Best Bakery and Croissant in San Francisco

San Francisco queues for pastry in a way that would look ridiculous anywhere else. There is a permanent line on Arguello Boulevard for croissants, an intermittent one on Grant Avenue for egg tarts, and a daily one on Stockton Street for focaccia that sells out by early afternoon. All three are justified. Here is where to spend your one morning.

Where is the best croissant in San Francisco?

Arsicault Bakery at 397 Arguello Boulevard in the Inner Richmond. Bon Appétit named it the best new bakery in America in 2016 and the almond croissant is still the reference point for every other bakery in the city. There is a second branch at 87 McAllister Street near the Civic Center, which is usually the shorter line. Croissants sell out; on a weekend, before about 9.30am is the safe plan.

The runner-up is b. Patisserie at 2821 California Street in Pacific Heights, which is less about the croissant and more about the kouign amann — a caramelised, laminated Breton pastry that this bakery is largely responsible for making familiar in America. If you have never had one, this is where to start.

How do the main bakeries compare?

What should you know before queueing at Golden Gate Bakery?

Golden Gate Bakery on Grant Avenue makes the most cult-followed single item in the city: the dan tat, a Chinese egg custard tart with a flaky crust. It is also famous for closing without warning, sometimes for weeks or months at a time, which has generated a small genre of local news story about it reopening. Bring cash. Check recent social media or ring ahead before making a special trip, because a closed shutter on Grant Avenue is a real possibility on any given day. If it is shut, Golden Gate Bakery’s neighbours sell decent tarts and the Chinatown walk is worth doing regardless.

What is the best bakery for a child?

Liguria in North Beach, if the timing works. It sells one thing — focaccia, cut from the pan, wrapped in paper — in plain, rosemary, raisin and tomato. It costs a few dollars, it is warm, there is no decision to agonise over, and Washington Square is a two-minute walk away with grass to sit on. The catch is that it opens Tuesday to Saturday, closes as early as 2pm and regularly sells out before that, so it is a morning plan or nothing.

Arizmendi in the Inner Sunset is the other good one: sourdough croissants and morning buns, a cooperative that is relaxed about children, and Golden Gate Park across the road.

What about the famous one that burned down?

The Mill on Divisadero Street, home of Josey Baker Bread and the much-mocked expensive toast, has been closed since a kitchen fire at the end of June 2026 and has not announced a reopening. The bread is still being baked and sold through grocers including Bi-Rite, so you can eat it — just not there. Do not build a morning around it.

A pastry morning that actually works

If you have one morning and want the best of it without spending it in queues: start at Arsicault’s McAllister Street branch at about 8.30am, which is quieter than Arguello. Walk or take a short ride to the Ferry Building, buy an Acme loaf and a coffee, and eat outside on the Embarcadero. If it is a Saturday, the farmers market runs 8am to 2pm and you can add fruit and cheese. That is two of the city’s best bakeries and a waterfront walk before eleven.

Prices and hours were checked in September 2026 and can change, so confirm before you go. We take no payment for inclusion.