Toronto has two Italian neighbourhoods: Little Italy along College Street and Corso Italia on St. Clair Avenue West. At Christmas both are the place to stock up on panettone, torrone and espresso, and to soak up Italian holiday traditions.
What to do
- Buy panettone and holiday sweets at Italian bakeries and grocers. Christmas bakeries
- Plan a Feast of the Seven Fishes with seafood from local fishmongers, or book an Italian restaurant’s Christmas Eve menu. Italian Christmas in Toronto
- Café hop for espresso and pastries.
- Hot chocolate: Little Italy has a chocolatier selling hot chocolate jars that make good gifts. Best hot chocolate
- Christmas Mass in Italian at local parishes. Christmas services
Little Italy vs. Corso Italia
Little Italy, College Street between Bathurst Street and Shaw Street, is lively and trendy, with Italian cafés, gelato shops, pizzerias and bars mixed with restaurants from around the world. It’s great for an evening out.
Corso Italia, St. Clair Avenue West between Dufferin Street and Lansdowne Avenue, feels more traditional, with Italian bakeries, butchers, clothing shops and espresso bars. It’s the place to shop for an Italian Christmas.
Both are easy to reach by streetcar: the 506 College and the 512 St. Clair.
Italian Christmas shopping list
- Panettone and pandoro for gifts and breakfast.
- Torrone (nougat) and amaretti cookies.
- Struffoli from a bakery, or ingredients to make your own.
- Baccalà (salt cod) and seafood for the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes.
- Cured meats and cheeses for antipasto platters.
- Espresso and a moka pot as gifts.
A festive afternoon in Little Italy
- Coffee and a cornetto at an Italian café.
- Browse the shops along College Street.
- Pick up holiday sweets at a bakery.
- Early dinner of pasta or pizza at a trattoria.
- A digestivo or gelato to finish.
Italian Christmas traditions in Toronto
Many Italian-Canadian families gather for the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, attend midnight Mass, and share a long lunch on Christmas Day. Some also celebrate La Befana on January 6. See Italian Christmas in Toronto.
Christmas in Little Italy: FAQ
Where can I buy panettone in Toronto? At Italian bakeries and delis in Little Italy, Corso Italia and Woodbridge.
Are Little Italy’s restaurants open on Christmas Eve? Many are, with special menus. Book ahead. Christmas Eve dinner
Beyond Italian food
College Street’s Little Italy is also home to Portuguese, Latin American and other restaurants and cafés, reflecting the area’s diverse history. Nearby Little Portugal on Dundas Street West has Portuguese bakeries selling bolo rei, the king cake eaten from Christmas to Epiphany. Combine both neighbourhoods for a delicious holiday food walk, finishing with a skate or a lights walk downtown. See Christmas bakeries in Toronto and Toronto neighbourhoods at Christmas.
Getting there
The 506 Carlton streetcar runs along College Street through Little Italy; the 512 St. Clair streetcar serves Corso Italia.
