The Best Artisanal Panettone in Montreal
Panettone is to Italians what the Yule log is to Quebecers: a must for the holiday season! Whether enjoyed as a dessert or at breakfast, you’ll fall in love with its brioche texture, just the right amount of sweetness and light pastry. It’s a true staple of Italian holiday cuisine.
A decadent hybrid between a loaf of bread and a cake, it’s a favourite treat during the holidays. While commercial versions are generally easy to find, artisanal panettone are the result of a long process that requires patience, passion and know-how. That’s why we’ve put together a short list of the best artisanal panettone in Montreal!
Originating from Milan, the origins of this artisanal confection go back to the Middle Ages. A tradition specific to this region, it wasn’t until the 20th century that panettone gained popularity outside northern Italy. From then on, it was rapidly industrialized and marketed.
Its contemporary artisanal version is the result of the exceptional work of pastry chefs and bakers. Traditionally, panettone is made of flour, eggs, a lot of butter, sugar, candied fruits and raisins. Its manufacturing process — which includes a long fermentation period — requires a great deal of know-how. However, the hard work is evident in its soft texture, light crust and buttery taste.
Special mention must go to Viva Panettone, which is almost unanimously acclaimed on the Montreal market. You can choose from a dozen types of panettone, including the highly sought-after Le Signature (a traditional panettone with candied citrus fruits, sultanas and exceptional vanillas). You can buy Le Signature at Le pain dans les voiles bakery and via the website of Édouard & Léo (Hoogan & Beaufort‘s butcher shop), as well as all the panettone and other Viva Panettone products at their boutique at 6422 boulevard Saint-Laurent. And that’s not all: Viva Panettone will represent North America at the Panettone World Cup, to be held in Milan in 2024! A must-try!
Here are our suggestions for places to try excellent artisanal panettone in Montréal.
Enjoy and happy holidays!
Arte & Farina
This little Italian bakery makes exceptional pastries. Chef Sandro Carpené — originally from Bassano del Grappa, Italy — prepares a wide variety of sublime Italian sweets. All of his products are made with respect to tradition and from the best ingredients possible. They offer delicious artisanal panettone that are beautifully packaged for the holiday season. We’re talking about panettone made by Sandro that took over 72 hours to make! You can choose from the classic orange, lemon and candied raisin panettone, the domori chocolate and candied apricot panettone, and the maple, apple, blueberry and almond panettone. We love this place. We also go to Arte&Farina to enjoy the best bomba di roma, fritella and cornetta in Montreal.
Montréal
Hof Kelsten
We love Hof Kelsten. Owner Jeffrey Finkelstein started baking bread in his mother’s basement, serving up batches at Montreal landmarks like Leméac, Nora Gray, Joe Beef and Maison Publique. Today, in their refined and original space on boulevard Saint-Laurent, you’ll find not only some of the best breads in town, but also delicious viennoiseries and excellent artisanal panettone. We recommend that you reserve your panettone quickly, as they go like hotcakes!
Montréal
Miette Boulangerie
Officially opened at the end of 2021, Miette is a superb bakery in Little Burgundy that has quickly risen to the top of the list of the best bakeries in town. Here, sourdough bread takes pride of place, but for the festive season they’re offering a sourdough panettone with homemade chocolate-hazelnut praline. A true delight for lovers of sourdough and panettone!
Montréal
Restaurant Elena
Elena is one of the best Italian restaurants in town. The charming restaurant with its café-pizza-wine concept is open 7 days a week, much to everyone’s delight. This year, the team is offering a naturally leavened panettone with chocolate and cranberry for the holiday season as well as a classic panettone for more traditional tastes. Here we also find great natural wines, delicious pizzas and fresh pasta to go.
Montréal
Café Dei Campi
Café Dei Campi specializes in handmade, Italian-inspired vegan pastries. Barista Nicola Vardaro and pastry chef Isabelle Deschamps are bringing you once again this year their soft, slightly sweet, homemade panettone. It’s studded with currants infused with Marsala wine, candied orange peel, roasted almonds, and dark chocolate.
Montréal
Boulangerie Le Toledo
With their chocolate panettone, coffee panettone, and, of course, classic panettone, Toledo bakery has everything it takes to become one of your favourite addresses in the run-up to Christmas. It’s already on our list of the best bakeries in Montreal.
Montréal
Café Olimpico - Mile End
The iconic Italian Montréal institution offers its decadent pistachio panettones every year! And for the hungriest among us, it comes with a jar of pistachio cream to make everything even richer and softer. Hurry up — quantities are limited!
Montréal
Viva panettone
The Montréal bakery Viva Panettone has now become a holiday must. You can choose from a dozen varieties of panettones, including the highly sought-after Le Signature (a traditional panettone with candied citrus, sultana raisins, and exceptional vanillas). And it’s more than just a detail: Viva Panettone represented North America at the Panettone World Cup in Milan in 2024! Definitely worth trying. You can get them directly at the bakery (8248 rue du Creusot, Saint-Léonard), at the two pop-up shops (50 Laurier Avenue West and 423 Place Jacques-Cartier), or at one of the many sales points across the city — including all Le pain dans les voiles bakery locations, Édouard & Léo butcher shops, and Pacini restaurants.
Montréal
Merci la Vie
Merci la vie, the café-bakery, is without a doubt one of the best pastry spots in the province. For the holidays, as every year, the team is offering delicious panettones — on top of their excellent viennoiseries and artisanal breads.
Piedmont
