Every time we go back to France, our first stop is in a local bakery to grab fresh pastries. Luckily, we live in San Francisco where many sweet options exist. Here are 5 of our favorites French bakeries in the city:
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B. Patisserie - This bakery, owned by Chef Belinda Leong and Michel Suas, is known for its delicious pastries, including kouign amann, croissants and financier. The baguette is excellent too. Its Chocolate caramel toffee Mousse is a must have.
- Arsicault Bakery - This bakery, located in the Inner Sunset neighborhood and with a larger café that recently opened in the Civic Center, is known for its flaky, buttery croissants. After it was declared the "best croissant in America" by Bon Appétit, the lines for Armando Lacayo's flaky creations became overwhelmingly long. Believe the hype, they are the best in town. I personally thought a ham and cheese croissant was abomination, until I tried Arsicault's!
- Jane the Bakery - Jane serves all manner of breads, breakfast pastries, cakes, tarts, and more at all four of its locations in San Francisco. Their baguette is one of the best in the city.
- Vive La Tarte - The Belgian team at Vive La Tarte is still serving croissants to the neighborhood in Noe Valley. A popular menu item right now is the orange blossom and za’atar, which is sweet, savory, and unexpected, with a floral bloom. Still, our go-to is the Turmeric Monkeybread.
- Arizmendi Bakery - The worker-owned bakery collective is a long-cherished institution in the Bay Area. Its 2 SF locations - Sunset and Mission - offer a choice of pastries, cookies and baguettes.Â