Amelie CameronWhen it comes to Italian cuisine, pizza and pasta are my go-to dishes. But the Italians also have amazing pastries, and one such treat that I love to treat myself to, especially during the holidays, is panettone.
It’s such a fluffy sweet bread, and massive too, for a pastry. It can get up to 15 cm tall and weigh up to 1 kg! It delivers an explosion of citrusy sweetness from candied oranges and lemon zest.
When I’m craving them, I go to these local bakeries. Check them out!
Eataly Toronto
– From: eatalytoronto
Address: Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St W
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday—8 am to 10 pm
- Friday and Saturday—8 am to 11 pm
Contact Number: +14373740250
Eataly Toronto is my go-to shop whenever I need Italian groceries, and to my delight, it also carries panettones!
The panettones here hail all the way from northern Italy, and they’re made following centuries-old traditions. So, you know you’re getting the real deal!
I love how the panettones are soft and bouncy, almost like a pillow. They’re subtly sweet and perfect to consume as is, but I prefer pairing them with fruit preserves and even dipping them into coffee or wine (yes, wine) for more flavour.
| Pro Tips: Eataly also has a restaurant portion if you want to treat yourself to Italian dishes. If you’re planning a party, you can book them for catering. |
SanRemo Bakery
– From: sanremobakery
Address: 374 Royal York Rd, Etobicoke
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday—8 am to 5 pm
Contact Number: +14162552808
Every holiday season, SanRemo Bakery is inundated with long lines of people wanting to snag their freshly made panettones. I’m one of those people lining up—even though this bakery is located all the way in Etobicoke—and I have no regrets!
I love their chocolate panettones because they’re just super indulgent. The top is fully covered with a thick layer of rich chocolate ganache and crushed nuts for extra flavour and texture.
| Pro Tips: These panettones are only available for walk-ins, so keep that in mind. This bakery offers catering services. |
Terroni Sud Forno e Produzione e Spaccio
– From: spaccio_to
Address: 22 Sackville St
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday—8 am to 9 pm
- Friday and Saturday—8 am to 9:30 pm
Contact Number: +14163684248
Terroni Sud Forno e Produzione e Spaccio features a warehouse-style interior, which in a way makes you feel chill and cozy. As such, it’s a great place to consume panettones during the holidays.
There are three kinds of flavours you can get here: the classic one (with candied oranges), chocolate, and pistachios. Since I’m obsessed with chocolates, that’s what I always get. But I also do like the nuttiness of the pistachio panettone.
| Pro Tip: This restaurant has its own online shop named La Bottega Di Terroni where you can get Italian groceries. |
Mary’s Brigadeiro
– From: marysbrigadeiro
Address: 1912 Danforth Ave
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Saturday—10 am to 5 pm
Contact Number: +16472507217
Mary’s Brigadeiro is best known for its, well, brigadeiros (Brazilian-style chocolate truffles). But did you know they also serve panettones during the holiday season? Indeed, they do, and it’s aptly named “chocottone.”
Their chocottone is a dream come true for chocolate fans. It’s laced with chocolate chips and stuffed to the brim with a filling of rich, melted Belgian chocolate. Every time I take a bite of this pastry, I can feel my blood sugar rising—but I regret nothing!
| Pro Tip: If you’re buying the chocottone for a friend, you can opt to have it wrapped. You can choose either organic cotton fabric or recycled polyester. |
Noctua Bakery
– From: noctuabakery
Address: 3014 Dundas St W
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Wednesday—8 am to 5 pm
- Thursday to Saturday—8 am to 6 pm
Contact Number: +14167662178
Every year, Noctua Bakery releases limited-edition panettones that are made in collaboration with pastry chef Carlo Lazzarino, and every year, I’m lining up to get my hands on at least one.
Their panettone is the classic version, but this time, it’s elevated. They use organic Valencia oranges, which are dried in-house, and raisins that are submerged in rum syrup. To top it all off, the sweet bread is varnished with a Mandarinetto glaze.
The result is a panettone that glistens under the light, and when you bite into it, you can taste a wonderful symphony of citrusy, tangy, and sugary flavours.
| Pro Tip: If you’re interested in ordering custom products or having them as a caterer, you need to send an inquiry via email ([email protected]). |
Tre Mari Bakery
– From: tremaribakery
Address: 1311 St Clair Ave W
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Saturday—7 am to 7 pm
- Sunday—7 am to 6 pm
Contact Number: +14166548960
I love coming to Tre Mari Bakery for panettones because they have an exciting lineup of flavours! Of course, there’s the traditional, but I’m personally fond of the strawberry panettone. The sweet, tart flavours of the strawberry are strong!
I also love the hazelnut panettone. It’s rich and buttery, with a hint of smokiness. It tastes even better when paired with anything chocolate, especially chocolate spread or hot chocolate!
| Pro Tip: This bakery also offers panettone spreads. There are several flavour options, including almond and hazelnut. |
Mattachioni
– From: mattachioni
Address: 1617 Dupont St
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—9 am to 9 pm
Contact Number: +14165191010
The panettones served at Mattachioni are simply gorgeous. They have a lovely golden crust, and inside, it’s light and airy like a cloud.
Depending on which flavour you choose, the panettone also has ingredients embedded within it. I personally love the chocolate and orange panettone, which has dark chocolate chunks and candied orange peels. The complementary flavours of sweet and citrus are just perfection!
| Pro Tip: If you want to book them for catering or make a wholesale order, you can reach out via phone. Alternatively, you can also send an email to [email protected]. |
Fiesta Farms
– From: fiestafarmsto
Address: 200 Christie St
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Saturday—8 am to 8 pm
- Sunday—9 am to 7 pm
Contact Number: +14165371235
Fiesta Farms is a family-run indie grocery store that’s oozing lots of charm. It also boasts an extensive array of panettones. Seriously, every year, the lineup just keeps getting bigger. At one point, it was offering up to 200 different flavours!
I usually go for any of the “unusual” ones—unusual being panettones with unique and sometimes over-the-top features. My recommendation is the Dolce Presepe, which has the nativity scene carved out of white chocolate in its center.
The white chocolate sculpture looks so good that it’s almost a shame to eat it! But of course, I eventually do, and I take delight in the intense sweetness of the pastry.
| Pro Tip: If you’re looking for an affordable option, I recommend the Bauli Pandoro di Verona. It costs just under C$20! |
Padaria
– From: padaria_to
Address: 5 Manor Rd E
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday—8 am to 7 pm
- Saturday and Sunday—9 am to 6 pm
Contact Number: +16477745732
Padaria is another bakery you must go to if you love chocolate. Their chocolate-flavoured panettones feature all three major types of chocolate: dark, milk, and white.
Aside from the chocolate flavour, the bakery also has an almond option. This one features Belgian chocolate and candied orange, offering a nutty, sweet, and fruity flavour and different textures (crunchy, chewy, and smooth).
| Pro Tip: You can make a custom order for special events here. |
Forno Cultura
– From: fornocultura
Address: 609 King St W
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday—7:30 am to 7 pm
- Saturday and Sunday—8 am to 7 pm
Contact Number: +14166038305
Forno Cultura describes their own panettone as “not so classic” because instead of flour, they use 100% semola rimacinata. Because of this, their panettones are much chewier than the traditional ones.
In addition to that, their panettones have a bitter almond meringue crust, which provides an interesting texture—light but also crunchy and brittle. Embedded in the bread are raisins, dried peach, and candied oranges, making every bite an explosion of tart, fruity goodness.
| Pro Tip: If you’re interested in booking a custom order, you can send an inquiry to [email protected]. |
Goûter
– From: gouterbyra
Address: 3507 Bathurst St, North York
Operating Hours:
- Wednesday to Saturday—8 am to 3:30 pm
- Sunday—9 am to 2 pm
Contact Number: +16473513507
Technically, Goûter is a French-style bakery, but they do serve panettones over the holidays, and they’re really good!
They have the classic version with the candied orange peel and raisins, and I love that it isn’t too sweet, making it easier for me to devour the entire thing.
But if you do want something that’s super intense and sweet, go for the triple chocolate panettone. It even comes with caramel if you don’t think that’s sweet enough.
| Pro Tip: This bakery offers custom orders for weddings and other special events. |
Rustic Bakery
– From: rusticbakery318
Address: 318 Rustic Rd, North York
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—7 am to 8 pm
Contact Number: +14162451919
Can’t take gluten or milk? Don’t worry because Rustic Bakery has got you covered; they have gluten-free and lactose-free versions of panettones!
Even though their panettones aren’t the “traditional” ones, they still taste the same. The bread is still light and fluffy, and the candied fruits and raisins add a lovely burst of fruity sweetness with every bite. I actually didn’t know these panettones were gluten-free and lactose-free until my friend told me!
| Pro Tip: This bakery offers catering services for special events. |
Francesca
– From: francescabakery
Address: 2 Invergordon Ave, Scarborough
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Saturday—7 am to 4 pm
- Sunday—7 am to 3 pm
Contact Number: +14162991174
Francesca is located all the way in Scarborough, about an hour’s drive away from where I live in downtown Toronto, but I still make the journey to go there just to get my hands on their panettones.
My go-to is always the black forest panettone. This one has dark chocolate dough, candied cherries, white chocolate chocolate chips, and white chocolate glaze, so it’s rich and sweet, with a sour kick at the end. It tastes even better with a glass of bittersweet, floral-flavored wine!
| Pro Tip: You can book Francesca’s catering services for your special event. |
Amico Bakery
– From: amicobakerytoronto
Address: 2889 Dufferin St, North York
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Saturday—7 am to 6 pm
- Sunday—8 am to 6 pm
Contact Number: +14169012729
At Amico Bakery, all panettones are made fresh in-house and then sealed inside a colourful gift box whenever someone buys them. The panettones also come in two sizes: small size and the regular, 1-kg size!
My favourite flavour to buy is Nutella. It’s oozing with a generous heap of Nutella spread inside, slathered with chocolate ganache, and topped with crushed nuts. It’s just sweetness overload!
| Pro Tip: Book their catering services to make your special event even more special. |
