7 Best Bakeries in Los Angeles

As the film capital of the world and California’s economic core, Los Angeles is a veritable hub of activity in the Golden State. It is known as a place for opportunities, to become famous, or to catch a glimpse of Hollywood’s top movie stars off-screen. But Los Angeles is not just a city of fame seekers focused on ultimate fitness and healthy living. While the City of Angels does sport a large variety of paleo, vegan, and gluten-free culinary offerings, real flour and dairy will never fully go out of style.  However, even among the most famous LA bakeries, you can bet there are multiple establishments that serve top-notch pastries sans traditional flour 

With California being the breadbasket of America, it comes as no surprise that Los Angeles is a top Mecca for foodies in the Golden State. To make LA’s culinary landscape easier to navigate we picked the most authentic and innovative bakeries in the city that have taken things to the next level by mastering the classics or serving up pastries with a modern twist.  And if you happen to be visiting Los Angeles on a budget, doing a self-guided bakery tour is the perfect way to explore a piece of the culinary scene without breaking the bank!

Huckleberry Café and Bakery

Opening hours: Sun-Sat (7 am – 3 pm)
Location: 1014 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401

Huckleberry Café and Bakery is without a doubt on the list of best french bakeries in Los Angeles. Zoe Nathan, the head baker, has developed quite a reputation for her pastries, cakes, and quality bread. We recommend trying the beautiful, flaky croissants which come in a wide range of flavors like Prosciutto Gruyère and Valrhona Chocolate. The Huckleberry Cafe and Bakery also offers a variety of other pastries including bread pudding, scones, tarts, donuts, old-fashioned coffee cake, ciabattas, and maple bacon biscuits.

The bakery was established in 2009 and recently published a book, "Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes from Our Kitchen," which includes 115 recipes straight from the bakery’s distinguished chefs. Along with the large selection of baked goods offered here, Huckleberry Cafe also offers comfort food such as brisket hash, and egg sandwiches on freshly made country toast. All of this scrumptious food, plus outside patio seating in sunny southern California, make this a perfect place for an outdoor brunch date.

Gjusta

Special diets: Vegan options, vegetarian options, and gluten-free options
Working hours: 7 am to 5 pm
Location: 320 Sunset Ave Venice, Los Angeles, CA 90291-2632

Located just a stone’s throw away from the famed Hammer art museum, Gjusta is one of the best gluten-free bakeries in Los Angeles and is located in the heart of Venice, CA. Gjusta occupies an inconspicuous warehouse, but inside there is a long, narrow hallway with warm, savory pastries and glass cases of captivating sweets, and of course a huge line.  

The bakery has become locally famous for the high quality of its remarkable gluten-free products. Gjusta locally sources only the best fruit and farm-fresh ingredients to ensure everything they make is as tasty as it is healthy.  Their menu consists of delightful sweets such as fruit slices rolled into a sugar-glazed dough for a morning delight, and wonderfully fluffy croissants dusted with pistachio crumbs.

Bread Lounge 

Location: 700 Street Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Working hours: 7 am – 5 pm (Sun-Sat)

This bakery in Downtown Los Angeles is tucked away at the corner of the Arts District. Bread Lounge’s delectable pastries and artisanal loaves of bread are truly the talk of the town. Bread Lounge prides itself on being a wild-yeast bakery that uses natural baking techniques to produce healthy vegan eats. It is no surprise, then, that Bread Lounge is well-known as one of the best vegan bakeries in Los Angeles.

Wash down one of their mouth-watering fresh sandwiches and focaccias with a streusel and rice coffee, and grab some to-go goodies on the way out. One thing that makes Bread Lounge one of the best bakeries in Los Angeles is that they often make batches of whole-loaf gourmet bread such as Potato & Rosemary, Olive Bread, and even Chocolate Challah. Since there is often a line of customers that snakes out the door and down the street, we recommend getting to Bread Lounge early to take advantage of a tasty treat.

Porto's Bakery 

Locations: Burbank, Downey, Glendale
Opening Hours: 6:30 am - 8:00 pm

Porto’s Bakery is by far one of the best Cuban-style patisserie chains in the Los Angeles area. Porto’s Bakery offers a wide range of sweet and savory treats including Guava & Cheese Strudel (Refugiado), luxuriant Parisian chocolate cake rounds, and mouth-watering Cuban sandwiches. The bakery even offers bake-at-home products so you can enjoy luxury Cuban flavors fresh from your own oven. Porto's is a must-try for croissant connoisseurs and anyone who wants to snatch authentic Cuban pastries in the heart of Los Angeles. 

Friends and Family

Location: 5150 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, 90027
Opening hours: Daily 8 am – 2 pm, Sat and Sun (8 am – 3 pm)

This organic, rustic, and locally-owned morning to afternoon café and bakery provide some of the city's best cookies, quiches, and pastries. Based just north of up-and-coming neighborhoods such as Koreatown, Friends and Family is right at the center of things in the Thai Town area of Hollywood Blvd. 

This bakery is admired for being committed to making all of its bread and pastries using locally-sourced grains for maximum quality. We recommend trying their olive oil-fried eggs and buckwheat pancakes as they are an experience worth savoring. Treat yourself to a little bit of everything by grabbing their “Mother Grains Brunch Box” (only available on the weekends), and a filtered coffee to go. 

Angel Maid Bakery

 Location: 4542 S Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90066, United States
Opening hours: 8 am – 5 pm
Special Diets: Sugar-free, vegan, reduced or low-fat vegan, and gluten-free

Angel Maid Bakery stands out as a budget-friendly gem among the city's famed confectioneries, ideal for those seeking top-notch treats without breaking the bank. Their Tres Leches Cake, known for its airy and delicate texture, offers a heavenly taste experience for dessert aficionados.

Angel Maid lives up to its celestial name with a divine selection of sweets, including their renowned fruit tarts, Nutella muffins, and French macarons. Not to be missed are their signature chocolate Dobash cake, guava chiffon cake, and strawberry shortcake, each a testament to the bakery's artistry. For the best selection, make it a point to drop by early in the day before these popular items disappear.

Milk Bar

Location: 7150 Melrose Ave, LA, CA 90046, US

Christina Tosi has brought her world-renowned Milk Bar bakery chain to Los Angeles. A highly experienced pastry chef with a reputation for cutting-edge sweets, Tosi co-founded Milk Bar as a chain of premium dessert and bakery restaurants. The experimental bakery features a retail outlet where you can buy branded shirts, coffee mugs, cookbooks, and a wide assortment of classic pastries with bold twists.

Most of Milk’s products can be ordered for delivery online, or you can swing by and browse the choices at their chic brick-and-mortar branch on Melrose Avenue.  We recommend their trademark Milk Bar Pie, a dish invented by Tosi herself that is distinct for its sweet, out-of-this-world gooiness. 

Disclaimer: California.com is not receiving any type of compensation for reviewing any of the products or services mentioned in this article.