There’s no dough so uniquely San Franciscan as sourdough, and it’s this fact that Sunset bakeshop Arizmendi had in mind when it created its sourdough chocolate croissant. Slightly denser than the traditional, this croissant melds San Francisco inspiration and French technique all in one buttery bite.

Arsicault’s croissants made headlines this August when Bon Appetit named this pocket-sized mom-and pop the best new bakery of 2016. Now, lines wind down the block, even before the bakery opens its doors in the morning. The verdict? Without a doubt, Arsicault’s croissants live up to the hype. Baked in batches, they arrive fresh and warm, with a subtly caramelized finish that melts on your tongue.

Former Gary Danko and Manresa pastry chef Belinda Leong and San Francisco Baking Institute founder Michael Suas have combined their vast pastry prowess to create a croissant to rival anything you'll find in France. Inside B. Patisseries’s charming, European-styled shop lies a marble-topped pastry case behind which are plates stacked high with layer upon layer of golden croissants. If the classic is delicious, then the chocolate banana almond croissant is doubly inspired, with an almond-encrusted exterior encasing a warm center of chocolate and banana.

Fillmore Bakeshop’s pretzel croissant blends the very best that Europe has to offer, pairing butter-dense Bavarian treats with France’s signature spiral pastry. Savory, buttery, and speckled with poppy seeds and salt, it has a rich, vaguely nutty flavor sure to satisfy your salty side. However, if you're more in the mood for sweets, there's also the "cronut," Fillmore Bakeshop's noteworthy croissant shapeshifter that's fried like a doughnut and dusted in a coat of cinnamon-sugar.

Classic, crispy, with a golden crust flaked in almonds. What more is there to ask for?

Culinary traditions collide in Mr. Holmes' the "California croissant," is a harebrained east-meets-west confection of baked salmon, ginger, nori, and wasabi that is part pastry, part sushi roll. Sound awful? They know. However, we're certain you'll change your mind the moment you take that first savory, soy sauce-drizzled bite. If you're not an adventurous eater, opt for the cruffin instead, the half-croissant, half-muffin delectable enough to inspire recipe robbery.

Greg and Christine Lindel's baked goods have graced the pastry cases of coffee shop darlings Sightglass, Four Barrel, The Mill, and Contraband, but at stand-alone Neighbor Bakehouse, coffee is only an afterthought, especially when it comes to the twice-baked pistachio blackberry croissant. Filled with jam and flecked with powdered sugar, it's best served warm: the ideal treat for any time of day. Other unique flavors include the everything croissant.

Don't be fooled by Socola Chocolatier's name; one of the best items on the menu contains no chocolate at all. The jam-filled guava croissant's unique flavor will surprise and delight you.

There’s no wonder why Michael Suas’s cozy, unassuming Castro bakery has become something of a Castro essential. It’s where he first perfected his almond croissant, a rich and airy confection encrusted with sliver-thin almonds that emerges in piping hot batches from the oven every other hour.

The Belgian-born husband and wife team behind Vive La Tarte present their old world-inspired pastries in fresh, modern interior. While Vive La Tarte is known for its cheesecake, the almond and orange blossom croissant is just as noteworthy.