Nearly 1,400 of you voted to select the finalists for the 2026 edition of the San Francisco Best Croissant Contest—a new record! Who will succeed Maison Benoit and win this year’s coveted title? Find out on Sunday, June 7, at the Clift Royal Sonesta, during a gourmet event organized by French Morning, Frenchly, and L’Apéro by FAHGA.
For this highly anticipated final, the region’s best bakeries will showcase their creations. Visitors can stroll from booth to booth, sample croissants and other exceptional pastries, and then vote for the coveted People’s Choice Award. Meanwhile, the jury members will perform a blind tasting of the croissants to determine the 2026 Grand Prize winner.
All 300 tickets sold out in record time, but latecomers can still try their luck by signing up for the wait list.
Below you’ll find—in alphabetical order—the 10 finalist bakeries.
Bonjour Bakehouse
In San Mateo, at the KitchenTown culinary lab, Bonjour Bakehouse offers a warm and sophisticated take on French baking in a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. Founded in 2019 by Ingrid Sarlandie and François Bernaudin—a pastry chef who honed his craft in Tokyo, Canada, and then San Francisco, at La Boulange and Doughbies—the bakery focuses on local ingredients and uncompromising artisanal expertise. Alongside the duo, Chef Martha oversees the daily batches of scones, croissants, pains au chocolat, cookies, and homemade breads. Committed to the community, the bakery also supports local producers and organizations through the “Cookie for a Cause” initiative. A true favorite of the Peninsula. Website.
Carousel Patisserie
Based in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, Carousel Patisserie operates primarily on a made-to-order basis and through highly popular pop-up events in the Bay Area. Its founder, Jérémy Mullet, trained at Mademoiselle Colette and then at Le Marais Bakery, winner of the 2023 Best Croissant Jury Prize. Known for its original and meticulously crafted creations, the bakery made a name for itself last year with a pastry inspired by the flavors of mango and pineapple flambéed with rum, which won the award for Best Original Creation. Website.
Compagnon Bakery
Compagnon Bakery, which began as a simple pop-up in San Rafael, is now a renowned artisanal bakery in San Francisco, founded by bakers Andrew Roth and Quinn Berger. Inspired by the tradition of French artisan bakers, the shop is celebrated for its sourdough breads, flaky pastries, and meticulous use of organic and local ingredients. Its creations can mainly be found at the Stonestown Farmers Market every Sunday, as well as at several locations around the city, such as The Mill and Java Beach Café. Website.
East Bay Bakery
Based in Danville since 2022, Chef Gaby Lubaba has mastered the art of the croffle, an irresistible hybrid creation combining a croissant and a waffle. In her bakery, French tradition blends with Indonesian and Asian influences through a menu that is as inventive as it is contemporary. Using carefully selected organic flours, she creates curry puffs, beef rendang turnovers, and banh mi-inspired danishes, as well as French pastries, including a kouign-amann with caramelized layers, faithful to the great classics and crafted with great precision. A gourmet fusion, executed with finesse. Website.
Fournée Bakery
Opened in Berkeley in 2013 by Frank Sally—a former chef at Meadowood (the three-Michelin-starred restaurant in St. Helena) and the San Francisco Baking Institute, and winner of the 2011 Mondial du Pain in Lyon—Fournée Bakery has established itself as one of the East Bay’s top destinations. At the foot of the legendary Claremont Hotel, a line stretches out the door every morning on Domingo Avenue. In the display cases, you’ll find perfectly-layered croissant, almond-filled pains au chocolat, canelés, sourdough walnut bread, and fougasse that’s to die for… These creations are made with ingredients carefully sourced from local farms and producers, and exceptional artisanal craftsmanship, recognized with the award for Best Original Creation at the 2023 Best Croissant competition. Website.
Le Marais Bakery
With its quintessentially Parisian terrace at the corner of 18th and Sanchez Street in the Castro, Le Marais Bakery has established itself since 2013 as a must-visit destination in the Bay Area. Founded by Patrick Ascaso, the bakery—winner of the 2023 San Francisco People’s Choice Award for Best Croissant—prioritizes organic and local ingredients, from its natural sourdough starter to its fillings. Executive Chef Emmanuel Pradet—trained at Brasserie Flottes in Paris, with stints at Le Bilboquet and Le Zinc in New York, and later at Barney’s in Beverly Hills—adds his expertise. The brand, with its four locations, offers a generous, contemporary take on French classics, as with its viral XXL croissants. Website.
Octavia – Saturbake
Tucked away on the corner of Bush and Octavia in the Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood, Saturbake isn’t quite a bakery, but rather an extension of Octavia, the fine-dining restaurant helmed by chef Melissa Perello. One Saturday a month, pastry chef Melissa Loar hosts a pop-up featuring artisanal pastries and breads, sold in small batches from the side entrance. The selection, inspired by the seasons and updated for each event, is so highly anticipated that the line sometimes winds around the block. On the menu: cherry-chocolate croissants, ricotta-blueberry donuts, apricot-cheesecake danishes, cacio e pepe milk buns—and, of course, the house’s signature sourdough bread. A heads-up for those in a hurry: pre-orders are also available to save time. Website.
Sarmentine
Since entering its first French Morning contest in 2019, Sarmentine has experienced impressive growth. Founded by Alexandra Zandvliet in her home kitchen, the artisanal bakery now has three locations, in Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Petaluma. Renowned for its sourdough breads and French pastries, Sarmentine is back this year with the goal of winning the title of Best Croissant 2026. Website.
Red Bird Bakery
Located in Santa Rosa, Red Bird Bakery is a family-owned bakery founded by the Cermak family, who are of Czech descent. Known for its artisanal breads and European pastries, the bakery offers everything from traditional baguettes to more rustic creations featuring dried fruits and nuts. Winner of the French Morning Best Baguette competition in 2019, will Red Bird Bakery achieve a double victory by also winning the title of Best Croissant? Website.
The French Spot
With one Nob Hill location and a recent second in Concord, The French Spot is a family-run bakery founded by Vincent Attali and Maria Zapata. Renowned for its croissants, creations that blend French influences with Asian flavors, and its famous “Mochicros,” the bakery has established itself as one of the rising stars of the Bay Area’s pastry scene. Website.
The Jury
- Claude Le Tohic is a Michelin-starred French chef. Formerly the chef at Joël Robuchon’s restaurant in Las Vegas, he now runs O’ by Claude Le Tohic in San Francisco, which has been awarded a Michelin star.
- Lucile Espeillac is the head baker at Maison Benoit in Danville and the winner of the 2025 Best Croissant Award. She is a graduate of the École de Boulangerie et de Pâtisserie de Paris and a former head baker at La Tour d’Argent.
- François Daubinet is a renowned pastry chef and creative director, former head of dessert creation at Fauchon, who now collaborates with major luxury brands such as Saint Laurent, Messika, and Omega.
- Rose Gillen is a pastry chef and president of Baker’s Dozen, an association that brings together professionals and enthusiasts in the baking and pastry industry for demonstrations, training sessions, and culinary events.
- Cesar Herrera is the West Coast sales and marketing director at French Bee.
- Sherry Shi is a content creator specializing in food and travel. Based in San Francisco, she shares her culinary discoveries and favorite spots around the world on her @sherryeatworld account.
Co-written with Delphine Gallay.
This article was originally published in French on French Morning. It appears here in translation.
