Vancouver has always had good bakeries both for bread and for pastries. Now, however, with the heightened interest in all things related to food, Vancouver's bakeries are better than ever. Here are our favourites. If you know of others that deserve to be here, let us know.

Butter
4321 Dunbar Street
604-221-4333
Butter is, in our estimation, the best non French bakery in Vancouver. Butter specialize in cookies, cupcakes, homemade marshmallows, lemon loaves and assorted bars. They also have scones and on Saturday they have several varieties of cinnamon buns and pies.

Everything here is wonderful. They use only ingredients you'll find in home kitchens: butter, eggs, flour and sugar. No artificial anything, no strange oils and fats, nothing you wouldn't be proud to put in your stomach.

My favourites are the Dunbar - oatmeal base with chocolate, pecans, coconut and dulce de leche. Yum - my mouth waters just writing about it - and the Peanut Butter Sandwich with its two soft peanut butter cookies stuck together with peanut butter filling. I also love the homemade Oreo, the sugar cookies, the lemon loaf, the pecan square.

Butter is also famous for its marshmallows. The marshmallows are big, rectangular, flavoured with mint, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, Matcha tea, pumpkin, cinnamon, eggnog, coffee and toasted coconut. Butter products are sold in both Canada and the US in places like Whole Foods and Urban Fare, but it's most fun to get them from the source.

This bakery is worth visiting not only for its baked goods and marshmallows but for its ambiance as well. Done up in pinks and greens with rose wallpaper, the store is a delight and a feast for the eye as well as the palate. You'll be greeted by Mr. Sweaters, the cast iron Scottie who holds open the door.

Terra Breads
2380 W 4th Ave
604-736-1838
Terra makes the best bread in town. They have been around a while but they stay current and delicious. Their pumpkin seed and their cranberry and pistachio breads are particularly good as are all their baguettes. They have a store on 4th Avenue and also at the food court at Granville Island. Both sell soup, sandwiches, bread, cookies and pastries though Terra's pastries are, not surprisingly, a bit bready.

True Confections
866 Denman Street
604-682-1292
and
3701 Broadway West
604-222-8489
and
100 Park Royal S, Capilano
604-921-1885
True Confections sells cakes and pies, but it is really their cakes that are most famous. These are fantasty cakes, the cakes you dream about as a kid. The cakes at True Confection are TALL, really tall, with lots of layers and good things between the layers. The cakes are also works of art; you aren't sure whether to admire or to eat them. Of course, once you've made a choice and have the slice on a plate in hand, the decision is simple.

Unlike some pretty cakes, the cakes here are as good as they look. This is just a fun place to come for dessert or just to have cake and coffe. Three locations: Denman at Haro, 10th Avenue at Alma and in West Vancouver just east of Park Royal.

Mix
4430 10th Avenue West
604-221-4145
This small but delicious neighborhood bakery has exceptionally good baked goods and a great hang out environment. Award winning breads, croissants, muffins and scones and, for lunch, soup and sandwiches that reflect the quality of the baked goods. Mix also does catering and prepares picnic lunches for your day at the beach or in the woods.

Uprising Breads Bakery
1697 Venables Street
604-254-5635
Uprising sells not only breads but also fresh every day muffins, scones, croissants, cookies, pastries and lunchtime fare such as soups, sandwiches, wraps and pizza.

Fratelli Bakery - Authentic Italian Bakery
1795 Commercial Drive
604-255-8926
Their many fans consistently vote Fratelli's one of the best bakeries in Vancouver. They make the best Italian pastries, breads, cookies, cupcakes, biscotti, and cakes in town.

Bon Bon Bakery
5807 Victoria Drive
604-325-3612
Bon Bon specializes in cakes for all occassions including weddings.
They also make Italian coookies and biscotti.

Transylvanian Traditions
1111Davie Street @ Thurlow
604-682-0096
The best reason to go to Transylvanian Traditions is to pick up one of their speciality cakes made by rolling dough onto a cylinder and then cooking it on a spit in a special oven brought from Romania. The result is a very fresh cylinder cake with a wonderful flavour. You can watch your cake cook while you wait.