Whether your tastes lean sweet or savory, there’s one institution that can always be relied on to fulfill a craving: the bakery. You might be up early looking for carbs at the best breakfast restaurants in America or seeking a sweet finale to a meal at the best Japanese restaurants in America or the best French restaurants in America. Either way, we’ve got you covered with this list of the best bakeries in America, serving freshly baked bread, cookies, croissants and cakes in beautiful settings.
1. Breads Bakery in New York, NY
This expansive Union Square bakery is prized for its ridiculously indulgent chocolate babka, flaky spiraled rugelach and airy almond croissants. The venue’s breads, too, are unimpeachable: look for classic eggy challah, crisp baguettes and fruit-studded rolls.
2. Tartine in San Francisco, CA
Married baker duo Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson have racked up accolade after accolade at their Mission bakery. Dense, deeply flavored loaves are among the many highlights here, from Danish-style sprouted rye to ancient grains. Flaky, zesty morning buns make the perfect breakfast, while an assortment of exceptional cakes (passion fruit, tres leches) would bring a smile to any birthday girl or boy’s face.
3. Standard Baking Co. in Portland, ME
Tucked away in beautiful coastal Portland, this charming bakery turns out far-ranging breads and pastries including French baguettes, German vollkornbrot (brown bread), Italian focaccia and more. Absolutely everything is divine; customers rave, in particular, about the chocolate rye cookies, the chocolate chip financiers and the morning buns.
4. Proof Bakery in Los Angeles, CA
LA’s best croissants are baked up at this bustling bakery: buttery and flaky, they come stuffed with almond paste, chocolate, and ham and gruyere. Sweets-lovers have plenty of refined, French-influenced pastries to choose from (lemon-pistachio cake, meringue tarts, financiers), while fans of savory won’t go hungry either, with excellent quiches and sandwiches such as croque monsieurs.
5. Ken’s Artisan Bakery in Portland, OR
Even in a city as food-obsessed as Portland, this bakery stands out for its exemplary selection of French-influenced macarons, brioche, fruit tarts, rustic breads and much, much more. Sweets-lovers will want to tuck into brioche cinnamon buns, moist carrot cake and hazelnut butter cookies, while savory-seekers should dive into herbed goat cheese croissants, nutty walnut bread and egg salad sandwiches.
6. Flour Bakery + Cafe in Boston, MA
This beloved bakery is a Boston must-visit for food lovers of any stripe. Flour excels at both sweet and savory: in the former category, look for decadent, pecan-loaded sticky buns, moist sour cream coffee cake and mile-high lemon meringue pie; in the latter, check the excellent whole grain bread and the yummy sandwiches built on it (smoked turkey, curried tuna, roast beef).
7. Arsicault Bakery in San Francisco, CA
This Frisco newcomer has been recognized by various outlets for its incredible pastry program, crowned by a buttery, golden, flakey piece de resistance of a croissant. Lines regularly snake out the door in anticipation of those beauties, as well as delicate croissant-variation morning buns and kouign amans.
8. Vanille Patisserie in Chicago, IL
This sophisticated Chi-Town mini-chain turns out picture-perfect French-style cakes, croissants and macarons that taste as good as they look. The colorful macarons are airy and light, in inspired flavors such as green tea and mango passion fruit. For a showstopping birthday cake, pick up one of Vanille’s stunning creations, such as the chocolatey Sophia or the rose-raspberry Vivian.
9. Baked in New York, NY
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, this Brooklyn bakery is where to sooth it, with display cases heaped with ideal versions of all-American classics including brownies, blondies and whoopie pies. Its moist, fudgy Sweet and Salty cupcakes are a must, as are its Brooksters, a deeply chocolatey brownie base filled with just-baked chocolate chip cookie dough.
10. Bread Lounge in Los Angeles, CA
Home to one of LA’s best baguettes—defined by an airy crumb, a crisp crust and a slight sour tang—Bread Lounge certainly knows its way around dough. Burnished loaves of whole wheat, potato rosemary, walnut and brioche display baker Ran Zimon’s deft hand, and fresh sandwiches of cold smoked salmon and roasted veggies take the bread to a whole other level.
11. Le Panier in Seattle, WA
Located in Seattle’s historic and picturesque Pike Place Market, this classic French boulangerie and patisserie pays equal loving attention to both its collection of breads and pastries. Its seasonally changing menu incorporates temporal ingredients into both—think pumpkin macarons and a French loaf studded with caramelized onions—and a range of savory tartlets tempts with bacon, egg and cheese, creamy chicken and more options.
12. Baked & Wired in Washington, D.C.
This lovely Georgetown bakery, featuring a tranquil patio, is the perfect place to while away an afternoon over a cup of coffee and an excellent dessert. Baked & Wired’s selection of bars is unparalleled: flavors of shortbread base are topped, variously, with chewy peanut nougat, lemon curd, and almonds and honey. Fudgy brownies, too, come in a myriad of options: tropical caramel coconut pecan, raspberry cream cheese and more.
13. Zak the Baker in Miami, FL
This Miami bakery just happens to be kosher, but that doesn’t limit baker Zak Stern’s vision for masterfully prepared breads, cakes, cookies and more. Gorgeous loafs of challah, sourdough and rye are Stern’s specialty, but eggy quiches, delicate croissants and elegant fruit tarts are equally good. Get in on the toast trend, too, with versions including avocado-tomato, beet-feta, and walnut-chocolate.
14. Muddy’s Bake Shop in Memphis, TN
This homey Memphis bakery serves up the best of the south in the form of lovingly baked pies, cookies and cupcakes. The flaky-crusted pies are a thing of beauty: gooey pecan, dense Coco Chanel chocolate, fruity strawberry and more. Also of note is a category of super-southern puddins’: slip a spoon into the unbelievable banana, the chocolatey Oreo and burnt-sugar toffee.
15. Sugar Bakeshop in Charleston, SC
It’s there in the name, folks: this quaint Charleston bakery does right by its primary ingredient, turning out adorable—and tasty—cupcakes, pies and cookies. The former is definitely the place to start, with frosting-capped stunners such as year-round lime curd, double chocolate and caramel, and seasonal beauts including strawberry, pistachio and mint.
!6. Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffeehouse in Kansas City, MO
We know what you’re thinking: a vegan bakery?! But at this sweet little Kansas City shop, you won’t miss the butter and eggs absent from the outstanding lineup of cupcakes, turnovers, scones and more. For true indulgence, sink your teeth into the coconut bar, a graham cracker base topped with rich coconut and chocolate.