The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
As someone who loves coffee and donuts, I had to check out one of Toronto's fancy Tim Hortons locations near me to try their exclusive menu items!
In case you didn't know, Tim Hortons has 12 "Urban Format" locations spread across the city with menu items that can't be found at your ordinary coffee shops.
A spokesperson told Narcity the unique cafés "are catered specifically to the urbanity of their locations and have special and innovative menu items along with some of our classics."
So, after finding out they had exclusive donuts, coffee and food, I had to go check them out and rate them from best to worst, and man, oh man, was the worst one horrible.
Crème Brûlée Donut
Crème Brûlée Donut at Tim Hortons.
The Crème Brûlée donut at Tim Hortons was, by far, the best I've ever had.
It was crispy on the outside, thanks to its torched sugar coating, and had perfectly soft inside. Also, the cream, which I'm certain is the same one used in a Boston Cream donut, made each bite absolutely perfect.
If you love donuts but enjoy the French dessert, you should immediately make your way over to one of the fancy Tim Hortons and thank me because I'm salivating just thinking about this donut!
Price: $2.49
Blackberry Yuzu Sparkling Quencher
Blackberry Yuzu Sparkling Quencher at Tim Hortons.
If you love having a cold drink while walking around the city but already hit your daily caffeine intake, this should be your next option.
The Blackberry Yuzu Sparkling Quencher at Tim Hortons was delicious, and this is coming from someone who doesn't like blackberries or sparkling drinks.
The cold drink from Tim Hortons was definitely a thirst quencher and super refreshing!
Price: $3.49
Flatbread Pizza
Cheese Flatbread at Tim Hortons.
The flatbreads aren't new to Tim Hortons, they were first introduced in 2022 and have stuck around, particularly at these fancy Timmies spots.
But, I hadn't tried them yet and my first bite of the cheese flatbread at the Urban Format Tim Hortons café was undoubtedly great.
I can certainly say it did not taste like cardboard. Instead, it tasted like a great flatbread, enough to fill you up without feeling gross.
The flatbread took around 5 minutes to prepare and when I received it, it was perfectly hot. There was even a cheese string dangling from it when I pulled it apart. Yummy!
Price: $7.99
Nutella S'mores Donut
Nutella S'mores Donut at Tim Hortons.
I honestly didn't think Nutella and S'mores could work together; honestly, I still don't think they do.
Oddly enough, I thought the Nutella S'mores Donut at Tim Hortons would be one of my favourite menu items, but it wasn't. If you know anything about me, it's that I freaking love Nutella — yes, I eat Nutella out of the jar with a spoon and call it my comfort zone.
But this combo just didn't taste good to me, mainly because it was too sweet. However, similar to the Crème Brûlée donut, this one had a torched marshmallow coating and a crumble with a Nutella filling.
Price: $2.49
Vanilla Matcha Latte
Vanilla Matcha Latte at Tim Hortons.
Now, I know there's a huge Matcha loving community in Toronto and they would probably rave about this Matcha Latte at Tim Hortons that's affordable and huge, but I don't think I'll order matcha again.
I love coffee and other hot drinks, and I can understand the appeal of matcha, but it's too bitter for me, at least this one was.
The person working at the Tim Hortons suggested getting a vanilla-flavoured one to make it sweeter, but I couldn't taste the sweetener.
I didn't quite enjoy it, but then again, I've never really dabbled in matcha — unless it's in some sort of dessert, like a cookie or cheesecake.
Nevertheless, if you're a matcha drinker, know that the upscale Tim Hortons has a whole matcha menu, including a White Hot Chocolate Matcha Latte!
Price: $4.99
Nutella Croissant
Nutella Croissant at Tim Hortons.
This was the first thing I dug my teeth into, and wow, was I disappointed.
As previously mentioned, I love Nutella. And there was hardly any Nutella in this croissant. So I ripped it apart to find the chocolate, and it was barely in there.
Also, the croissant wasn't crispy — enough said.
Sorry Tim Hortons, but your Nutella game is not as strong as some of your other menu items, and I think you can do better.
Price: $2.69