It's been years since I came to Nova Era Bakery and since I was in the Ossington Dundas neighbourhood I had to have one of their famous Portuguese custard tarts or Pastel de Natas! I remember when they were $1.25 and now they are $1.99. But it was still so gloriously delicious! Crispy flaky pastry shell and the custard was so heavenly! I definitely had a Foodgasm! It was fresh! Nice vibe inside with lots of tables. I sat and savoured every delicious bite. I have to say these are my favourite Natas in Toronto! And I usually get friendly staff service. Sometimes I try to chat with server but realized they speak limited English. Anyways I'm glad this location is still here after many years. read more

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Ótimo atendimento e comida incrível. Os funcionários são muito simpáticos e é um ótimo lugar para almoçar. Café e loteria disponíveis também. read more

the food is amazing!!! Do not get me started on the bakery...its supreme!! Friendly great service and very clean and it feels like you are sitting in a cafe in Europe. A definite go to read more

Great sandwiches. Great bread and the pastries are really good. Employes are very friendly and it's a nice place for lunch. Coffee and lottery available also. read more

Mh friend and I went on an egg tart crawl around Little Portugal in Toronto. We love the egg tarts here. The original was definitely mind blowing. The crust was perfectly crispy and buttery. We also tried the nutella one. I honestly preferred the original better but can't go wrong with nutella if you're craving a bit of hazelnut and chocolate. We had a croquette as well. That was a bit underwhelming. If you're looking for Portuguese egg tart, come stop here. You won't regret it. read more

Nova Era Bakery & Pastry is Toronto's finest Portuguse bakery chain. It's head office is on Geary Avenue. Come here for the heavenly Pastel de Nata (egg custard tarts). They make great Rissóis de Camarão (fried shrimp patties) and Pastéis de Bacalhau (codfish rolls). Whenever guests are in town, we bring them here to sample the delightful treats. read more

Nova Era Bakery - Pastéis de Bacalhau (codfish roll) - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The pasteis de nata are so good. I popped back in this bakery before I left my Airbnb to buy some to bring home. There is a good amount of flakiness to the pastries, that accompany the filling perfectly, and they last long enough before they get soggy. I also bought a baguette that was very delicious and soft, and a couple coffees here during my stay. The espresso was perfect for a morning or afternoon pick me up. read more

Nova Era Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Service is really rude but reasonable prices and good eats makes up for it. Shrimp patty and tosta mista are really good. I may be the odd one out but the pastel de nata isn't my thing here. Maybe it's that I'm used to the chinese egg tart texture but the nata is a bit too gummy in texture for me. I've also had the chicken ball which came cold and bland. I can't imagine it being good hot either. The flan was good, not great. Come for the good cheap eats but don't expect service. read more

The service in the time of Corona-19 was not up to snuff. Noses poking out of masks and maskless employees in the back area makes one question the care and sanitation taken overall. This is a local place with reasonable prices, good food (had sandwiches, bought buns, and Pastel De Nata), and ok coffee (weak). read more

I've been a longtime patron of his bakery location (there are others in the city). We went on a Saturday afternoon so the place was so-so busy. What stuck out for me was a 3 things.... 1. The the cake showcase was 1/2 empty?! Very little baked items at all. The rest of the items seemed "warmed over" meaning they looked far worse then they should have. 2. When we were served, the wait staff seemed annoyed by the fact they were serving us & the quality of her work reflected it. We had no cutlery or napkins or side plates for the several desserts we purchased! When we asked her for the items she practically rolled her eyes to get them! 3. The city bylaws say you must have a bathroom for both sexes...they had only the men's!! Not good! I was very disappointed with this old rundown location. I WON'T be going there again. read more

Seeing how I recently reviewed Venezia (my 5*) and Caldense (3*) for custard tarts, I figure rounding out the other popular spot would be a way to end my Little Portugal search. I wish I could say great things but it's quite similar to Caldense. Haphazard service, not a bad bakery... lots of seating but it's a bit on the darker side, but the tarts were really really sugary sweet without any good flavour. I would say definitely a step down from Venezia but a touch above Caldense possibly. When I first entered, I saw 3 young ladies behind the counter moving items around. They all looked in my direction and as I stood idly by, not one said hi or verbally acknowledge me. This was awkward. A good minute goes by before this elderly gentleman stands by me. Finally a few moments later, one of the young ladies come to the front cashier section. As I was going to say 'hi', she abruptly goes into a loud Portuguese conversation with the gentleman. I guess he's a regular. He gets his items and he goes off his way.I finally get my turn and I get my 2 tarts placed in a bag. For $2.65, I get 2 hefty tarts. When I get home... I notice they have the nice caramelized topping and it seems the crust is flakier than Caldense and more similar to Venezia. I take a sniff and I do smell vanilla... somewhat artificial but still a good smell. When we bit into the tart, it definitely had a nice flakey crisp crust. So far so good... as we started to enjoy beyond the crust, the sugar overload hit us pretty hard. This tart was far more sugary one note compared to Venezia and Caldense. It was hard to enjoy as it was too sweet and no flavour other than sugar. I didn't really taste any good egg or vanilla. Overall, I would still keep Venezia as my number one Portuguese custard tart. This place has a great crust but the filling and service can definitely use some tweaking. read more

Nova Era Bakery - Portuguese custard tarts... $1.25 each - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I love European bakeries and have an affinity for family run Portuguese ones predominantly for one thing, Portuguese tarts! They may look like Chinese egg tarts that have been accidentally burnt to a crisp, but they maybe one of the most omnomeriffic (tm) things in the world. I was introduced to my first tart as a child by some Portuguese related family of mine and I've been addicted to them ever since. On my recent trip to Macau, I went on a crazy hunting trip for these little suckers where some of the best in the world are made. Unfortunately THE most well known place there "Annie's Bakery" was closed, but I still packed in 3 or 4 from several places (and if you happen to know the calorie count for these bad boys you'd know that's about a days worth). The ones from Nova here are as favourably comparable to any of the ones I had in Macau. They're crispy, light, and the filling wasn't ridonckulously sweet. Best part is they serve "Canadiana Coffee" a la Tim Hortons like coffee, but if you're a connoisseur they have traditional espresso's, latte's and other italian/french sounding names for coffee. If I was retired and living in the neighbourhood, I'd be there every day and have one of these bad boy tarts till my heart explodes so I could die in a yummy peace. read more

One of the greatest pleasures of living in downtown Toronto west is the Portuguese bakeries. Incredibly reasonably priced sandwiches, pastries, custards and meaty extras make my world go around, and Nova Era delivers all of this goodness. My go to lunch here (and a lot of bakeries in my hood) is the tosta mista. If you aren't familiar, it's a big soft roll with ham and cheese that they press down to a grilled panini-like thing, and it's crunchy, gooey and always satisfying. Pair it with one of their daily homemade soups? Done. They also make entire cakes daily, and sell slices on the cheap, if you have a sweet tooth. read more

Nova Era Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

As Portuguese as a bakery can be. You have the grandmas sitting by the window drinking their coffee, the employees speaking in Portuguese, and the Pastel de Nata as good as they are in the streets of Lisbon. I love this place and will be back when I return to Toronto. read more

Growing up as an Asian American, egg tarts are a staple of all Cantonese bakeries. I've had them through out North America and Hong Kong. These were hands down the best egg tarts I've ever had. The crust was incredible flaky and buttery, and the egg custard was very rich and creamy. Not overly sweet. We bought 6 between the four of us and quickly devoured them and had to turn back to pick up more! read more

Was visiting from out of town this weekend and stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant. The food was fresh, delicious, well priced and accompanied by a host of friendly staff. If you are in London and looking for an amazingly tasty and authentically delicious quick meal, make sure to stop in. read more

Love their Portuguese tarts, perfect custard filling with a crispy croissant like pastry. This seems like a local join, with many patrons knowing the servers by name. There are also scratch cards available for purchase by the door. Neat! read more

Great deserts. Great bakery with fresh breads and buns every day. Best little cafe near Dufferin and DuPont. read more

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First time visiting this branch. Usually go to one in Kitchener. Not happy with customer service at all. Had purchased sweet bread. Was parked right outside the shop. When i sat down in car, noticed the lady had given me the wrong kind of sweet bread, the bigger one. I wanted the smaller ones. She had already packed it for me in polybag hence i did not notice inside shop otherwise i would have mentioned it there itself. Literally, within 1 minute of purchasing it, i asked her to replace it with correct one. And i did not even ask for the difference back since smaller was cheaper. She simply said NO my face saying due to COVID, cannot return. N this is when I purchased LESS THAN A MINUTE ago where i have not even opened the polybag or even touched it since i had noticed already its the wrong kind. Are you kidding me? First and last time at this location. read more

Located in the centre of Portugal town provided fresh bread, sandwich, coffee and desserts to neighbourhood customers. Honestly, their desserts were too sweet and Portuguese tart was not delicious at all. But their bread were really fresh and aromatic. I can't help to eating it while the aroma of baked flour flying into my nose. I found there was a stone oven inside but no pizzas on menus. Ohh, please. Don't let the oven lie idle, use it to made freshly baked pizza for us!! read more

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We came up to Toronto from Buffalo for an event and popped in to the bakery for lunch. It was late in the day so our selection of bread was understandably more limited. But there was a wide array of sandwich options, as well as plenty of lovely looking pastries in the cases. The girls working there were quite friendly and the service was excellent. I was impressed that when I ordered egg salad, she made it fresh right then. Most places (at least in the States) keep egg salad pre-made. It was not busy when we came in, though there were other customers who had already been helped and who were sitting enjoying their food. I could see how it might get crowded during a busy time of day but that's no different than any other smaller bakery or deli. On the whole, we would definitely come back here. read more

Went here today for a bite. My friend ordered an espresso and we shared a tart. While the espresso was good and the tart was to my liking but not his (too dense/too heavy), what bothered me most about this place was the customer service. As my friend looked at the different pastries, he had questions about one of them and asked one of the waitresses who was looking down and basically ignoring us. We didn't go away so she had to look up. He repeated his question, she proceeded to answer in Portuguese and another waitress who was nearby answered her in Portuguese and then answered our question... It's a bit hard to think you're not talking s*** about us in Portuguese when you do that. There was a variety of tarts, my friend asked questions about a couple of them and decided on one with coconut. When he asked the waitress (3rd waitress in 5 minutes) what the tart was called (in Portuguese), she gave him this "it's a coconut tart" with a "DUH!" expression on her face.... OK, rude. That made me not want to get anything, so I went to browse the breads. I figured picking my own bread wouldn't require as much interaction with the staff. So I pick a loaf, put it in a bag, put it on the counter. The waitress (4th one) at the counter is staring at me like "what do you want?". I push the bread her way without saying a word and with a "DUH!" smile on my face because, at that point, I've had it with the attitude. As I was waiting for her to go in the back to slice it up, I could see the difference of interaction between Portuguese customers and non Portuguese customers. Overall, the wait staff was annoyed at everyone and a bit rude, but the attitude improved a bit if you were Portuguese. Needless to say, I will be going elsewhere next time. read more

One thing: pastel de nata! I can't attest to their other offerings but the pastel de nata is pretty good. I remember coming here on my very first visit to Toronto and I happened by the same shop on my last visit so I decided to get some treats. read more

I went to the first Nova Era location and later saw this one and decided to give it a try and see what things they offered. So I got the pudim, which is a custard-like dessert that I eat a lot in other places. The one from here was really bitter and I saw them drizzle a bunch of caramel from a bottle (I think that's why it was so bitter) and I got 2 bolinhos de bacalhau which is a fried cod cake. That one was even more bitter and mushy and we had to ask them to reheat it since it was cold. I don't know. I wanted to like this place but it just didn't feel like it was made there. Really disappointed. read more

Nova Era Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A good option if you're on the hunt for pastries late at night - as I usually am! They're open late, while all other cafes/bakeries usually close early. The Portuguese egg tarts here are excellent! The other pastries are hit and miss, some are great, while I've found some others a bit stale sometimes. The prices are great, you can get a whole box of pastries for under $10! read more

I was on the hunt for some cake after a late Friday night dinner, and randomly ended up at this place because it was open at 11pm (bonus). This place as that really homey feeling and is completely unpretentious. What we ate: - The java was spectacular. (Coffee and cappuccino) - The strawberry shortcake felt like someone's grandmother just whipped it up in the back! - Almond tart was a yummy little bite. - Kaiser roll: Delicious - While there I picked up some cold cuts and cheese, can you image that the total bill for all of this was only 15$? I will definitely be back for another cake fix! read more

3.5 stars is more accurate. I usually just go here for their fresh baked bread since it's cheap and indeed very fresh-tasting. I've also had a few of their deli sandwiches and pastries which are all pretty good and reasonably priced. However, the few times I've stayed for table service or needed assistance putting a box of pastries together... Well, I'm not Portuguese and feel like it definitely made a difference in the customer service I was receiving. It feels a little clique-y. I usually have to wait awhile before being acknowledged. They weren't outwardly rude, they just weren't that friendly either. But it's close to my house and the products are worth it so I continue to put up with the lukewarm service. read more

One of my favourite things are Portuguese Egg Tarts. When I discovered that they were available right around the corner from where I was staying, I couldn't be happier. As I entered the bakery, there it was, in the glass case near the door: a whole heaping tray of the golden yellow egg tarts!! I got in line right away and ordered one dozen. All for myself. Because when else would I be able to eat all these tarts? I brought them back to my place, heated one up, and indulged in a delicious custard-egg filled tart. The custard's consistency was just perfect, and not too sweet. The layers of flaky pastry crust was light and so buttery. These were so good that I had to go back the next day. In case you were wondering, I didn't finish the initial dozen all to myself. I bought another half dozen, so that I could bring it back to Vancouver with me to enjoy the Portuguese goodness. read more

The Portuguese tarts are to die for! We can't get enough! I always get plenty to take home with me!

I've posted a pic of my favourite snack at Nova Era, the cabbage soup with fresh, melt-in-your-mouth Portuguese bun. The no-nonsense staff here are incredible and can almost read my mind as soon as I come in. They have table service off to the the left as you come in so there is no need to stand at the counter trying to decide what to have. I haven't seen a menu, but walking by the display cases will give you some great ideas. The pastries are delicious! The tarts of course, but I've also tried something that looked like a donut but was flakey pastry instead of dough, now that's a treat. The seating area is spacious and pleasant with a combination of modern and vintage rolled into a very comfortable experience. I had the pleasure of sitting at the one table in the corner front (to your left as you walk in) which is directly in front of a huge picture window with an amazing view of Dundas looking west (see my pic). A lottery ticket kiosk sits unassumingly on the wall to your left as you come in. On the right of the til is another large seating area that has comfy looking couches, similar to a suburban rec room, with a large serving opening from the kitchen area facing the room. What a concept! I could live here. There is even some kind of a funky oven in the back of the room that looks functional although I haven't seen it in operation. See my pics. (And next door is a great beer store). The coffees offered are the old school versions of what Starbucks tries to sell you as trendy and cool, but here they are no big deal, just part of the experience and not overpriced so you can have more than one. That's the way these people roll and I LOVE THAT! read more

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This place has amazing bread of all kinds - baguettes, rye bread sliced, olive bread, pada buns - it's all fresh and delicious. They also make yummy cheap sandwiches on said bread. The pastries are also excellent - I take all my guests there for the Portuguese tarts - heavenly and addictive. The only negative is the service - I used to think it's because I speak English and not Portuguese, but the service is actually bad for everyone. They have no sense of urgency or need to wait on people. Three people will be behind the counter with a huge line-up, but only one will come over to wait on people. No rush! I can wait 20 minutes for a loaf of bread! Eye roll. I feel lucky if I get waited on right away - like I won the lottery! That's how infrequently it happens. read more

Wow. Fresh partries, huge selection of incredibly delicious snacks and sumptuously fresh breads. Incredible pricing for the quality. Such a great place to go and pick out lots of tiny treats to try. You can choose 5 or 6 decadent little desserts for around $10. Tiny cheesecakes, gorgeous tarts, little decorated slices of cake, cute chocolate shells full of tiramisu. No matter how inexpensive/tiny, each treat is beautiful and flavourful. No surprising or creative flavours here but old reliable baking recipes done right and wholesome full-on, full fat (gluten, white sugar, dairy, o yes!) oldworld creations. Great place to stock up for a picnic, potluck, or pick up dessert for a host/company. I keep returning for the egg tarts (natas). They're outrageously delicous.. the shell is phenomenal: delicate, perfectly crunchy (intricately crafted when you examine it.. that swirl in the pastry at the bottom! swoon.). The filling is strongly sweet and heady with vanilla with a rich, velvety yolky taste (so not the weird back of the throat old-scambled-eggy taste egg tarts can sometimes have). YEA! read more

The Tosta Mista was outstanding. Very generous meat and cheese (including the extra bacon) and bread toasted perfectly. The iced coffee was perfect and the shrimp patty very tasty with obviously fresh shrimp chunks. Best Pastes I have tasted in the city. Perfect flaky crust and generous flavour, full and just right sweetness filling. read more

Love their pastries and their coffe but their staff... I love nova era bakery but this one i try to avoid for 1 simple reason, the staff. They are so rude, always get the order wrong and then when i send it back because its wrong they take it as an inconvenience. There have been times when i walked into the bakery and the bakery was almost empty and i had to wait more than half an hour to be served because the employees were chatting. They just completely ignore that they have somebody waiting to be served Out of all the times i have been there i have never received a "have a nice day" or even a simple smile If it was not for the staff i would go there more often read more

Strong delicious latte. Mini Sagres beer from Portugal. Tosta Mista, which is grilled ham and cheese sandwich are really good here. Fresh bread baked here and traditional Portuguese sweets. Great spot for a quick inexpensive lunch, beer and coffee. read more

Nova Era Bakery - Strong flavour delicious latte and mini Sagres beer from Portugal - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Very disappointing. 6 servers working 6 tables and the bakery counter - and my partner and I were the only table eating food, all others coffee only...and nobody came out to ANY of the tables the whole time we were there, to ask if anyone needed more coffee, if food was good, zip. Nothing. Gossiping and kvetching in between ringing out occasional bakery customer. Went in at about 10:30am. Had (2) ham and cheese on toasted croissant sandwiches and a Portugese tart, with coffee. Croissant was burnt black. Ham and cheese was cold and unmelted. Coffee barely hot. Tart was ok. Unimaginative. After 20 minutes of zero contact, not even eye contact, we split. 5 seconds after we walked from table, a server swooped over and cleaned table. Whew! For a second, I thought maybe we were invisible! HaHa read more

Nice bakery with friendly staff and very cheap food&drinks. It is a great place to get a bread for home or to grab some of their delicisous pastries and a coffee. There is more then bakery and pastry products they offer....salads, sandwiches, soups,... and beer too! read more

Always great friendly service and fresh baked bread and desserts everyday. Highly recommend the custard cakes they are the closest thing I have ever tried to the original Pastéis de Belém in Lisboa The rice flour cake is also really good and a good option for those whom do not like cake too sweet. The bean cakes are great here too! orange, almond, and a few others I have tried are all good. Can't go wrong with Nova Era read more

I'm a fan of the neighbourhood portuguese places. Nova Era falls into this category. While rebuilding by house I was always there getting their famous Tosta Mista (a ham and cheese sandwich toasted) for only $4. You could walk in and out of there with a full lunch including one of their signature portuguese tarts for only about $6. Nowadays I'm in their all the time getting their baguettes and pada buns, which they are constantly baking. Most of the time you can pick up a loaf of bread and it's still hot. Yes, the staff can be rushed there, and sometimes a little brash, (ie. serving the locals before the english speakers), but it's worth it. Go for the good bread. Happy to have this place around. read more

Portuguese tarts. My first was in Macau. I didn't appreciate it. I had one many years after, once I'd had what I like to call my "foodie awakening" and I regretted paying so little attention to my first. A friend of mine shared a Portuguese tart from Nova Era with me one day and it was delightful. The inside was wonderfully creamy and the crust was so incredibly flaky. It also wasn't too sweet, which I appreciated a lot. Be careful. If you aren't gentle with it, this dessert will fall apart when you bite it, but it's sooo worth it. read more