Little Portugal on Dundas West: churrasco chicken, custard tarts and where to go
Toronto's Little Portugal on Dundas West, how to order piri piri chicken and a proper custard tart, and the phone number for every kitchen.
Little Portugal runs along Dundas Street West, roughly from Ossington to Lansdowne. The bars and galleries have moved in and pushed the rents up, and some of the old churrasqueiras have gone, but the ones that stayed are the reason to come, and the smell of charcoal chicken still finds you on the right block.
The food is simple and it is about the grill and the oven. Two things carry it.
What to order
- Frango no churrasco is the dish: butterflied chicken grilled over charcoal, brushed with piri piri, the skin blistered and the meat still juicy. A churrasqueira that grills to order over real charcoal is the one you want. Ask for it with piri piri on the side if you are unsure of the heat.
- Piri piri is the chilli sauce, and the good ones make their own. It should build, not just burn.
- Bacalhau, salt cod, is the other Portuguese staple, done a dozen ways. If a kitchen lists a few bacalhau dishes, it is cooking for the community, not the crowd.
- Pastel de nata is the custard tart, and it is the test of a Portuguese bakery: a crisp, blistered, flaky shell and a set custard with a scorched top. Warm is best. Buy two.
The kitchens
These are the Portuguese spots in the directory, most of them on or near Dundas West.
Before you go
Ring first, because the strip has thinned and hours have tightened, and a charcoal chicken place can sell out on a busy Sunday. The number on each page is the business's own.
Written by See The Six · kept current from the directory, last checked 2026-08-24
