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Overhead view of vintage porcelain plates containing a fig danish, croissants, cookies, corn muffins, and cardamom bun.
Croissants, Danishes, cookies, and corn muffins from Lagniappe Bakehouse.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

These Are New Orleans’s Best Bakeries

Where to find the best baked goods, including bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries, in New Orleans

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Croissants, Danishes, cookies, and corn muffins from Lagniappe Bakehouse.
| Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

The New Orleans baking tradition goes back at least to 1722, when a map of the city referenced a baker called Bellegarde. By the early 1900s, New Orleans had over 100 bakeries, but industrialization and the advent of grocery stores changed that soon after.

In recent years, bakeries in New Orleans have multiplied. Think of this list as a snapshot of the excellent bakeries New Orleans has to offer. All the bakeries here have some variety, not just sweets, and not just bread, with a few notable exceptions. And while several home bakers have made a splash in New Orleans in the last few years, for this map, we’re sticking to bakery operations with physical shops.

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Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery

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For years this New Orleans East Vietnamese bakery’s perfectly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside take on french bread has been the undisputed reigning champ of po’ boy loaves. Always worth the drive for its banh mi, the bakery also offers a sampling of Vietnamese sweets such as moon cakes, and in season, some of the most sought-after king cakes in town.

Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

HI-Do Bakery

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Family-owned and operated in Terrytown, this Vietnamese bakery is known for its incredible king cakes and breads, which are often baked to order in various wacky shapes, from crawfish to gators to fleur de lis.

Bywater Bakery

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After years of overseeing the bakery departments of several dozen Rouse’s supermarkets, owner Chaya Conrad traded the corporate model for this bright red corner spot in the funky Bywater. Beyond custom cakes (it made Taylor Swift’s birthday cake in 2022), king cakes, and bagel Fridays, Bywater Bakery is known for breakfast options including breakfast gumbo and tofu scrambles and lunch sandwiches like a tuna brie melt or Croque Madame on perfect country white bread.

Brasted/Eater NOLA

Ayu Bakehouse

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This quaint corner shop with a mellow vibe is one of the best new bakeries in New Orleans. Sample savory pastries like a muffuletta breadstick and a shroom booom; pick up seeded sourdough and crusty baguettes to accompany meals; and top it all off with sweets like a kaya bun, croissant, and chocolate chip cookie — everything is excellent. Sandwiches rotate and include a seasonal vegetarian option, and during Carnival season, the bakery serves one of the best new king cakes in town.

Croissant D'Or Patisserie

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Look down as you enter to see the tiles embedded in the sidewalk from when this French Quarter storefront said “Angelo Brocato.” Indeed, this charming space with a hidden courtyard once belonged to Angelo Brocato’s, the city's most beloved gelato and cannoli maker. Aside from tarts and mousses, traditional French baked goods include quiches, and of course, croissants. Sandwiches are also available.

The space occupied by Croissant d’Or
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Amore Bakery and Cafe

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Amore is beautiful, a West Bank favorite that’s been transporting customers to Italy for eight years. The friendly family-run business serves delicate croissants, zeppole, danishes, and Napoleons, in addition to excellent sandwiches and salads. It has a fully-stocked case of Angelo Brocato gelato, adding to its old-world charm.

Dough Nguyener’s Bakery

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Dough Nguyener’s is a Vietnamese bakery and cafe from Betty Archote, a local restaurateur who runs beloved West Bank restaurant Thanh Thanh, among others, with her family, the Nguyens. It was an instant hit after opening in 2022, serving Vietnamese-style baguettes, doughnuts, breads, and king cake, as well as breakfast items, both Vietnamese and American favorites. Making it even more lovable, the bakery offers drive-thru service.

Buttermilk Drop Bakery

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This Seventh Ward bakery is a must-stop for a bag of incredible buttermilk drops, the glazed doughnut hole-like specialty that became famous at the original defunct McKenzie’s but found a beloved second home here.

Buttermilk drops 
Buttermilk Drop Bakery/Facebook

Adrians Bakery

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“The pride of Gentilly” — that’s this straightforward, family-run bakery founded by Adrian Darby and his wife decades ago. It’s perhaps most loved for Darby’s praline pound cake, cinnamon rolls, and traditional king cake, but special treats like petit fours and cupcakes also draw folks from far and wide. Most of all, it’s an enduring comfort in an ever-changing city.

Leo's Bread

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Leo’s is a true labor of love — baker Kate Heller started selling her fantastic bread and bagels brand out of the back of her car years ago, then eventually at farmers' markets, pop-ups, and for home delivery throughout the pandemic. Her joyful bakery cafe on Bell Street is one of the best in town for crusty loaves of daily bread (think semolina, sourdough, and wheat sourdough), bagel and semolina sandwiches, croissants, cookies, and a few sweet pastries.

Lagniappe Bakehouse

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Central City is now home to the most exquisite pastries in New Orleans and the most thoughtful new bakery in town. Lagniappe Bakehouse is from Kaitlin Guerin, an accomplished dancer and pastry chef who returned to her native New Orleans a few years back and began a pop-up pastry box business. She and her partner in life and business, Lino Asana, have poured their hearts and souls into a quaint new Euterpe Street space with the aim to highlight, celebrate, and reconnect the Black foodways of the American South using local seasonal and West African ingredients. Guerin is known for her viennoiserie, perfecting the likes of chocolate croissants, cardamom buns, savory pastries, and seasonal Danishes, but also bakes up cookies, cheesecake, butter cake, cornmeal muffins, focaccia, and more. Don’t miss the Africano syrup latte.

Chocolate croissant from Lagniappe Bakehouse.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Levee Baking Co.

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Christina Balzebre opened her own bakery a few years back to great fanfare, having gained a following at farmer’s markets and then popping up for Saturday brunch at Mosquito Supper Club. In addition to Balzebre’s stunning tarts, pastries, cinnamon rolls, and crusty loaves of bread, Levee currently offers a few breakfast and lunch items (like a garlic croissant bun with prosciutto and asiago cheese wine). It’s working on an expansion for a larger Magazine Street footprint.

Two peach and blueberry tarts
Seasonal galette
Levee Baking Co./Official

Norma's Sweets Bakery

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Norma’s is loved for so many things; its custom cakes, Central American pastries, and other sweets, the imported market goods, prepared meats, and its guava cream cheese king cake during Carnival. While you’re there stocking up, grab one of the famous Cuban sandwiches.

Guava and cream cheese king cake from Norma’s Sweets Bakery.
Clair Lorell/Eater NOLA

Angelo Brocato

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Just a short streetcar ride from City Park, this iconic Italian bakery and gelateria is the perfect stop for stocking up on holiday cookies and cannoli or for having a cappuccino and tiramisu before a visit to the oaks in City Park or family and friends. Bring a box of cookies and cannoli and you’ll be a hero.

La Boulangerie

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No shortage of fanfare has surrounded this longtime Magazine street bakery since Donald Link and partner Stephen Stryjewski took over from the previous (French) owners in 2015. What is undeniable: La Boulangerie’s impressive selection of hearty breads, among them the splurge-worthy olive fougasse, the blue cheese, and rosemary with sea salt loaves. Sandwiches served all day, including Boulangerie’s uptake on the egg McMuffin. Notable: La Boulangerie uses locally milled whole wheat flour, Louisiana honey, and raw sugar.

Gracious Bakery

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Gracious serves up satisfying sandwiches on homemade bread that is ubiquitously used by other shops around the city, particularly the standout ciabatta. It also offers a small breakfast menu and outstanding baked goods outside of breads: pastries, cookies, whole cakes, and pies.

 Gracious Bakery
Gracious Bakery.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Celtica Bakery

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Lakeview rejoiced at the arrival of this baguette and croissant haven in 2020, the second act for La Boulangerie founder Dominique Rizzo. Rizzo, who grew up in France, has built a smaller, neighborhood-centric spot in Celtica — a more succinct menu of baked goods and a family-friendly atmosphere. In addition to the aforementioned baguettes and croissants, try Celtica’s galette de rois during Carnival season and Rizzo’s specialty French pastries, danishes, tarts, and savory quiches.

Wishing Town Bakery Cafe

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Wishing Town has emerged as one of the most exciting bakeries in the area in the last few years, originally opened in Metairie and now with a charming location in Uptown. The family-run bakery and restaurant serves show-stopping desserts like green tea, durian, and taro crepe cakes; the playful Wishing Cake; and a gorgeous tiramisu, among other creations — not to mention the incredible dim sum and other savory specialties.

A Wishing Town cake.
Wishing Town Bakery Cafe

Bellegarde Bakery

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Bellegarde is the ubiquitous and beloved bread that’s been found in New Orleans restaurants, grocery stores, and wine shops for years, but now residents can pick up Graison Gill’s remarkable wares direct from the source at his Leonidas bakery. In addition to its famous loaves, Bellegarde sells sweet and savory croissants, cookies, baguette sandwiches, and pizza.

Breads at Bellegarde Bakery
Katherine Kimball/Eater NOLA

O'Delice French Bakery

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Nancy Nguyen’s Uptown bakery flies under the radar, situated in a house set back from the street next to a small shopping center on Magazine, but inside she churns out light-as-a-cloud buttercream cakes. Nguyen is more accommodating than many bakers, often trying to get that last-minute cake ready (and sometimes she has some ready in the case). If committing to a cake is a bit much, be sure to scoop up a few of her lovely petit fours, or organize your visit around lunchtime and leave time to devour the chicken salad on a croissant.

King cake from O’Delice
Yelp/Kim H.

Breads On Oak

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Warm, woody, and welcoming with seating inside and out, this neighborhood bakery has become a popular weekend breakfast spot for the Riverbend since opening in 2012. Always popular for its vegan and gluten-free options, Breads on Oak made the switch to 100 percent vegan, serving up delicious versions of crusty artisanal rolls, decadent sweet rolls, brioches, quiches, cakes, and hot and cold sandwiches.

Cake and coffee from Breads On Oak.
Breads On Oak

Maurice French Pastries

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Metairie folks have a big secret— this incredible bakery that’s known for its Galette des Rois and Ponchatoula King Cake (stuffed with strawberries and cream) along with numerous showstoppers year round including the cream puff bedecked Croquembouche and numerous Kugelhopfs.

Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery

For years this New Orleans East Vietnamese bakery’s perfectly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside take on french bread has been the undisputed reigning champ of po’ boy loaves. Always worth the drive for its banh mi, the bakery also offers a sampling of Vietnamese sweets such as moon cakes, and in season, some of the most sought-after king cakes in town.

Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

HI-Do Bakery

Family-owned and operated in Terrytown, this Vietnamese bakery is known for its incredible king cakes and breads, which are often baked to order in various wacky shapes, from crawfish to gators to fleur de lis.

Bywater Bakery

After years of overseeing the bakery departments of several dozen Rouse’s supermarkets, owner Chaya Conrad traded the corporate model for this bright red corner spot in the funky Bywater. Beyond custom cakes (it made Taylor Swift’s birthday cake in 2022), king cakes, and bagel Fridays, Bywater Bakery is known for breakfast options including breakfast gumbo and tofu scrambles and lunch sandwiches like a tuna brie melt or Croque Madame on perfect country white bread.

Brasted/Eater NOLA

Ayu Bakehouse

This quaint corner shop with a mellow vibe is one of the best new bakeries in New Orleans. Sample savory pastries like a muffuletta breadstick and a shroom booom; pick up seeded sourdough and crusty baguettes to accompany meals; and top it all off with sweets like a kaya bun, croissant, and chocolate chip cookie — everything is excellent. Sandwiches rotate and include a seasonal vegetarian option, and during Carnival season, the bakery serves one of the best new king cakes in town.

Croissant D'Or Patisserie

Look down as you enter to see the tiles embedded in the sidewalk from when this French Quarter storefront said “Angelo Brocato.” Indeed, this charming space with a hidden courtyard once belonged to Angelo Brocato’s, the city's most beloved gelato and cannoli maker. Aside from tarts and mousses, traditional French baked goods include quiches, and of course, croissants. Sandwiches are also available.

The space occupied by Croissant d’Or
FACEBOOK

Amore Bakery and Cafe

Amore is beautiful, a West Bank favorite that’s been transporting customers to Italy for eight years. The friendly family-run business serves delicate croissants, zeppole, danishes, and Napoleons, in addition to excellent sandwiches and salads. It has a fully-stocked case of Angelo Brocato gelato, adding to its old-world charm.

Dough Nguyener’s Bakery

Dough Nguyener’s is a Vietnamese bakery and cafe from Betty Archote, a local restaurateur who runs beloved West Bank restaurant Thanh Thanh, among others, with her family, the Nguyens. It was an instant hit after opening in 2022, serving Vietnamese-style baguettes, doughnuts, breads, and king cake, as well as breakfast items, both Vietnamese and American favorites. Making it even more lovable, the bakery offers drive-thru service.

Buttermilk Drop Bakery

This Seventh Ward bakery is a must-stop for a bag of incredible buttermilk drops, the glazed doughnut hole-like specialty that became famous at the original defunct McKenzie’s but found a beloved second home here.

Buttermilk drops 
Buttermilk Drop Bakery/Facebook

Adrians Bakery

“The pride of Gentilly” — that’s this straightforward, family-run bakery founded by Adrian Darby and his wife decades ago. It’s perhaps most loved for Darby’s praline pound cake, cinnamon rolls, and traditional king cake, but special treats like petit fours and cupcakes also draw folks from far and wide. Most of all, it’s an enduring comfort in an ever-changing city.

Leo's Bread

Leo’s is a true labor of love — baker Kate Heller started selling her fantastic bread and bagels brand out of the back of her car years ago, then eventually at farmers' markets, pop-ups, and for home delivery throughout the pandemic. Her joyful bakery cafe on Bell Street is one of the best in town for crusty loaves of daily bread (think semolina, sourdough, and wheat sourdough), bagel and semolina sandwiches, croissants, cookies, and a few sweet pastries.

Lagniappe Bakehouse

Central City is now home to the most exquisite pastries in New Orleans and the most thoughtful new bakery in town. Lagniappe Bakehouse is from Kaitlin Guerin, an accomplished dancer and pastry chef who returned to her native New Orleans a few years back and began a pop-up pastry box business. She and her partner in life and business, Lino Asana, have poured their hearts and souls into a quaint new Euterpe Street space with the aim to highlight, celebrate, and reconnect the Black foodways of the American South using local seasonal and West African ingredients. Guerin is known for her viennoiserie, perfecting the likes of chocolate croissants, cardamom buns, savory pastries, and seasonal Danishes, but also bakes up cookies, cheesecake, butter cake, cornmeal muffins, focaccia, and more. Don’t miss the Africano syrup latte.

Chocolate croissant from Lagniappe Bakehouse.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Levee Baking Co.

Christina Balzebre opened her own bakery a few years back to great fanfare, having gained a following at farmer’s markets and then popping up for Saturday brunch at Mosquito Supper Club. In addition to Balzebre’s stunning tarts, pastries, cinnamon rolls, and crusty loaves of bread, Levee currently offers a few breakfast and lunch items (like a garlic croissant bun with prosciutto and asiago cheese wine). It’s working on an expansion for a larger Magazine Street footprint.

Two peach and blueberry tarts
Seasonal galette
Levee Baking Co./Official

Norma's Sweets Bakery

Norma’s is loved for so many things; its custom cakes, Central American pastries, and other sweets, the imported market goods, prepared meats, and its guava cream cheese king cake during Carnival. While you’re there stocking up, grab one of the famous Cuban sandwiches.

Guava and cream cheese king cake from Norma’s Sweets Bakery.
Clair Lorell/Eater NOLA

Angelo Brocato

Just a short streetcar ride from City Park, this iconic Italian bakery and gelateria is the perfect stop for stocking up on holiday cookies and cannoli or for having a cappuccino and tiramisu before a visit to the oaks in City Park or family and friends. Bring a box of cookies and cannoli and you’ll be a hero.

La Boulangerie

No shortage of fanfare has surrounded this longtime Magazine street bakery since Donald Link and partner Stephen Stryjewski took over from the previous (French) owners in 2015. What is undeniable: La Boulangerie’s impressive selection of hearty breads, among them the splurge-worthy olive fougasse, the blue cheese, and rosemary with sea salt loaves. Sandwiches served all day, including Boulangerie’s uptake on the egg McMuffin. Notable: La Boulangerie uses locally milled whole wheat flour, Louisiana honey, and raw sugar.

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Gracious Bakery

Gracious serves up satisfying sandwiches on homemade bread that is ubiquitously used by other shops around the city, particularly the standout ciabatta. It also offers a small breakfast menu and outstanding baked goods outside of breads: pastries, cookies, whole cakes, and pies.

 Gracious Bakery
Gracious Bakery.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Celtica Bakery

Lakeview rejoiced at the arrival of this baguette and croissant haven in 2020, the second act for La Boulangerie founder Dominique Rizzo. Rizzo, who grew up in France, has built a smaller, neighborhood-centric spot in Celtica — a more succinct menu of baked goods and a family-friendly atmosphere. In addition to the aforementioned baguettes and croissants, try Celtica’s galette de rois during Carnival season and Rizzo’s specialty French pastries, danishes, tarts, and savory quiches.

Wishing Town Bakery Cafe

Wishing Town has emerged as one of the most exciting bakeries in the area in the last few years, originally opened in Metairie and now with a charming location in Uptown. The family-run bakery and restaurant serves show-stopping desserts like green tea, durian, and taro crepe cakes; the playful Wishing Cake; and a gorgeous tiramisu, among other creations — not to mention the incredible dim sum and other savory specialties.

A Wishing Town cake.
Wishing Town Bakery Cafe

Bellegarde Bakery

Bellegarde is the ubiquitous and beloved bread that’s been found in New Orleans restaurants, grocery stores, and wine shops for years, but now residents can pick up Graison Gill’s remarkable wares direct from the source at his Leonidas bakery. In addition to its famous loaves, Bellegarde sells sweet and savory croissants, cookies, baguette sandwiches, and pizza.

Breads at Bellegarde Bakery
Katherine Kimball/Eater NOLA

O'Delice French Bakery

Nancy Nguyen’s Uptown bakery flies under the radar, situated in a house set back from the street next to a small shopping center on Magazine, but inside she churns out light-as-a-cloud buttercream cakes. Nguyen is more accommodating than many bakers, often trying to get that last-minute cake ready (and sometimes she has some ready in the case). If committing to a cake is a bit much, be sure to scoop up a few of her lovely petit fours, or organize your visit around lunchtime and leave time to devour the chicken salad on a croissant.

King cake from O’Delice
Yelp/Kim H.

Breads On Oak

Warm, woody, and welcoming with seating inside and out, this neighborhood bakery has become a popular weekend breakfast spot for the Riverbend since opening in 2012. Always popular for its vegan and gluten-free options, Breads on Oak made the switch to 100 percent vegan, serving up delicious versions of crusty artisanal rolls, decadent sweet rolls, brioches, quiches, cakes, and hot and cold sandwiches.

Cake and coffee from Breads On Oak.
Breads On Oak

Maurice French Pastries

Metairie folks have a big secret— this incredible bakery that’s known for its Galette des Rois and Ponchatoula King Cake (stuffed with strawberries and cream) along with numerous showstoppers year round including the cream puff bedecked Croquembouche and numerous Kugelhopfs.

Related Maps