The Best Bakeries in Etobicoke, Compared: French Pastry, Italian Cannoli and German Stone-Oven Bread

Etobicoke's bakeries reflect the area's mix of communities: French patisserie, old-school Italian counters and German-style breads all sit within the same part of the city. This guide compares the Etobicoke bakeries named in BlogTO's coverage of new Toronto bakeries and Italian bakeries, and in a Minto guide to GTA bakeries by neighbourhood. Those articles do not all give street addresses or dates, so we have kept to what they say and flagged where you should confirm details yourself.

Hadrien Patisserie: French pastry

BlogTO's new-bakeries roundup features Hadrien Patisserie in Etobicoke, the first brick-and-mortar shop for pastry chef Hadrien Verrier. The menu covers French pastries including croissants, financiers, layered cakes and tarts, plus sourdough breads. BlogTO notes the space is small, so it recommends planning on takeout.

Best for: croissants and tarts to take away, and a quality French pastry box.

SanRemo Bakery and Messina Bakery: Italian classics

BlogTO's guide to Toronto's Italian bakeries lists two Etobicoke names. SanRemo Bakery offers cakes, cookies, pastries, breads, donuts and savoury options, and is known for its holiday displays of colourful, themed desserts. Messina Bakery is described as old-school, with cream-swirled cakes, ricotta-filled cannoli and a hot counter of savoury fare. BlogTO notes it often has a line-up.

Best for: celebration cakes and cannoli (SanRemo and Messina), and a savoury lunch from Messina's hot counter.

Dimpflmeier Bakery: German-style bread

The Minto guide describes Dimpflmeier as baking German-style breads in stone ovens from century-old recipes, using spring water from Terra Cotta, Ontario. It places the bakery at Kipling and Dundas.

Best for: hearty loaves and traditional German-style bread.

Hot Oven Bakery: European-style breads and fruit pies

According to Minto, Hot Oven Bakery makes handmade pastries, pies, cakes and bars with fresh fruit fillings, plus European-style breads and baguettes made without preservatives or artificial ingredients. It lists locations in the Kingsway, Roncesvalles and Bloor West Village.

Best for: pies and baguettes, especially if you are shopping in the Kingsway.

Holy Cannoli: fresh-filled cannoli

Minto also names Holy Cannoli, which makes fresh-filled Italian cannoli sold at retailers across the GTA, including in South Etobicoke.

Best for: cannoli, filled fresh, as a gift.

How to choose

Match the bakery to the occasion. For croissants and tarts, go to Hadrien Patisserie. For a celebration cake or a box of cannoli, look at SanRemo, Messina or Holy Cannoli. For bread, compare Dimpflmeier's German-style loaves with Hot Oven's European breads and baguettes. Because some of the guides we drew on are undated and give few addresses, confirm each bakery's location, hours and current menu before you set out, and go early on weekends for the items with a reputation for line-ups.