Leonhard’s Cafe and Restaurant, Charlottetown

It’s so lovely looking at these sunny photos and remembering our wonderful vacation on P.E.I. last summer. What a great time we had.

Leonhard’s opened in downtown Charlottetown in the summer of 2008, right before we moved to Alberta. I know that if we still lived there, it’s a place we would visit frequently.

The cafe is owned by a very friendly German couple who previously had a stand at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market where they sold their delicious baked goods. I think everyone was happy when they decided to open their own place. It’s a beautiful, European-style cafe that serves specialty coffees and teas, lots of baked goods, and a full menu of sandwiches, soups, salads and hot foods. I’ve never eaten a meal there, but I’ve heard good reports, and it always looks tantalizing. I was very happy to see that all of their soups are gluten-free.

Leonhard’s also makes an effort to source their ingredients locally. They buy a lot of produce and meat from vendors at the farmers’ market. Their coffee comes from a coffee roaster in New Brunswick, and their tea from a Charlottetown tea company. Some of their pastries are made on-site and others are made by a local pastry company. It is great to see this kind of commitment to supporting the local food scene. You can visit their website to learn more.

I was very happy to discover they have a chocolate espresso torte that is gluten-free. I was expecting a dense flourless cake, a popular GF dessert in many restaurants. This was so much more. It’s silky and rich, but not too sweet, with a prominent espresso flavour. Paired with fresh, unsweetened whipped cream, it’s a heavenly dessert I would go back for time after time if I was closer.

J loved his seven-nut pie, similar to a pecan pie with a brown sugar filling.  He’s also a big fan of their florentine cookies.

I brought my friend Mackenzie to Leonhard’s when we spent an afternoon together. We each savoured iced coffees, hers a simple cafe-au-lait, mine an iced mocha. I didn’t realize it would come with more of that delicious whipped cream on top, but the whole thing hit the spot.

I love the feeling at Leonhard’s. It’s relaxed but elegant. And it’s always busy, filled with all different groups of people: girlfriends out for lunch, couples, and young families. It’s a cafe with character, and I’d love to see more places like it in Charlottetown. 

Leonhard’s Cafe and Restaurant
42 University Avenue
Charlottetown, PEI
www.leonhards.ca