50 Best Bakeries in San Diego

“Hands down one of the best pastries I’ve had. We visited the bakery at the end of the day so they only had a few options left. We got the orange almond cookie and cinnamon bun. Orange cookie was so fragrant and quite chewy. Cinnamon bun was extremely flaky and sugary (but not too sweet somehow). I will visit early another time to try out some other pastries.“

“Love the bakery and matcha latte!“

“Love their new location downtown. More space with the same high quality croissants and sourdough loaves. Chocolate croissant and olive pecan sourdough are my favorites.“

“I tried the Coconut Cake...best I've ever had. The Mango Cheesecake was delicious! To drink, I had a Double Cortadito, so good! What brought me here were the Guava and Guava Cheese Pastelitos. I have only ever had these from Portos. Sadly, they were too rich! Not the Guava or Cheese, they were way too buttery! The amount of butter used over powered the Guava. Hopefully it's just the batch I had. I will be back to try their other cakes and sandwiches.“

“My family and I were visiting San Diego for my daughters 21st birthday. I thought of everything but the cake. I called Kona Kakes on Friday hoping for a cake by Sunday, I was told they are closed on Sunday, so they could have it ready on Saturday. We were enjoying the zoo Saturday and I completely forgot about the cake. It was after store hours but I tried to reach them by phone anyways, the owner answered and said she would wait for us to arrive. This in itself was truly amazing, but the cake! The cake was beautiful, delicious, moist, decadent, and extremely flavorful! We had the Caramel Macadamia Nut Cake. Everyone and most of all, my daughter loved the cake! If you live near Kona Kakes then count yourself blessed and try this place. I wish there was a Kona Kakes in Las Vegas.“

“Amazing atmosphere with several choices, makes me excited as a kid again! They also make a lot of speciality cakes like Swedish Princess Cake, but depending on who makes it the quality can be noticeably different. Most staff are friendly, however a few can be a little short with you at times.“

“I went in for the first time a week ago and ordered a custom birthday cake and the staff were so kind and accommodating to what i asked for, and the cake looked exactly like the picture i showed them! The cake was delicious and even though it was pricey i would definitely buy from them again for upcoming holidays, the quality was incredible and it tasted so fresh!“

“The cheesecakes here are so good. Super soft, moist, and fluffy! They’re slightly sweet, which is so addicting. I love the original flavor the most. The pandan one wasn’t that good.
The strawberry burnt basque cakes is also very good. It’s better than the original one.
Parking sucks though because the shop shares a small lot with many other stores, so it’s always difficult to find parking unless you come right when they open.“

“Best sourdough rosemary bread ever. Always buy extra loads when I’m in town.“

“Audrey was the best! We came from Maine and short notice we were able to get a dozen cupcakes ordered for pickup with 2 days notice. They were fantastic and gone quickly!! Thank you again!!“

“Everything is spectacular but i especially looooove their lemon bars! 🧡“

“everything I’ve tried so far has been delicious.

got the salt & pepper tofu bento for lunch at medium spice level — it was delicious & had a good kick.

tried several of the milk breads & pastries - love the classic cream, matcha, and the spicy curry roll.

also got a strawberry matcha drink that was delicious but a little bit too sweet.

can be a little chaotic sometimes as they’re still setting things up, but a nice spot to have in the neighborhood & very friendly owners.

Vegetarian options: Salt and Pepper Tofu“

“I love good, freshly baked bread and we have been looking all over San Diego to find it. Secret Sisters has the best country loaf yet and we highly recommend it!!!!!!!!! For us, it's a bit of a drive but worth it.“

“Patisserie Melanie keeps surprising me with incredible pastries. Their kouignette is absolutely sublime. I usually get my order to go, but everything I have tried has been top quality. In my opinion, it is one of the best pastry spots in San Diego. Prices are on the higher side but totally worth it.“

“I love it very delicious and fresh very friendly highly recommended 😍“

“Every time we visit San Diego this place is must stop!! Pan dulce is so soft and fresh we need one on Los Angeles 😎“

“Passed by here plenty of times because of the japanese market next door. Stopped in by chance just to grab some coffee and wound up buying a slice of cake. Turns out this place is a hidden gem. Handmade cake and great espresso drinks for a much better value than you get for similar quality. A slice of handmade cake here is the same price as a cookie at panera, think about that for a second. They earned a regular customer whenever I stop by for groceries“

“Very popular spot good food minus the onions“

“Tastylife™️. Would buy treats again.“

“Cute bakery, but they need to be more attentive to their desserts. They were delicious and had a mix of flavors, they were some trays that were empty and the employees didn’t paid to much attention. Prices are likely the same as the competition. You get access to the bakery through the Asian market. Spacious parking lot.“

“Enjoyed the Japanese cheesecake and boba tea at Mad for Cheesecake in Pacific Highlands Ranch in Carmel Valley. The taro and brown sugar milk teas were very tasty. It was our first time having Japanese cheesecake and we’re surprised it was more like ice cream than an American cheesecake. Loved the opportunity to try something new! Very friendly and quick service. Recommend!“

“I go here twice a month in the mornings. The lady in the front along with the younger man at the counter don't act like they work there. They act like they own the place. Always friendly, smiling, and they keep the place CLEAN. I worked at a donut shop when I was younger and I know the pressures of waking up early and servicing clients. Donuts are great and boy is living in San Diego getting expensive!“

“el mejor pan el más delicioso si quieres sentir que estás en México compra tu pan aqui“

“Just wanted to thank the lady who helped me today. Today was already a bad day, and tomorrow would be my dad’s 80th birthday and our first without him. I was getting this slice so I could light a candle and sing him happy birthday as a way to celebrate his memory. You gave us two slices of cake because “they were small” and that generosity genuinely made my day. Thank you, kind stranger!“

“Got the ceremonial matcha latte with sweetener (simple syrup) & the honey cream top matcha with sweetener (simple syrup) and both were excellent. A lot of people on here complaining of the size but in all honesty, if you truly love matcha I’d rather pay $7 for authentic matcha with smaller volume vs. $7 for a large cup of sweet milk.“

“first time there, I had chilaquiles with chicken, two eggs over- medium, good & spicy,my buddy had 2 tacos all pastor, delish and filling. plan on coming back to try the rest if the menu. :)“

“I love James in North Park and Bankers Hill. One is by my home, and the other my work! I have made lovely connections with the staff at both locations and they always provide a chill atmosphere to meet friends, work on your computer, read, and simply enjoy the neighborhood fresh air! Daily and satisfied customer! Great espresso and pastries. 🥐 ☕️ 😃“

“Extraordinary Desserts indeed! Love this place and their people 🥰“

“Absolute best donuts in the world. 100/10“

“Eliot was very attentive and adjusted my drink my liking.

Creme brulee latte
Grade: B+
Not much creme brulee flavor but that may be from adjusting the sugar from 4 pumps down to 1. Coffee tastes good and not too bitter nor acidic“

“Liked our burgers and beers. We got the 8oz so we could try different beers. Wasn’t a fan of the sours though. Fun atmosphere. There were families with little ones, people with pets, people of all ages. Will be back.“

“My daughter loves to surprise me with a vegan goodie from here and it's most welcomed! For the past few Mother's Days we had their vegan breakfast box with 5 pastries and a baguette and it was such a treat. My favorite items are the vegan chocolate croissant and strawberry danish. I also loved their vegan pesto feta danish but I haven't seen it on the menu again, would be great if they brought it back. I often get the plain vegan croissants to make breakfast sandwiches but a few times it has had a sweet-ish glaze on top and I wish the plain was consistently savory.“

“Best Italian I’ve ever spent money on…been coming here from Atlanta for 3 years and it’s always my first stop…ask for Rudy, he took good care of me…fantastic food, even better people!“

“By far the best donuts in San Diego, especially their Apple Fritters!! Very nice family running this shop ... for many, many years. They have watched my kids grow up since they were toddlers, and now my youngest is almost 19 and my oldest is 24!“

“My wife and I hired Phatties to bake our wedding cake this past weekend. We could not be more impressed with how mazing and delicious our cake was. I am vegan and my wife had allergies so finding a cake that would be good for us both was kind of difficult. We presented a picture of our desired wedding cake and requested it to be made vegan, gluten free, coconut and almond free. Phatties not only nailed the color, design and declarations to a t, the cake was absolutely delicious, and all of our non vegan guests that it tasted amazing. Thank you so much for making us the best cake possible. We are so happy to have found your bakery and would recommend you to anyone.“

“Thank you French Oven! Everyone at Construction Notice Services loved the pastries I brought for work today.They were literally gone in minutes! Everything was fresh and delicious as always.“

“I contacted Anu about a week before my gender reveal and she was so sweet! Her cupcakes were soooo delicious and light! My favorite was her chocolate with mocha whip but her lemon cupcakes were a HITTTT! Definitely will using her for my baby shower!“

“Best eggs benedict I've ever had. It's on a croissant instead of the classic dry English muffin. Homemade hollandaise sauce. Came with both perfectly crispy and seasoned potatoes and with a nice greens salad with a good vinaigrette. We beat the line but it was still a little backed up. Absolutely worth a wait. Shout out to Leon, Dove, Marques, and Manuel for working hard and being so polite during the rush.

Edit to add my husband's gingerbread apple French toast something or other was also to die for. Like, dang. Perfect balance of sweet and salty. Perfectly cooked. Could taste butter. Just phenomenal.“

“I'm retired but I like it more than others because the service here is fast and they always have cookies available

Parking: I think it's okay except that there are more businesses and a restaurant on one side and it takes longer but it is very big“

“The cookies 🍪 are amazing!“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a gem in San Diego. Everything is so good. The cinnamon pull apart bread is something that you will always remember of how good it is. I have dreams about it. The Apple strudel omg.... the cakes. As soon as you walk in you can smell the delicious chocolate. Highly recommended!“

“Four paws up! Love me their Thanksgiving dinner.“

“One of my favorites! The breads are the BEST!“

“Thank you Sarah � The macarons were delicious � Will be ordering again!“

“We are there every chance we get to pick up cupcakes or cookies. There are very few places that are so careful about allergies and the staff is always super helpful. For anyone going in for the first time, they don't allow outside food to prevent any cross contamination which we really appreciate.“

“I visited Parfait Paris today and had such a wonderful experience! The atmosphere was cozy and relaxing, a great place to enjoy a sweet treat.
Special thanks to Clarisse for the warm and friendly service. She made my day brighter with her kindness.“

“Delicious Mexican sweet bread, very tasty and fresh, they always have a great variety, the only thing is that they are slow to serve, they sell you the box for one dollar and they only accept cash. Open from Monday to Saturday from very early.“

“Was looking for a basque cheesecake near me and found a few but The Cakery stuck out to me because of the crust layered on the bottom. The basque cheesecake had all the traditional characteristics: light and airy, rich and a gooey center and of course the burnt top with the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Ordered the original for my wife's birthday and we ended up finishing it in a few days. LOL. On our second order, we tried the Ube and it was good with a subtle Ube flavor. EJ also slipped us a Cannelé to try which we loved and plan on ordering some in the future. She also has a sampler available so if you're undecided on which flavor, that would be a great option. The service was amazing and wanted to give EJ a huge thank you! She was very communicative and flexible with pickup.“

“We loved this place so much we already have made plans to go back. The food was delicious and portion size is great. Friendly crew, helpful and great service. You can also purchase frozen pies to take home which we will be doing“

“We had the absolute pleasure of working with Fab Cakes in San Diego for our wedding on May 2nd, 2025, and we cannot say enough great things! From our first consultation to the final delivery, the entire experience was seamless, professional, and so enjoyable.

Let’s talk about the cake—it was breathtaking. Truly a work of art. Every detail was executed to perfection, from every intricate detail to the elegant design that matched our theme flawlessly. Guests couldn't stop talking about how beautiful and detailed it was—and yes, it tasted just as amazing as it looked!

The communication throughout the process was top-notch. The team at Fab Cakes was responsive, accommodating, and genuinely excited to bring our vision to life. They made us feel heard and taken care of every step of the way.

We are beyond grateful for the love and artistry Fab Cakes put into making our special day unforgettable. If you're looking for a cake that will wow your guests and a team that delivers exceptional service, Fab Cakes is it!

Thank you,
Justin & Angel P.“