Diplomat Bakery

Not sure where else to get almond croissants this tasty. This café/​bakery is located in Steveston and it’s a local spot for cyclists going around Richmond. I stop here pretty often on my bike rides and it makes for a great spot to have a quick bite and some coffee. With the new buildings going up, I can see this place getting very very busy in the summer.

Well, I personally don’t think their cakes are as good as other people described. I tried most of the flavors and nothing really impressed me. I guess there aren’t many cake shop in steveston area so that’s why people would think their cakes are soooo good?

I came and got a Pavlov birthday cake here and wasn’t disappointed. Ride your bike here and relax with a smoothie or tea and cake. Then ride the dyke

I’ve been here a few months ago while visiting a friend. We had a pastry craving. Their cakes a tall… just a warning, however, I consider these to be tall and filling. The chocolate one was very overly rich to be honest and had to take some of it to go, however, worth it in small doses. Really awesome cheesecakes. Prices are fair.

If we were just counting pastries and smoothies, this would be an easy five star bakery. Since I was little (when the bakery was located in the heart of Steveston Village) I’ve enjoyed their cinnamon buns, strawberry cheesecake and eclairs. With their move, quite a few years back, more minor problems have come up.
Communication seems to be lacking, both with internal and external dealings. It seems every time I call to order a birthday cake and want to make even the slightest change (eg Chocolate ganache rather than cream cheese frosting), it’s impossible for them to understand. A two minute phone call becomes a ten minute dialogue explaining I want the regular cake, just with different frosting. Once I go in, it’s an adventure just to get my hands on the cake I’ve already paid for because they have no idea what I’m talking about.
That being said, the baked goods always end up being delicious! I’ve never had anything dry, stale, over or under cooked. The prices are reasonable and the drinks (especially the strawberry smoothies!) are fantastic. If you’ve got the patience to order something custom from them, you won’t be let down.

I have been a customer for years. My absolute favorite is their Triple chocolate mousse. It’s so decadent! I also love their Tiramisu and White chocolate baileys. I find all their cakes really yummy and not overly sweet. Highly recommended!

Very good cakes!
Had the pleasure to try out many of their cakes and i can honestly say they were all fresh and delicious. Highlights include: Triple Chocolate and the Diplomat. These guys sure know how to create well-​balance and not overly sweet cakes.
Positives:
–fresh, high quality cakes
–lots of selection
Negatives:
–cake décor is not very creative
–far to get to (from vancouver)
Neutral:
–prices are a bit high, but fairly reflected on the quality of the cake

I have been to the Diplomat Baker on numerous occasions and found their cakes and pastries to be pretty good. Not great, but definitely reliably tasty. I purchased a pavlova cake from them as a birthday cake earlier this year. Unfortunately (and for the first time) it was inedible. The only way I can describe it is if meringue is old, it compresses and becomes hard and difficult to even put your teeth through. I called them the next day and told them about my experience and the quality of the cake. The baker/​owner (?) was very good; he apologized and said that he would write my name down to make note of what happened and that the next time I wanted to get a cake there, he would give it to me gratis as compensation. I thought this was good customer service and I was happy.
Yesterday, on a last minute whim, I went by the bakery to see if they had any whole cakes that I could get. Actually, I went to the Sweet Spot first (FABULOUS bakery) but they didn’t have any cakes so I went to Diplomat. When I got there, I explained my situation to the server. She went and got Gerald (the baker? owner?). I explained again and he then proceeded to question me, asking me when I bought the cake, what exactly was wrong with the cake, etc. Well, I can barely remember what my children’s names are so I couldn’t remember when I bought the cake and when I told him that the pavlova cake was hard, he made a sardonic remark about the fact that it is meringue and meringue is crunchy. Our conversation continued this way for a couple of minutes with Gerald interrogating me like a murder suspect until I finally had enough and told him that I wasn’t trying to get a freebie and that I was fine with not getting a cake. I left.
I received a phone call within 10 minutes of my leaving from Gerald — obviously, he did take down my name and number. Gee, I *wasn’t* lying about the cake!?! When I saw «Diplomat Bakery» come up on my cell phone, I knew he must have looked back in his records. I was angry but thought, well, at least he has recognized that he made a mistake and is following up. Boy was I in for a surprise. He called to say that, yes indeed, my name was written in his records regarding the cake but then, instead of perhaps apologizing or doing ANYTHING that vaguely resembles good customer service, he then proceeds to try to put the blame on me STILL, saying that I shouldn’t have walked out so quickly, that he was busy and did not have time to look at his records, that I should have at least phoned the bakery at first to give him a heads up…
I had to laugh inside because the situation was so ludicrous that I couldn’t think of doing anything else but laugh. Our conversation ended after he kept me on the phone for close to 5 minutes trying to convince me (the customer who spent about $ 45 on an inedible cake from him) that I should have been a more considerate customer. :)
I’m not saying don’t go there — their baked goods are not bad at all. For me, service counts. I don’t like being treated like I am dishonest and I will not patronize any place of business that treats me like that. For you… just make sure you don’t buy a pavlova cake!!!

It’s seems like everyone who rides a bike and makes it out to Richmond/​Steveston knows about Diplomat Bakery!
I guess it’s a destination point. 1 last stop before heading home. Go for a washroom break and grab a coffee and/​or dessert rest up before the ride home.
I got the Long John and Diet Coke! I know I know a contradiction in itself! Haha! Well you can’t go wrong with the Long John. They use real whip cream! Not the cheap canned stuff. Try it! If you don’t like it I’ll pay for it! Haha!

As usual Diplomat delivered a very tasty rich fantastic triple chocolate mousse cake for a beloved’s birthday. What’s more I ordered it at 0900 and they had it ready at 1330 same day I thought that was very nice/​efficient of them.
There’s buy 3 get a piece and buy 4 get the 5^th piece free deals — I just didn’t take advantage of it I knew it will take us a while to finish the 7″ cake ($ 37) — the 9″ was $ 47 and that’s the one they use to sell their individual pieces (pretty gigantic).

Cute place to have a dessert in richmond. Hidden place too, its just right by Dyke Rd. Different deserts, not bad too.
PRO: lots of choices, parking
CON: I wish they open late, I believe they are only open til 5pm.
VERDICT: Nice place to get desserts or take out. just be early before they close.

Diplomat bakery is located beneath a family members condo. I walked past it for months before I decided to walk in. I tried the strawberry cheesecake and had a cup of coffee with it. It was amazing! I have gone back since and tried their chocolate cake, which also didn’t disappoint.
Its a great place to buy a cake or pie, if you want to wow a crowd. The prices are very affordable as well.

I heard about Diplomat Bakery when it first opened a couple years ago. It was a little bit out of the way though, so I hadn’t had a chance to visit until now. It’s really more a cake shop than a bakery, although they do have an assortment of breads and cookies. The coffee was good, and the prices are eminently reasonable, ranging from $ 3.50 to $ 4.50 for a slice of delicious cake. Tree’s Organic charges about $ 7 for a slice of cheesecake, so I was surprised by the relatively low prices here.
The service was epically bad though. I was actually offended for the first minute or so by the awful service. Usually, I expect coolly competent, disinterested service from baristas and bread shop staff. In some places, I actually get a friendly albeit fake smile and some patience. None of that here. Instead, I got this spectacularly passive-​aggressive customer hatred and loathing which I usually associate with unhappy gas station attendants on a cold, wet Vancouver evening.
After watching this level of customer grief for a few minutes, I couldn’t help but start laughing. It was so atrocious at so many levels that it was beyond humorous. I used to work in a coffee shop before, so I am familiar with the trials of early mornings, long shifts and disagreeable customers.
Diplomat Bakery is located beside a marina, an industrial park, and a small residential complex. The sparse population of the neighbourhood would seem to make it difficult to maintain profitability especially during the cold winters when cyclists rarely pass through. It also closes relatively early at 5pm or 6pm most evenings, so students won’t be coming here for studying. I’m amazed that the shop has stayed in business so long already. The lease must be hard to break.

Diplomat remains to be one of my favorite bakeries in town. If you’re willing to make the trek to what feels like the boonies, you totally should because it’s worth it. I haven’t been around the area because I haven’t had the need to get cakes in a while, so coming back here after long time felt almost nostalgic. It was supposed to be a happy visit, but it didn’t exactly turn out that way.
I was in need of a small cake for a friend of a friend’s birthday. I decided I would run to Diplomat as soon as I was done what I was doing. I called to ask what time they would close and I was told they close shop at 5:30pm. When I got there at 5:15, I decided to get the pear flan instead of the cake. When I asked girl at the counter if I could have a little «Happy Birthday» message put on top, she gave me some attitude and said they don’t do that. Excuse me? I’ve been coming here for the past few years and I’ve had it done before. If she explained why they didn’t do it anymore I would’ve understood. But no, instead, she frowned and sent it to the kitchen. When she came back out, she didn’t have it so I’m guessing the chef agreed to do it. So they DO do it! I’m guessing she was either lazy or didn’t want to do it.
Her attitude problem didn’t end there. I ordered more individual cake slices and pastries. From the way she was serving me and talking to me, I could tell she didn’t want to help me. Are you serious? This is your job! While I’m at it can I just go off in a tangent? What is it with people working in the service industry and giving attitude? It’s not like I was being rude. In fact I was polite and asked nicely. Plus, I got there before the shop closed. It’s not like I got there 2 minutes before closing. I said it before and I’ll say it again — I’ve worked in the service industry before so I know what it feels like. If you’re having a bad day, don’t let your customer see it. If you hate your job, quit.
Anyway, as I was about to leave I noticed the sign on the door said they close at 6pm. What in the… I was given the wrong information! That’s strike 2 for that visit.
My loot included a slice each of the Tiramisu, the Pumpkin Apple Pie, the Blueberry Cream Cheesecake, the Hazelnut Cake, and the Bailey’s Chocolate Cake (dark). The pear flan doesn’t count because it’s a birthday gift, so I couldn’t taste it. Then for pastries I got the Spinach and Feta Cheese Brioche, the Cinnamon Bun, and the Ham and Cheese Croissant. Everything was delicious and I was quite happy with it except for two cakes. My dad ate the Tiramisu and he said it tasted old and almost rancid. Like it wasn’t freshly made. I refused to believe this because Diplomat is one of my favorite places ever because they have fresh cakes, but my dad won’t lie to me. On top of that, my mom and I agreed the Blueberry Cheesecake didn’t taste as good as it used to. It wasn’t horrible but there was something about it we both didn’t like. I think it was a little more sour than usual. So I guess that makes it strike 3.
I’m willing to overlook these things because I’ve never had a bad experience with Diplomat, but I’m more wary now. I’ll definitely remember this and use this experience to compare it to my next visit.
For this visit, I’m bumping my rating down to 2.5 stars out of 5, ³⁄₅ on Unilocal.Like I said I would definitely come back. The positive far outweighs the negatives, but I’ll keep an eye on it.
Review # 11 — 30 Day Unilocal Challenge.

I came here and tried the Triple chocolate mousse cake, NY cheesecake, Hazelnut cake, and the Mango cream cheesecake. I bought the slices, and they were not fresh at all! The triple chocolate mousse cake had a very greasy aftertaste, the NY cheesecake tasted very stale and the taste was off. The hazelnut cake had way too much cream (which was kinda hard), and the sponge cake was very dry. The mango cream cheesecake was only «O-​KAY», when compared to the other 3. All in all, I will not venture into this bakery again, it is in the middle of nowhere, and it is quite pricy, given the quality and the taste of the cakes. DO NOT RECOMMEND!

I used to think Steveston was too far to go for anything, but not this! That’s if you don’t live in Richmond especially.
These are the kind of cakes I’ve been dreaming about to hit that spot with flavour, richness, variety and SIZE. Some of the bakeries either have size, but it’s compensating for the taste. While at the others, you get rich flavours, but you wish you were getting a bigger cake to make an impression or so you can serve more people without breaking the bank.
The selection varies by the day, but they’re all good. If you’re getting a cake to celebrate an occasion (which is usually the case), then you’ll have the difficult decision of picking just one. But they have slice deals like at a pizza joint — the more slices, the better the price. So you can compile a variety to form a whole cake too! Or you can just call ahead to get one made to order.
Last time I was there — I got a White Chocolate Kahlua Cheese Cake. I don’t think I really need to describe how awesome it tasted with each bite and just let you imagine it for yourself. I think I ate ¹⁄₃ of the entire cake and it was BIG.
You can also just go there for a slice on a nice Steveston day. Unfortunately I don’t think there’s a convenient path that links it to the main Steveston village. But don’t take my word for it as I’m not from the area. I just make the 30+ minute drive there.

The chocolate gnache cake is to die for! A traditional bakery with a world class baker /​owner. Always a wonderful selection of cakes, tarts and pastries to choose from.
This is our favourite place to sneak to every so often when we are feeling ‘devilish’ and looking to savour something sinful, but oh so good.

I had read about Gerald Stinson and his shop in Steveston and I stumbled on it one day in my car when I was «slowly fleeing» the Farmers Market crowds. It is quiet in that area with little traffic. Cyclists –the kind that wear tight nylon outfits and those special shoes– like to stop there to do some caloric damage with scones or muffins. The women behind the counter are great — so friendly and helpful. They make good things for me with Silk soy milk. The prices are reasonable especially compared to those downtown.
It was another Saturday with Ilse, my almost –centenarian friend. She likes cake and good coffee and I support her in that. At least once a week she should have exactly what she likes.
Sitting at a table outside the café (why are there only 4 in that large space?)
in the shade of a warm day, tree tops curving in the wind above the water down the road, I could feel my soul expand. We sat in silence for a while and enjoyed our coffee and sweets. Between us in the past few weeks we have tried a chocolate cupcake with festive sprinkles., a custard-​filled and chocolate topped cream puff, chocolate mousse cake which had dark, milk and white layers and two superlative Napoleons. Ah ! The Napoleon without that cliched glaze on top and with what tasted like vanilla buttercream in between the perfectly chilled and crunchy layers of mille feuille but .wait… there was a surprising swipe of raspberry jam on the bottom layer. Fantastic.

We were walking aimlessly around Steveston and happened upon the new location of the Diplomat. All I can say about that experience is that the place was busy. There was definitely a line out the door! All we wanted was coffee and we stayed. The coffee and rum balls (some sort of delicious baked, rum infused cake-​like half confection, half doughnut) were delicious and rich. I thought I may need to stay away from this place!
It was my birthday very recently. Guess what? My birthday cake was from the Diplomat Bakery! The chocolate gnache cake was easily one of my favourites. It isn’t so rich that you can’t finish a piece and it is full of deliciousness. I give this place a 2 thumbs up!