One of the best things about Toronto is that you can go on a culinary journey without traveling far.

Practically every corner offers a different cuisine for you to explore.

A trip to Brazil, for example, would take at least nine hours – not to mention the cost spent on the ticket.

But in the Greater Toronto Area, you can experience Brazilian culture with just a TTC ride.

Padaria Toronto is a delightful little shop that brings the authentic experience of a Brazilian bakery. It offers sweets, savories, cakes, frozen items, and even a small grocery with typical Brazilian products to take home.

All in one place.

In addition to being Toronto’s first Brazilian bakery, the story becomes even more interesting when you learn that the owners are former students of George Brown College (GBC).

Fabiana Del Bianco, one of the owners, came to Canada in 2017 to study culinary management, where she met Maíra dos Santos, one of her current partners.

Both had the idea of ​​opening their own business – they just didn’t know what.

When they graduated in 2019, they began exploring different kitchens around the city to gain experience and understand, after all, what they could create together. They worked at places like Terroni and gained diverse experiences in various cuisines, from French bakeries to pizzerias.

In each of these places, they collected experiences and lessons they now apply at Padaria Toronto.

The team became complete when Tiago Del Bianco arrived in Canada in mid-2018, bringing his experience from running his own restaurant in Brazil.

Together, they began conducting market research to identify their niche in Toronto. They aimed to create a place where Brazilians could feel at home and where others could discover Brazilian cuisine.

Padaria Toronto officially opened its doors in 2020 and, even during the pandemic, the trio made it work. It took plenty of flexibility, creativity, and recalculating the route a few times to adapt to the reality that the pandemic brought – no chairs and tables, reduced service, and, most importantly, venturing online.

Today, the business has two units, one in Midtown and another in the Junction, with the second being a result of hard work and success. Business was booming so much that only one kitchen was no longer enough to handle all the production, so in 2022 they decided to expand.

Everything is handmade with great care and authenticity. And despite being a Brazilian business, most of the ingredients are local – only the cassava flour is imported from Brazil, an essential ingredient for the pão de queijo recipe.

Speaking of pão de queijo, that’s the best-selling item on the menu. Some people tend to translate the name to “cheese bread”. But, just as croissant has no translation to English, pão de queijo shouldn’t either – it will never be faithful enough.

For those unfamiliar, pão de queijo consists of a type of bread or biscuit made from cassava flour, eggs, salt, vegetable oil, and cheese, with a soft and elastic consistency. In other words, it is a piece of heaven on earth.

You can try both the traditional version ($4.30) and a sweet version with guava paste or burnt milk. Both are best enjoyed with a chilled Guarana for an authentic experience.

Another popular item is the brigadeiro ($3.20) – one of Brazil’s most loved and consumed desserts, which has also won the hearts of  customers. Traditionally made with milk or dark chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and butter, they’re sweet, creamy, and totally irresistible. If you’ve never tried one before, it’ll be love at first bite.

Last, but not least, the coxinha, a type of chicken croquette, is another favorite ($5.65), and not by chance it also pairs perfectly with Guarana.

Beyond the fixed menu, Padaria Toronto explores items according to seasonality, taking advantage of specific products. During summer you can expect to find a lot of fruit, fresh items, and passion fruit juice. In the fall, they add to the menu the latte with burnt milk and pumpkin spice.

Whether in the seasonal or everyday menu, Padaria Toronto tries to mix Canadian culture with a touch of Brazil in a very special and tasty way, resulting in a menu worth exploring.