Modern Pastry Shop

Sweetest little bakery, offshoot from North End (Italian section of Boston). They have the best ricotta pie - you must try! For gluten free options, they have beautiful chocolate truffles of all different flavors and yummy Florentine cookies. Before I was gluten free, I had it all - strawberries cheese cake, chocolate cupcakes, carrot cake, Key lime pie, berry/fruit tarts. Cannot recommend highly enough. And of course seasonally decorated and adorable treats

This location is much more convenient than the one in the north end. We love all the pastries and cookies from here! You can’t go wrong with whatever you choose, though I’d skip the pizza and arancini balls and stick with the sweets. They also have a small selection of Italian market goods like pasta and sauces and things like that. I like to pick up the oregano they bring in from Italy when they have it. They have a nice espresso machine in which you can get your fix while you’re waiting for your goodies to be packed up. Street meter parking is available and there’s usually a spot or two free close by. This place is CASH ONLY, so be prepared for that. I think there’s a store with an atm around the corner, but just be aware there is no machine on site. The people that work here are super nice. Overall, a great way to pick up moderns without the hassle of the north end 👍🏻

Cash only! Metered parking outside. Paragina is my favorite. I feel like the tiramisu used to be better but now it’s a little too heavy on the whipped cream? Prices have gone up over the years unfortunately, but what can you do

someone recommended this place to my daughter so we stopped by, boy was I amazed with the variety of pastries on hand. I had to have the lobster tail, one of my daughters had the red velvet cupcake and the other one the hostess cupcake. there is only one negative, they don't take cards, yes this is a CASH ONLY business I'm pretty sure there is reason behind it but for a lot of new customers its an inconvenience. if I ever have cash on me again I'll make sure to get me another lobster tail, price wise I bought 5 items and the total was +/- $34.00 you do the math. do I recommend this place? yes.

The pastry is not bad! The most important thing is not to sweat too much. 🙏👍 Just need to work on the atmosphere for a better experience.

I got a cannoli kit (shells with a separate bag of filling) at the Medford square location for out-of-state relatives who I was about to visit in a couple days. Well-received, as always. And some pastries and cookies for local friends, and me, before I left. All delicious. Friendly, helpful staff.

Amazing star quality desserts that are hard to find these days! I got the sfogliatelle and the amaretto cake. Both were delicious and classic! Some negative views on the cash only option but there’s an atm two businesses down. Worth it!!

I have been shopping at modern pastry over 50 years. No one can make a cannoli better. I now go to the Medford shop. What amazing customer service. Thank you for making my life sweeter

Modern is a Boston institution and absolutely worth a visit. Their pastries are amazing. Their cannoli menu is quite basic in comparison to other bakeries in the area, but they are the perfect flavor and crispy texture as they are filled fresh on the spot. I also loved the truffles, notably the dubai chocolate one. Just to note, it is cash only.

Amazing pastry items as usual! The best coffee in the North End. Good service and really nice atmosphere.

I agree with the many reviews recommending the cannolis here. The cannoli I tried was great ($5.50 with chocolate chips)---the ricotta filling was rich but not overly so, and the shell had the perfect texture---I preferred it to those at Mike's. I also liked the rainbow cookies, though the chocolate coating could have been better quality. However, I also tried several other desserts that weren't as good: -Tiramisu ($5) - pretty average. I liked that it had a strong coffee flavor and wasn't overly sweet. -Cassatine cake (I think $6.50?) - an individual portion of their Cassata cake. The marzipan, together with the ricotta filling, made it very very sweet. -Macaroons ($23/lb) - I tried an original almond amaretti, as well as one with pignoli and a pistachio macaroon. The texture was nice and light, but they were way too sweet. Of the three I liked the pistachio the most, but it was still very sweet. -Parigina Cake/Paragina Cake ($5) - I didn't like this. It's composed of puff pastry, sponge cake, and a thin layer of custard. I found the flavor to be uninteresting, mostly just very sweet. Cash only. If you visit, I recommend sticking to the cannolis (and being prepared for a sugar high).

Despite cash only and difficult to park nearby, Modern pastry is awesome. We loved the canolis - they strike just the right balance and price is right.

Went for dessert, line moved much quicker here. Touristy dessert spot in the North End. I had both Mike's & Modern. I preferred Modern. The Ricotta was fresh and tasty. So good.

This place was AMAZING. everyone there was so nice, approachable, and welcoming (even though we got there right before closing). I got a mix of sweet and savory menu items and I loved everything!

The dessert treats we got tasted okay. We did the make your own cannoli. So we ordered a plain cannoli with traditional ricotta and pistachios. It tasted delicious. If I'm not mistaken this bakery bakes fresh daily! We also got the cream puff. I was disappointed in this one. The cream and the pastry part had no flavor- it was bland. Oh wells, at least their cannolis were good. It's definitely worth trying here! Line was long, but it moves along pretty fast! And it's CASH ONLY!

Drove a 1/2 hr for stale pastry and cookies. So disappointed. Perugina pastry was obviously without and crunch and the sesame cookies soft and old. $20 down the drain.

Yummy! Is there anything more delicious than Italian macaroons? Those French things are nothing by comparison!! Modern's freeze and are still soft when frozen, magical!!

Every year I look forward to visiting Medford to friends/family n stopping at Modern for the amazing Lobster tail pastry. I always bring a few for the ladies living at Medford housing down the street. Last week I was in town earlier than expected- bffs dad of 102 passed on. I walked from up. The street to find out "only cash" so I had to walk back and return another day, so return I did as I love the lobster tail. After the funeral I brought a friend with me to treat her to the experience. After spending $35.00 my female friend needed to use the restroom, when asked she was informed that they do not have one. Now I'm not sure where the employees go or even was up but "By Law" Under Massachusetts state law, a business must allow a person to use their restroom if three or more employees are working at the time of the request. They also must allow access to people who suffer from certain medical conditions, such as Crohn's disease.Apr 18, 2018 This is the last visit to Modern for me n friends.

I have come here for three Christmas Eve's in a row now. I know there will always be a wait, that's fine. They do a good job with the pastries and desserts. HOWEVER, they really gotta do better with the way they manage their staff, customers, and orders. It's always a complete clusterf with a bunch of teenagers at the helm. I waited over an hour this past Christmas Eve. The staff were not organized, they were all over the place, it looked like some of them were high and everyone was on sloth mode. Also none of the staff knew what a Pasticciotto was when I asked for it. Can we get served by some proper staff with brains? It's Christmas Eve guys, you have a whole year to think about and prep for how to more efficiently move customers through your business so you can MAXIMIZE your business.

Like most of local Italian bakeries, cash only joint. The Limoncello cake- lordt. Delicious, but not what I expected. More of a sponge (aka foam cake) versus a butter (aka shortened cake) so pay attention or ask about the type of cake before committing. The lobster tail filling was delicious and I am glad that I did not have a straw. I've never been a cannolis fan but will definitely try 1 or 3 next time around. Overall, fun stop for some treats. Only a small table for 3 inside so plan for a to-go order.

Honestly I'm giving this a 4 star because they didn't really do much to go above and beyond, in the terms of comparing them to Mike's Pastry. If you're reading this, only commenting on their Canoli, beacuse that's most likely why you're coming here. The service was fast, friendly, and tasty. Fresh filled too!! Also, if you're wondering which to go to, just go to both.

I was delighted to find out that Modern was open on the 4th of July. The desserts I picked up were delicious. I am taking off one star because they are cash only..... it's 2022, grow up!

Blast from my childhood past. Got real cannoli and an eclair. Yum. Exactly as I remember. A must do. Easier to get in that BOSTON.

One of Boston's best bakeries has a second location in convenient downtown Medford! Fantastic cannolis, cakes, and other Italian staples like pizzelles and marzipan. Of note, the place is cash-only so make sure you're prepared as you won't want to miss out on their pastries!

This review is specifically for the Medford location. Please hire people who really enjoy serving customers with a smile. I had the impression that the person who was "helping' me, did not want to be there or do the job. A smile goes a long way. Also when handling money, please don't pick MY pastry with the same gloves that you touched the money with. When I told the young man very politely, that I was expecting him to change the gloves, he completely ignored me and went about boxing my stuff. I went to the Medford location out of convenience, but definitely will not return.

The gluten free connoli are amazing and totally worth the trip. They are smaller and $3 more expensive than the regular ones. It always surprises me when the "inferior" (I'd much rather eat the regular ones if I could!) product is more expensive. I hope it's because they are somehow more difficult to make and not because people who can't eat a regular one are willing to pay the price.

Parigini are terrible. No cream and possibly frozen. I don't recommend this bakery. They also don't take credit cards but they did. I recommend the bakery in Stoneham on main st.

I've gotten many cakes here and they use to be really good. This past Sunday I got a carrot cake and it was full of cream!. The ratio of cake to cream was totally off and there was barely any cake in there. Just all cream. Kind of disappointing to see the quality go down.

A MUST DO! FANTASTIC CANNOLIS & ITALIAN PASTRIES THAT ARE DELICIOUSSSSSSSS!!!! THEY ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR CLASSIC RICOTTA CANNOLIS, COOKIES, RUM CAKES & THEIR INDIVIDUAL PASTRIES. This store is smaller & much more relaxed. Their other store is in the North End Boston & is bigger & jam packed with people. When you bring their desserts to people they always have a big smile on their face! It used to be, you had to have mega bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Love everything about this place. The pastries are delicious, the tarts, biscotti are very good. One thing for tourists, please bring cash only. No card accepted.

Omg so I'm obsessed with Apple dessert anything and I called to see what they had and she said an open Apple dessert. I was across the street at an exam so I drove right over. It was an Apple galette! I just got home and took a slice and this thing needs to go to jail, it is a crime to be this good! Jesus, take the wheel! Girlfriend beauty blonde at the register, I love you for selling this to me!

Always love to get the lobster tail. Super crunchy pastry and cream filling not too sweet. Eat it immediately! Pignoli cookies are the perfect size and flavor is to die for. Chocolate dipped biscotti are delicious with tea or just on their own. I bought 1 lobster tail, 4 pignoli cookies, 2 biscotti for $15. Got it on Saturday, 7/18, 8am so social distancing in place. There's outside dining/service. CASH only.

Solidly decent The chocolate covered cannoli with ricotta was tasty, but I felt the shell was a tad stale and the ricotta a touch too liquid. The carrot cake was too sweet, with both the cake and frosting being over sweet, and the spicing was quite weak, so nothing served as contrast. Still, it was fast and I did expect the cakes to be very sweet. I'd probably get the plain cannoli next time, in case it was the chocolate coating that caused it to be a bit stale

CASH ONLY TAX SCAM Shlepped into this place with my 2 young children, and ordered 25 bucks worth of pastry. I realized I was a little short on cash and the kid behind the counter refused to take my card when they have a credit card machine right there. He said I needed to either go to the ATM Or buy 40 worth of pastry!! It's 2022, how are successful business like still this able to evade taxes? Pay the damn tax like the rest of us and stop hiding your revenues!! Totally turned me off from a place I generally love.

Heard a lot about the Modern Pastry vs. Mike's Pastry cannoli controversy, and being the involved citizen that I am, I decided to do the research and form my own opinion. I have to say that in the cannoli battle, I think Mike's wins. BUT I still very much enjoyed my dessert at Modern Pastry. Came here with a couple friends and between the three of us we tried a cannoli with custard, chocolate ganache, and lemon tart. All three were very tasty; I'm not a huge cannoli fan and thought it was just okay but the chocolate ganache and lemon tart were delicious. I also ordered a moccachino (whoever decided to combine a mocha and hot chocolate is a genius) and it was AMAZING. Would definitely return, just not for a cannoli.

TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTING AND EMBARRASSING. I bought a couple of my out-of-town friends to Modern this past weekend for dessert. We bought some cannolis, which were fine. My eyes being bigger than my stomach wanted to bring home some treats for later, so I picked up a lobster tail and a bag of pizelles. I was so excited to tear into them when I got home, but lo and behold... my lobster tail was EMPTY!! They forgot to fill it with cream! Who does that?! AND to add insult to injury the pizelles were stale stale stale! COME ON! Seriously?! $10 for an empty lobster tail and stale pizelles. If you are thinking about coming here, DON'T. They have absolutely no quality control here.

Great pastry shop right in North Boston. When you drop in don't be deterred by the modern feel I'm contrast to some of the old timey pastry shops down the street. This place has all the great pastries, connolis, chocolate waffles, pistachio macaroons, and more. Got to try their chocolate waffles and pistachio macaroons and wow they're soft yet crunchy on the outside, sweetened but not overly so. Second time dropping by Modern Pastry and would love to come by here again when I'm in N. Boston again!

Good pastries. Pistachio macaroon are awesome. Come here regularly. This location is less crowded than north end.

Great pastry shop, excited to have it in Medford! All of their Italian pastries are 5-star-worthy; from the lobster tails to the cannolis to the tiramisu, genuinely top-notch pastry operation! I had one of their meat and ricotta calzones once out of convenience/curiosity; it was okay, but there are numerous Italian restaurants and pizza joints within walking distance that are better. My wife thought the cheesecake and red velvet cupcake were pretty good, but not amazing.

Wow! This place was delicious! Great desserts, cookies and pastries. Make sure you take cash, they do not accept credit cards.

I stumbled upon this little Italian Pastry Shop down the street from my hotel in Medford. I saw a sign for homemade zeppoles and knew I had to stop in. Everything I saw looked amazing! From the cookies to the individual cakes and pastries to specialty items. I ordered a dozen of hot ZEPPOLES thinking they were NY style zeppoles, the kind that are fried and placed in a bag with powdered sugar. I later found-out they were St. Joseph Zeppoles, I know them by a different name called SFINGI or ZEPPOLE-DI-SAN-GIUSEPPE often filled with your choice of custard, Chantilly cream, whipped cream, ricotta or cannoli fillings. These pastries were amazing! I also got their homemade Irish soda bread because it was close to St Patrick's Day. This is a Mom and Pop style bakery making everything from scratch. I also saw they make fresh ricotta pie, and Tarrone (an Italian almond nougat shaped like a bar and cut to order by size.) I spoke with a few locals who were enjoying their coffee and eating carrot cake. . The owner and staff are very nice. She explained she was out of the ricotta filling and was going in the back to make more. This was a complete treat and surprise. Where I live, there isn't any good pastry or bakeries. I could see all around this pastry shop that they take pride in what they make and sell. All the traditional Italian specialities, breads, rolls, and goodies can be found here, along with imported pastas, olive oils, imported expresso beans, Wedding toppers etc. When I'm back in Boston I must stop in again, this bakery reminded me so much of my childhood growing up in an Italian neighborhood....

This location is cute and quaint, located conveniently in Medford Square near a number of bus stops. I love the atmosphere--despite being a chain, you really do feel like you're in an old Italian bakery. On different occasions, I had a cannoli, which was delicious, and a slice of cheesecake, which was really rich and decadent. Prices were reasonable, and the girl at the counter was friend and helpful. It's nice just sitting in the middle of the store enjoying your baked goods while local Italians walk in and pick up their bread and desserts for the day. This would make a great stop to pick up some thank-you baked goods in the future or to bring out-of-towners who want to try a good Boston cannoli.

Best birthday cake I have ever had. Saved my covid quarantine birthday fail. Cannolis were tasty. I had tradition and husband had lobster tail filling ( more whipped cream texture) the cake was like no other! Cassata cake with almond : "Layered Italian sponge cake soaked in rum and strega with sweet ricotta filling sprinkled with dark chocolate morsels and frosted with whipped cream, finished with traditional green almond paste around" I had to force myself to stop and I'm not a huge cake person... it freezes nicely as well. The Medford store was cute and lots of other great looking treats

We got a bunch of desserts $149 worth and I showed the cashier what i wanted via pictures and not a single item was correct.

We managed to find Modern Pastry in Medford, though I had to find parking on a street a few blocks away. Nutella croissants were $3 each. Chocolate florentines were by weight, with ours coming in at about $2.40. Lots of dense Nutella in the pastry. Yum. They have a small selection of gluten free sweets that contain almond flour. Muffins for $3 that are gluten, dairy, soy free. Gluten and Dairy free Whoopee Pies $3. And for $5.95, gluten free cannolis. There's a few tables and chairs set up for those who can't wait to enjoy their treats. Cash only.

Delicious pastries! So fresh! Gluten free options as well. Friendly staff! Large variety of items. You can place an order in advance. Cash only! So don't forget your wallet. In a congested area but parking is not a problem. I always find a space!

I ordered the Tropicana cake, specifically without liquor, to serve at a housewarming party. This is a white cake, with a layer of raspberry jam and lemon custard, topped off with coconut. Although I often stop in for individual pastries, this was the first time I ordered a cake. I ordered online, with special instructions to omit the liquor, then followed up by phone to make sure the special instructions were not missed. Apparently one person Amy is in charge of online orders because both times I called, I was told to call back to speak to her which wasn't convenient for me as the customer. Its not difficult to take a simple message. With that said, the cake was wonderful - lots of praise from partygoers. You know, often the response is to decline the offer of a slice "Im watching my calories" etc. Well.... I think almost everyone indulged and had a slice. Hardly any left to take home! My concern was would the cake be dry without the liquor? It wasn't. The cake was moist, looked beautiful, and was delicious. I would def order this cake again. I also bought a pound of macaroons - one guest who is a fan of macaroons commented that they were very fresh. I do wish they had more of a selection-specifically lemon and pastachio. On a daily basis, I love their half moons and peanut butter cupcakes.

The pastries here are delicious. I bought four for my sons birthday and the tiramisu and ricotta cake were great. The staff was friendly and there were some older men hanging out chatting and enjoying coffees. Their accents made me feel like I was in Europe somewhere and added to the authenticity of this Italian bakery. I was able to get a metered spot right in front. Ambience wise, it's not a place I'd hang out for a leisurely afternoon with friends, but I don't think it's trying to be that.

Honestly the most kind hearted people work here. I will become a regular customer for that alone. They smile, greet you warmly and are there to show you their humble treats. I did a last minute cake order and they went above and beyond! I cannot thank Modern Pastry enough! I am not typically a cake person - usually because frosting is overly sweet and thick - BUT! I got a Boston Cream Cupcake and I was blown away by how soft it was, but not overly sweet either! It was melt in your mouth delicious. I decided to order the Boston Cream Cake for my sister's birthday and it was equally amazing. The cream is so cooling. I had people tell me they wanted 1/4th slice and then go on to ask for a 2nd slice. Yep.

What to get: cannoli Service: 5/5 Atmosphere: Dessert, cafe Wait: 0 mins (Monday 9:30AM for 3) The Experience: Always interested to see where the locals go for their fixes. Apparently this is the spot for cannoli and other desserts. I'm there in the morning for a last minute breakfast and there's no line. There were a few other people drinking coffee at some of the tables, but there was still a lot of empty seats if we wanted to sit down. A few options to choose from in terms of cannolis and they wrap it in a cute box for you to take. Remember though: CASH ONLY. The shell has this slight crunch to it, but once you've bitten into it, the whole structure goes. The ricotta is light and fluffy, with that 'whipped' texture. It's a quick bite, so savor it as much as you can. A cannoli is a staple of Boston and I'd recommend Modern Pastry as an alternative to Mike's.

Adorable pastry store in downtown Medford with every type of pastry. I was able to get Beautiful cupcakes for a birthday party. The staff were so friendly and social distancing us definitely enforced! The store is cash only so make sure you go to an ATM before you go!

Terrible customer service level. We placed an order Wednesday for pickup on Saturday do a bunch of mini pastries. There was a language barrier with the person who took the order on the phone. Requested pick up was "around 10:30". They wrote down 11 on the slip. We arrived at 10:17 on Saturday, and were told, "oh, you requested an 11 AM pickup, you can't pick up til then - your order won't be ready til then." We explained the language barrier and that we actually requested 10:30, and asked if they could box up our order before 11. We were told, "no, there are other orders on top of yours and we can't skip yours in line." The woman was very pleasant, but I couldn't believe they couldn't put a bunch of pastries in a box because it was "before the slip time." As we had a 2 hour ride to the cape ahead, we told them to cancel our order and went to Arthur's Pastry Shop on Main Street where we were met with pleasant service, and they took the exact same items we wanted from the pastry case immediately, and put them in a box. They also gave us heaping spoons of their lobster tail filling as a sample, and a free "broken shell" cannoli to try. They were family owned, and very proud of their handmade items. Everything there was delicious, and the 22 people down the cape couldn't get enough of the Arthur's lobster tails, eclairs and whoopie pies (actually the best most crispy lobster tail I have ever had). We won't be back to Modern.

Ahh we loved everything we got from the cannoli to the lacey cookies to the eclair. Nothing like little Italy in Boston. Only regret is I wish I brought more back home!!

This place was a real treat! Plenty of options to keep you coming back happy. Oddly enough when we got there, there was no line. We didn't feel rushed. Just looked around stepped up ordered and Mr. Benny was nice enough to answer all our questions. There is seating in side if your eating there. We decided to stay and eat. While sitting there the line got long and wrapped around out the door. It was a good stop and glad we decided on Modern!

Delis cannolis. Always my last visit to get a bunch of cannolis before flying back to L.A. love the crust, custard fillings and the toppings!

Sugar heaven. I haven't had a dessert that I didn't love here. Obviously the cannoli, ricotta pie, and lobster tails are must-haves, but don't sleep on the many kinds of cookies. Cash only. Repeat. CASH ONLY. Get ready to make it rain and get some crazy great pastries in return.

When my friends and I stopped in here for an after-dinner treat, I was already completely stuffed. But after looking at all the delicious pastries in the cases, how could I resist? The eclair was delicious and fresh. Too many bakeries skimp on the cream filling, but Modern had the perfect ratio with cream in every bite -- but not so much that it smooshed out the sides! The choux pastry had great flavor and texture, a nice mix of crisp and chewy, with a good dollop of chocolate icing. My friends and I also ordered coffee with our desserts. It was your standard cup of joe, no frills. Their mugs are huge, though, which is a plus because quantity and quality are the same thing to me when it comes to coffee. The staff was so helpful and friendly. My friends and I were all ordering separately, but they quickly filled all our orders. They even brought the coffees over to our table for us, so we didn't have to juggle pastry plates, wallets, AND drinks.