A Guide to Philly’s Best Neighborhood Bakeries

We’ve never wanted for baked goods around here — or for great bread, for that matter. Family bakeries that make old country recipes are an important part of Philly’s food story. But the city is also full of fresh baking talent — from cake-makers who keep coming up with creative ways to work with buttercream to vegan and gluten-free chefs making pastries that you’d never guess didn’t contain butter.

So whether you’re looking for some old-school loaves or cutting-edge cakes, here’s where to get your carbs — no matter where you are in Philly.

Bakeries You Must Try First

Essen Bakery, East Passyunk

Chef Tova du Plessis’s shop has become a beloved business on East Passyunk Avenue, thanks to its fan-favorite chocolate halva babka, black-and-white cookies, rugelach, and other treats. There’s also a savory menu, with bagels, sandwiches and more. While many travel to Essen from across the city, soon those in the north of Philly won’t have to go far — the bakery has plans to open a new location in Kensington. 1437 East Passyunk Avenue.

Merzbacher’s, Germantown

The Philly Muffin is what started it all — a kind of bagel/English muffin/sandwich-roll hybrid. But this place (formerly known as Philly Bread) also makes Pullman loaves and baguettes that people travel to get their hands on, along with plenty of other breads made from farmer-sourced grains and hand-milled flour. Get their goods at the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and at just about every specialty grocer and food co-op in the city. 4530 Germantown Avenue.

Machine Shop Boulangerie, East Passyunk

Machine Shop’s sunny space on the ground floor of the Bok Building is one of the hottest spots in town for lemon meringue tarts, canelés, morning buns, and other French-inspired baked goods. Go early, especially on the weekends when they’re likely to sell out. 1901 South 9th Street.

Mighty Bread Company, East Passyunk

Mighty Bread’s airy cafe may be spacious, but it fills up fast — especially on weekends around breakfast and lunchtime — and for good reason. On the menu, there’s a variety of crowd-pleasing quiches, sandwiches, salads, and seasonal specials, as well as a case full of pastries and cookies and, of course, loaves of bread. The sourdough isn’t to be missed, with its impossibly large air pockets in the middle and a nice shatter on the crust. But when asiago, Romano, and parmesan cheeses get folded into the dough, the result is dizzyingly good — and it’s what you should use to make grilled-cheese sandwiches with from now to eternity. And if you’re making soup, pick up the semolina loaf, which is perfect for mopping up the bottom of the bowl. You can also find Mighty Bread products around Philly at retailers like Riverwards Produce and Di Bruno Bros., as well as a number of coffee shops. 1211 Gerritt Street.

Dodo Bakery, South Philly

Way down in South Philly, Dodo Bakery makes freshly baked Hong Kong-style pastries and buns, plus bubble tea and smoothies. You’ll find pork floss buns, egg tarts, sponge cakes and more. 2653 South 11th Street.

New June, Kensington

You’ve probably seen Noelle Blizzard’s Best of Philly-winning cakes all over Instagram. Whether heart-shaped, round, or a multi-tiered tower of cake, each New June creation is covered in buttercream frosting with a vintage design, often adorned with some combination of Lambeth-style piping, edible glitter, cherries, bows and flowers. The micro-bakery doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar location, but you can order from its online shop for pickups from its North Philly production facility, or for delivery. You can put in a request for a custom cake via New June’s website, or find a slice at one of its pop-ups around Philly. New June has also recently started offering cake-decorating classes for those interested in learning how to frost a cake like a pro. 5401 Tacony Street.

Second Daughter Baking Company, East Passyunk

Sister team Rhonda Saltzman and Mercedes Brooks run Second Daughter out of the Bok Building. The bakery is best known for its fudgy, salty-sweet brownies — which earned a 2021 Best of Philly nod — and “brown butter chocolate chip jawns.” But it does much more than that. Stop by the bakery during retail hours (Thursday to Monday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or sellout), or the Second Daughter stall at the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market (every Tuesday, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.) to buy individual items, and to preorder larger items like whole cakes, pies, brownie pans and the popular babka loaf for pickup. 1901 South 9th Street.

DreamWorld Bakes, University City

For years, people kept asking Ashley Huston to make their birthday cakes. And years later, the skilled baker has her own business, churning out gorgeous celebration cakes that taste as good as they look. Her cakes are jam-packed with flavor, and often covered with flowers, edible glitter, and the occasional mini disco ball. Even Patti LaBelle — who had a custom DreamWorld cake for her 80th birthday — is a fan. You can place custom orders via Huston’s website, or grab a slice of her cake at Riverwards Produce or various pop-ups around Philly. And later this year, Huston plans to open a brick-and-mortar bakery in Kensington.

Kouklet & Tanda, East Passyunk

This Brazilian bakery is known for its bolo de rolo, a soft, spongey cake roll available in a plethora of flavors, including classic guava, vanilla birthday cake (made with funfetti cake), double chocolate, and more. In addition to other Brazilian-inspired treats, there’s a weekly menu with rotational sweet and savory options that’s available to preorder and pick up from the store. For non-Philly-based cake lovers, order nationwide delivery via Goldbelly or directly from the Kouklet & Tanda website. 1647 East Passyunk Avenue.

Jezabel’s Cafe, University City

In addition to insanely delicious empanadas and alfajores, Jezabel’s Cafe is a go-to spot for larger-format cakes and pies that go beyond the basics. Consider a Basque burnt-ricotta cake or chocolate olive-oil cake for your next holiday or birthday. We promise no one will miss the grocery-store sheet cake. 206-208 South 45th Street.

Fiore, East Kensington

After shuttering the Queen Village location of Fiore Fine Foods in 2023, Ed Crochet and Justine MacNeil moved their restaurant into a smaller space in East Kensington and shortened its name. The menu has also changed, with a focus on daytime fare that includes Italian pastries like pistachio cornetti and bomboloni — as well as sandwiches, pasta, Roman-style pizza and gelato. 2413 Frankford Avenue.

Ursa Bakery, Hunting Park

Vetri’s head baker, Claire Kopp McWilliams, left in 2018 to start her own bakery, with fresh-milled flour from Pennsylvania wheat and loaves sold at farmers’ markets in Fairmount on Thursdays and East Falls on Saturdays. Working out of a production facility housed in a former gas station in Nicetown-Hunting Park, the baker primarily makes sourdough but also slings some other loaves from time to time. Her bread is well worth seeking out, as anyone who has ever tried it will tell you. 4032 North Broad Street.

Corropolese Bakery & Deli, multiple locations

At first blush, it’s hard to know what Corropolese is exactly. A deli? A bread-maker? A pastry shop? Don’t overthink it; just walk around and grab a little bit of everything: a hoagie on a just-baked roll, a tomato pie that’s prized for its tangy sauce and crisp edge, and maybe a cannoli or an apple fritter to top things off. You can pick up pastries from all three of its locations in Norristown, Limerick and Audubon. 2014 Old Arch Road; 29 Kugler Road; 2809 Egypt Road.

The Night Kitchen Bakery & Cafe, Chestnut Hill

Night Kitchen’s birthday cakes are worth sitting in traffic on the Conshohocken Curve. They’re full of homemade soulfulness, yet most definitely something you couldn’t pull off in your own kitchen. Just ask Adam Sandler, whose wife Jackie ordered a custom birthday cake for the actor from the bakery while he was in town filming Hustle. When you visit, spare time to linger; the coffee, sandwiches, and counter sweets will call to you. 7725 Germantown Avenue.

Lost Bread Co., Kensington

Lost Bread offers a whole spread of products for the home cook and entertainer: beautiful loaves of rustic bread, the addictive pretzel shortbread cookie, granola and more. You can also buy the bakery’s flour, milled in-house, from its retail shop and at farmers’ markets listed on the Lost Bread website. Don’t forget to ask for a sourdough starter in the shop, or email them a few days ahead of time to pick some up from a farmers’ market. 1313 North Howard Street.

Metropolitan Bakery, Rittenhouse, University City and Market East

It ushered in an era for Philadelphia — before it opened in 1993, gourmet bread in the city was rather elusive. All these years later, owners James Barrett and Wendy Smith Born manage to keep the Metro magic alive, in part because their bakeries double as neighborhood hangouts. When you visit, pick up Metro’s popular granola and one of its best-selling loaves: raisin-nut, multigrain, original spelt, or chocolate-cherry bread. 262 South 19th Street; 4013 Walnut Street; 51 North 12th Street (at the Pennsylvania General Store in the Reading Terminal Market).

Isgro Pastries, Bella Vista

It was founded in 1904, still uses original recipes, continues to be run by family, and has lines that grow longer every year. All of that puts Isgro beyond one of Philly’s best bakeries; it’s Philly food royalty, up there with the Di Bruno’s, Pat Olivieri, and Georges Perrier. You can’t go wrong at the bakery, but must-order items include Isgro’s famous ricotta cookies and cannoli. 1009 Christian Street.

Best Bakeries in Chinatown, Center City and Old City

K’Far Cafe, Rittenhouse

This all-day cafe from CookNSolo does amazing things with kubaneh toasts, rugelach, stretched-out Jerusalem-style bagels, as well as chocolate-coconut babka (the flavor changes seasonally) and (gluten-free) pecan pie for dessert. 110 South 19th Street.

Bread Top House, Chinatown

This cozy corner bakery in Chinatown specializes in Asian baked goods, especially moon cakes, egg tarts and pineapple buns. It’s cash-only, but they’ll also take payments via Venmo and Zelle. 1041 Race Street.

A La Mousse, Chinatown, Grad Hospital and Narbeth

This Chinatown bakery offers a large selection of intricate cakes, including one that looks adorably like a brown bear made with chocolate mousse, orange cream, and a hazelnut-chocolate sponge. The Hokkaido double cheesecake is a popular choice, as is anything made with mousse on the menu, which is a lot. And if you’re not near Chinatown, you can also stop by the bakery’s two other locations on South Street and in Narberth. 145 North 11th Street; 1622 South Street; 920 Montgomery Avenue.

High Street Bakery, Center City

If Paul Cézanne were still around, he’d surely paint High Street’s focaccia — polka-dotted with roasted cherry tomatoes, sometimes patterned with purple basil. It’s just one example of the grain artistry that the bakers create here. While you’re there, you’ll want to grab something sweet, too — try the lemon-pepper pound cake, or pick up a cinnamon bun or croissant. 101 South 9th Street.

ICI Macarons & Cafe, Old City

Macarons with your morning coffee? Oui. And at ICI, France’s most delicate export is as it should be: dainty, tasty, and easy on the eyes. Note that the bakery is temporarily closed while it moves to a new location, a block away from its original home on Arch Street, but it’s due to open back up in September. 11 North 3rd Street.

Oui Pastries, Old City

Oui’s selection of super-French pastries is excellent, but we keep going back for their bake-at-home croissants, which you can keep in your freezer until the night before you want to eat them, then defrost and bake. Trust us, there’s nothing better than freshly baked croissants in your pajamas. 160 North 3rd Street.

Bloomsday, Society Hill

Bloomsday serves up a rotating variety of house-made pastries. On the cafe’s brunch menu, there’s a daily pastry selection, plus a “croiffle” (made with “waffled” croissant dough, and filled with blueberry-pomegranate compote and lemon curd mascarpone cream), strawberry bomb, and (gluten-free) chocolate Swiss roll. 414 South 2nd Street.

J’aime French Bakery, Midtown Village and Rittenhouse

Bastien Ornano’s French bakery feels a lot like a chic Parisian patisserie, with cases of tempting treats like Nutella chouquettes, fruit tarts, and galettes. If you feel like something savory, get a slice of the quiche or pick up a baguette to take home. You can also find a rotation of pastries and desserts at J’aime French Cafe in the Rittenhouse neighborhood. 212 South 12th Street.

The Bakeshop on 20th, Rittenhouse

With a vast selection of cookies, brownies, scones, sticky buns, croissants, and more, Bakeshop is working hard to recreate the comfort foods of your childhood. For those looking for something a bit more substantial, there are also sandwiches on offer from the all-day cafe menu. 269 South 20th Street.

Flying Monkey Bakery, Market East

Whoopie pies are what first put Reading Terminal Market’s Flying Monkey on the map, so it’s no surprise you’ll find the treat available in plenty of flavors, from chocolate Guinness to banana-chocolate-chip. But their menu of sweets, cakes, and pies here is massive, with just about any kind of pastry you can imagine — key lime pie, brownies, cupcakes, and more. 51 North 12th Street.

Best Bakeries in Spring Garden, Fishtown, Kensington, Port Richmond and Northern Liberties

Gilda Café & Market, Fishtown

Get to this Portuguese bakery early for the pastéis de nata. The hand-rolled custard tarts are made fresh in-house every day, and they are, unsurprisingly, the most popular item in the bakery case. Try the original pastel de nata — made with flaky pastry and a gooey egg-custard center tinged with cinnamon that’s baked and brûléed to perfection — and don’t sleep on the lemon-raspberry and chocolate-sea salt versions. 300 East Girard Avenue.

Stock’s Bakery, Kensington

Undoubtedly, if you know about Stock’s, it’s for the pound cake that people go bonkers over a few times every year. But this small, unadorned bakery also does some solid pastries, cookies, pies, and cakes for the neighbors (and anyone else who drops by for pound cake). This summer, keep in mind that the bakery is closed for most of the summer and will reopen on August 13, but you can still pick up Stock’s pound cake from authorized resellers. 2614 East Lehigh Avenue.

Kaplan’s New Model Bakery, Northern Liberties

It’s been serving kosher baked goods to Philly for over 100 years, which is impressive all on its own. But the rye bread here has been a multigenerational favorite, gracing tables across the city for decades. 901 North 3rd Street.

Cake Life Bake Shop, Fishtown

The bakery that made Beyoncé’s birthday cake — twice — serves up an array of beautiful layer cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and pastries, as well as savory quiches, pies, and more. Don’t leave without trying a cinnamon roll; the bakery is known for them. 1306 Frankford Avenue.

Whipped Bake Shop, Fishtown

Sure, the place does cupcakes. But baker Zoe Lukas and her team also craft some absolutely remarkable cakes for weddings, birthdays, Tuesdays, and whatever other kinds of days you like. Note that the bakery is appointment-only, so preordering is a must. 636 Belgrade Street.

Philly Style Bagels, Old City and Fishtown

The place does bagels, bagels with spreads, and bagel sandwiches — nothing else. But the bagels are groundbreaking, infused with Yards beer during the boil, and so good that they’re already their own unique and recognized style. 218 Arch Street; 1451 East Columbia Avenue.

The Kettle Black, Northern Liberties

This small-batch, artisan bakery and coffee shop specializes in just a few loaves, bagels, and some really good coffee. Check the bakery’s Instagram stories for each day’s menu, and get there on the earlier side — it’s open 8 a.m. until sellout. 631 North 2nd Street.

Darnel’s Cakes, Northern Liberties

Darnel’s has excellent breakfast sandwiches, buttermilk biscuits, and quiches that will make you realize that quiches are actually good — plus a large selection of cakes, of course. If you’re hungry for lunch, the shop also serves salads, a smashburger, mac and cheese, and more. And on weekends, when the shop is closed, you can find Darnel’s at the Lansdale Farmers’ Market every Saturday and East Falls Farmers’ Market on the first and third Saturdays of the month. 444 North 3rd Street.

Best Bakeries in Queen Village, Bella Vista, East Passyunk and Pennsport

Cake & Joe, Pennsport and Fishtown

Co-owners Trista Tang and Sarah Qi opened their cozy Pennsport space at the tail end of 2020 and have gained a dedicated following since then by serving intricate, elegant mousse cakes and other pastries. The bakery is so popular that, in 2023, it opened a second location in Fishtown. And it’s a good thing that there are two locations — currently, the South Philly bakery is temporarily closed while it undergoes some renovation work. It is expected to open back up sometime in July, so for now, the only way to get some Cake & Joe is to go to Fishtown. 1401 East Moyamensing Avenue; 2012 Frankford Avenue.

Sweet Life Bakeshop, Bella Vista

Nowhere else in the city will you find so many types of banana pudding. They do the classic as well as strawberry-banana, salted-caramel banana, peaches and cream, and more. They also sell cupcakes, mini pineapple upside-down cakes, and mini pies. 740 South Street.

Termini Bros., multiple locations

With several locations around the city, you can get your cannoli fix anywhere these days. But you can’t call yourself a true Philadelphian without a visit to the East Passyunk flagship, for the original cash registers and the dizzying array of confections. 1523 South 8th Street.

Artisan Boulanger Patissier, East Passyunk

The people huddled on the street munching almond sticks and croissants at 7 a.m. on weekend mornings should be an indication of how good this place is — you can’t even make it back home before digging in. Following a string of James Beard nominations a few years ago, the bakery opened a second location in Media that’s just as beloved by locals. 1218 Mifflin Street.

Vanilya, East Passyunk

Vanilya may have an unassuming window on East Passyunk Avenue, but don’t just walk by — you’d miss out on a number of delicious treats. Expect perfect New York-y bagels (you can’t go wrong with whatever you choose, but if they still have it when you visit get the za’atar), croissants, cookies, and more. 1611 East Passyunk Avenue.

Stargazy, East Passyunk

British native Sam Jacobson has packed his tiny South Philly pie shop with nothing more than a sprinkling of tables, some mismatched spoons, free tea, and, oh yeah, two bakery cases brimming with flaky sausage rolls, an ever-changing roster of pastries and meat pies, and desserts like millionaire’s shortbread, a decadent caramel slice made with shortbread. 1838 East Passyunk Avenue.

Omi Kitchen, East Passyunk

You can’t miss Omi Kitchen on the corner of 12th and Tasker, with its bright, pink-and-yellow exterior. The bakery specializes in rotis, a fluffy Indonesian bread (not to be confused with the Indian flatbread) that comes with a number of sweet and savory fillings and toppings, from chocolate and durian to cheese and pizza. 1600 South 12th Street.

Slice & Schmear, East Passyunk

This new bagel shop serves LA-style bagels — don’t worry, you can have your bagel scooped or unscooped — filled with an array of cream cheese flavors, such as scallion and habanero honey. The bakery also has plans to offer pizza in the future. 1700 South 10th Street.

Varallo Bros. Bakery, East Passyunk

An authentic Italian bakery to its bones, this spot has drawn South Philly neighbors for decades to munch on traditional cookies, pastries, cakes and everything else under the sun. 1639 South 10th Street.

Creme Brulee Bistro & Cafe, Pennsport

Opera cakes adorned with gold leaf? In Pennsport? You betcha. Armando Tapia’s cafe does the tartlet better than some of Rittenhouse’s poshest bakeries. Plus: colorful meringues, textbook éclairs, and plenty of seating to take in the aromas. 1800 South 4th Street.

Best Bakeries in Point Breeze, South Philly and West Philly

Party Girl Bake Club, South Philly

Mallory Valvano’s bright, tongue-in-cheek cakes are full of personality and flavor; she’s been known to include ingredients like potato chips and top her creations with candy. Valvano has continued making cakes out of her South Philly home since the pandemic and occasionally serves up slices at pop-ups and cake decorating classes around the city. You can also request a custom order — with a bespoke design and flavor profile, which Valvano tailors to each customer — via this online form.

Small Oven Pastry Shop, Point Breeze

Out of a small space on Washington Avenue, this pastry shop owned by chef Chad Durkin serves up gorgeous classic French pastries like mille-feuille and cream puffs, plus a variety of cookies, cakes, and tarts. If you’re in the mood for something savory, add a porchetta sandwich from Porcos, which operates out of the same space. 2204 Washington Avenue.

Batter & Crumbs, Point Breeze

This vegan bakery and cafe has plenty of options in the pastry case with a rotating selection of sweet and savory treats, from cinnamon buns to the popular spinach jawn (a handheld spinach-filled pastry snack with Italian herbs). Batter & Crumbs also offers a few gluten-free pastries from High Fidelity Bakery. If you’re looking for something heartier, the bakery also serves sandwiches from local vendors, Vegan Chef Lenka and Rowhouse Grocery. 1401 Reed Street.

Manakeesh Cafe Bakery, University City

At this Lebanese bakery and grill, the baked goods aren’t to be missed. While you’re there, don’t skip out on the freshly made — and perfectly flaky — baklava, or the French crêpes, which you can get with cookie butter, Nutella hazelnut, walnut honey, and more. 4420 Walnut Street.

Frangelli’s Bakery, South Philly

It’s rare that a shop is good at both cake and yeast doughnuts, but Frangelli’s churns both types out daily, just as the original owners did in the 1940s. But don’t stop there: The cannoli cake, cookies and sticky buns get less attention but are just as delectable. 847 West Ritner Street.

Cacia’s Bakery, multiple locations

The Cacia family swears it’s the brick ovens that make their food taste so good. Maybe so; the tomato pie and stuffed breads that come from them (even the sauce-less pizzazz pizza) are first-rate. But that doesn’t explain why the dinner rolls and pastries are just as tasty. Get their goods at the South Philly flagship or at one of several suburban locations in Delco or South Jersey. 1526 West Ritner Street.

Four Worlds Bakery, West Philly

Baker Michael Dolich started his bakery in his home kitchen before moving to this storefront location near the Grays Ferry Bridge, where he specializes in sourdough loaves and bagels, dense challah, flaky croissants, and more. 4634 Woodland Avenue.

Best Bakeries in Northwest Philly, North Philly and the Northeast

Flakely, Manayunk

When chef Lila Colello was diagnosed with celiac disease, she was determined to make baked goods that matched the flavor of treats made with wheat flour. With Flakely, she’s done just that, serving up croissants, chocolate-chip muffins, bagels, and more, all gluten-free, through a pink takeout window in Manayunk. For now, you can also try Flakely’s products out of a gluten-free pastry ATM at Salt & Vinegar at 905 South 9th Street. 220 Krams Ave.

Crust Vegan Bakery, Manayunk

You don’t need to be vegan to enjoy Crust’s classic American pastries. They make excellent pies, cookies, and cakes, all without any animal products. 4409 Main Street.

Denise’s Delicacies, North Philly

When her bakery caught fire some years ago, Denise Gause was about to call it quits. But the community insisted she reopen her doors, and in 2016, the customers came flooding back. With her nieces Keshia Davis and Cynthia Benton now at the helm, Denise’s pound cakes are legendary, whether ordered plain or dressed up for a birthday party. 2916 North 22nd Street.

Georgian Bread and Cuisine, Northeast Philly

Sure, it’s a restaurant along one side (offering fantastic Georgian cuisine, khachapuri, and pelmeni the size of your fist), but it is also a full-service bakery, turning out fantastic breads and European pastries from their stone ovens, which you can watch in operation right from the front window. 10865 Bustleton Avenue.

Haegele’s Bakery, Northeast Philly

Around since 1930 and still family-owned, Haegele’s is a Northeast institution (despite being pint-sized) and one of the few places left where you can get German sweets like kirschstrudel and hefekranz, as well as a ton of seasonal options. 4164 Barnett Street.

Frosted Fox Cake Shop, Mount Airy

Expect unique cupcakes, custom cookies, chocolate chip brownie bars and — no lie — to-go cups filled with leftover pieces of cake, fillings and icing, all mixed up. They’re called Scrapple Cups, and they cost $5. 6511 Germantown Avenue

Wild Flour Bakery, Northeast Philly

Wild Flour is a small family operation that has been in business for over 20 years, supplying some of the best restaurants in the city. From their wholesale bakery in Holmesburg, they do breads and pastries, which you can preorder for pickup or find at the weekend Headhouse, Rittenhouse, Collingswood, Burlington County, Yardley, Ambler, and Bryn Mawr farmers’ markets. 8701 Torresdale Avenue.

Baker Street Bread, Chestnut Hill

You’ve no doubt had Baker Street’s bread; the company has been supplying some of the city’s top eateries since 1992. It’s still worth a visit to the Chestnut Hill storefront though, where a giant wall is filled with shelf after shelf of goods straight from the oven. It’s a sight (and smell) you’ll never forget. 8009 Germantown Road.

Bredenbeck’s Bakery, Chestnut Hill

This sweets shop (it also serves ice cream) is a Chestnut Hill stalwart, in part because it does it all — from the glazed rum ring with your morning coffee to baby’s first birthday cake to mini key lime pies that can (and should) be ordered by the dozen. 8126 Germantown Avenue.

Best Bakeries in the Philly Suburbs

Bakery House, Bryn Mawr

Whether you’re looking for a three-tiered Tastykake themed cake or an apple pecan caramel pie that rivals what grandma used to make for Thanksgiving, the Bakery House in Bryn Mawr has you covered. 604 West Lancaster Avenue.

Weinrich Germany Bakery, Newtown Square

Since 1961, Weinrich Germany Bakery has been serving classic German baked goods from brotchen and pumpernickel to linzer tart cookies and German butter cake. For the holidays they sell traditional gingerbread cookies and houses that are as festive as the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt. 3545 West Chester Pike.

Delice et Chocolat, Ardmore

French-born brothers Joseph and Antoine Amrani worked at Le Bec-Fin when Perrier had the tallest toque in town. Now their sleek cafe comes complete with artisan chocolates and delicate macarons, among other treats. 9 East Lancaster Avenue.

Dulce Artisanal Pastry, Collingswood

Dulce’s rotating seasonal menu features treats that veer off-the-beaten path of croissants and cakes. Instead, they do desserts like chamomile and butterfly pea flower panna cotta, raspberry hibiscus craquelin, a selection of fresh breads and savory items like their buffalo chicken croissant. 740A Haddon Avenue.

Clay’s Creative Corner Bakery, Berwyn

If you grew up on the Main Line, there’s a strong chance that every single one of your birthday cakes came from Clay’s, which is no doubt why people have such strong connections to this Berwyn bakery. 700 Lancaster Avenue.

Clara’s Custom Cakes, Collegeville

For those moments when you absolutely, positively need a birthday cake that looks like two meerkats. Or a zombie, Boba Fett’s helmet, or a birch-log wedding cake with the couple’s initials carved into it — which sounds quirky but has got to be one of the coolest cakes we’ve ever seen. Just sayin’. 130 West Main Street.

Pie Lady Cafe, Moorestown

The muffins and doughnuts are good, but really, take a clue from the name and get a slice (or two?) of whichever pie special is on the board, be it fruit- or custard-filled, latticed, or crumble-topped. 9 East Main Street.

Napoleon’s Cremepuffery, Lindenwold

Is cremepuffery a word? Who cares — this South Jersey bakery has been putting out puffs since the ’80s, when owner Charlene Napoleon converted an old ice-cream truck into a mobile bakery (so ahead of her time!) for traveling to festivals. 947 East Gibbsboro Road.

Wild Yeast Bakehouse, Bryn Mawr

John Goncher makes slow-fermented, naturally leavened loaves of sourdough bread with locally sourced grains and the results are unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. With an exceptionally chewy and sour crumb and sturdy, crispy crust, Wild Yeast Bakehouse’s bread is the pinnacle of sourdough success. To try some brad for yourself you can snag one of the limited spots in Goncher’s bread share, or head over to the Media farmers market, but get there early — these loaves tend to sell out fast.

The Little Blue Owl Baking Company, Narberth

Formerly known as Le Petit Mitron. Angela and Andrew Ling took over this beloved French bakery in the heart of Narberth in 2022, changing the name and the menu. The bakery is still heavily French-influenced, serving an array of beautiful-looking pastries, including croissants, canelés, and a kouign-amann that’s particularly popular with visitors. Don’t leave without trying that — or the bakery’s specialty “dough knot,” a knotted croissant pastry filled with a seasonal filling (at the time of writing, it’s butter caramel). 207 Haverford Avenue.

Classic Cake, Cherry Hill

Years after the closure of its South Jersey and Suburban Station locations, Classic Cake reopened in Cherry Hill this spring. The bakery serves up a variety of cakes, breakfast pastries, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, pies, and more in-house. The new location also has an on-site cake studio, where the bakery creates custom orders. 486 Evesham Road.

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