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 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 first met the owner when I just arrived in SD. I’ve been ordering cakes from her ever since because hers are both visually stunning and delicious. Finally, after the pandemic, her shop opened! She’s always stood out in the competitive dessert market through her commitment to high-quality ingredients, innovative fusion, and visual aesthetics, winning the hearts of many. I’ve seen some friends complain about the prices, but the taste is truly worth it—perfect for an occasional treat to satisfy your sweet tooth!

This time, I tried the caramel crepe cake and the Mango Pomelo Sago. Both were amazing, but I especially recommend the Mango Pomelo Sago—it’s seriously the best I’ve ever had, so good I can’t stop drinking it once I start 😍～

The shop is small but cozy, with a fresh, minimalist decor, ideal for a quiet chat or some solo relaxation. Just be sure to avoid peak weekend hours and reserve popular items in advance—otherwise, they might sell out if you come late!“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“Everything is good! Sandwiches soups desserts even custom order cakes online“

“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.“

“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 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“

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

“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“

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

“I genuinely enjoyed my first experience here. I got an almond and raspberry croissant that was absolute perfection. I got an iced americano that was pretty good but the shots seem slightly over extracted or the coffee is a little darker than I'm used to. This didn't take away from how lovely the experience was, however. I still enjoyed the drink and pastry. Im a long time home baker and a professional barista so I can't lie that I'm picky.

The service was lovely! Other people mentioned service can be rough here but I didn't have that experience. I also work in customer service so I know how people can take exhaustion as rudeness. I think it's a lovely place to visit! This place met expectations and I would return.“

“Very popular spot good food minus the onions“

“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.“

“The double chocolate cheesecake is to die for!!!! SO SO SO creamy!!! chocolate cheesecake lovers dream.
Place is super clean, the atmosphere here is always welcoming, and the workers are also SUPER DUPER HELPFUL. 10/10 all around.“

“Donuts are really good. Today, though it was 5:03pm and we were not open the door even though there were around 40-50% capacity of donuts on the shelves. Time ago I was able to purchase donuts at 7pm. Is the sign “closed at 5pm or until there are donuts” variable? I am trying to said just be careful to be there by 5pm.“

“Tastylife™️. Would buy treats again.“

“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!“

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

“I stopped by this cozy café on a Saturday morning in San Diego, feeling nostalgic about my trips to Kyoto and Tokyo, and ordered both the Kyoto Matcha Latte and the Strawberry Matcha Latte. The Kyoto Matcha Latte was a standout—it immediately took me back to sipping matcha in Kyoto. It had that same deep, umami bitterness that you only get with truly high-quality matcha. The only thing that could make it better would be a creamier milk, though the foam was perfectly done. It tops my previous favorite matcha latte in san diego which was previously done by PARU in La Jolla before they got their cafe section shut down ?.

The Strawberry Matcha Latte, while still good, didn’t quite match the intensity I was expecting. I anticipated the strong matcha flavor, but it seemed a bit subdued in comparison to the Kyoto Matcha Latte which was weird since shouldn’t it be the same?
still a solid 4.5/5.

The lines were long, but once inside, I couldn’t help but appreciate the café’s aesthetic. It felt like a blend of modern Japanese design with its clean lines and subtle elegance, perfect for a San Diego morning. I also enjoyed browsing through the design-oriented magazines, which added an extra touch of inspiration to my visit. Definitely worth the wait!“

“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. 🥐 ☕️ 😃“

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

“Love the bakery and matcha latte!“

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

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 recently ordered a selection of baby shower treats, including a cake, cupcakes, and macaroons, and I couldn’t be happier with the result! Everything was not only beautifully presented but also incredibly delicious. The cake was perfectly moist, the cupcakes were light and flavorful, and the macaroons were a delightful treat that everyone loved. Highly recommend for anyone looking to add a special touch to their event. Thank you for putting so much effort!“

“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!“

“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“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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!“

“I contacted Rachael before our trip to San Diego (we live in Texas) about making a surprise banana pudding cake for my husband’s birthday. She was so kind and helpful 💛 She delivered the cake to our hotel and even included a birthday candle. We surprised my husband after his conference and he said the cake was exactly what he wanted!! Perfect for the three of us. Thanks again Rachael 💛💛“

“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!“

“Most of the employees here are amazing, friendly/kind. I’m giving 5 stars all across because of them, there’s only one employee though who consistently does a poor job in all these above. Please see the pic attached of my breakfast sandwich from yesterday morning made by Alicia (I won’t buy here again when she’s working, consistently the same bad service with her), and no she wasn’t busy. I as the only person there ordering food at the time, no one else waiting. My only item ordered was burned and to top it off salty as well.“

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

“Finally we got to visit and see what this bakery offers. Oftentimes, when we want to swing by its already closed by 5pm. Its a small bakery that offers similar breads from what you see at 85' only this one feels more homey than mass produced.
Today was specifically looking for mocha cake. However, i found coffee cake so that should be similar. Am also trying the strawberry cake. Wanted to try some cookies next time. No more pork floss during our visit at 4:30pm. But they still have couple of meat pies.“

“Peanut butter brownie bites! Sampled at the Encinitas Rotary wine and food festival. Beautiful display and the best brownie bites and cupcakes I’ve ever eaten; beyond delicious.“