Caldense & Bakery

Ok, I’ve read most of the reviews and I am Portuguese… I agree that the staff isn’t as friendly as they should be, but it’s hit and miss. Sometimes I’m actually very happy with the service, maybe they’ve read the reviews. The pastries are good, especially their specialties (Natas, bolas de Berlin, palmeares etc.)The popular ones are always fresh and they do run out early. The other cakes like cheesecake, brownies I have never tried and wouldn’t bother. But I do suggest getting their sandwiches, the grilled pork with caramelized onions on a bun is perfect for a quick lunch, or just havarti cheese on a fresh bun with a galão (coffee). Their prices are good, especially in comparison to the exorbitant prices you find in the downtown core. Try it out and hopefully you’ll get there early enough to experience some of their authentic portuguese pastries and service with a smile.

this location is hit or miss
huge parking lot, and a very easy location to get in and out of.
sometimes they run out of pastries and treats for the day, and sometimes the staff isn’t so friendly. lots of seating and very well lit though.
still a great cup of coffee and a treat, so long as they have what you’re craving.

Friendly staff, bakery is clean. And In my opinion they have some of the best nata in the city.(Portuguese custard tarts)

As with previous reviews I must agree that the service is slow…
However, the two most important factors for me when I eat out are taste and price.
This place has an amazing selection, and I’ve tried a shrimp pastry, a cod pastry, the Nata’s or custard Portuguese tarts, and the tirimisu. Also had a steak mushroom melt wrap for only $ 4…
They were all very good, not exceptional but I’ve been there everyday since trying. I work around the corner at a fitness institute for gamers, and we’ll all be back regularly!
Prices can Not be beat, but even tho service is slow, they were friendly and patient.

I’ve only every had one thing here, I can’t really remember what it was tho. Defs a hotspot.

This place isn’t as good as many of the other Portuguese bakery options around the area, but it gets the job done. Most of the staff are not the friendliest people you’ll come across, but they do serve you fairly quickly. It’s more of a take out place to me, so I usually get a few custard tarts and a slice of cheese cake and I’m on my way.
The custard is pretty good although I prefer the ones at Cantanhede O Bairradino more. The cheese cake is pretty good as well, and doesn’t tastes super sweet. In fact most of their baked goods don’t have too much sugar in them, which fits my taste buds well.
The prices are also super cheap here, and you can get a half a dozen baked goods for under $ 10. If you’re on the go this place is an decent option when Cantanhede O Bairradino is super packed!

Came here on a late night walk with the girlfriend two nights ago. Just stopped for two pastries, the custard tart and my girlfriend had some kind of lemon /​pineapple. Both were delicious and came to a grand total of $ 2 something. Im keen to go back and try something more substantial.

I visited this bakery yesterday with my wife, and every facet of the experience was unacceptable.
The service was, at best, forced; the young woman serving us expressed enthusiasm comparable to that of a tortoise on quaaludes. Her words suggested that we could sit down and wait for our food, while her tone of voice and vacant facial expression implied that she was, in reality, merely tired of looking at us.
The food complimented the service, in that both were bad. I ordered the strawberry cheesecake and a «Canadian» coffee. The coffee was burned and an oily film floated on top of it. It probably tasted great that morning – clearly when it was brewed – but by our arrival at 3 p.m. it was not potable. Cream could not mask the burned taste, so I decided to try sweetening it. I politely asked the waitress for honey and she agreed to bring some, but honey did not arrive during any of her subsequent passes by our table.
The nadir was the cheesecake, which looked, smelled and tasted like a low-​quality grocery store brand. I have crowbarred a good deal of sarcasm into this review so far, so here I will attempt a more succinct description:
The strawberries: They looked fresh and colourful on display but were cadaver grey inside – likely the result of being frozen for too long. I didn’t try them; I merely used my fork to flick them aside.
The strawberry sauce: It smelled like, from what I could determine, food additives. I licked a bit off my fork, noted the chemical taste, and then used said fork to push the remaining sauce away from the cheesecake.
The cheesecake filling: The highlight of the desert, only because it did not have anything glaringly wrong with it. It didn’t do anything right either; it was virtually tasteless. I ate the filling out of hunger and a desire to justify my purchase.
The crust: Visually unappealing; soggy and crumbly. Sweet tasting but otherwise forgettable.
I entered a Portuguese bakery expecting an actual bakery. What I found was something inferior to a Tim Hortons experience. You may have already inferred it, but I do not recommend this establishment.

SInce I live in the neighbourhood amongst a rather large community of Portuguese nationals I can claim to have tried nata from among the various bakeries in the neighbourhood. I would rate the nata at this particular Caldense location to be rather good IMHO. The crust is thin and has a nice light crispness — not tough or chewy. The custard is sweet — but yes, perhaps lacking a little in the ultimate flavour department. In a pinch I would say you can’t go wrong. Tavora’s do not stand up to these nata, and actually I like them better than Nova Era’s too.
I also go in sometimes for sandwich buns and oh em gee they are always perfectly fresh, fluffy pillows of white bunny goodness.
As far as the ambience goes — it’s not that bad but not generally the kind of place I would hang out at in a social setting — it’s not particularly interesting.
The service is S.L.O.W — this is probably the only thing I would complain about. I am not Portuguese nor am I a regular and I always find the staff to be friendly and polite. Just terribly slow.

i live near there. the food and pastries are actually good, but i have the impression that they only want their local portugese clients. therefore only the 2 stars… service was bad to NON-​perceived locals.

kind of in the area of nowheresville, I only come here because it’s close to one of my workplaces.
A nice large bakery with a sit down area in the back. I don’t feel entirely comfortable sitting around here alone for several reasons.
but let us get to the tarts/​natas
I love portuguese custard tarts. LOVE. But I find the ones here standardly average. I find the crust a little above average– it has a lovely flakiness to it. but the custard is just a big glop of unspiced fat. And while it is STILL a veryVERY tasty big glop of unpiced fat, I’ve had better custard filling at other places. NAMELY, danforth in the village (which is the BEST nata I’ve ever had thus far in toronto)