Carousel Bakery is a bakery in Financial District, Toronto.
Carousel Bakery in St Lawrence Market Upper Level 42 has run the city's reference peameal bacon sandwich since 1977, the Biancolin family the operators.
Must order: The peameal bacon sandwich on a kaiser, choose mustard at the counter.
Tip: Closed Mondays with the market. The kaiser is soft; the bacon stack mountains. Featured on Bourdain, Food and Wine and the NYT four times.
Address: 93 Front Street E, St Lawrence Market Upper Level 42, Toronto, ON M5E 1C3
Caldense Bakery on Dundas West has run Portuguese pastries since 1968, the pastel de nata baked through the day plus full savoury counter with rissois.
Order: A pastel de nata at the counter, plus a galao for the walk home.
Tip: Take a number from the dispenser at the counter. Multiple Caldense locations across the GTA including Symington, Eglinton and Royal York.
Worth the queue: Pastel de nata
Future Bakery on Bloor in the Annex has run since 1982 as the city's cafeteria-style Eastern European bakery, hot meals plus a cake counter to 23:00.
Order: A slice of chocolate truffle cake with a coffee at the window.
Tip: Open 365 days, late night until 23:00. The cake counter holds 20+ slices fresh-cut.
Worth the queue: Chocolate truffle cake
Wanda's Pie in the Sky on Augusta in Kensington Market has run the city's reference butter tart counter since 1989, baker Wanda Beaver's pies.
Order: A classic Canadian butter tart, runny in the middle.
Tip: Closed Mondays. The cherry pie is seasonal in summer; the pumpkin pie in October.
Worth the queue: Butter tart
Bonjour Brioche on Queen East in Leslieville is owner Tom Rea's French bakery since 1995, the city's reference almond croissant and an all-day brunch counter.
Order: The almond croissant and a Saturday brioche.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Weekend brunch the busiest; 09:00 the cleanest window.
Worth the queue: Brioche, almond croissant
Benna's on Roncesvalles is the family-owned Polish bakery and deli, paczki and pierogi alongside in-house smoked meats and European groceries.
Order: A paczki with rose-petal or plum jam plus a takeaway tub of pierogi for the freezer.
Tip: Fat Thursday before Lent (late Feb) is paczki day; lineup runs 90 minutes. Polish Festival in September anchors the Roncesvalles strip.
Worth the queue: Paczki
Brick Street Bakery on Trinity Street in the Distillery District has run rustic European-style bread and pastries since 2003, sticky buns and savoury pies.
Order: The sticky bun and a slice of pork pie for the patio.
Tip: Cash and card. The Distillery flagship is the original; smaller satellites at Roy Thomson Hall and Front Street East.
