My 5 Favorite Pastries in LA

+ a sneaky honorable mention

Hi y’all!

It’s been a minute, I hope you’re all doing swell!

I’ve been on a huge pastry kick lately, and I was able to visit Petit Grain Boulangerie on their opening day last week - so it felt especially timely to talk carbs! Below, please find my top 5 favorite pastries in LA (+ a sneaky honorable mention). Bon appetit!

1. Baklava Croissant at Gjusta

   1. Location: Venice

   2. What Makes it SO Great: Well of course, my favorite restaurant also has one of my favorite pastries. You really can’t go wrong at Gjusta across the board, and I stand behind that statement wholeheartedly. The Baklava croissant gives you flaky buttery croissant with a pistachio honey gooey filling in the middle. Insane.

2. Strawberry BK Bun at Bakers Kneaded (Bastion)

   1. Location: Mar Vista Farmers Market OR Grand Central Market (check IG for hours)

   2. What Makes it SO Great: Get this - a circular croissant filled with Harry’s Berries and Labneh. That’s the tweet! Truly one of the most unexpected, delectable treats I’ve ever had.

3. Ham & Cheese at Petit Grain Boulangerie (!! NEW !!)

   1. Location: Santa Monica

   2. What Makes it SO Great: Petit Grain’s brick and mortar is brand spanking new, but Clemence and Tony are no strangers to LA’s pastry scene. These two vets have come together to provide the most amazing selection of treats in Santa Monica on the daily - I am THRILLED to have them in the neighborhood! I’m partial to the ham & cheese because I got to have it straight out of the oven - but trust that everything on their menu is wonderful!

4. Anything at Republique

   1. Location: Mid-City

   2. What Makes it SO Great: In a similar vein to the above - Margie Manzke is no stranger to good pastry, and Republique is an LA institution at this point. I always like to grab something seasonal while I’m here - there’s always something new in rotation to try!

5. Swedish Cardamom Bun at Clark Street Bread

   1. Location: Various - Echo Park, Brentwood, Larchmont

   2. What Makes it SO Great: There’s a few cardamom buns in the city, but Clark Street is just so consistently good. I overall just love Clark Street - every single location, the diner too. They are consistently good and have a solid variety of pastries & menu items to choose from. Oh, and the coffee is fantastic too!

6. **Honorable Mention: Anything at Sqirl

   1. Location: Virgil Village

   2. What Makes it SO Great: Sqirl is always experimenting with really cool, unique seasonal flavors - and this is infused in their pastry offerings. I used to live 500 feet away, and loved picking up something sweet in the to-go market on my afternoon walk. I’m overdue for a visit - but last time I was there, I loved my key lime morning bun & strawberry hamentashen!

This is another one where I feel like I’m going to think of other pastries I love as soon as I hit send. What’s your favorite pastry in LA?! Reply directly to this email or drop a comment on Substack with your faves. I’m off TikTok right now rethinking my content strategy, but you’ll be seeing me on there again soon! Xoxo byeee!