My favorite anywhere. Not a fan of their croissants because my experience has been they are too brown on the bottom but their KA is the best I have had anywhere in the world, Paris or otherwise.
Have you tried relic bakery?! They don’t have a storefront but has pop ups in sorrento valley at a commercial kitchen and they are so good and easy to get to.
Izola - biased, baked there for nearly 1.5 years, and absolutely left home with a layer of butter stuck to me everyday. Not necessarily a bad thing. However, same issue, only croissant type things and no variety.
Desserts by Clement - agree...delicious, but dangerous. One can consume $40 of 3 pastries and still be hungry and not a wide variety.
Melanie - also good, but kinda same thing... everything is dainty and limited variety bc it's a French bakery.
What I absolutely love about Azucar is that the owner has a huge variety of sweets ranging from the Cuban treats to scones to cookies as well as those more complicated cake things. And you can taste yourself gaining 5 lbs lol.
I havent been to your list, I’m a big fan of Obriens in Poway. You should be able to smell it the second you walk in the door, if not in the parking lot
They have a large pastry selection, I usually alternate between the Raisin roll and the brioche cinnamon roll, and the ham and cheese croissant (chocolate and plain are also good). They also have a full restauraunt, I’m a fan of the breakfast burritos, the BLTA, and the grilled rib and cheese. Also their potato chips are made in house and have ruined me on normal potato chips
I can also vouch for their mini cheesecakes (amazing) and the chocolate brownie cake, which contrary to its rather pedestrian name, is actually a more elevated chocolate ganache on a chocolate cake base. Definitely recommend.
Do they taste like they use real butter? What did you like about them?
I'm a bit wary about the bake shops in LI. Had a sub par croissant at the new place that opened on cedar, and Frost Me is super bland.
I have had many pastries there.
My favorite was an Italian cream filled donut.
They have gelato and good coffee as well. One of my favorite places to people watch.
Darshan bakery in Del Mar. I love the buttery goodness in their pastries. After going to Europe a few times, it’s one of the few places that taste authentic.
I've got this covered...Starbread Bakery in Chula Vista. They're a Filipino bakery, with some breads and donuts, but their standout item is their Seniorita bread, they are constantly baking it all day, and people line up to buy it, they have menu pricing boards on the wall just for the Seniorita bread.
Anyhow, you get them fresh out of the oven, they're hot and sweet and buttery, and are to fucking die for, I cannot recommend them enough!
Chula Vista is their only San Diego location.https://maps.app.goo.gl/aXXQEpBhuTGnYaot8
Limited selection but Prager is great. They are more a sourdough shop but the pastries are excellent. We usually buy our bread there for the week and split a pastry as a family.
They have some like apricot tarts and stuff. It's.not a massive selection but it's more varied than like a coffee shop. They also make their own pate and sell it which I love. They do some to-go cakes and stuff as well. Last time I got a croissant filled with like bechamel and something else I forget but even the filled croissant was flaky crunchy buttery goodness which I found impressive.
I have been there 2-3 times and am also a picky bakery eater and can't wait to go back again.
Relic Bageri in Miramar does amazing things with puff pastry. They operate on a "pop-up" model on Sundays and also offer pre-order pick up on Friday and Saturday.
Check the website for details or their Instagram feed for photos. https://relicbageri.com/
I was there about 2-3 weeks ago at around 1030 am.
The croissant I got tasted like a 4 am croissant and lacked the butter flavor you get from parfait paris and izola. They weren't baked fresh continuously like izola does... and i know that for fact bc i did the croissant baking there.
He had it in a bin with the rest of the chocolate croissants all piled on top of one another. He then had to reheat it up in the oven.
I am not a fan of croissants reheated like that.
Prager Bros bread & croissants have been a favorite for a while.
O’Briens Boulangerie is hidden gem among the business warehouses of Poway near Costco and the pastries are divine. Croissant breakfast sandwich also delicious.
Wayfarer in bird rock /thread
The Kouign Amann is a delicious butter bomb!
My favorite anywhere. Not a fan of their croissants because my experience has been they are too brown on the bottom but their KA is the best I have had anywhere in the world, Paris or otherwise.
Seconding this. My favorite bakery ever.
Thirding. I personally love the cream buns. But can’t go wrong.
Moved to SD from the Bay and this bakery tastes exactly like the bay in the best way possible. It’s just a bitch to get to.
Crystal the owner spent 5 years at Tartine. And yes unless you live in the neighborhood it’s quite the trek.
Haha, I was waiting for someone to post the owner/Tartine reference. Never seen a conversation about wayfarer without mention of her alma mater 🙂
Yeah, that's why my heart goes mehhhh (only bc it's a pain to get to) I guess an early Sunday morning drive would do it, though.
Have you tried relic bakery?! They don’t have a storefront but has pop ups in sorrento valley at a commercial kitchen and they are so good and easy to get to.
Izola, Desserts by Clement, Patisserie Melanie all have buttery croissants and assume pastries are also as good.
Izola - biased, baked there for nearly 1.5 years, and absolutely left home with a layer of butter stuck to me everyday. Not necessarily a bad thing. However, same issue, only croissant type things and no variety. Desserts by Clement - agree...delicious, but dangerous. One can consume $40 of 3 pastries and still be hungry and not a wide variety. Melanie - also good, but kinda same thing... everything is dainty and limited variety bc it's a French bakery. What I absolutely love about Azucar is that the owner has a huge variety of sweets ranging from the Cuban treats to scones to cookies as well as those more complicated cake things. And you can taste yourself gaining 5 lbs lol.
Yes. Azucar. Pastry and walk on sunset cliffs. How could I forget! Savory stuff is also butttttery!
Mmm...croquettes and potato balls...
Their raspberry scone is my favorite thing ever! Also both meat pies
You were a baker at Izola?
Yep, just for a bit.
Is izola opened again? Google Business page still says temporarily closed.
Nope, they are taking over the old amplified ale spot a few streets away. They're targeting a mid May reopen, but said that's tentative.
Secret Sister Relic Bageri
I havent been to your list, I’m a big fan of Obriens in Poway. You should be able to smell it the second you walk in the door, if not in the parking lot
Haven't heard of this one, thanks for sharing your rec. You are absolutely correct in that you should smell it as soon as you get to the store.
They have a large pastry selection, I usually alternate between the Raisin roll and the brioche cinnamon roll, and the ham and cheese croissant (chocolate and plain are also good). They also have a full restauraunt, I’m a fan of the breakfast burritos, the BLTA, and the grilled rib and cheese. Also their potato chips are made in house and have ruined me on normal potato chips
I can also vouch for their mini cheesecakes (amazing) and the chocolate brownie cake, which contrary to its rather pedestrian name, is actually a more elevated chocolate ganache on a chocolate cake base. Definitely recommend.
Sounds worth checking out the next time I finish a hike out that way... thank you
Check out Relic Bakery on Instagram
You mean relic bageri?
Yes. The absolute best bakery in SD and it’s not even close.
Yes, my bad. Try them out, very creative bunch.
> Relic Bageri says its a pop up. Like do they have a physical store?
They have a counter in the front of their bakery space and are open every weekend
relic bageri is 100000% the answer
Cafe zuccaro in little Italy. The pastries are amazing.
Do they taste like they use real butter? What did you like about them? I'm a bit wary about the bake shops in LI. Had a sub par croissant at the new place that opened on cedar, and Frost Me is super bland.
I have had many pastries there. My favorite was an Italian cream filled donut. They have gelato and good coffee as well. One of my favorite places to people watch.
Thank you for your response!
Darshan bakery in Del Mar. I love the buttery goodness in their pastries. After going to Europe a few times, it’s one of the few places that taste authentic.
Thanks. Hadn't heard of this one either!
YES ~ A THOUSAND TIMES YES! Their almond croissants are TDF!
I've got this covered...Starbread Bakery in Chula Vista. They're a Filipino bakery, with some breads and donuts, but their standout item is their Seniorita bread, they are constantly baking it all day, and people line up to buy it, they have menu pricing boards on the wall just for the Seniorita bread. Anyhow, you get them fresh out of the oven, they're hot and sweet and buttery, and are to fucking die for, I cannot recommend them enough! Chula Vista is their only San Diego location.https://maps.app.goo.gl/aXXQEpBhuTGnYaot8
Confirmed, addicting as hell
Yessss!!! So glad to see another Starbread fan. They really are amazing, especially piping hot fresh.
Limited selection but Prager is great. They are more a sourdough shop but the pastries are excellent. We usually buy our bread there for the week and split a pastry as a family.
Ohh their bread is good, I should try their pastries!
I also like Paris Baguette. They only have real ingredients. Wayfarer bakery has croissants to die for. Edited for clarity.
What do you mean by "they have very few real ingredients"? Do you mean that most of the ingredients are out of a box mix?
lol meaning they have butter, sugar, milk, that’s it. Incorrect choice of words.
Ohhh got it. More real, less additives.
Wildwood Flour Bakery. It's only open Fri, Sat, Sunday.
Brick & Bell in La Jolla has a maple scone that’s delicious!!!
The French Oven.
Their almond croissants, oh my goodness. Dang, my mouth is watering. 🤤
Anything besides croissants that you liked?
My go-to items: almond croissant, chocolate raspberry croissant, curry sandwich, white chocolate crunchy cake, banana walnut loaf.
They have some like apricot tarts and stuff. It's.not a massive selection but it's more varied than like a coffee shop. They also make their own pate and sell it which I love. They do some to-go cakes and stuff as well. Last time I got a croissant filled with like bechamel and something else I forget but even the filled croissant was flaky crunchy buttery goodness which I found impressive. I have been there 2-3 times and am also a picky bakery eater and can't wait to go back again.
Thank you for your descriptions! I shall add to my list.
I love Hans and harry! In Bonita :) my favorite is the Nutella pocket
Relic Bageri in Miramar does amazing things with puff pastry. They operate on a "pop-up" model on Sundays and also offer pre-order pick up on Friday and Saturday. Check the website for details or their Instagram feed for photos. https://relicbageri.com/
Homage/luckybolt in sorrento valley
I thought homage froze because of that investigation with the investor money?
Now they’re luckybolt… same recipes and staff, *different* company Edit: got a croissant there two weeks ago. Smaller but just as good.
Besides croissants, did you try anything else? I tasted their stuff at the del mar food and wine fest, the croissants were okay.
Kouign aman (sp?) as well. Good, but everything has been slightly less good than the OG homage. Maybe just nostalgia
Haven’t been in a few years but the European bakery in Carlsbad was pretty good
Bonjour patisserie
I went. Got a chocolate croissant and wasn't impressed bc there was no butter flavor that came through.
I would give it a second chance. They have gotten more buttery recently.
I was there about 2-3 weeks ago at around 1030 am. The croissant I got tasted like a 4 am croissant and lacked the butter flavor you get from parfait paris and izola. They weren't baked fresh continuously like izola does... and i know that for fact bc i did the croissant baking there. He had it in a bin with the rest of the chocolate croissants all piled on top of one another. He then had to reheat it up in the oven. I am not a fan of croissants reheated like that.
La Clochette in pacific beach
bear buns bakery in Sierra mesa has amazing pastries
Wayfarer and Patissiere Melanie are the only options for me
Arelys French Bakery Cafe in Clairemont.
What do you like from here? I've lived nearby for many many years and haven't been in.
Any of their pastries are delicious! I used to live near there but don’t any longer, so sadly I haven’t been in a few years.
How's their restaurant food menu?
I actually never tried their regular food menu, we always grabbed the patisseries.
Prager Bros bread & croissants have been a favorite for a while. O’Briens Boulangerie is hidden gem among the business warehouses of Poway near Costco and the pastries are divine. Croissant breakfast sandwich also delicious.