Jonquils Cafe & Bakery Review: Faux Luxe

Jonquils Cafe & Bakery markets itself as an “elegant cafe on Newbury street.” The statement is only a half lie — it is, in fact, on Newbury Street.

The cafe is famous for its 3D printed geometric molds that produce impressively designed pastries. Each dessert has multiple layers of filling and a gorgeous presentation that aims to sell itself at the caliber of a Michelin-star dessert. Consequently, the pastries are more expensive than your typical cafe, with the cheapest item priced at $13.

Jonquils has a bare and simplistic interior adorned with pink velvet chairs, marble tables, and painted wallpaper that appears to attempt a high-end look. Especially at fancier restaurants, a minimalist, high-quality interior can elevate the dining experience. However, at Jonquils, their “minimalist” design falls flat and looks simply outdated. The hard-rock music that plays in the cafe further separates Jonquils from their intended upscale atmosphere.

Jonquils’ pastries, like their interior design, try a bit too hard. The Strawberry Rose has a stunning exterior with layers of vanilla pastry cream, dark chocolate crunch, vanilla sponge cake, and a strawberry mousse coating. While the multi-layered design is certainly impressive, it only gives the illusion of sophistication. The flavors of the mousse, cream, and cake blend together almost indistinguishably, with the chocolate crunch feeling completely out of place. Moreover, the flavor combinations make the dessert overwhelmingly sweet. Unless you have a sweet tooth strong enough to eat an entire bar of white chocolate, this dessert is likely not for you.

The Apple, their most popular item, is much stronger. The geometric apple is filled with chopped up, caramelized apples, a chocolate sponge, and a cheesecake coating. Unlike the rose, the cheesecake is light and perfectly sweet, and the chopped apples add a lovely tang to the pastry. However, much like the rose, the chocolate filling is entirely incongruent with the rest of the dessert. A spice cake, carrot cake, or even simply vanilla cake would complement the flavors far better.

While the Apple is better than the Strawberry Rose, it nevertheless falls victim to the cafe’s tendency to present itself as more upscale and experimental than it actually is. Overall, the cafe’s food attempts to make a high-end dessert with mediocre flavor combinations, making the costly pastries far from worth it.

By contrast, the drinks at Jonquils are fantastic and make up for the shortcomings of the food. The Rose Latte, in particular, has an amazing flavor profile — just the right amount of sweetness combined with a great, smooth espresso base. The rose flavor adds a great burst of flavor with a subtle floral note that is neither overpowering nor soapy. Their drinks are well-crafted and offer a refreshing and enjoyable twist to the traditional coffee experience.

Ultimately, it’s best to skip Jonquil’s dine-in experience and even their famous desserts. Rather, the cafe presents the perfect place to grab a flavored latte to-go.