Anima Romana Bakery brings Italian pastries and pizza to the Upper Beaches.

This quaint Italian bakery occupies a small storefront on Main Street, which was once home to Bakerrae x Chachalate.

The narrow space is decked out in red and white, with a long counter spanning the length of the room.

Pastries of all shapes and sizes are displayed behind a plastic screen, with hand-written labels identifying each type. The wall across from the main counter is covered in overlapping signatures and well wishes.

A cup of Sharpie markers sits nearby, inviting visitors to add their own messages to the collage.

The concept for the bakery was developed by a pair of doctors with a passion for Italian cuisine.

Subhra Mohapatra and David D'Souza had always wanted to go into business together, but they wanted whatever pastries they sold to feel authentic.

Enter Sheila de Franco and Dulce Maria Del Risco Vidal, two master bakers from Italy.

Both women expressed interest in the culinary arts from an early age, eventually leading them to open their own restaurant, BARRA, in Rome.

Impressed by their skill set, Subhra and David invited the couple to join their team in Canada.In order to emphasize the bakery’s connection to Rome, the name "Anima Romana", which means "Roman Soul" in Italian, was chosen.

Since opening in late April 2024, Anima Romana has drawn in large crowds, especially on weekends.

Sheila owes their success, at least in part, to her seventeen-year-old sourdough starter, affectionately nicknamed "Peppino".Peppino is used to make a variety of treats, including the bakery's viennoiserie. This means that Peppino is also very high maintenance.

In order to ensure that the starter is healthy, it has to be removed from its temperature controlled "home" and given fresh doses of flour and water.

"Peppino is very spoiled," Sheila laughs. "I can't take any vacations, unless I want him to starve."

Anima Romana offers a wide selection of Italian treats. Though baked goods are obviously their specialty, drinks, desserts and sandwiches are also available.

Freshly squeezed orange juice can be bought by the cup ($5) or by the bottle ($7). The juice itself is tart and refreshing, but watching it being made is a treat all its own.Gelato ($5/medium, $7/large) arrives just in time for summer, with several fruity flavours to choose from.Panna cotta ($7.50) is another cool summer treat. Each serving comes in a tiny tin, making it easy to eat on the go. Bombe ($5.50) are round pastries filled with cream or jam. As their name might suggest, these donut-like desserts are bursting with flavour.Most are dusted with sugar, but some are decorated with other ingredients. The cookies and cream flavour, for instance, comes with a chocolate biscuit on top.Glazed donuts ($5.50) are indulgent, even by the standards of artisanal sweets.

These donuts are twice the size of your average Krispy Kreme and topped with every candy you can possibly imagine: multi-coloured sprinkles, metallic nonpareils and crunchy M&M’s are just some of the options available.

Viennoiserie ($5/medium, $7/large) is a catch-all term for a variety of different pastries, including croissants, danishes and swirls.

Filled croissants, stuffed with ingredients like pistachios and cream, are among the bakery's most popular items.

My personal favourite pastry is topped with strawberries, blackberries, mint leaves and a drizzle of strawberry jam.

Pizza slices ($6.99) are large and rectangular, with toppings ranging from pepperoni and cheese to green peppers and mushrooms.

Regardless of which flavour you pick, Sheila suggests eating your pizza the way they do in Italy: fold it in half, then take a big bite!

Last but not least is the bakery’s signature sourdough ($11.90). Though not as eye-catching as some of Anima Romana's other dishes, this crusty loaf is tasty enough to eat as is.

Anima Romana Bakery is located at 149 Main Street.