190 Augusta Ave
One narrow aisle, shelves to the ceiling, everything sold by weight.
Over 400 spices, blends and pantry goods in a shop you can cross in eight steps. You'll smell it before you see it.
1977
Carlos walked in for one shift.
In 1977, a fifteen-year-old named Carlos Pereira showed up for his first shift at a spice shop on Augusta Ave. It was a Wednesday — he still remembers the day.
He learned every bag on the wall by scent, colour and consistency, worked the counter for 35 years, and in 2012 he bought the place. His whole rebrand: “I just added my name to the sign.”
The blends
Mixed downstairs, by nose and eye.
The house blends are built in the low-ceilinged room under the shop floor — up to 18 spices in a single mix, measured by scent and sight instead of a written recipe.
Chefs bring a dish. Home cooks bring a memory of one. Both leave with a bag. A café in Montreal once ordered 1,000 lbs of a single custom blend.
The counter now
Say hi to Zalak and Divyesh.
At the end of 2025, Carlos handed the counter to Zalak and Divyesh — the next family in a shop that has always worked that way: keep the history, take on the next crew.
The shelves still run floor to ceiling. Everything is still weighed out in front of you. The blends are still mixed downstairs. Come in with a recipe, or half a memory of one, and let them steer you.
Come say hi
190 Augusta Ave, Kensington Market
- Monday – Thursday
- 9:30 am – 6:30 pm
- Friday
- 9:30 am – 7:00 pm
- Saturday
- 9:00 am – 6:30 pm
- Sunday
- 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
190 Augusta Ave
Toronto, ON M5T 2L6
(416) 593-9724
carloshouseofspice@gmail.com
Open seven days. Holiday hours can shift — call to be sure.
Shop All Spices