The Best Bakeries In LA

This pint-sized Mexican bakery is run by the pastry chef from Loreto, and if you've ever had dessert at that restaurant, you'll understand why we're giddy about the fancy pan dulce here. The selection spans fresh “LA”-shaped churros, exquisite strawberry-chile donuts, focaccia sandwiches, and our favorite, the crunchy house conchas dusted in cinnamon and filled vanilla chantilly, which tastes even better than they look (and that's saying something). Lines form on weekends, so arrive before 11am when some items sell out. The order counter bottlenecks easily, so plan on taking your pastry box to-go and walking the neighborhood afterward.

All pastry cases spike our endorphins, but there’s an amazing feeling that hits us the moment we walk into Modu Cafe in Highland Park. The tall ceilings and natural light remind us of an Apple store, except the experience is more zen than replacing a water-logged iPhone. The Korean-influenced pastries are as light and balanced as the space: subtly tangy lime tarts with sugar-crystalized perilla leaves, not-too-sweet kabocha cakes decorated with a bouquet of dried persimmon, and black sesame chocolate cookies with soft, spongy centers that taste like they’re genetically part-cake. Modu has a four-pastry-per-person policy, but we could try each one and not feel like a walking cream bun after. The shop does occasionally sell out on weekends, though, so stop by on a mellower weekday if you can.

Petitgrain Boulangerie bakes French pastries like Jimi Hendrix rips guitar solos: flawlessly. The Santa Monica pastry shop, run by the co-owner of LA’s best-known baking school, is big on traditional techniques and locally sourced flour. Those simple little details are what make Petitgrain's croissants stand out: the slightly salty, not-too-buttery crescents have lacy and delicate layers that'll elicit squeals from dough nerds. Although the plain croissant is a best-seller, we prefer the flaky pain au chocolat, sticky cardamom buns, and orange-glazed cinnamon rolls. If you can’t get to Petitgrain before 10am when most things sell out, wait until 2pm when they restock the glass case for the calmer afternoon crowd.

The laminated masterpieces at Fondry come at a price, and we don’t mean the $7 they charge for a danish. There’s usually a long line at this Eagle Rock patisserie well before they open, which means planning your morning around these baked goods. But if there’s a kouign-amann worth the effort, it’s here. The tender spiraled bun pulls apart like a yarn ball with a gentle tug, and the lightly sugared crust crackles when you sink in your teeth. The rest of the buttery pastries are just as transcendent, though you can skip the flattened croissant, which doesn’t offer much beyond wafer-like crunch. Fondry’s pastries can also be found at sibling coffee shops Kumquat and Loquat—again, just get there early.

Cafe Tropical has changed ownership a few times over the years, but this 50-year-old bakery on Sunset hasn’t veered far from its Cuban roots. The current menu is still dominated by classics, like their famous cubano sandwich and golden-crusted pastelitos filled with sweet cheese and guava paste. But it's new additions like an excellent BEC on cushiony coco bread, lightly floral orange glazed donuts, and a spicy jerk chicken sandwich that we're most excited to pair with our midday cafe cubano. The sun-lit space is fairly small, with just a single row of tables and a tiny sidewalk patio usually occupied by friends collaborating on a poetry zine. So come early for a guaranteed seat inside Silver Lake’s unofficial social club.

Old Sasoon is a four-decade-old Armenian bakery in Pasadena where you can find beautiful za’atar-crusted flatbreads, beorags filled with spicy soujouk, and jingalov hatz stuffed with so much dill they glow green in the sun. All of these delicious, fresh-from-the-oven things are available to-go, but we much prefer sitting on Old Sasoon’s sidewalk patio. It’s a nice place to slow down, take in some sun, and drink coffee from a paper cup. It’s borderline therapeutic and maybe a little euphoric, too, if you show up before 3pm for the breakfast special: the khachapuri. These golden bread boats are big enough to share and hold a mix of soft, salty cheeses and a runny egg that doubles as dip for the crust.

Named after a sweet custard-filled pastry, Cream Pan is a French/Japanese bakery that understands the power of whipped dairy. The long glass cases inside their massive Lomita bakeshop are lined with things like melon buns, custard cups, and shortcakes covered in homemade icing. No trip here is complete with one of their strawberry croissants, too—it tastes like a cross between puff pastry and profiterole, with sweet cream and strawberry slices oozing from flaky dough. Cream Pan also carries house-baked milk bread wrapped and ready to go, plus there’s a solid cafe menu with everything from onigiri to curry buns to egg sandwiches. We’re partial to the pork katsu plate—it usually takes about 15 mins to fry up an order, but the tender, golden-brown cutlet is worth every second.

If you leave Gjusta without bread and/or baked goods, you’re not to be trusted. In addition to a full food menu, this Venice establishment offers a huge variety of bialys, bagels, sourdough loaves, and baguettes. Their baguettes are hard to beat, but focus on the pumpernickel and olive loaves if they're in stock. Even the butter you spread on top will be in awe of their herby notes and spongy texture. Meanwhile, it’s impossible to go past the pastry case and not consider at least five things. The ham and gruyere croissants are the best we’ve had outside of France, and even those who believe vegetables have no business in cakes will approve of the carrot cake.

For anyone who’s ever stepped foot in Southern California, Porto’s should need no introduction. But just in case you need a quick refresher, the family-run Cuban bakery has been serving guava pastries, potato balls, and every other baked treat under the Valley sun for the last 55 years. They’re the pride and joy of Burbank, and you should go here (or to any of their other locations) to join the lines of people waiting to stock up on their trademarked papa rellenas, which are deep-fried and filled with more meat than an Arby’s tagline. And since Porto’s is a streamlined operation, they’ll have you in, out, and eating pastries for lunch alone in your car in 10-15 minutes.

Republique wears a lot of hats, some of them better than others. But one thing that’s not up for debate is Republique’s reputation as a pastry powerhouse. You won’t find a more attractive display case anywhere in LA, with tiered rows of custardy Basque cheesecakes, chocolate tarts with shiny ganache, and pain au chocolat piled on top of each other like fluffy pillows. They taste just as good as they look, and we suggest splurging on a box of these baked goods before they run out after the brunch rush. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but the creme brulee bombolini and sticky caramel pecan brioche are especially good.

If you’ve ever ordered anything bread-related from a place in LA with cutesy menu fonts and small-batch coffee, you're likely familiar with Bub & Grandma's. The wholesale bakery has been supplying amazing baked goods around town for years but had never had a space of its own—until now. The Bub & Grandma’s cafe in Glassell Park is an homage to the early-morning American diner, complete with cushy white booths and a wrap-around counter. But if you don’t have time to stay for a full breakfast, do what we do and show up early, grab a loaf of sesame bread for the week, and raid their pastry case of every almond cake, croissant, and blueberry donut that catches your eye.

Long Beach's Gusto Bread is a new-wave panadería specializing in pan and pan dulce made with natural yeasts and heirloom grains. You’ll find beautiful seeded loaves, studded with sunflower, pumpkin, and poppy seeds that go nicely with a cup of coffee, or just a quick smear of butter. Semi-sweet pan loaves are made with house-milled yellow corn, and conchas come with a thick sugar cookie frosting that's the right amount of sweet. They also carry a rotating list of weekend-only specials, like jalapeño cheddar biscuits and strawberry jujube tamales, so plan on getting there early before they sell out.

Gemmae’s original location opened in 1979 just outside of Manila, but the family behind it moved the business to Long Beach over a decade later. These days, the Filipino bakery is run by a mother-daughter duo who can usually be found working the counter. If you’ve never had a crush on a baked good, you will after a few bites of Gemmae’s specialties, like sugar-coated Spanish bread oozing buttery cheese filling or a soft ensaymada stuffed with pandan and ube. The order station up front is lined with packaged baked goods like bright red longganisa pandesal, a luscious meat-stuffed roll with the luscious fluff of a donut hole. Plus, they’ve got a hot bar in the back with rotating Filipino fast food—pick up pork adobo and a whole ube cheesecake in one go.

Des Croissants Paris is a traditional French bakery that smells like a tub of butter. Maybe that's not your first choice when picking out an air freshener, but inside a boulangerie, it's a good sign. You'll only find French staples at this minimalist Culver City cafe, like arms-length baguettes, glossy croissants, and kouign-amann that's worth a visit alone. The layers of pastry peel apart like tissue paper, and the sugar crust shatters like candy but is still gooey inside.

A visit to Coin De Rue in Koreatown can go several ways, from grabbing a to-go box of yuzu sponge cakes and red bean sweet rolls to lounging with an iced dalgona coffee and eating said box of pastries. The odds of the second scenario increase if you order this Korean bakery's masterpiece: the green onion pesto loaf. This gigantic scored bread looks like a garlic knot fell into a vat of radioactive waste and mutated into the Hulk version of itself. It serves four people easily, with melted cheese, scallions, pesto oozing out of every crevice, and pomegranate seeds adding surprise bursts of sweetness. If you order this monster, bring friends—or a good book—because you'll be here a while.

As the name suggests, Friends & Family is an all-day cafe in East Hollywood where you feel like someone special. There's a gorgeous display of pastries laid out like a jewelry case every morning near the register, and you essentially can't go wrong with anything in there: buttery pistachio croissants, savory white cheddar biscuits, and danishes filled with water fruit popping off at the farmers market that week. And whether we're just grabbing one of their breakfast sandwiches to-go or sending a few emails during lunch in their peaceful dining room, we can't leave without grabbing a loaf of sesame sourdough for later.

Rather than being famous for one item that blew up on social media, this family-run Lebanese bakery in Granada Hills makes over 70 different incredible things, including buttery cheese boats, falafel pies, and zesty za’atar saj. Even their shawarma is some of the best in town. Grab a sweet labneh and honey flatbread on the way out or don’t even bother telling people you came. There are also locations in Calabasas and San Diego if you need a stop on your next road trip as well.

Before you pull up and question whether you’re in the right place: there’s nothing French about this Arlington Heights bakery. It did sell baguettes in its previous life, but after quite the rebrand, came into its own as an excellent panadería. Expect long lines on most days, which means plenty of time to stare at beautiful sugar-crusted pan dulce and mentally debate which you’ll eat on the drive home. Their selection is massive, but highlights include buttery custard-filled pastelitos, gusano rolls with crumbly streusel, and fluffy tortas de azucar that are so airy they tend to magically disappear in your morning coffee. Cash only.

Clark Street is no longer the cute, little subway-tiled stall in Grand Central Market where we’d celebrate getting out of jury duty with ricotta toast. This well-oiled baking machine is now a local mini-chain with four locations selling incredible pastries like twisty Swedish cinnamons buns, buttery cheddar-chive scones, and kouign-amann that taste like a caramelized croissant. If you’re looking for something a little heartier, our favorite item is their “Scandinavian Breakfast,” a massive platter with a sourdough roll, Comté cheese, ham, butter, jam, and a hardboiled egg. It's the kind of simple, filling meal that makes you feel like you’re picnicking in the fields from The Sound of Music. Which is kind of the best way to start the day.

Sometimes, when the days get long and every night blurs together, we slip into a very specific daydream—one where we cut off all our hair, move to the Danish countryside, and go by a new name. When that daydream hits, we head to Copenhagen Pastry. The brightly lit bake shop in Culver City has more Danish goods than an IKEA showroom, from pretzel-shaped kringles to butter cakes to loaves of rye. If you come on the weekend, get their special morning rolls. They cost around a dollar each, and are made from soft, slightly sweet dough—the perfect vehicle for any jammy eggs or jellies you might have on hand.

While eating the pies and baked goods from Fat + Flour you might get hit with a wave of déjà vu. Maybe you’ve eaten it in a parallel universe, but most likely it’s because you've had Nicole Rucker's treats from one of the many places she's baked around town. Now in Culver City as well as a stall in DTLA's Grand Central Market, she's doing her signature pies back in flavors like rhubarb cherry and whipped-cream-topped Key lime topped with whipped cream, as well as a variety of chewy brownies and sprinkle-topped cookies. Pies are sold by the slice, but you can preorder them whole through their website.

This legendary Chinese bakery has everything you need for a dessert-heavy feast, including favorites like strawberry cream cakes and freshly steamed buns. Crackly deep-fried butterfly cookies go perfectly with a cup of tea, and flaky almond pastries glow like the sun and are filled with sweet red bean paste. Whether you need to pick something for Lunar New Year (it’s never too early to start planning), are taking a trip to your grandma’s house, or just want a tiny little action figure to add to your mantle, Phoenix Bakery has got you covered.

The lines at this cute Atwater bakery can get long on the weekends (we’re talking sneaker-store-on-Fairfax lengths), but with some patience, you’ll be treated to a treasure trove of pastries, croissants, and bread loaves. Rotating sandwiches come on crusty baguettes, ideal for munching on at the park. Fluffy brioche buns are airy and light, and the chocolate chip cookies are what we wish every chocolate chip cookie tasted like: soft and sprinkled with sea salt. The energy here is friendly and neighborhood-y (you’ll definitely see a young family or two), so if you don't want to wait to consume your carb haul, grab one of the small patio tables outside.

Throw a Gen Z bread specialist, cultured butter, and a bag of stone-milled grain into a vat, stir a few times, and you get Jyan Isaac Bread. The Santa Monica bakery, which is attached to pizzeria Ghisallo in Ocean Park comes from an ex-Gjusta baker who honed his craft during the early days of the pandemic. Jyan Isaac offers fresh bread daily, including everything from seeded sourdough loaves and Danish rye to fresh baguettes and poppy bagels. The bakery is open from early morning to late afternoon daily, but if you can't make it to Santa Monica, they also sell their good at farmer's markets across the Westside. (And you can try their bread in sandwich form at Ghisallo.)

With locations in San Pedro and Long Beach, Colossus is one of our favorite destinations for bread and pastries, not just in the South Bay, but anywhere in LA County. Their naturally fermented country loaf is thick and moist, ideal for dipping into beef stew and pretending you’re an extra on Game of Thrones. The kouign-amann is salty and sweet, and the sticky buns combine the texture of a buttery croissant with pecan flavor. If you’re heading to meet some friends (or are just extra hungry), grab one of their assorted pastry boxes: it comes with six sweet treats, based on “availability, farm selection, and whims of our chefs.” We like to think of it like a breakfast omakase.