I popped in for a coffee on a freezing January day and came away pleasantly charmed. Pastries are made in‑house, per the friendly server who also crafted a lovely mocha for me. The place has a proper Italian vibe: seating for lingering (or quick exits), a drinks cooler on the back wall with staples like Coca Cola and other sodas, and décor of Italian pantry staples--olive oil, panettone, etc behind the counter. I sampled a biscotti at the register and it was delicious. Great spot for a cozy pick‑me‑up or a casual sit‑down. read more

Riviera Bakery - Pastry case - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I've tried cannoli's before at varying places and none compare to the ones I ate today from here. My client's family made a special delivery to our workplace, bringing in a HUGE batch! Whenever I passed by the staff room, I was taunted by the fresh filled chocolate and some kind of custard desserts that were openly displayed, waiting to be devoured. Regretfully (well, just a little..), I ate three. They're delicious but extremely fattening :( I could feel my thighs getting bigger with every bite! Why must everything fattening be bad for us yet taste so good?! The texture of the custard was smooth and dense but very rich. They appear light but are actually very filling. I spaced them out over the course of the day. Wouldn't have been able to eat more than one in one sitting. I will definitely check out the bakery when in Toronto. Looks like it has lots of goodness to offer. Thanks Riviera bakery family :) read more

Riviera Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The lady working there is super sweet and nice. The place has this old vibe to it. No wonder. They've been around for 50 years. However, I found the overall quality of cookies, canolis and pastries lacking. There was something off about the cream and custard they use. I wish small family-owned bakeries in Toronto adhered to the same standards family-owned bakeries in Europe stick to when it comes to quality of ingredients and type of ingredients. It's very difficult to find a bakery in Toronto that uses quality ingredients. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps, because the average consumer here is content with mediocrity and does not demand higher quality....I'm not sure. Either way, I don't think I'll be coming back anytime soon despite the friendly and helpful customer service. The quality is just not there for me to justify buying their pastries or cookies. read more

Riviera Bakery - $6.50 - Cappuccino + Pastry with custard filling - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This was an unplanned stop for a quick cappuccino and dessert. The initial impression is off putting as the desserts look over sized and overly sugared versions of the European counterparts. They had a big sign in the window saying the best cannolis in Toronto (I assume they serve the Sicilian version here as the portion was huge). My friend ordered a slice of pizza and a Portuguese tart. Both of us ordered a cappuccino. The place was just overwhelmed as there was only one person at the counter making the drinks and ringing in the sales. The cappuccino is a more traditional take and is nothing special IMO. The cannoli was decent so was the pizza slice. The tart didn't fare well. 3 stars all said and done. read more

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Specifically came here for cannolis as it was ranked as one of the top bakeries for cannolis in Toronto. The cannolis were HUGE and had a nice crunch to them. However I ordered the ricotta filling and was in for a fruity surprise. I believe they put dried fruit and chocolate into the ricotta mixture and I did not enjoy the flavour of the dried fruit at all. Other than that, I'd rate it higher but there were some unpleasant bites! read more

Riviera Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Short and sweet Food: 5/5 Loved it. Service: 5/5 friendly. Environment: 4/5 Classic. Washrooms: N/A Worth it?: 5/5 This is going to be a short one. Passed by this place and saw their sign for canolis. Picked up some canolis and lobster tails, 2 of my fav pastries. I wasn't disappointed and will be sure to stop by the next time I am in town. read more

My buddy and I entered here and grabbed a cannoli. I saw the sign that said best cannoli here. The place reminded me of those snack/dessert places in Italy. We ordered the cannoli to go. We quickly grabbed it outside and tried it. To give my perspective of how I think a cannoli taste, my experience only came from those ones from buffets. So to me this was a step above. And I enjoyed it. My friend who lives in Woodbridge said the shell is too hard. read more

Pretty cheap and cheerful. Majority of things would be better if they were kept in heated vs. refrigerated storage (e.g. the custard tarts) but for the price you can't really complain. read more

Finished dinner at Ryoji and passed by here......... hmmm........ why not get some pastries to satisfy my sweet tooth ............... Picked, paid and left happily with a box of late night snackssssssss : ) 11:00pm - pastry tasting started: 1. Tiramisu - the bitter taste was so strong that it hurt my throat ( Are they putting in too much espresso flavor??) 2. Palmier - huge, crispy and delicious 3. Lobster tail - love this tiny one which just finished in 3 bites. It's flaky and it shattered and melted in my mouth with the cream...... yummmmmm read more

Riviera Bakery - Lobster tail - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This bakery shop reminds me of my days in South Italy sooooo much. The pastries look so nice and they do taste very delicious! The Sicilian Inas, which is filled with ricotta and citrus peel under a crispy fired cover, is sooo interesting and tasty!!! read more

They went out of their way to deliver our daughter's birthday pastries after the order was cancelled by the food delivery service. Everything was delicious and they are my new favorite Toronto go-to for something special. Highly recommend!! read more

I'm a little surprised to read the negative reviews about the service here. Maybe we happened to come here on a good day? It was prompt, the little old woman helped us decide what to get, and once my boyfriend joked around with her a bit, she crackled a smile right back and chuckled. Maybe if customers were just friendlier sometimes, we'd get better service huh? We got: 1) Traditional cannolis: very good! the ricotta filling is the perfect level of sweetness, and not cloying/rich at all despite how much there is 2) Another kind of cannolis: this was different because it was made from a flaky pastry rather than deep-fried dough, but pretty decent! nothing too special 3) Valentine's meringue cookies: these were a bit tasteless and didn't have that 'chew' that I like meringue cookies to have.. it was just very, very crunchy and airy There were a bunch of other nice-looking desserts so I think I'd still come back and consider trying 'em! (and definitely get a cannoli or two) read more

Riviera Bakery - Box of Valentine's Day treats - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Riviera bakery was always my immigrant Italian parents go to for cakes and pastries. So for my brother's birthday, since we couldn't be together due to Covid, I decided to have a cake delivered to him. Anna picked up the phone and asked when I could pick up the cake. I advised her that I couldn't pick it up because I lived 45 minute drive north of Toronto. She wasn't sure if they could deliver it and had to call me back. Well, not only did they deliver it, my sister in law said the delivery man looked like a chef. That night we receive pics of the celebration and everyone raved about the Chocolate Mocha cake. For me, it was the next best thing to being there. To know that the The Riviera Bakery's quality and level of service had not changed after all these years says quite a bit about their establishment. Thanks again Anna and the Riviera Family. You exceeded my expectations! read more

It's a little funny that the previous reviewer noted a sense of hostility from behind the counter, because I too have fallen victim to that. My friend and I walked in, wanting to stop off for a hot chocolate or tea. There were two ladies behind the counter, one on the phone, the other just standing back there. As I walked towards the back of the store, the lady on the phone shouts "Where did you come from?". I glared back at my friend who looked equally surprised. She was talking on the phone, but staring right at us! It was a little strange and awkward. They have some really delicious cookies, of the butter/sugar variety. Brings back childhood memories. These are the type of cookies you buy per lb and end up costing close to $1 per cookie!! They have some realyl big and tasty rice balls too, those are always a treat. The staff aren't the most friendly or inviting, so don't expect much and you might be surprised! read more

Riviera Bakery - the outside of the restaurant - Bakeries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Was doing some shopping in Little Italy and had my lady suggested stopping in to pick up some desserts for later that night. I'm never one to argue with the idea of eating decadent sweets so we stopped in. After perusing their wide variety of snacks and baked goods to choose from we settled with a couple chocolate cupcakes, a piece of blueberry cheesecake, and a chocolate rumball. The cupcakes were amazing, probably the best cupcakes I've found on College Street. The blueberry cheesecake was also really enjoyable as it wasn't over the top sweet which I find a lot of cheesecakes can be. The rumball on the other hand, well, it tasted like rum. A lot of rum. I guess some people might enjoy that but I typically like my booze and my chocolate served separately. I was especially surprised and pleased that when I went to pay, all 4 desserts came to less than $10 after tax. I'm definitely going to be stopping back in here, and maybe even for lunch as they did have some really good looking sandwiches for what looked to be very fair prices. read more

Love their Cannoli and Tiramisu. Cannoli - Perfect. Neither too sweet nor too starchy. Perfect blend of sugar and ricotta. The shell is always crisp as it's very fresh. Tiramisu - Not too sweet, has good coffee flavour but it's never overpowering to the point that it gets bitter. Will return when I'm in the area next to try something else. read more

Although I will admit that Riviera always immediately comes to mind when I think of bakeries in the Downtown area, I must agree that its really just "ok". Although they make a mean Cannoli and marvellous Calabrese Pita, beyond that the pastries are rather mediocre. However, and its a big however, if you have never tried a Zeppola from Riviera, you are missing out on the most fantastic Italian pastry experience of your life. For the feast day of St. Joseph (March 19) Italian's in North America for the most part bake a special dessert, and Riviera makes the best ones I've ever tried (and I've tried quite a few)! They are donut shaped dough fritters filled with pastry cream and amarena...divine! Facing the bakery ladies' wrath is worth in it, the month of March! read more

Yes yes, love me some freshly baked bread! So cute and so charming in this neighborhood. They used wholesome ingredients here and the taste clearly shows. Highly recommended if you are a bread lover like me to drop by and support the local business! :) read more

Yum, yum yum!! Sweet old school Italian bakery/pasticceria. I bought some chocolate glazed doughnuts and cheese "Sicilian" cannolis to bring to a cottage weekend. We didn't end up eating anything the day-of, so the doughnuts were a little stale (although my friends enjoyed them) but the cannolis were still awesome. Next time I go back, I want to try to the meringues (or were they macaroons?!), the eclairs, the gelato, the coffee... I might have to go back a few times. They also sell freshly made breads. read more

They have seats by the window and seats away from the window. I sat at the window.It was too hot. The seat inside was too dark. Summer`s almost gone so I first chose the window. But it burned the back of my neck and my jumper beagn to sweat. Back at the dark seat I heard big men talking. My sandwich was dry. My coffee was soapy. I will be back! read more

Wow. Judging only from my visit, I thought that Riviera Bakery was fairly new. But there's already 7 reviews here on Yelp. Given that bit of insight, I will have to start by saying that Riviera Bakery looks unfinished. Though the selection of beverages, breads, and pastries is plentiful and there's a lovely mini-tiled landscape in the entrance, something seems to be missing in terms of coziness. Yet, I can't quite put my finger on it. Apart from that, I guess it does make sense to me that the Riviera isn't that new and is well-known. It seemed to be quite popular, especially for dinner time on Saturday evening. That's when I was there with a friend, to do a quick email/work break before dinner across the street. Unexpectedly, people were constantly coming in to pick up homey, bakery style, celebratory cakes. I had two cappuccinos made with Lavazza espresso. They were served quickly and in a friendly manner. However, if you're a stickler for micro-foam, stick to drinks without steamed milk. For later, I ordered a ricotta-filled pastry the size of a three-year old infant's head. My friend ordered 1/4 of the pastry case as an appetizer. He enjoyed them only moderately. For lunch the day after, I barely managed to eat the infant-head pastry. From the inside-out: Sweet ricotta-filling that is gently flavoured with citrus and chocolate; rounded out with a pastry that is surprisingly thin to carry the weight of its contents; rolled in (panko?) crumbs and deep-fried. Indeed, it stood up to the test of time and was still tender, crisp, and tasty. Even though I don't usually like the citrus + chocolate combo, it was subtle and the ricotta was just the right sweetness for me. New or not, Riviera Bakery has a couple of kinks to work out to maximize its overhead. Its current location is convenient, yet close to competition, and possibly costly. As it is, I would probably only go back to pick-up an infant head and leave immediately. There's so many other bakery options. read more

Had a taste of them from Taste of italy when we got cannolis and we were hooked. They were so delicious! So good that we came back for our anniversary dessert round 1 ! and shared a sicilian cannoli and it was still amazing as we remembered. Would like to try other things eventually but cannolis were the best we've ever had. read more

Had an hour to kill before a movie at The Royal. Loved this place! It is a cute little classic bakery like I remember as a child. Cappuccino was perfect. They do have decaf if you are so interested. I tried the baked zeppole with custard: 5/5 stars! Service was wonderful with two lovely ladies serving us. Mille grazie. I will be back! read more

FIVE STARS for the Cannoli and Custard tart!! i came when the custard tarts are just out of the oven so i was blessed! they tasted havenly. bye diet!! read more

The best Italian Bakery hands down. The cannoli and pastries are the best. Don't miss out if you are in Toronto!

Riviera is simply the best traditional Italian Calabrese bakery in the city of Toronto...period! Excellent authentic breads offers a starting point but the finish line are the pastries. The owners have crafted their art for over some 40+ years. This is a Toronto institution don't pass it by if in Little Italy. PS. Try the Cannoli...they are the best I have had outside of Italy. read more

When I heard that this place is known for its cannoli, I had to make the trek to Little Italy to try. The shells are crispy, without being hard to bite into, and the filling is creamy without being overly heavy. Best of all, the cannoli are big enough that you could cut them in half to share if you wanted to. The cream horn shells are also quite good, and the cream puff is equally delicious, and quite sharable as well. There are no tiny portions here; when you get a pastry, you do feel like you are getting your money's worth. read more

My friend ordered a cappuccino and a slice of Banana bread. Paid just under 5$. He found the banana bread very dry, but enjoyed the cappuccino. read more

Whenever I go into Riviera Bakery, the women behind the counter glare at me as though my custom were the world's biggest irritation. On days when I can screw up my courage to face the ladies' wrath, I treat myself to a fresh and delicious roast chicken sandwich on focaccia ($5 but worth it). There are also salads and pizza slices available for eat-in or take-out. I walk past Riviera every day multiple times and it's always humming with neighbourhood folk sipping their espresso. Since there is plenty of choice for cafes around here, the constant crowds suggest that this is one of the better ones. I'm not really a fan of Italian baking but the cannoli are excellent. Take some home in a white box tied up in string for a vintage treat. Riviera is also okay for gelato but only if you can't be bothered to walk to Dolce with its much broader selection of flavours. read more

I heard about Riviera for its most famous dessert -- cannoli. Some websites considered it as the best in Toronto but I think it was just OK... The staff was very friendly and made fresh coffee expertly. The ciabatta in bakery was good but the most important dessert of Italy -- Tiramisu in Riviera was totally a mess... The mascarpone cheese tasted a little strange and lack of rum flavor. Not recommended. read more

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Riviera Bakery is okay...but it could be better! I think I'm with the general consensus here on some of the mediocre pastries and unfriendly staff. There's nothing worse than someone acting like they are doing you a huge favour by ringing you in, or helping you. I work in the service industry, and I think that kind of attitude is just unnecessary, but it could have just been bad timing or something. I really like their salads they sell in individual portions. Their bean salad or cold pasta salad make great quick lunches that you can grab and go. There's also a decent amount of seating if you want to grab a drink and pastry and hang out for a bit. Overall I think their prices are very reasonable and they offer a great selection, they should just hire some happier people. read more

It's been a while since I've been to the Riviera Bakery, but I remember it fondly. Friendly staff, great coffee and delicious deserts pretty much says it all. One thing I remember not being overly impressed with is their espresso drinks, and so I usually go for a drip coffee when I'm there. They've got a number of Italian baked goods that are delicious, but often times I've found it not necessary to buy one. You know how there are places where you just can't turn down the goodies? Well, I can turn down the goodies here. They're great, but not vital. Inside you'll find one of the coziest places around. It's a truly warm and inviting atmosphere. You'll always want to sit down when you're there, but there isn't an overwhelming amount of space, and those limited seats are quickly snatched up. Something to keep in mind. read more

Portuguese custard tarts are The item to have there. Very good ones. i have to try other items now... read more

After a nice Italian lunch in Little Italy, I decided it was time to grab a cappuccino and a couple of pastries. I remembered walking past this place so my friend and I made our way there before heading back to our hotel. Upon entering, we smelled bread and desserts, which usually happens in a bakery. The cute little lady behind the counter was helping a couple and was very friendly when she got to us. As the daughter of Italian immigrants myself, I chatted with her a few minutes in Italian and English as she made my cappuccino. She was very charming and I congratulated her on being in Canada for 50 years. Along with the cappuccino I ordered some kind of almond/fruit cake and a vanilla icing-topped custard cake (sorry I don't know the formal names). I did notice she made many of the more traditional pastries like babas, cannolis, lobster tails, napoleons, and eclairs. This is a cute little shop, with enough seating for a few people so stop in and grab a pastry and coffee; the cute little lady will take care of you. read more

The cannolis were very rich and were not freshly filled which made the experience okay.

After reading the reviews I was pumped to try the canoli from this bakery. But I guess the reviews must be outdated or something must have changed here! The pastries I bought went straight from the box to the garbage after one bite! They were NOT fresh! The canoli was ok I guess but too sweet and tasted too much like orange zest. The shell was too hard to bite. I also bought these other custard filled pastries that were too stale and the custard had an artificial taste similar to cough syrup! Lobster tales are very old too and the filling was too hard and chunky as if it was sitting in the fridge for weeks. read more

Best cannolis in Toronto! I went out to buy cannolis for my italian family and I couldn't settle for anything less then the real thing. So many cannolis do not have the complete experience ...crunchy shell, nice flavourful thick ricotta, and the perfect sweetness. read more

here at 8am but they are still closed. Last time I come to this bakery. what bakery doesn't open early?

This shop serves great coffee and the employees are always sweet, but the one cookie I've had from Riviera ended up being stale. I guess with such a huge selection of bakery items, it's hard to turn them all over quickly, but it was a bit of a disappointment nonetheless. read more

I ordered 3 cakes on 3 different occasions and received the wrong type of cake every time even though I paid for a more expensive one. I would never order a cake from this place if you ever plan on hosting an event (ie birthday party) because you'll never know what you're going to get. read more