pick up from December 15 to 25.
Montréal Marriott Château Champlain / 1050 De La Gauchetière Street West
Pâtisserie Rhubarbe
Montréal’s most popular pastry shop may have closed down its Plateau shop but you can still order your favourite desserts and pick them up from their Pointe-Saint-Charles atelier. For this year’s yule logs, Pâtisserie Rhubarbe has created two flavours, a chocolate and lemon one with chocolate mousse, lemon cream and confit, cocoa biscuit, and caramel, and a pistachio and apricot one with Ontario apricot mousse and compote, olive oil biscuit and praline, pistachio cream, nougat, and honey jelly.
1320 Charlevoix Street
Mlle Gâteaux
This cute pastry shop is the go-to spot in Villeray. Everything here is delicious, especially their rustic yet elegant cakes. Mlles Gâteaux is making five log flavours this year, available in small or large formats starting with a classic, rolled chocolate-orange log with orange cream and dark chocolate ganache, a “Tropicananas” log with exotic flavours like coconut, passion fruit, mango and pineapple and a strawberry, rhubarb and vanilla log with strawberry cream and rhubarb compote. Their fourth log is based on their excellent carrot cake with cheese mousse, pineapple confit and walnut cream and the fifth and most decadent log is a “Romanoff” with chocolate brownies, almond-hazelnut praline crisp, vanilla bavaroise, homemade graham cracker financier, and dark chocolate chantilly.
363 Villeray Street
Boucherie Édouard et Léo
Édouard et Léo are neighbourhood butcher shops founded by Hoogan et Beaufort’s chef Marc-André Jetté with the intention of highlighting the work of small local producers and food artisans. One of the best restaurants in Montréal, Hoogan et Beaufort excels at flame cooking. Their snow-white yule log this year is a vanilla, cranberry, lemon and sunflower praline creation while their other choice is a beautiful dark chocolate, brownie, caramel, and hazelnut log.
Several locations
Farine & Cacao
Elegant Farine & Cacao is located in the heart of Montréal’s Village. Pastry chef Christian Campos has created three very special yule logs with unique flavours for this year’s Holiday season. The chocolate, speculoos, hazelnut and citrus fruit log has crispy speculoos, citrus marmalade (yuzu, Buddha's hand, pink lemon, lemon and bergamot), speculoos crémeux, hazelnut praline, and chocolate mousse. The apricot and coconut log has crispy coconut praline, coconut dacquoise, mousse, and pain de gêne cookie, apricot and vanilla confit, and apricot gel. The third round log is a chestnut, lychee and vanilla creation with a white chocolate crisp, chestnut and lychee compote, chestnut mousse, and vanilla bavaroise.
1315 Ontario Street East
Les Givrés
Les Givrés’ frozen yule logs have become somewhat of a classic. Choose among 7 specialty logs featuring their outstanding ice creams and sorbets. The “campfire” one is especially delicious with its almond-caramel and chocolate ice cream, homemade grilled marshmallows, sponge cake and chocolate sauce. The “Iglu” one is shaped like a little igloo and is made with maple and vanilla ice creams, maple butter, vanilla sponge cake, caramel sauce, and marshmallow blocks stacked piece by piece.
Several locations
Boulangerie Andalos
You can find traditional yule logs at Boulangerie Andalos like their classic chocolate or vanilla rolled logs adorned with old school. This year’s new addition is a delicious caramel and hazelnut creation. This Levantine bakery also creates a special flavour inspired by their Lebanese heritage and this year’s creation is a meghlé log. Meghlé is a luscious rice flour pudding infused with warm spices like cinnamon and anise and studded with nuts and dried fruits.
350 Lebeau Boulevard
Pâtisserie Madeleine
Rosemont pastry shop Pâtisserie Madeleine has created three yule logs for this Holiday season. Their gorgeous signature log with a crispy layer, a soft chocolate cake, blackcurrant confit and vanilla cream, all enveloped in a Manjari chocolate mousse sounds delicious. The other two choices include a vanilla and pecan log as well as a chocolate and hazelnut one.
2105 Beaubien Street East
Chez Potier
Beloved pastry chef Olivier Potier is offering four incredible logs this season. The Mancono frozen log contains a soft pistachio base, mango sorbet, raspberry sorbet and coconut ice cream. The Tiramisu log has a soft cake base soaked in coffee flavoured with Baileys, a hazelnut crisp, a coffee cream and a tonka and vanilla mascarpone mousse. The Childhood memories log is made with chocolate pecan soufflé cookies, a Dulcey crémeux, vanilla and fleur de sel caramel, and a vanilla mousse. And finally, the Red Forest log has a chocolate fondant base, cocoa nib crisp, a Morello cherry confit, a dark chocolate and Morello cherry cream, a vanilla mousse flavoured with Kirsh and Morello cherry marmalade.
630 Wellington Street
Mamie Clafoutis
Popular bakery and pastry shop Mamie Clafoutis has many shops around Montréal. Their breads and croissants are some of the best in town, and so are their pastries. This year’s signature log pairs lemon, blueberry, and verbena flavours, with a lemon sponge cake, a light verbena-infused mousse, and layers of lemon and blueberry jelly, all resting on a crispy white chocolate base.
Several locations
Le Toledo
Le Toledo is creating 3 flavours of yule logs this season. They will have a chocolate and orange log with a dark chocolate kadaifi crisp, a blueberry haskap berry and sweet clover log with a crispy quinoa and oat crumble, and a vanilla and raspberry one. They will be offering all three flavours in mini formats from the end of November to allow customers to taste them before choosing their favourite flavour for the holidays.
Several locations
Première Moisson
The Première Moisson bakeries are masters at crafting great breads, pastries and desserts. For the Holidays, they are offering several yule logs starting with their pistachio, cranberry, and chocolate signature log with pistachio almond cream, cranberry jam, pistachio cream, chocolate mousse, and cranberry icing. Chocolate lovers will appreciate the Chocolate Buttercream log with chocolate buttercream and ganache, the Royal yule log with a homemade milk chocolate praline feuilletine with almond and hazelnuts, dark chocolate mousse, and milk chocolate glaze or the Black Forest log with dark chocolate mousse, morello cherry jam, and kirsch-flavoured Chantilly cream. The Raspberry-Red Velvet log has a chocolate-chip red velvet base, raspberry jam, cheese mousse and raspberry icing. And finally, their Praline buttercream log has a sponge cake sponge cake soaked in Frangelico-flavoured hazelnut syrup and covered in praline buttercream.
Several locations
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
Famous Lille-based pastry shop Aux Merveilleux de Fred specializes in the Merveilleux, an airy cake from the north of France made of layers of meringue and whipped cream. The three yule logs they’re offering this year are inspired by their pastries. The Merveilleux log will be chocolate-flavoured with shavings of dark chocolate, the Incroyable will have speculoos cookies and white chocolate, and the Magnifique will be praline flavoured.
4200 Saint-Denis Street
Unicone
Plateau ice cream and cookie shop Unicone is offering 3 flavours of yule logs this Holiday season. Choose between the Baklava log with ice cream topped with pieces of baklava, pistachios and flavoured with Lebanese rose water, rose sponge cake and homemade pistachio praline; the Ruby log with vanilla sponge cake and raspberry marmalade, milk chocolate ice cream and white chocolate mousse enhanced with red fruits and hibiscus; or the Ubae with ube (purple sweet potato) ice cream and crunchy Oreos. The Ubae log is also available in a vegan version.
3873 Saint-Denis Street
Pâtisserie Mélilot
Pâtisserie Mélilot on chic Laurier Avenue West makes gorgeous pastries. They’ve created 3 logs for the end of year holidays. The first features dark chocolate, Labrador tea, caramel and walnut and pecan base. The second is a striking bright pink log with raspberry, Québec rose petals, and pink pepper. And the third “log” is actually a beautiful circular piece that looks like an oversized mushroom with a great flavour combination of cassis, sweet clover and 80% chocolate.
1062 Laurier Avenue West
Arhoma
The beloved Hochelaga-Maisonneuve bakery is in a festive mood and has created three yule logs for the season available in individual, 6, 10 and 20 serving formats. The first one is the raspberry and spruce log with a lime madeleine base, a raspberry center and a spruce mascarpone mousse. Chocolate lovers will love the choco-caramel log made with a chocolate sponge, a caramel and fleur de sel centre, a chocolate mousse, and achocolate shortbread. Finally, the third almond and orange log contains a Genoise sponge, a crispy layer, an orange and almond centre, and a chocolate and almond mousse.
15 Place Simon-Valois and 1700 Ontario Street East
Fanfare
One of Villeray’s most popular and loved bakery and brunch and pizza spot, Fanfare also makes great desserts. In fact, their pastry chef, Pascale Billy Robert, has honed her skills for a decade in some of Montréal's most famous establishments such as Graziella. Their Holiday logs include one with a rich, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate and hazelnut mousse with intense dark chocolate whipped cream, a soft caramel center, and a crispy base, all coated in a crunchy roasted pecan glaze. Their other two logs are a chocolate, cherry, and mascarpone one and a lemon, coconut and white chocolate one.
751 Jarry Street East
Pâtisserie Zébulon
Vegan pastry shop Zébulon has created three yule logs for this year’s holiday celebrations. The Raspberry-Chocolate log contains a raspberry mousse, dark chocolate ganache, red berry jam, chocolate cream, chocolate crisp, and cocoa roulade. The Hazelnut-Clementine log is made with hazelnut financier, clementine marmalade, hazelnut panna cotta, praline mousse, praline crunch, candied clementine, and hazelnut cream. And the Vanilla-Black Garlic log is made with buckwheat and vanilla cake, Tahitian vanilla mousse, black garlic cream, vanilla, corn and cashew praline crunch, salted caramel, and chocolate shard.
4522 Saint-Denis Street
Fous Desserts
Beloved pastry shop Fou Desserts offers great Christmas logs every year. Their logs come in two flavours this year. The Nordique is walnut, pear and seabuckthorn log with a walnut financier, a walnut praline crisp, a spelt roulade, a pear and sea buckthorn jelly, diced pears, pear cream, and a walnut mousseline. The nut, gelatine and gluten-free Boréale log is a dark chocolate, blueberry, blackcurrant and buckwheat creation with a chocolate/buckwheat brownie, soba cha (buckwheat tea) crisp, Taïnori dark chocolate and monarda cream, blueberry/blackcurrant cream, a gluten-free cocoa biscuit, a blueberry/blackcurrant compote, and a Li Chu dark chocolate mousse.
809 Laurier East
Dalla Rose
Saint-Henri’s favourite ice cream purveyor Dalla Rose is offering 3 flavours of frozen yule logs for this year’s holiday season. A chocolate hazelnut one with Italian meringue icing and milk chocolate bark; a pistachio strawberry one with strawberry sorbet, their pistachio ice cream, italian meringue icing topped with white chocolate bark, and a Vanilla with Caramelized White Chocolate one on a bed of salted caramel and thin slice of homemade chocolate cake.
4609 Notre-Dame Street West
La Bête à Pain
La Bête à Pain is an exceptional bakery, pastry shop and all-around purveyor of phenomenal food. This year, they are offering 3 yule logs that will appeal to everyone. The Royal log is a timeless classic made with a cocoa cake base, praline crunch and creamy dark chocolate mousse. The second log is a cheesecake and berry creation while the Ruby has a citrus cake base, raspberry cream, lime mousse, and ruby chocolate. All 3 logs are on sale at their 3 locations, in Griffintown, Ahuntsic and Laval.
Several locations
Aube Boulangerie
Located in the heart of Hochelaga, Aube Boulangerie is the bakery project by the team behind well-loved eateries Hélico and Helicoptère. Breads, pastries, sandwiches, and excellent coffee are on offer in a minimalist, light-filled space that includes the bakery and a café. They are making two yule logs this Holiday season. The first is a pistachio, balsam fir, cranberry and raspberry log with pistachio Swiss roll, balsam fir syrup, pistachio cream, and cranberry and raspberry compote. The second log is a chocolate, coffee, buckwheat and maple log with a buckwheat and maple biscuit, Jungle coffee syrup, coffee mousseline, homemade maple feuilletine crisp, and a Qantu chocolate ganache.
4715 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Mollo Boulangerie
Pointe-Saint-Charles’ Mollo Boulangerie is an artisanal boutique where everything is made by hand, including their pretty holiday creations. Their first log is a vanilla and berry log with an almond shortbread base, a vanilla bean mousse and a berry insert. The second log is a pear, caramel and hazelnut log with a hazelnut cookie base, topped with a dark chocolate ganache, hazelnut praline, poached pear mousse, and a caramel-chocolate glaze.
Several locations
Marché Artisans
Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth’s Marché Artisans is a beautiful food hall that pays tribute to local Québec food. Chef Jean-Marc Guillot, an award-winning French pastry chef, is behind all the exquisite creations. They have created 7 yule log flavours for this Holiday season, from the more classic to the more adventurous: dark chocolate and raspberry, milk chocolate with boreal spices, caramel and Morello cherries, lemon meringue, chestnut, cranberry and blackcurrant, baked Alaska style with Grand Marnier, pear and ice pear cider, and a mandarin Charlotte pie.
900 Boulevard René-Lévesque West
Alex Platel
Fine pastry shop Alex Platel is making 6 different yule logs this Holiday season, some more traditional and others on the more creative side. The classic rolled logs come in 3 flavours: coffee, chocolate and praline buttercream. The fancier logs are the elegant Bûche Royal with an intense chocolate mousse, the Croquant de Noël with its vanilla mousse, Speculoos base and apples poached in Christmas spices, and L’Audacieuse with its cheesecake-style mousse and strawberry/rhubarb confit. You can taste all 6 Alex Platel logs by ordering a box with individual portions.
Several locations
Boulangerie De Froment et de Sève
De Froment et de Sève has been a favourite among bread and pastries lovers since 1995. They won the People's Choice Award for the best baguette in Montréal in 2022 and the People's Choice Award for the best croissant in Montreal in 2023. For the Holidays, they have 4 logs on offer, two of which are gluten and nut free: the mango and chocolate log and the lime, raspberry and coconut one. The Royal log is an intense chocolate and hazelnut affair, and the “marronier” contains the classic holiday flavours of chestnuts and chocolate. You can also purchase the tasting box with 4 mini yule logs so you can taste all the flavours.
Several locations
Mayssam Samaha
Mayssam Samaha is a food and travel writer and blogger and the founder behind the blog Will Travel for Food. She travels the world in search of the next culinary discovery. From Iceland to South Africa, she’s already visited over 36 countries and there’s nothing she enjoys more than wandering around a farmers’ market in a foreign city. She is also the founder of the SAISONS intimate dinner series highlighting Québec products and chefs.