This Pasadena bakery is run by a private chef-slash-influencer, and the pastry case is filled with various dessert shop standards—cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and brownies. They’re on the delicate and not-too-sweet side, but the chocolate items are impressively chocolately, and vanilla and other spices come singing through wherever they're used. The menu is split up into AM and PM sections, so timing matters—show up early if you want to grab one of the coveted cinnamon rolls.

The pan dulce at Pan Estilo Copola might look like basic whole wheat conchas from the supermarket, but there’s more to these brown-hued pastries than meets the eye. The secret: this family-owned, Guerrero-style bakery in Compton ferments wheat dough and shapes it by hand, producing rustic-looking, sweet-savory pan dulce like squiggly sugar-coated gusanitos or warm empanadas overstuffed with purple yam.

This pint-sized Mexican bakery is run by the pastry chef from Loreto, and if you've ever had dessert at that restaurant, you'll understand why we're giddy about the fancy pan dulce here. The selection spans fresh “LA”-shaped churros, exquisite strawberry-chile donuts, focaccia sandwiches, and our favorite, the crunchy house conchas dusted in cinnamon and filled vanilla chantilly, which tastes even better than they look. Lines form on weekends, so arrive before 11am.

The Korean-influenced pastries are as light and balanced as the space: subtly tangy lime tarts with sugar-crystalized perilla leaves, not-too-sweet kabocha cakes decorated with a bouquet of dried persimmon, and black sesame chocolate cookies with soft, spongy centers that taste like they’re genetically part-cake. Modu has a four-pastry-per-person policy, but we could try each one and not feel like a walking cream bun after. The shop does occasionally sell out on weekends.

Petitgrain Boulangerie bakes French pastries like Jimi Hendrix rips guitar solos: flawlessly. The Santa Monica pastry shop, run by the co-owner of LA’s best-known baking school, is big on traditional techniques and locally sourced flour. Those simple little details are what make Petitgrain's croissants stand out: the slightly salty, not-too-buttery crescents have lacy and delicate layers that'll elicit squeals from dough nerds.

The laminated masterpieces at Fondry come at a price, and we don’t mean the $7 they charge for a danish. There’s usually a long line at this Eagle Rock patisserie well before they open, which means planning your morning around these baked goods. But if there’s a kouign-amann worth the effort, it’s here. The tender spiraled bun pulls apart like a yarn ball with a gentle tug, and the lightly sugared crust crackles when you sink in your teeth.

Cafe Tropical has changed ownership a few times over the years, but this 50-year-old bakery on Sunset hasn’t veered far from its Cuban roots. The current menu is still dominated by classics, like their famous cubano sandwich and golden-crusted pastelitos filled with sweet cheese and guava paste. But it's new additions like an excellent BEC on cushiony coco bread, lightly floral orange glazed donuts, and a spicy jerk chicken sandwich that we're most excited to pair with our midday cafe cubano.

Old Sasoon is a four-decade-old Armenian bakery in Pasadena where you can find beautiful za’atar-crusted flatbreads, beorags filled with spicy soujouk, and jingalov hatz stuffed with so much dill they glow green in the sun. All of these delicious, fresh-from-the-oven things are available to-go, but we much prefer sitting on Old Sasoon’s sidewalk patio. It’s a nice place to slow down, take in some sun, and drink coffee from a paper cup.

Named after a sweet custard-filled pastry, Cream Pan is the kind of French/Japanese bakery that understands the power of whipped dairy. The long glass cases inside their massive Lomita bakeshop are lined with things like melon buns, custard cups, and shortcakes covered in homemade icing. No trip here is complete with one of their strawberry croissants, too—it tastes like a cross between puff pastry and profiterole, with sweet cream and strawberry slices oozing from flaky laminated dough.

If you leave Gjusta without bread and/or baked goods, you’re not to be trusted. In addition to a full food menu, this Venice establishment offers a huge variety of bialys, bagels, sourdough loaves, and baguettes. Their baguettes are hard to beat, but focus on the pumpernickel and olive loaves if they're in stock. Even the butter you spread on top will be in awe of their herby notes and spongy texture. Meanwhile, it’s impossible to go past the pastry case and not consider at least five things.

Porto’s should need no introduction. But just in case you need a quick refresher, the family-run Cuban bakery has been serving guava pastries, potato balls, and every other baked treat under the Valley sun for the last 55 years. They’re the pride and joy of Burbank, and you should go here (or to any of their other locations) to join the lines of people waiting to stock up on their trademarked papa rellenas, which are deep-fried and filled with more meat than an Arby’s tagline.

Republique wears a lot of hats, some of them better than others. But one thing that’s not up for debate is Republique’s reputation as a pastry powerhouse. You won’t find a more attractive display case anywhere in LA, with tiered rows of custardy Basque cheesecakes, chocolate tarts with shiny ganache, and pain au chocolat piled on top of each other like fluffy pillows. They taste just as good as they look, and we suggest splurging on a box of these baked goods before they run out after brunch.

If you’ve ever ordered anything bread-related from a place in LA with cutesy menu fonts and small-batch coffee, you're likely familiar with Bub & Grandma's. The wholesale bakery has been supplying amazing baked goods around town for years but had never had a space of its own—until now. The Bub & Grandma’s cafe in Glassell Park is an homage to the early-morning American diner, complete with cushy white booths and a wrap-around counter.

Long Beach's Gusto Bread is a new-wave panadería specializing in pan and pan dulce made with natural yeasts and heirloom grains. You’ll find beautiful seeded loaves, studded with sunflower, pumpkin, and poppy seeds that go nicely with a cup of coffee, or just a quick smear of butter. Semi-sweet pan loaves are made with house-milled yellow corn, and conchas come with a thick sugar cookie frosting that's the right amount of sweet.

Des Croissants Paris is a traditional French bakery that smells like a tub of butter. Maybe that's not your first choice when picking out an air freshener, but inside a boulangerie, it's a good sign. You'll only find French staples at this minimalist Culver City cafe, like arms-length baguettes, glossy croissants, and kouign-amann that's worth a visit alone. The layers of pastry peel apart like tissue paper, and the sugar crust shatters like candy but is still gooey inside.

A visit to Coin De Rue in Koreatown can go several ways, from grabbing a to-go box of yuzu sponge cakes and red bean sweet rolls to lounging with an iced dalgona coffee and eating said box of pastries. The odds of the second scenario increase if you order this Korean bakery's masterpiece: the green onion pesto loaf. This gigantic scored bread looks like a garlic knot fell into a vat of radioactive waste and mutated into the Hulk version of itself. It serves four people easily.

You can't go wrong with anything in the gorgeous display case: buttery pistachio croissants, savory white cheddar biscuits, and danishes filled with water fruit popping off at the farmers market that week. And whether we're just grabbing one of their breakfast sandwiches to-go or sending a few emails during lunch in their peaceful dining room, we can't leave without grabbing a loaf of sesame sourdough for later.

Rather than being famous for one item that blew up on social media, this family-run Lebanese bakery in Granada Hills makes over 70 different incredible things, including buttery cheese boats, falafel pies, and zesty za’atar saj. Even their shawarma is some of the best in town. Grab a sweet labneh and honey flatbread on the way out or don’t even bother telling people you came. And now that there are locations in Glendora, Calabasas, and San Diego, there’s no excuse to put off a visit.

This well-oiled baking machine is now a local mini-chain with four locations selling incredible pastries like twisty Swedish cinnamons buns, buttery cheddar-chive scones, and kouign-amann that taste like a caramelized croissant. If you’re looking for something a little heartier, our favorite item is their “Scandinavian Breakfast,” a massive platter with a sourdough roll, Comté cheese, ham, butter, jam, and a hardboiled egg.

This brightly lit bake shop in Culver City has more Danish goods than an IKEA showroom, from pretzel-shaped kringles to butter cakes to loaves of rye. If you come on the weekend, get their special morning rolls. They cost just $1.35 each, and are made from soft, slightly sweet dough—the perfect vehicle for any jammy eggs or jellies you might have on hand.

While eating the pies and baked goods from Fat + Flour you might get hit with a wave of déjà vu. Maybe you’ve eaten it in a parallel universe, but most likely it’s because you've had Nicole Rucker's treats from one of the many places she's baked around town. Now in Culver City as well as a stall in DTLA's Grand Central Market, she's doing her signature pies back in flavors like rhubarb cherry and whipped-cream-topped Key lime topped with whipped cream.

This legendary Chinese bakery has everything you need for a dessert-heavy feast, including favorites like strawberry cream cakes and freshly steamed buns. Crackly deep-fried butterfly cookies go perfectly with a cup of tea, and flaky almond pastries glow like the sun and are filled with sweet red bean paste.

The lines at this cute Atwater bakery can get long on the weekends (we’re talking sneaker-store-on-Fairfax lengths), but with some patience, you’ll be treated to a treasure trove of pastries, croissants, and bread loaves. Rotating sandwiches come on crusty baguettes, ideal for munching on at the park. Fluffy brioche buns are airy and light, and the chocolate chip cookies are what we wish every chocolate chip cookie tasted like: soft and sprinkled with sea salt.

Throw a Gen Z bread specialist, cultured butter, and a bag of stone-milled grain into a vat, stir a few times, and you get Jyan Isaac Bread. The Santa Monica bakery, which is attached to pizzeria Ghisallo in Ocean Park comes from an ex-Gjusta baker who honed his craft during the early days of the pandemic. Jyan Isaac offers fresh bread daily, including everything from seeded sourdough loaves and Danish rye to fresh baguettes and poppy bagels.

With locations in San Pedro and Long Beach, Colossus is one of our favorite destinations for bread and pastries, not just in the South Bay, but anywhere in LA County. Their naturally fermented country loaf is thick and moist, ideal for dipping into beef stew and pretending you’re an extra on Game of Thrones. The kouign-amann is salty and sweet, and the sticky buns combine the texture of a buttery croissant with pecan flavor.