More than a thousand of you voted to decide the finalists for the 2025 edition of San Francisco’s Best Croissant competition, and we can’t wait to let you know which ten bakeries will be competing in the finale. Who will succeed Juniper, last year’s winner? You’ll have an answer on Sunday, June 1, at the Clift Royal Sonesta, during the competition organized by French Morning, Frenchly, and L’Apéro by FAHGA. The event is already sold out, with 300 tickets having sold like hotcakes, but you can join the waiting list here.
The best bakeries in the Bay Area will be showcasing their pastries, so you can move from stand to stand, sample croissants and other delicious specialities, and vote for the Fan Prize. Our judges, after participating in a blind tasting of all the croissants, will award the Grand Prize.
Here’s the long-awaited list of your chosen bakeries, in alphabetical order.
Astra at St Regis
It seems that our readers are particularly fond of the croissants at Astra, the restaurant of the luxury hotel located a stone’s throw from SFMOMA. Heading up the pastry teams at the St. Regis since 2023, chef Sebastian Huyhua cut his teeth at Epic Steakhouse, Meadows in Napa, and La Mar in San Francisco, and, most recently, Alexander’s Patisserie. Website.
Backhaus
Since opening her bakery in San Mateo in 2019, the craze for the bread and viennoiseries made by Anne Moser, a German native of Leipzig, has never waned. Better get there early before her entire selection is sold out, especially the sourdough loaves with Guittard chocolate chips… Moser is self-taught, and after several years selling her products at local markets, the baker is now delighting gourmands in San Mateo as well as Burlingame, since the opening of a second shop in 2023. Website.
East Bay Bakery
Located in Danville, East Bay Bakery has made a name for itself with its trendy croffle, a hybrid of a croissant and a waffle, alongside seasonal fruit galettes and delicious sourdough bread. But what really sets East Bay Bakery apart are the Indonesian and Asian-flavored pastries that founder Gaby Lubaba prepares and sells on weekends, such as beef rendang empanadas and a banh mi-flavored pastries. Website.
Le Carousel Patisserie
This new bakery-patisserie is not yet open to the public, but you can order in advance and pick up your cakes and pastries in San Francisco’s Bayview district. Word-of-mouth is very good, and with good reason: Carousel Patisserie’s creator, Jérémie Mullet, cut his teeth at Mademoiselle Colette, and then at Le Marais Bakery, which won the Jury Prize in the Best Croissant 2023 competition. Website.
Maison Benoît
After ten years at Microsoft France, followed by six in the Bay Area wine industry, Benoît Vialle launched his bakery business by opening Maison Benoît in Danville in early 2024. He has enlisted the talents of Lucile Espeillac, head baker at La Tour d’Argent, and Matthieu Maulun, a pastry chef originally from Bordeaux. Eclairs, St. Honoré, sourdough bread, cannelés, mille-feuilles, as well as pain Suisse, almond croissants, plain croissants and pains au chocolat have quickly made the reputation of this new chain, and people travel from all over the Bay Area to try them. Website.
Maison Nico
Renowned for its pies and puff pastry brioche, Maison Nico has been building a solid reputation in the pastry business since 2023. Indeed, after months of work to install new, larger ovens to meet ever-increasing demand (of course!), Maison Nico won the Grand Prix awarded by a panel of professionals in the Best Croissant competition organized by French Morning in 2023. Can they repeat the feat? We’ll find out on June 1st. Website.
Red Bird Bakery
In Santa Rosa, Red Bird Bakery is reinventing itself. Originally from the Czech Republic, the Cermak family bakes their breads and pastries daily. They offer a wide variety of products, from the traditional baguette to apricot and walnut wholegrain bread. These are sold in the bakery, as well as in local markets and shops. In 2019, Red Bird Bakery won the Best Baguette competition organized by French Morning. Will they pull off a double with Best Croissant this year? It’s up to you and the professionals to judge. Website.
Saltwater Bakeshop
You’ve probably discovered Brittany Dunn-Holden’s creations at the Farmers Market in the Ferry Building, on Clement Street, or in Fort Mason. Crispy croissants, fluffy breads, and fragrant banana bread have a loyal clientele who follow them from neighborhood to neighborhood, while Saltwater Bakeshop aspires to open a full-fledged chain. Brittany Dunn-Holden previously worked at Mr. Holmes’ Bakehouse, a Tenderloin bakery that has gone viral on social networks thanks to its cruffin, a croissant baked in a muffin tin and topped with custard. Website.
Sarmentine
In 2019, Sarmentine took part in the Best Baguette competition. At the time, Alexandra Zandvliet operated from her kitchen. Since then, Sarmentine has become a thriving business, opening a bakery in Santa Rosa in 2021, followed by a second in Sebastopol in 2023, and a third in Petaluma last year. Sarmentine has also been nominated in the food category of the French American Business Awards, to be held on Thursday May 29, three days before the Best Croissant competition. Is a grand slam on the horizon? Website.
The Midwife and the Baker
Mac and Jaime McConnell are behind this bakery, which serves the San Francisco Bay Area with freshly milled natural sourdough bread and pastries. The couple source from California farmers and local millers, and San Franciscans appreciate it: they awarded The Midwife and the Baker the Fan Prize in our 2018 Best Croissant competition. Mac McConnell also teaches baking at the San Francisco Baking Institute, and Jaime McConnell is a midwife, as the name of their bakery suggests. Website.
A French Morning event, co-hosted by L’Apéro by FAHGA.
This event is sponsored by Paris Gourmet, importer of French products to the U.S., and its butter brand Beurremont.
This article was originally published in French on French Morning and appears here in translation.
