The World’s 100 Best Pastry Shops

A small takeaway bakery near the church in Reykjavík, known for cinnamon rolls served warm from the oven. The facade is covered in a colourful graffiti mural, and the counter also sells pistachio buns, vinarbrauð, croissants and loaves of bread.

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Takeaway bakery near Notre Dame, known for a butter croissant that won first prize in Paris in 2018. A long queue forms from early morning, moves fast, and splits ordering at the counter from paying at a separate till.

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A small Inner Richmond bakery selling croissants, kouign amann and other laminated pastries to take away. A line forms outside before opening, one group orders at a time, and trays come out of the oven through the morning.

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Restelo pastry shop is known for sugar-coated croissants, soft inside without filling, and palmiers. Ticket queues for takeaway and eating in run long, and service is slow and disorganised.

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A pastry shop and café in Viana do Castelo, in a preserved 1960s room with tables. Its warm bolas de Berlim, filled with pastry cream and dusted with cinnamon sugar, come out in timed batches that draw long queues.

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A small takeaway bakery with a queue that moves fairly quickly and a few outdoor tables. Its cardamom bun draws most visitors, alongside almond croissants, lemon cake, vanilla buns and seasonal pastries.

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A small Swedish-style bakery in central Palma selling cinnamon and cardamom buns, croissants and coffee to take away. The smell of cinnamon and cardamom reaches the street, and queues form for buns baked fresh through the day.

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A small takeaway bakery in Stockholm selling buns, pastries and bread baked in the back of the shop. Specialities include the warm cardamom and cinnamon buns and the seasonal semlor, filled with salted almond paste and unsweetened cream.

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A small Breton bakery on Avenue du Mont-Royal in the Plateau, named for the kouign-amann it bakes. The kouign-amann is baked as a large round and sold by the slice or whole, in small and large sizes.

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Small French-style patisserie in São Paulo's Saúde neighborhood, with a second shop in Campo Belo. Its mille-feuille, crisp pastry assembled to order with vanilla, pistachio or dulce de leche cream, draws regulars from across the city.

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A small artisan sourdough bakery in Madrid's Manoteras area selling daily breads, buns and cookies. Its award-winning panettone and roscón de reyes, the latter sold all year, draw long Christmas queues.

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A small, long-established Copenhagen bakery that is the city's oldest, selling Danish pastries, buns and coffee, mostly to take away. Cinnamon rolls, with or without icing, and cardamom buns come warm from the oven to a steady queue.

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A large baklava shop in Karaköy, near Galataport, with a takeaway shop next door and self-service seating indoors and in a courtyard. Specialities include the cold milk baklava, the pistachio varieties, börek, and gluten-free and vegan baklava.

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A large pastry shop and café in Vienna's Favoriten district serving breakfast, set menus, cakes and pastries. Doughnuts are filled in view of customers, and custom cakes are made for weddings, christenings and birthdays.

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A small Paris bakery with an open kitchen, selling viennoiseries, flans and sourdough breads to take away. Popular items include the vanilla flan, the chocolate-and-cream pain suisse and an apple turnover with a vanilla note.

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Pastry shop inside the former Dominican monastery of Santa Caterina, selling Sicilian sweets made from old convent recipes. Large cannoli are filled to order at the counter, and customers eat them in the cloister garden by the fountain.

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A large bakery and café in San Diego's East Village serving croissants, knots and sourdough loaves, with indoor and outdoor seating. Savory croissants such as bibimbap and muffuletta sit beside the classics, and the s'mores croissant is torched at the table.

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Long-running Cairo sweet shop selling oriental sweets made with ghee, with roots going back to its late owner Haj Mahmoud. Basbousa is a featured sweet. Prices have risen, the sweets contain a lot of sugar, and the staff are brusque.

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A small family-run café and patisserie behind the Acropolis Museum, serving traditional Greek pastries, savoury pies and coffee. The owners explain each dessert at the counter, and the baklava, galaktoboureko and portokalopita come in large portions, often warm from the oven.

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A yogashi pâtisserie in a house in Pinheiros serving Japanese-style choux cream, chocolates and cakes alongside pizza and coffee. Choux with miso caramel, matcha or yuzu fillings lead the menu, and the rooms hold paintings, bookshelves and an outdoor deck with cushion seating.

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A cake shop in Belo Horizonte selling whole cakes and slices, cookies and brewed coffee, with a small room of tables. Its Pleonasmo chocolate cake is a regular birthday order, and cakes come packed in boxes for travel and delivery.

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A small boulangerie-pâtisserie on Rue du Nil, a street lined with food shops, selling viennoiserie, breads and flan. Its croissants and pain au chocolat are heavy with butter, and a queue forms at the counter most days.

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Small pastry shop in the Born district selling croissants and sculpted patisserie cakes shaped like fruits and nuts. The mascarpone croissant, coated in sugar, is the top seller, and filled croissant flavours change by weekday.

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A Prague bakery selling traditional Czech koláče with quark, fruit and crumble, plus frgály and other pastries, for takeaway. The koláče come out in fixed batches several times a day, prepared in an open kitchen visible through glass while queues form outside.

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A bakery and café in ’s-Hertogenbosch, a few minutes’ walk from the station, known for the Bossche bol, a large cream puff filled with whipped cream and coated in chocolate. Queues form at the counter, and a light at the entrance shows when tables are free.

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A small French-style bakery with a counter and an open kitchen where croissant production is visible. It is known for generously filled croissants, especially pistachio, raspberry and chocolate-hazelnut, served with specialty coffee and an origin card.

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A croissanterie in central Athens selling filled croissants in sweet and savory versions, plus cakes, sandwiches and coffee. The pink-styled shop is known for its pistachio croissant, but fillings are thinner than in earlier years.

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A Madrid bakery built around puff pastry, selling palmeras, mille-feuilles, croissants and savoury empanadas to take away. The butter aroma at the door and the laminated pastry draw regulars, but the sweets can feel heavy and the prices are high.

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Small Paris bakery making croissants and viennoiseries on site over a three-day process, with PDO butter and fermented chocolate. Filled and double-baked croissants such as pistachio, almond and hazelnut sit beside plain ones, and staff explain each pastry at the counter.

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A croissant bakery and café in a converted Fitzroy warehouse, serving laminated pastries and coffee. Seating faces a glass-walled kitchen where staff roll and cut dough, and the menu rotates with seasonal and monthly pastries.

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Bakery in Denver run by Ismael de Sousa, baking Portuguese, Venezuelan and French pastries alongside sourdough breads. Pastéis de nata and golfeados come out of the oven warm through the day, and staff often hand out free natas to waiting customers.

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Bakery and pastry shop near Retiro Park in Madrid selling sourdough breads and laminated pastries, with an on-site bakery. Known for its croissant, cruffins, kouign-amann, flan parisienne and a seasonal roscón that draws long January queues.

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A small French-style pastry shop and bakery beside Retiro Park, selling croissants, cakes, macarons, chocolates and Spanish seasonal sweets. It is known for a chocolate palmier with a thick, divisive fondant-style coating and for its Three Kings' roscón.

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Historic pâtisserie on Rue Montorgueil, open since 1730, selling classic French pastries, viennoiseries and packaged goods. It is credited with inventing the baba au rhum, and its painted ceilings and gilded period interior are a feature.

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A small takeaway shop in Taipei run alone by a French owner, baking canelés in batches alongside Nantes cakes and almond cookies. The canelés carry a strong liqueur aroma, a thin crisp shell and a soft, moist centre that firms as it cools.

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A small pastry shop and café on Rue Saint-Jean with an open kitchen where bakers work in view. Its butter croissants and flavoured chouquettes (small cream puffs such as salted caramel and blueberry lavender) draw long lines.

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A large Budapest confectionery selling cakes, savoury scones, cookies and ice cream, mostly to take away. Regulars return for Gouda cheese pogácsa, parfait cakes and ice cream priced by the scoop, despite long queues and little seating.

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A bakery and pastry shop in Lyon's 6th arrondissement selling breads, viennoiseries, cakes, chocolates and lunch sandwiches. The vanilla flan draws most visitors, alongside seasonal creations and a window onto the production team, but prices are high.

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A pastry shop in Sintra selling the town's queijadas and travesseiros alongside filled croissants, chicken pies and artisanal ice cream. Its Bolo Rainha draws heavy Christmas orders, and staff often hand out samples or extra pastries.

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A small pâtisserie near the Old Port run by chef Pascal Guglielmi, selling individual cakes, flans, canelés and celebration cakes. Its pastries carry place names like Kyoto, Cilaos and Royal Vietnam, and the chef often chats with customers and offers tastings.

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A small Budapest bakery-café serving croissants, cruffins, pain au chocolat and sourdough bread with coffee. Its pistachio croissant draws the most comment, and filled croissants such as duck liver or three-cheese are assembled to order.

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A dessert shop and café near Sultanahmet, serving baklava, künefe, milk puddings and Turkish tea. This historic branch sits in a semi-basement down a staircase, with an old-style interior, a souvenir counter and complimentary tea or Turkish delight.

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A small family-run pastelaria in the Alfama alleys serving pastéis de nata, savoury pastries and coffee. A couple runs it, offering warm natas with cinnamon, a house Pastel de Alfama, and service in several languages.

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A bakery and pastry shop in Stoneham selling breads, viennoiseries, cakes, sandwiches, quiches and pizzas, plus cheeses and charcuterie from France. Crowds and long lines are routine, and many visitors stop for takeout before hikes in Jacques-Cartier park.

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Small bakery in Chamberí selling croissants, buns, danishes, focaccias and breads, with sweet and savory options plus coffee. Queues form often, seating inside is minimal, and many buyers carry their pastries to nearby Plaza de Olavide.

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Takeout bakery and coffee counter in an industrial part of Vaughan, selling croissants, danishes, cruffins, sourdough and focaccia sandwiches. Rotating specials such as the Pistachio Twice Baked Croissant and Tiramisu Danish sit alongside mortadella-pistachio and turkey sandwiches.

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A pâtisserie in the 17th arrondissement selling tarts, macarons, flans and seasonal Yule logs. Its pistachio and orange blossom tart, with a flowing praline centre, draws visitors from across France and abroad.

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Italian pastry shop and café selling cakes, cookies and pastries since 1894, with a takeout counter and a sit-down dining room. A long glass case holds full-size and mini pastries, some sold by weight, under a stained glass ceiling.

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Bakery and coffee roaster in the Rotermann Quarter serving Scandinavian-style buns, sourdough and specialty coffee. The open kitchen lets customers watch bakers shape and bake pastries, and the smell of cinnamon reaches the street.

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A Zamalek pastry shop selling Eastern and Western sweets by the box, along with ice cream. The plain and hazelnut basbousa, the malban and baklava are popular choices, and staff hand out tastings before customers choose.

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A sourdough bakery in Denver's Tennyson area selling laminated pastries, naturally leavened bread and sandwiches from a bright, industrial room. Its cardamom bun, classic croissant and rotating seasonal items draw a line from the 8am opening.

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A family-run Italian bakery in Boston's North End, open 24 hours, with cases of cannoli, cookies, cakes and pastries. Lines often run out the door late at night, and specialities include the Florentine cannoli and lobster tails.

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Japanese pastry shop on a calm street in the 7th arrondissement, selling cakes, flan, canelés, chocolates and sablés. Specialities include the vanilla flan with its crisp crust and the Earl Grey and chocolate-orange Beige, though prices are high.

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Cake shop and café in an old house on Avenida Angélica near Avenida Paulista, serving breakfast, lunch and coffee alongside a cake display. The bittersweet chocolate ganache cake, available warmed, draws most visitors, along with Nutella crunch and strawberry meringue cakes.

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A La Jolla bakery selling croissants, kouign amann, scones, sourdough and midday sandwiches from a counter, with a weekly changing menu. Lines form before opening, pastries often sell out by early afternoon, and a pre-order system has its own pick-up line.

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A takeaway bakery in Edinburgh selling laminated pastries, custard slices, Jaffa cakes and savoury buns in seasonal flavour combinations. Queues often run 30 to 60 minutes along a marked line outside, and online pre-orders are collected next door at The Pantry.

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French bakery and patisserie on California Street in San Francisco, selling laminated pastries, cakes, tarts, cookies and bread. Its kouign-amann comes in a classic version plus rotating seasonal flavors such as black sesame, passion fruit and guava.

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A small French bakery and café in Brooklyn Heights sells croissants, sourdough baguettes and coffee, with a wine bar in the evening. The flat, flaky pistachio rose and raspberry croissants are frequent orders, and a line forms outside most mornings.

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A small confectionery shop at the entrance to Skopje's Old Bazaar, selling trileçe, Acıbadem almond cookies and Balkan sweets. Cream-filled almond cookies and trileçe bring in steady crowds, with Turkish visitors making up a large share, and staff are often gruff.

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A small pastry shop and café in the Barrio de las Letras serving tarts, cakes and French-style pastries made in-house. An open bakery behind glass lets guests watch the pastry chefs at work from the tables.

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Family-run pastry shop on Iasonos Street in central Volos, near the port, selling cakes, tarts, ice cream and around 30 daily pastries. Its profiteroles are assembled to order at the counter, with a choice of size, chocolate and toppings.

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A family-run pastry shop in central Sorocaba selling cakes, sweets and whole cakes to order, with a small room and a few tables. Regulars return for the crunchy tart, apricot cake and brigadeiro cakes, but service is often poor.

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An artisan bakery at Royal Albert Dock baking pastries, breads and sandwiches on site behind the counter. Its croissants come very large, with fillings such as white chocolate and dulce de leche, and customers pick pastries themselves into paper bags.

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A bakery and pastry shop in Toulouse selling bread, viennoiseries, cakes and lunch dishes to take away. Specialities include the pistachio tart, Paris-Brest, rum baba and caramelised apple turnover, and stock runs out early.

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A traditional bakery in Lagos old town selling breads, savoury pastries, cakes and Portuguese sweets for takeaway. Its pastéis de nata often come warm from the oven, and a ticket machine at the entrance sets the order of service.

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Takeaway bakery near Montmartre selling viennoiserie, breads, cream puffs and sandwiches, with a queue on the pavement most mornings. Chocolate babka is cut to order and priced by weight, and vanilla cream puffs and filled beignets draw many visitors.

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A small French bakery on Gray's Inn Road near King's Cross, serving croissants, pastries, sandwiches and coffee. Bakers make the dough on site, visible through a glass window, and the plain, almond and pistachio croissants draw repeat visits.

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A family pastry shop on Grand Rue in Colmar, running since 1936, selling cakes, macarons, viennoiseries and savoury items to take away. Its mousse cakes shaped like fruit, such as the green apple coated in white chocolate, are a regular draw.

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Small neighbourhood bakery in the 12th arrondissement, near Gare de Lyon, with outdoor tables facing a square with a park. Croissants and pain au chocolat draw locals and visitors alike, at modest prices.

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Pastry shop and gelateria a few steps from Piazza Sant'Oronzo in central Lecce, known for its warm, cream-filled pasticciotto. Each pasticciotto comes with a "Santo Pasticciotto" holy card, and gluten- and lactose-free versions are sold.

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Artisan bakery in Porto selling sourdough breads and French-style laminated pastries, with a separate café next door for sitting. Croissants, pain au chocolat and focaccia draw regulars, and the display case often empties by early afternoon.

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Small artisan bakery in Lund selling seasonal pastries, buns, sourdough bread and sandwiches, with the ovens in view of the few seats. Staff lend blankets and trays for eating in the park across the street, and a window counter serves takeaway.

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Italian pastry shop on Hanover Street in the North End, with a takeout counter and a small café seating area. Cannoli shells are filled to order with a choice of shell, filling and toppings such as pistachio or chocolate chips.

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A French-style patisserie in Buffalo's Five Points area selling laminated pastries, pies, cakes and coffee. Croissants, sweet and savory danishes with rotating fillings, pop tarts and the maple bacon bow tie anchor a seasonal menu.

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A small pâtisserie in the 5th arrondissement run by chef Carl Marletti, selling individual cakes, tarts and éclairs to take away. It keeps to classic recipes and seasonal fruit, the sweetness is restrained, and prices of €7 to €9 per cake are high.

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A French-style patisserie near Mejiro Station selling cakes, cream puffs and baked goods, with a small eat-in corner. Its Chantilly Fraise strawberry shortcake draws regular queues, and the sweet-and-sour balance of its cakes follows the shop's name.

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Stone-oven bakery and café in central Lund serving buns, sourdough bread, sandwiches and coffee. Cardamom and cinnamon buns draw steady queues, and seating extends to a garden courtyard at the back.

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Bakery and café in Alvor making its bread, pastries and cakes in-house, with breakfast, toasties and sandwiches on the menu. Pastéis de nata, often served warm, draw repeat visits, and custom birthday cakes are made to order.

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A sourdough bakery and café on Pearse Street, Dublin, selling breads, sweet pastries and savoury bakes. Cinnamon rolls with citrus frosting, sausage rolls, almond croissants and lemon cruffins draw queues that often run out the door.

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A small takeout bakery beside the Ponte Vecchio, selling Sicilian and Neapolitan pastries, arancini and coffee. Its cannoli, filled to order in pistachio, ricotta, Nutella and chocolate versions, draw most of the attention, alongside sfogliatelle and the staff behind the counter.

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A French-style pâtisserie and café in George Town, serving croissants, canelés, bomboloni and tarts with coffee and matcha drinks. Specialities include the crème brûlée croissant, almond croissant and cinnamon roll, and the pastries are made with halal ingredients.

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A small bakery and coffee counter in central Bristol near Brunswick Square, selling breads, viennoiserie and cakes. Its babka, honey almond croissant, pastel de nata and West Country Queen draw weekend queues, with soft serve added in summer.

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Small Warsaw bakery-café selling yeast buns, doughnuts, croissants and cakes at high prices, around 30–40 PLN per item. Its seasonal blueberry buns (jagodzianki), packed with fruit under a thick crumble, draw repeat visitors, and Fat Thursday brings a large doughnut range.

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A bakery and takeaway café in South Queensferry selling pastries, focaccia sandwiches, bread and coffee. Its menu changes often, with weekend specials alongside the pistachio croissant and cinnamon bun, and benches nearby look out over the Forth bridges.

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A small, old Italian bakery in San Cristóbal, founded in 1920 and run by a family of southern Italian origin. Cannoli are filled to order in several flavours, alongside sfogliatelle, tiramisu, paninis and focaccia.

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A small bakery and café in Vasastan selling bread, buns, pastries and sandwiches, mostly to take away. Its semla, cardamom and cinnamon buns are specialities, with a few tables inside and outside.

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A small artisanal bakery in central Madrid selling sourdough loaves, French-style pastries and coffee, mostly for takeaway. Staff explain each item and switch between Spanish, English and French, and the range mixes classic viennoiserie with savoury twists like a za'atar, feta and sesame pastry.

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A long-running Italian bakery and cafe in Little Italy, with table service and a takeaway counter for cannoli, lobster tails, cheesecake and gelato. Display cases fill a wood-panelled room, and it has a long history and an old-school setting.

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Downtown Salem bakery run by Chad and Cat Sewell sells baby cakes, brownies, cookies, macarons and dessert cups from a case that changes daily. Its cakes use meringue buttercream that is less sweet, and custom wedding and birthday cakes make up much of the business.

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Bakery and café in Bath serving pastries, bread, coffee and evening pizza and pasta. Bakes are made on site with flour from grain milled in-house, and the cinnamon and cardamom buns draw queues out the door.

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Arabic sweets shop in Amman selling kunafa, trifle, cakes and custom celebration orders. Hanan, Samah and Zeina staff the counter and phone, and their manner is a regular feature of visits.

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A small Portuguese bakery and shop in Gràcia, beside Plaça del Diamant, baking pastéis de nata fresh each day. It also sells savoury pastries, quiches, cakes, bread and Portuguese wines, cheeses and groceries.

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A European-style bakery and café in Wake Forest selling filled croissants, bomboloni, cheesecakes and espresso drinks. Croissants and bomboloni come filled end to end with cream or ganache, and the room has a children's corner with toys and books.

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East Village bakery on Cooper Square baking croissants, focaccia and breads with Levantine and Persian Gulf flavours such as za'atar, tahini and black lime. Pistachio rose croissants, filled with pistachio paste and topped with nuts and rose petals, draw lines; butter level is contested.

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A large pastry shop and café in the countryside near Alfeizerão, with a takeaway counter, table service and cake orders. Bolas de Berlim with custard or pistachio filling draw the most comment, and the terrace looks out over the valley toward the mountains.

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A small Lyon pastry shop with pink decor, built around pistachio in flans, trompe-l'œil cakes, cookies and chocolate bars. Portions are large, the display changes often, and prices of €6–7 per piece are high.

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Barcelona bakery in Sant Antoni selling bread, ensaimadas, croissants and cocas, with a separate café a short walk away. Ensaimadas and mini chocolate croissants draw long local queues; service is brusque and prices are rising.

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A small puff-pastry shop and café near León Cathedral serving coffee with pastries to eat in or take away. Cream-filled puff pastry roscón at Christmas and merlitones draw repeat buyers, and drinks come with complimentary almond tiles or small pastries.

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Bakery and café on Islands Brygge mixing Danish baking with Japanese influences, selling breads, pastries, cakes and sandwiches. Specialities include the rhubarb croissant, miso caramel croissant, cardamom bun, salmon onigiri croissant and layered cakes such as Andersen Signature.

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A French-style patisserie in Olympia selling croissants, tarts, quiche and doughnuts, with Stumptown coffee at the counter. Kouign amann draws repeat visitors, and the bright, clean room fills with lines that move quickly.

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