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.“

“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! 🧡“

“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!!“

“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.“

“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 😎“

“We have purchased many cakes and pastries from this location and all very tasty. We have purchased our birthday cakes for our son and ourselves multiple times here.So many fresh tasty treats there and beverages too! There is also a option to sit inside if you don't enjoy the main eating lobby. I hope that they finds a new home in the new Zion market as Zion is looking to move around May 2024 or so.I love the convenience of shopping at both places in one trip. We'll see I suppose. Till then...

Parking: Open parking lot.

Wheelchair accessibility: All one level.“

“Very popular spot good food minus the onions“

“6 stars for the croissant dough- buttery, flakey awesomeness! I also love that the pastries are not as sticky sweet. I'm Swiss and its the closest I found in Northpark to the french pastries I know from home. Everything I tried so far tasted very fresh & they seem to use high quality ingredients. The catch: there is very little filling, often concentrated in one small spot. While I don't mind that in the sweet versions as much I was disappointed with the savory... for 6$ there was only a tiny piece of ham & the cheese had either mostly leaked out during baking or there just wasnt as much to begin with.

Staff is always friendly & the place very airy and clean. Quite polished modern decor which feels a bit cold/sterile to me, could use a bit more color & warmth to feel more inviting.“

“Tastylife™️. Would buy treats again.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“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. :)“

“Cute open space of a coffee shop. I honestly love their espresso. It's great as a simple latte. I was a little disappointed that I ordered a 16oz latte but didn't get the full amount, but it was a personal mug so they may have thought it was a larger cup than it actually is.
That being said.... It was still absolutely delicious and I still love this place.
Plenty of seating, parking not so much, or so it seems, but if you're in the area definitely check this place out.
Also, I previously purchased their decaf roast beans for an evening cup of coffee at home, and they're also really good. Definitely try their roasts!

Vegetarian options: They have plenty of vegetarian options, such as milk substitutions and meatless pastry.

Dietary restrictions: Customer service is helpful here, I'm sure if you mention what you need they'd be able to help find you something.“

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

“Love the bakery and matcha latte!“

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

“The PARFAIT Paris located on 2840 Historic Decatur Road suie 17, San Diego, CA, 92106, was absolutely AMAZING! My first time here, I was helped by Jorge and Sebastian who were very friendly, patient, kind and humorous. Very much appreciate them both and couldn't get enough the Macoorons 🤗😊 Definitely recommend for a positive experience and sweet tooth.“

“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.“

“Fantastic local donut shop with lots of options. Over the week of being in SD we went there almost every morning. The tables are a little hard to sit at because the seats are attached to the table, but it works. As a family, we tried a large selection over the week and liked them all. The crullers were my favorite. Very light and creamy. The yeast donuts have a nice crisp outside with a soft inside. Very satisfying bites here. Note: there are at least 4 pink (strawberry) donuts for those who love them. Cash only.“

“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.“

“Cute little patisserie. I visited on my way to the farmer’s market. They were busy but efficient, so the wait was quite short. I was just in Paris a few months ago and had pain au chocolate almost every day, so that’s what I got today and it tasted very similar. The way they display the food, have some outside seating, and overall atmosphere reminded me of some of the places in Paris.“

“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.“

“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!“

“Love this place we’ve been getting birthday cakes from them for over 20+ years!! Always on point with what we need, so friendly. Love how sometimes we need a last minute cake and they are willing to compromise with us they are the best!!!“

“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.“

“I am so thankful to Elite baking for making the perfect dessert for a baby shower. I was impressed by the entire process from ordering to the final product. Everyone at the partly loved these beautiful deserts. Well organized and great customer service, would highly recommend Elite Baking. Thank you so much“

“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.“

“Dove and Jasmine are welcoming at super sweet. I took my time deciding what I wanted but they were very patient with me. All their sweets and pastries are to die for. I usually get their lattes and a breakfast sandwich, highly recommend their L’alsacien and Turkey club sandwich.“

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

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

“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 red bean bun and found this place. Very impressed with the variety of breads, cakes and buns (bao buns) here. They have Asian flavors that are not easily found in other Asian bakeries like pandan and of course they also have staples like taro, red bean, pork buns etc.

On the weekend, they'd have special pastry (I'd have to come back and check them out) and they also sell some drinks like Vietnamese coffee and milk tea.

The lady behind the counter was nice and friendly. Bring cash if you don't want to pay the 3% service charge.“

“It is new and the cookies are delivered very quickly, they are in fashion.

Parking: It is in a good area. There is no need to worry about parking the car.

Kid-friendliness: Children love them, they are fashionable.“

“Be back fo sho. Delicious“

“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.“

“Recomendada! pedi in pastel para mi hija y supero mis espectativas en el diseño 😊 puntual en la entrega y muy rico!“