Cristiano Ronaldo's family dines at Via Norte in Little Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother, Maria Dolores, and sister, Katia Aveiro, dined at Via Norte Restaurant on Thursday during their Toronto visit ahead of Portugal's World Cup match. The restaurant, located at the northeast corner of College and Dovercourt, posted on Instagram: "It was a true honour to welcome Dolores & Katia Aveiro to dine with us. Moments like these remind us why we do what we do."

Via Norte has built a reputation as one of Toronto's premier destinations for traditional Portuguese cuisine. Readers voted it among the city's Best Portuguese Restaurants. The elegant dining room seats around 130 and has hosted many family celebrations alongside regular locals seeking flavourful sea bream and Portuguese-style ribeye.

Chef Jose Alves has owned the restaurant for two decades and hasn't left the kitchen since he began cooking at age 13 in Portugal. He spent years as an executive chef in Portugal and worked at Boemia in Toronto before opening Via Norte a decade ago. The menu showcases traditional Portuguese and Mediterranean staples — grilled tiger shrimp and squid with roasted peppers, mushrooms, coriander, and house-made piri-piri sauce ($30); bitoque, a steak-and-eggs dish with U.S. prime ribeye and peppercorn sauce ($35); and porco Alentejana, marinated pork and clams on fried potatoes in white wine reduction ($35).

Fresh fish arrives from Portugal three to four times weekly, while thick-cut ribeye is prepared in Portuguese style. Alves's daughter Stefanie manages the front of house, a role she stepped into after starting at the restaurant at 18.

On Wednesday, before settling in to watch the Canada Day fireworks from their hotel, Ronaldo's family explored Toronto hotspots including the Eaton Centre, Sankofa Square, and Yonge Street.