Tartes Pastry Shop owner baking up sweet treats for more than 25 years

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Paid Sponsor Partnership: Philadelphia Corporation for Aging

Pastry Chef Teresa Wall sure does look pretty in pink, serving up dainty treats at her distinctive pink pastry shop called Tartes.

"Well, we specialize in tarts," says Wall, Owner of Tartes Pastry Shop. "I've been told we're an institution in Old City."

Wall opened the shop 25 years ago after a career in restaurants.

"In 2000, people didn't really even know what a tart was," she says. "It's the French version of a pie, open-faced, so there's no top crust."

At the walk-up window, tasty tarts come in two sizes.

"It's a little four-inch tart, and then we do little minis," she says. "A kind of grab and go."

Some of her regular flavors include bourbon pecan and pear pistachio.

"And then seasonally we change up the fruits," she says. "Our crust is really good."

Also changing with the season is Wall's creativity.

"Well, for Valentine's Day, we're going with hearts. This is our Belgian chocolate cake," she says. "It's a flourless chocolate torte."

There's also a chocolate raspberry tart with fresh raspberries and a rich chocolate ganache, and a raspberry shortbread tart.

"Consistency, I'm really proud of, but repetition, I get bored," she says. "I started helping my mother in the kitchen when I was little."

Wall says her mother was always working, "so we always had some type of cake or pie or something in the house." She also makes cookies and small cakes.

"And this is our lavender poundcake," she says. "We make a financier. It's a brown butter almond cake."

This month's flavor is cherry, because it's red to match the holiday theme.

"And then we have what I call a travel cake," she says. "For Valentine's Day, we're doing red velvet."

If you're looking for a particular treat, it's a good idea to pre-order your favorites, because Wall says, "each day we just make what we think we're gonna sell."

Tartes is featured on a new citywide Bakery Map and Teresa hopes that will lead more people to discover her.

"I'm really thrilled to be a part of it," she says. "It's been quite a trip."

That new Bakery Map was created by Visit Philadelphia and the Sisterly Love Collective, giving both locals and visitors a sweet way to explore Philadelphia in 2026. It features 30 bakeries across the city.

For more information:
Tartes Pastry Shop
Bakery Map from Visit Philadelphia and Sisterly Love Collective
Link to Download Bakery Map

Tartes Pastry Shop
212 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106