XO Bisous is a one-stop shop for textbook French pastries and Eastern European comforts, satisfying meals and the type of homey atmosphere that strengthens community.

A classically-trained pastry chef, Genna Steckel is in the business of sating people's cravings.

At top restaurants, like Scarpetta and Colette Grand Café, she did so by way of elaborate plated desserts. Rustic temptations, the type that become dietary staples, became her medium at Blackbird Baking Co.

At XO Bisous, a spot she opened almost a decade ago but relocated in July, she lures customers with an approachable menu of sweet and savoury dishes that marry sophistication with a homey appeal that's nearly impossible to resist.

"We were downtown on Adelaide for nine years," says Steckel, explaining that she had been "looking for spaces in midtown because downtown never really recovered post-pandemic.

"I've always loved this area," she adds. "I was driving by and saw this spot and thought, 'I want this.'"

Nearly double the size of the original, with two on-site kitchens, the reborn XO Bisous is cheery and modern, its stocked shelves and bakery cases subbing in (quite brilliantly) as décor. The team here makes everything from scratch, save for certain grocery items and bagels, which are brought in from Gryfe's.

Look one way, and your eyes will dart from Nanaimo Bars to kaleidoscopic Cakesicles. Glance another, and you'll spy petite layer cakes, Cinnamon Buns and Crookies ($6).

Near the front, French pastries and braided breads — Butter Croissants ($4.75) and Lemon Bichon ($5.75), Challah loaves and Chocolate Babka Rolls ($4.80) — flirt with passersby.

Savoury fans, take heart. Tucked amongst the wealth of sweet treats, you'll find cheesy Frittatas, impossibly light Aged Cheddar and Caramelized Onion Scones ($4), and other goodies made for those whose palates skew salty.

There's so much to take in, it's best to order a sampling to take home, and to then grab a seat and focus on the dine-in menu.

Offered seven days a week, lunch "touches all the basics. All the classics" says Steckel.

There are also myriad hot and cold drinks, including smooth Cortados ($4.25), lush Matcha Lattes ($6) and invigorating Strawberry Mango Orange Smoothies ($7).

Divided between salads and sandwiches, the food menu includes a vegan spin on a Caesar, an extravagant Niçoise trimmed with a surfeit of entertaining tidbits, and a vibrant jumble of roasted root veg, leafy greens, pomegranate arils and goat cheese, aptly named the Harvest Salad ($15).

A sandwich that nods to French Onion Soup, the Roast Beef on Focaccia ($15) combines shaved meat with white cheddar, grainy mustard, arugula, horseradish aioli and a whack of caramelized onions.

On weekends, the commotion amps up, and superbly seductive brunch plates clutter up tabletops throughout the cozy space.

It's then, that fortunate diners can sink their teeth into Lox & Latkes ($25), made with fish from The Smoke Bloke. Piled onto a crisp, tender, golden wheel of potatoes, the fish and house-pickled onions, soft-boiled eggs, capers and schmear of za'atar goat cheese deliver a series of creamy and crunchy, zesty, saucy, delicious bites.

Ideal for kids (and, to be honest, their minders) Steckel's Grilled Cheese & Fries ($15) is a comfort classic executed beautifully. Made on challah, with white and aged cheddar, it's toasty and buttery, crunchy with a luxurious cheese pull.

As for the fries? Double-fried russets, served with pesto mayo, they may ruin you to all others.

A place inspired by cravings — for comfort, community, nostalgia and hearty, skillfully-made fare — XO Bisous is a bright spot on the St. Clair Strip.

XO Bisous is located at 572 St. Clair Avenue West.