San Francisco is no stranger to stellar baked goods. This city has award-winning croissants, trendsetting toast, and jiggly egg tarts thanks to an abundance of bakeries in every corner of the city. And because the bakery scene is so stellar, to keep this
list fresh and evolving, a handful of spots are worth an honorable mention outside of this list. Among them are legends such as Tartine, B. Patisserie, Craftsman and Wolves, Arizmendi, and Cinderella Bakery & Cafe — all long-running favorites worth a visit at any time of the year.
This list rounds up the sweetest options with a variety of pastry offerings, but if you’re looking for cake, pie, cookies, or the city’s famous sourdough, dig into those deeper specific lists.
Butter & Crumble
271 Francisco St, San Francisco, CA, 94133, US
(415) 874-9484
Butter & Crumble got its start popping up in the Marina before moving into this North Beach space in fall 2023. Owner and baker Sophie Smith is a rising star of the San Francisco pastry scene, earning nods of approval for her out-of-the-box offerings such as a matcha snickerdoodle cruffin; mortadella, pistachio pesto and gruyere-filled croissant; and aji de gallina pain Suisse. The menu changes regularly but no matter what’s available, expect the unexpected — and expect it to be damn good.
Liguria Bakery
1700 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
(415) 421-3786
This old-school North Beach bakery sells one thing only: focaccia. Bring cash and get in line for bubbly, chewy focaccia topped with onions, garlic, rosemary, mushrooms, or tomatoes. Served simply on white parchment, the fresh-based focaccia begs to be walked over to Washington Square and enjoyed contemplatively on a park bench. The line does move along, but it never hurts to pregame with a cappuccino.
Maison Nico
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710 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA
(415) 359-1000
Chef Nicolas Delaroque has his viennoiserie program down, with golden, flaky pastries such as cruffins and brioche feuilletee beckoning to customers. But the picture-perfect assortment of pate en croute and aspic, an intensely savory and earthy addition, are just as worthwhile. If you have time, for an additional $4 you can eat your pate at the shop and you’ll be supplied with baguette, mustard, and pickles.
Parachute Bakery
1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA, 94111, US
(415) 742-4379
Parachute Bakery has become a Ferry Building favorite with its precise croissant layers and shapes, from classic crescent to cube to triangle, filled with all manner of ingredients, whether sweet or savory. The sweet side sees glossy peach halves, piles of blueberries, and thinly sliced sweet mango top the pastries, while the savory side sees croissant shells with twisty ribbons of duck prosciutto, spears of asparagus, or stuffed with potatoes, like a fancy samosa. The lines can be brutal on the weekend, especially with the Saturday farmers market, so come on a weekday if you can swing it.
Holy Nata
8 Trinity Pl, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA
(628) 867-9073
Follow the smell of freshly baked pasteis de nata to a tiny space down a narrow downtown side street. That’s where you’ll find Holy Nata, which specializes in one thing and one thing only: hot and fresh Portuguese egg tarts. Owners Julia Pfeiffer and José Abreu both spent time living in Portugal and use a family recipe for their pastries, which typically sell out every day. The shop is open Monday through Friday and wise customers know to order ahead.
Juniper
1401 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA
(415) 881-8062
Saint Frank is known for its coffee, but with the opening of its bakery Juniper, the team is hoping it’ll also become known for its pastries. Fine-dining pastry chef Andrea Correa of Parallel 37 consulted and set Juniper up with a choux-forward menu using the French pastry shell as a base for sweet and savory versions of the treat — think a tiramisu-inspired version, the “tiramichoux,” or a caramel apple choux. But there are non-choux reasons to visit, such as the juniper lemon escargot (the sweet pastry, not the snail) or any of the croissants, which won a 2024 competition.
Tano
303 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94107, United States
The one-two punch of Paper Son Coffee and Tano has proven irresistible, judging by the early morning lines Wednesday through Friday. The must-order item here is the Korean salt bread, available plain or as an ube-filled version; from there, go with your gut and load up on scones, such as a recent coconut makrut option topped with grated young coconut, or the miso mushroom everything scone, or even some of the inventive cookies, like the passion fruit mochi cookie. Add on a drink from Paper Son Coffee, and it’ll be an excellent start to the day.
jina bakes
1581 Webster St Suite 150, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
(415) 240-2712
The bakery innovator who first put kalbijjim short rib stew inside a croissant, Jina Bakes opened an official storefront in fall 2021, making the former pop-up permanent. The French-Korean bakery expanded its menu to include a chewy injeolmi croissant topped with a rice cake and dusted in soybean powder; cream puffs filled with black sesame or hojicha cream filling; and the banoffee croissant, a croissant with bananas, toffee sauce, and whipped cream.
Jane the Bakery
1881 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
(415) 658-7971
Jane, the beating heart of an ever-growing bakery empire in the Bay Area, serves all manner of breads, breakfast pastries, cakes, tarts, and more at its various locations in San Francisco and Marin. There’s a full lunch menu, too, with sandwiches, salads, and grain bowls, plus a selection of gluten-free goodies. Don’t skip the avocado toast.
Schubert's Bakery
521 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
(415) 752-1580
Schubert’s is an institution in the Richmond, known best for its magical Swedish Princess cake, “enrobed” in pale green marzipan. Originally founded by German immigrants in 1911, the bakery now features many old-world European cakes, as well as cookies, tarts, and turnovers.
Breadbelly
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1408 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
(415) 349-0969
A trio of fine-dining chefs, coming from Atelier Crenn and Mourad, launched this popular Asian American bakery, instantly recognized for its beautiful kaya toast and tidily cut sandwiches on soft milk bread. It remains take-out only, though there’s a large (and usually crowded) parket out front. If you can snag a table, it’s a great spot to sip a black sesame cappuccino and enjoy a pan de coco or flaky scallion pancake. A second location has also recently sprung up at Pier 70.
LOQUAT
198 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA
(415) 932-6816
Opening in the former 20th Century Cafe space, Loquat has already managed to make a name for itself on the strength of its babka. Owned by business partners Jodi Geren and Tal Mor from Four Barrel Coffee and the Mill, along with pastry chef Kristina Costa, the bakery serves delightful pastries such as Turkish coffee cream pie. Don’t skip out on the aforementioned babka, which comes in various flavors such as salted chocolate.
Sol Bakery
1696 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA, 94117, US
Pastry chef Marisa Williams’s bakery is an oasis of baked goods on a quiet stretch of Hayes Street, selling her always-popular guava tart, pillowy focaccia studded with fruit, and seasonal goodies, such as a tomato danish in summer, among others. A tart is required, whether you go with the guava or another flavor, as well as the rotating focaccia, but from there it’s a parade of classics with Williams’s twists put on them, from cookies to snails to cake slices — you basically can’t go wrong. Go early to get the best selections of the day.
Pineapple King Bakery
1915 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA
(415) 702-6118
This neighborhood favorite on Irving specializes in those crunchy-topped namesake buns. Customers who cannot choose between butter and custard fillings can consult the “family tree,” starting with the “grandpa and grandma” plain pineapple bun and pineapple bun with butter, and getting a little wild with the younger generations filled with matcha or salted egg. There’s also sweet Hong Kong–style milk tea, Chinese and Portuguese-style egg tarts, and pudding.
Day Moon
3928 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA
+17185994900
Day Moon is a newer addition to the Sunset bakery scene but it’s been a staple of the Clement Street Farmer’s Market for quite a while. Expect crusty, toothsome baguettes; unique items such as rye porridge bread; and small loaves perfect for a household of one or two.
La Mexicana Bakery
2804 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
(415) 648-2633
In the heart of the Mission at 24th Street and York, this Mexican bakery is known for its rich and eggy pan dulce — shaped as seashells, turtles, alligators, and wiggling worms — as well as its Salvadoran sesame seed cake. It’s cash only, but less than 10 bucks will buy a tray of half a dozen sweet treats.
Black Jet Baking Co.
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833 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
(415) 829-3905
Bernal Heights’s cute corner bakery deals in strong coffee and nostalgic treats. Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, hardworking baker-owner Gillian Shaw makes old-fashioned yellow and devil’s food cakes, served whole or by the slice, and in cupcake or mini-cupcake form. It’s a fully loaded case, with pecan sticky buns and sour cream coffee cake, plus egg sandwiches on bulkie rolls and even pot pie.
Arsicault Bakery
397 Arguello Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
(415) 750-9460
After it was declared the “best croissant in America” by Bon Appétit, Armando Lacayo’s flaky creation became subject to overwhelmingly long lines. Years later, the Inner Richmond spot is still drawing hordes for its skillfully executed kouign amann, almond croissants, morning buns, and more. There’s a downtown location at Civic Center, too, which tends to have a shorter wait, as well as a newer shop in Mission Rock.
