Best Bakeries in Ottawa; a Guide to Baked Bliss
Photo: Ryan Gray
No foodie adventure is complete without a stop at one of Ottawa’s amazing local bakeries! From fresh baked artisan loaves to delicate French pastries, there are endless mouthwatering goodies to choose from. Stop by these small local bakeries on your next trip to Ottawa and stock up on the best baked goods from savoury to sweet.
Art-Is-In Bakery
A favourite of locals and visitors alike, Art-Is-In Bakery serves up some of the best artisan bread in the city, and is continually recommended as one of Ottawa’s best bakeries. This scratch bakery located in a trendy industrial area of the city, is family owned and has a wide selection of delicious fresh baked bread. Their sourdough and levain breads are a bakery staple, and their dynamite loaves in flavours like Rosemary Garlic and Jalapeño cheddar are the perfect accompaniment to any meal, or a perfect base for a tasty sandwich.
Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, their hip dine-in café and patio is the perfect place to enjoy unique foodie creations on home baked bread. Dive into their famous crispy pickle melt served on fresh baked dynamite loaf, the Big “K” burger on a tasty pretzel bun, or order up an artisan pizza loaded high with toppings on house made dough.
If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to fill up a box with freshly baked pastries like their famous Kronuts (also known as “O-towners”) buttery croissants, chewy cookies, sticky cinnamon buns and specialty pastries like delicious espresso brownies and decadent fruit tarts.
Breads and Sons
Established in 2005 by Joav D’Vaja (a physicist turned baker extraordinaire), Breads and Sons is located on a bustling section of downtown Bank St., and is one Ottawa bakery you won’t want to miss. When you step into the bustling, cozy bakery, you’ll be surrounded by the smells of fresh baked goods all around you.
From sweet to savory, Breads and Sons serves up a unique selection of baked goods, rustic breads, roman style focaccia, as well as house-made granola, pizzas, sandwiches, and of course freshly brewed coffee. Must try items include the spinach and feta bourekas, banana chocolate chip muffins, cheese and caramelized onion croissants, gooey cinnamon buns, Hamantachens, and ginger cookies topped with crystalized ginger. Grab a box and fill it with your favourites to go, or grab a cappuccino and enjoy your treats at the small eat in counter.
Le Moulin de Provence
Known for their famous “Obama” Cookies, le Moulin de Provence is a ByWard Market institution, and one of Ottawa’s best bakeries. Founded in 1998, the French bakery and café has been mainstay in “the market” for over two decades, and gained international fame with a stop by US president Barrack Obama in 2009. The “Obama” shortbread cookie, with its patriotic maple leaf shape, is the perfect edible souvenir for those visiting the city, and the perfect Canadian photo op. They also come in decorative shapes for special occasion like Christmas, Easter and Halloween, and in seasonal shapes marking local events like Winterlude and the Canadian Tulip Festival.
Apart from their cookie stardom, le Moulin de Provence is also known as one of Ottawa’s best bakeries for their fresh baked French baguettes, flavourful focaccia, tasty croissants, turnovers, pain au raisin and chocolatines. Their French pastries and cakes are second to none, and whether for a special occasion or a treat for yourself, picking up a mango mouse cake, opera cake, mille feuille, Paris-brest, palais royal or box of macarons, is never a bad idea.
Wild Oat Bakery
In the vibrant neighbourhood of the Glebe, Wild Oat Bakery has been serving up healthy and wholesome bakery goodness for over 20 years. All of their breads are made from scratch using organic flour, and the Wild Oat Farm located 50km outside the city provides fresh, pesticide-free, organic ingredients for their baked goods and café meals. Most of their breads contain no dairy or egg and they also have several gluten free options for those with diet sensitivities.
Their delicious daily breads include the classic multigrain, sourdough, spelt and kamut, cinnamon raisin, and herb and olive, and they offer specialty flavours every day of the week including pumpernickel, challah, and yogurt and flax. For pastry and dessert lovers, their rosemary goat cheese croissant, pumpkin and pecan cinnamon buns, spicy vegan brownie, as well a delicious selection of fresh baked muffins and scones area all must-try’s.
Wild Oat Bakery is also known for their wonderful selection of healthy vegetarian and vegan dishes, made to order in their in-house café. Try veggie classics like the falafel bowl, the wild-a-beast burger (made with a buckwheat-veg-seed and nut patty), fluffy omelets packed with fresh veggies (served all day), or our favourite, the mouthwatering el Oaxaca vegetarian wrap made with house made black bean spread.
Bread by Us
Simple and delicious is the mantra at Bread by Us, and this bread-focused bakery has perfected its craft. Specializing in sourdough breads using high quality unbleached and untreated flours, this quaint local bakery located in Ottawa’s Wellington West neighbourhood is popular among locals, and a hidden gem on the Ottawa bakery scene. Baked fresh in house daily, their focaccia and ciabatta buns, country sourdough and whole wheat loaves are daily staples, and there are different specialty breads on offer each day. Be sure to check their baking schedule if you have a specific loaf in mind. Choose from varieties like Ciambelle, Cornbread, multigrain, Kamut sourdough, and tasty pain au lait loaves and buns.
While bread is their main focus, Bread by Us also has some amazing sweet treats. If you’re picking up a loaf or two, be sure to add a box of their fresh baked pastries to your haul like butter croissants, crostata squares, cinnamon snails, or vegan banana almond muffins. They also stock a variety of local goods in their pantry for pickup including Top Shelf Preserves, Michael Dolce jams, Giizhigat maple syrup (Indigenous-owned, from St. Joseph Island, ON), Crerars honey (Vernon, ON), African spice mixes (prepared by Thirteen, A Social Enterprise, run out of the Parkdale Food Centre in Ottawa) and Hall’s apple butter (Brockville, ON).
Giving back to the community is also engrained in the heart of Bread by Us, and their pay-it-forward donation program provides the opportunity for bakery patrons to give back. With each donation, Bread by Us provides a loaf of bread to someone in need through the Cooking for a Cause initiative. To date, they have donated over 10 000 items over 8 years to food-insecure members of the community, thanks to community contributions.
Black Walnut Bakery
With a love for baking and transforming simple ingredients into bakery masterpieces, the husband-and-wife team of Isaac and Myroslava opened Black Walnut Bakery in 2015. Located a quick 20 min drive outside of downtown Ottawa in Cumberland, ON, this small but mighty bake shop serves up a wide variety of baked goods, as well as a great selection of premade meals, and locally made products.
Order online in advance and pick up your bakery bounty from their takeout window, or drop by and fill up some boxes with whatever tickles your fancy. Their breads are certainly one of the main draws with varieties like Rye, Khorasan, multigrain, white and sourdough. Their sweet treats also do not disappoint, with a variety of scones, homemade butter tarts, croissants, turnovers, brownies, and cinnamon buns. If you’re short on time throughout the week, their selection of premade meals makes it easy to enjoy a delicious homecooked meal without the prep. Choose from pot pies, chilis, soups, borscht, roasted chicken bone broth, mini quiches and tourtières.
Another great thing about Black Walnut Bakery is they stock locally made goods from other local Ottawa area producers. Pick up a bag of Poppa Bean or Equator coffee, Michael Dolce jams, Top Shelf Preserves, or homemade ketchup from the Ketchup Project.
Moulin La Fayette
If you’re booking for one of the best French baguettes in the city, and some sinful French pastries too, head to Moulin La Fayette. Founder Johnyy Jeullin; a fifth-generation baker, pastry chef and chocolatier, started his first business in La Loupe, France in 1978. Jeuillin came to Canada in 1989 and brought his art to the Quebec region, with the first Moulin La Fayette location opening in 1999 in Saint-Sauveur Quebec. The French roots of this bakery are strong, and as one of only three locations in Ontario, it should be top on your list for authentic French bakery fare.
Fresh baked daily, their classic French baguette sells out regularly, so be sure to stop by early. They also serve up an array of other bread options including whole wheat, sourdough, cereal, and brioche. Their classic artisan French pastries are truly decadent, from chocolate éclairs, mille-feuilles, Paris-Brest, Saint-Honoré, macarons, and bas au rhum, to flavourful cheesecakes, opera and a variety of fresh baked pies.
Kettleman’s Bagels
Ottawa locals have been raving about Kettleman’s hand-rolled Montréal style bagels for years, and as the bagel chain rolls into other cities around the province, the capital has long since known about it’s delicious secret. Baked over a wood-fired oven that burns 24hr/day, Kettleman’s bagels are truly the best in the city, and dare we say rival some of the best in Montreal! Watch the bagels be rolled and shaped right in front of you and marvel as they are slid in and out of the woodfire oven on a giant wooden plank. Kettleman’s bagels are so fresh that they’re often still warm in your bag!
Pick up a dozen or half dozen in every flavour you can imagine, and pair them with their unique spreads, kosher pickles, latkes, knishes, and even smoked salmon and capers which are sold in store for your perfect bagel with lox at home.
Whether you’re an early riser, or a late night snacker, Kettleman’s bagel sandwiches are the perfect way to satisfy your cravings 24hrs/day, for dine in and takeout. Choose from the classic breakfast sandwich, Montreal smoked meat and Swiss, Kettleman’s special smoked salmon and cream cheese, the traditional Reuban, Philly cheese steak, the Cubano, as well as many vegetarian options.
