Patisserie Rotha is the stuff of croissant rumors and legends in the East Bay, and it’s broken many hearts — the Albany bakery draws long lines on the weekends, and when they sell out, they’re out, closing up shop early. They’re known for big butter croissants, golden and puffed up to reveal the distinct layers. But fans also love the kouign amann, with that crunchy sugar crust, and the pasteis de nata, the jiggly Portuguese eggs tarts.  

The East Bay refuses to be bested when it comes to croissants. Try to tell someone from Berkeley to go to Tartine, and they’ll say they have Fournée. Frank Sally is a former instructor at the San Francisco Baking Institute, and his layers are textbook. Several varieties sell out fast, but the ham and egg croissant, shaped like a cup and sprinkled with chives, is a heavenly one-handed breakfast.

Owned by a French person and inspired by Parisian bistros, Le Marais is a classic option on this list, if you’re looking for fresh juice, milky coffee, and a morning pastry. The almond croissant is the sweetheart, and they do it right: It takes three days to make, with Normandy butter and freshly ground almonds (no artificial flavors allowed). During the pandemic, they introduced take-and-bake frozen croissants, a very tempting option for breakfasting in pajamas.

This Parisian-inspired patisserie and tea salon opened at the beginning of 2020, with an oversized chandelier hanging over a sparkling pastry case. Husband-and-husband partners Danel and David de Betelu previously owned Baker Street Bistro, and Danel is the chef, who takes pride in his slow-simmered beef stock, while David comes from brand marketing, and designed the pretty packaging. The croissants are blonde and crisp, with a honeycomb interior and clean taste of butter. The indecisive can pick up a box of assorted minis, filled with everything from chocolate twists to raisin snails. But the smoked salmon sandwich is the standalone favorite, spread with whipped mascarpone and layered with lox.

Pac Heights residents know the deal at their beloved coffee shop and award-winning bakery, setting their alarms early, to snag a buckwheat chocolate croissant still warm from the oven. Whole grains adds a surprising depth of flavor, and yes, there’s Valrhona chocolate involved. Jane has several different locations: The bakery itself is on Geary near Japantown, but it’s also possible to order pastries online and pick them up from either of the coffee shops on Fillmore or Larkin.

Les Gourmands set up shop in SoMa a few years ago. The chef and owner is a fifth generation baker working with his family’s recipes, and his parents sometimes pitch in behind the counter. He partnered with a pop artist to create an edgy black-and-white space, and when it’s available, there’s a striking croissant is dedicated to the artist: a triple-chocolate creation slashed with white and dark chocolate.

La Boulangerie might be a chain, but it’s our chain. San Franciscans despaired when Starbucks acquired it, and rejoiced when it quietly returned to neighborhoods, one store at a time, under a slightly different name, and there are now five locations dotted around the neighborhoods. If you need a quick butter bomb on a coffee break, the overloaded almond croissant will not disappoint.

Despite a prime location at Church and Market, this humble neighborhood bakery doesn’t get much buzz. But it has an impressive pedigree: Owner Michel Suas, originally from France and a partner in B. Patisserie, founded the San Francisco Baking Institute in the 90s. The offerings are simple, but the butter is French, the layers distinct, and you can taste the attention to detail.

If you flip to the savory side of the brunch menu, head into Dogpatch, and get salty at Neighbor Bakehouse. Inspired by Austrian and German-style baking, they add toastiness and texture with a crunch of seeds. They were into everything spice before it was everywhere, and their bagel-inspired croissant is filled with scallion cream cheese. Of course, if you have a sweet tooth, the twice-baked pistachio with blackberries is pretty irresistible.

Kahnfections has been quietly putting out good pastry for a while, but finally opened a brick-and-mortar in the Mission a few years ago. Their sweet and simple butter croissant made it to the finals of a local competition. Old-fashioned and anything but fussy, it’s a freshly baked pleasure. And the quiche, biscuits, and egg sandwiches are also a butter-intensive experience.

The Belgian team at Vive La Tarte closed up the big bakery in SoMa doing the pandemic, but they’re still serving croissants to the neighborhood in Noe Valley. They first gained some notoriety for the tacro (that would be a croissant-taco mash-up). But a popular menu item right now is the orange blossom and za’atar, which is sweet, savory, and unexpected, with a floral bloom.