SFGuide
The Best Croissants In SF
photo credit: Melissa Zink
This is a city that loves pastries—just look to the hordes of Lycra-clad cyclists waiting outside any given bakery on a Saturday morning. The one baked good that reigns supreme is the beloved croissant. While you can find a decent version at any random cafe, you deserve better than decent, which is why we wrote this guide. After spending hours waiting in a certain line on Arguello, finding croissant flakes in unnamed places, and consuming approximately 15 sticks of butter, we’ve narrowed down the list to these six incredible spots.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Carly Hackbarth
Arsicault needs little introduction. At this point, you, your neighbor, and your neighbor’s cousin from Ohio have all done time waiting in line at the Richmond bakery. The croissants, especially of the almond, chocolate, and ham and cheese variety, are flat-out masterpieces. Caramelized bottoms, warm layers, flaky bits that get all over your shirt—there’s really nothing better. For less of a line and the same wondrous pastries, go to their Civic Center location.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
Butter & Crumble has mastered the art of croissants that won’t make you feel like you have butter seeping out of your pores. The North Beach bakery is phenomenal—and everyone knows it, so prepare for a line. While you wait, you can watch the station by the front where staff roll out massive sheets of dough, or just soak in the smell of sugar and butter in the air. Go for the pistachio cardamom croissant, which is piped with a pistachio cream filling so light it could float. Or if you’re feeling savory, the bacon, egg, and cheese version is a gooey yolk dream.
photo credit: Thorough Bread and Pastry
This lowkey bakery on the border of the Castro and the Mission is where we like to post up and sip on a cappuccino while we eat our body weight in warm croissants. The plain ones are our favorite: they’re light, airy, not too buttery, and have just the right amount of crunch. Get a few, or, more accurately, a lot of pastries, and sit out on the lush back patio.
photo credit: Erin Ng
Tartine—ever heard of it? At the heart of what makes their influence so far-reaching is their legendary bread, but you’ll also find excellent croissants at this Mission bakery. They’re extra brown and crispy, but pillowy smooth on the inside. Like most croissants, these are best right out of the oven, so stopping by first thing in the morning is the move. Expect a line—this is Tartine after all—but these days it moves faster than many others on this list.
photo credit: Julia Chen
This Japantown bakery is doing the most creative croissants in town, full stop. There’s the kalbijjim croissant, which is neatly stuffed with beef stew from nearby Daeho, topped with mozzarella, and torched. They also have an injeolmi version that’s dressed up with a layer of chewy rice cake, and round social media-friendly ones filled with sweet-tangy lemon curd and finished off with a smattering of sesame seeds. Order one of everything from the pastry case and eat your treats in nearby Peace Plaza, if you can get that far without inhaling the golden brown stunners immediately.
photo credit: Vanessa Yap-Einbund
The plain croissants from Maison Nico in North Beach have the two-toned look of a candy cane in pastry form, with flaky top layers that peel off like petals from a daisy. Basically, the bakers at this French cafe know what they’re doing. The plump croissants are a great fuel-up if you’re in the area showing visitors around, and you can snag a table in the brick-lined space and eat them off a real plate—even better for catching all the inevitable flakes.
