Every country has its own food and culture, but if there is something that everyone loves and which we all have in common is the love of bread, especially when its warm, fresh and accompanied with butter.
To my delight, I had the opportunity to travel quite often and of course, I always combined my passion for bread in my journey and visited and tasted amazing bread in the top bakeries out there. I haven’t been everywhere I want to go yet, so I’m always doing my research on where to go next. My “to-do” list is alive and kicking 🙂
That being said: here you go, my list of the best bakeries in the world. If you intend to use your passport any time soon, don’t go anywhere without it:)
Note, this list is all about bakeries whose flagship product is bread and less in pastries (that will be a whole different list). The list below is in random order and not listed by any rank. They are all great!
Du Pain et des IdĂ©es – Paris
Paris, the city of lights and romance, the Mecca of fashion, and the leader of the culinary world. Paris is bursting with great bakeries so it was supposed to be a tough choice, but to be honest, it was Super Easy.
If you are in Paris you can not miss this gem and do not make the mistake and arrive there just before you leave. Use the opportunity to spend as many mornings as possible there.
The place is flooded with both tourists and locals alike, the bread is just perfect here: the crust on the bread is amazing. Thick, crunchy and the bread perfectly sour and flavorful.
There are no seats in the bakery but there are two outdoor picnic tables where you can sit or you can take your shopping with you as you continue your tour in the city.
Their baguettes are what all of the rest of the baguettes in the world are compared to. They set the standard for it.
Recommended: beyond the bread, the chocolate pistachio snail is a big hit.
Website: dupainetdesidees.com
Address: 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris France
Hours: Monday to Friday 7:00 am- 8:00 pm
Saturday closed
Iggy’s -Sydney
We continue our journey down under in Sydney, the largest and most vibrant city in Australia, a city with beautiful beaches, surf vibe and the hottest culinary scene on the continent.
Iggy (Igor Ivanovic), born in Belgrade, produces bread out of this world. The bread is made from natural and organic ingredients, the prices are relatively comfortable and the taste… AMAZING!
The sourdough bread is crafted old school by hand and the bakery produces a wide range of bread like; wholewheat, Francese, white and dark rye, raisin pecan, cranberry pecan (excellent) crotonate, breadsticks and much more.
It may sound like a nice daily amount of bread but most days of the week if you get to the bakery after ten, all you will see is a sign that says “sold out”. The bakery has a number of branches and its bread are served in cafes and high-end restaurants throughout the city., another sign that indicates that the leading of Sydney chefs gave Iggy’s bread the seal of approval.
By the way, they have locations in the USA as well. Check out their website below for more info.
Website: iggysbread.com
Address: 131 Macpherson St, Bronte, Sydney, Australia.
Hours: Tue-Sun 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tartine Bakery – San Fransisco
Sunshine, Highway Number One, The Golden Gate bridge, did I miss anything?
San Fransisco is one of the worlds hot spots right now culinary wise and same can be said for bakeries there.
One taste of Tartine sourdough bread and you will understand what heaven in your mouth feels like. There really is no other way to describe it.
This amazing bakery presents a startling array of pastries, bread, cookies, and other wonderful baked goods, all made of high-quality organic ingredients (and it is felt, believe me).
The long line is LONG, so come with comfortable shoes and lots of patience but it really is worth It. The restaurant serves amazing food, with beautiful presentation and in a relaxed atmosphere, my favorite mix.
The sourdough bread is to die for (the San Francisco air definitely helps). This is by far the one of best bakery out there, especially for bread.
Recommended: Almond croissant (basically dessert for breakfast ) and any kind of bread really, just go already, go, go go!
They have multiple locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seoul South Korea. Check out their website below. It is just as beautiful as their bakeries.
Also, they have published a couple of great bread inspirational books. Check it out right here. BTW these will also look great on your coffee table.
Website: Tartinebakery.com
Address: 595 Alabama St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Hours: Monday – Sunday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sullivan Street Bakery – New York City
New Yorkers have known this bakery forever (and by forever I mean 1994 when Jim Lahey opened the bakery) and the world discovered it in 2006 after Mark Bittman wrote about baker Jim Lahey and his method of no-knead bread in The New York Times. The article that changed the way home bakers bake all around the world.
Since then, locals and tourists alike have come to the bakery and are expected to receive a variety of fantastic bread and sandwiches.
In general, you just want to go in and eat everything you see. My advice, go there for breakfast ( brioche square with melted mascarpone cheese full with little chunks of ham will set your day in motion). The multigrain bread and the baguette, to name a few, are wonderful too, it’s just a fine institute all around.
BTW- In 2015, Lahey was the first recipient of the Outstanding Baker James Beard Award, and he certainly deserves the respect he was given.
Website: sullivanstreetbakery.com
Address: 236 9th Ave. New York City, 10011
Hours:
Sunday-Thursday 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Friday + Saturday 7:30 am – 6:00 pm
El Pan de la Chola- Lima
Peru, the third largest country in South America is a diverse and interesting region. The first thing that comes to mind is the rich historical past of the Inca culture, but if you are not planning to climb the Machu Picchu anytime soon and you are more of breakfast and coffee in the city kind of person this “hipster” bakery in central Lima is just the place for you.
This is the best bakery in the city, no doubt. It is evident from the queue you have to stand in, in order to get a table.
The charming place with the chic interior and open kitchen, serve the best bread around. The taste is unbelievable, to tell the truth. They use fresh ingredients and overall give you a good experience.
Recommended:
Their focaccia bread and baguettes are something to rave about. The bakery is also known for its fresh juices and excellent coffee.
Prices are relatively expensive for this part of the world, but compared to prices in Europe it’s not that bad.
Facebook: elpandelachola
Address: Av. Mariscal La Mar 918, Miraflores 15074, Peru
Hours : Monday- Saturday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday- 9:00 am -7:00 pm
Nick Vina – Singapore
This bakery may be located in Singapore, but it pays great respect to European bread everywhere like Italian Ciabatta and Foccacia, German Volkorn Rye, Danish Pastry and of course the French baguette that no bakery is complete without.
The man behind all these good stuff is Master Baker and chef Nick Chua, who studied in Hanover and returned to Singapore to open his own bakery.
The bakery opened in 2011 and uses natural sourdough baking techniques and selected wheat flour types such as non-GMO German Wheat Flour, German Rye Flour, and German Spelt Flour. The bread looks excellent, the smell is amazing and the taste is indescribable.
Popular among customers: Rusti loaf, Wholemeal Loaf, and chocolate buns.
Website: nickvina.com
Address: 12 Gopeng Street, Icon Village, #01-54/55 Singapore 078877.
Hours:
Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Baluard – Barcelona
The recipes in this family-owned bakery pass on from one generation to the next, from the grandparents who set up the bakery, to the parents who continue the hard work, and now their granddaughter is in charge of this marvelous “bread factory”.
Anna Bellsolà sure makes her family proud by producing wonderful bread in the lively city of Barcelona. The variety of types of bread is breathtaking, there is everything here: from white to whole grain, with nuts, olives, fruits, etc, and I did not mention the croissants yet …
No wonder this bakery, which has several branches throughout the city, has won awards for its superb quality and excellence.
To make a long story short: go, taste and let your senses do the work …
Website: baluardbarceloneta.com
Address: Baluard, 38,08003 Barcelona (metro Barceloneta L4)
Hours:
Open from Monday to Saturday
from 08:00 to 21:00
Dallal – Tel Aviv
Located in the charming and eclectic neighborhood of Neve Tzedek, this bakery is a pilgrimage place for locals and tourists alike. French tourists who visit Israel en masse come here to get their morning fix and I can’t blame them.
The bread is phenomenal, you can find a baguette, challah, rye, whole grain, rye and walnut, poppy seed and more delicious bread.
You can not miss the croissant or their croissant bagel that is flaky and just melt in your mouth, the rugelach I just LOVE, chocolate and pistachios danish and, chocolate brioche (as you see I have a weakness for chocolate).
There is a small seating area inside the bakery (just a few tables) and a small garden outside, with a few picnic tables and pleasant sunshine caressing your face on most days). Last- amazing coffee – you can’t ask for more so this is a must-visit and should be in everyone bucket list.
p.s they have a great restaurant just next door which features their bread, don’t get me started…
Website: dallal.co.il
Address: 7 Kol Israel Haverim St. Tel- Aviv
Hours:
Sun-Thu 7:00 – 20:30
Fri 7:00-17:00
Zopf – Matsudo, Japan
This bakery, about 40 minutes from Tokyo, offers a huge range of bread (hundreds of different types!), All made from natural yeast and flour they
mill on there own.
You can find local, special bread and also more “western” types of bread like baguette and such.
The shop is small but charming with amazing scents of fresh baked goods and a traditional Japanese atmosphere. You can have a fabulous breakfast there, they have sandwiches, bagels and everything you can imagine. The menu is rich and diverse.
What is certain is that you will have plenty of time to choose your favorite bread because the line is long (but quick).
Recommended: the curry bread, the eponymous Zopf (kind of like the Japanese version of Challah)
Keep in mind that as far as transportation is concerned, it is better to arrive in a car. There is a lot of parking around. public transportation is relatively far and does not allow easy access to the bakery.
Website: zopf.jp
Address: 2 Chome-14-3 Koganehara,Matsudo, Chiba 270-0021, Japan
Hours: Monday- Sunday 6:30 am- 6pm
Meyer’s Bakery – Copenhagen
The Meyer Bakery in Copenhagen under Claus Meyer management is all what bread should be. Myers, whose name is known as one of the co-founders of the Nome restaurant, one of the best restaurants in the world, use organic Nordic wheat for his bread.
They bake in small batches throughout the day, so their stuff is fresh no matter when you arrive.
The bakery opened in 2010, since then they have opened more branches all over Copenhagen. The bakery offers baking workshops and flour to buy on the spot if you want to recreate this wonderful beaked good at home.
Worth a try: the wheat bread, rye bread with pumpkin seeds, baguette (a must) and of course butter-baked croissants (don’t leave without trying it).
Website: Mayers Bakery
Address: 482300 Copenhagen S (they have multiple locations)
Hours:
Monday-Friday at. 7-18
Saturday-Sunday at. 7-16
Gleba – Lisbon
This young bakery, established in 2016, proclaimed two goals: one is to bake the best, natural bread from local cereals that are produced in stone grinders using ancient methods developed by the Romans in technological adaptation to the present time. (The flour they produce is of the highest quality that comes to mind), and the second goal is to restore the old practice of baking bread like old times and pamper the customers in the bread just like in the past: nutritious, healthy and tasty.
I have to admit that the young chef who built the bakery, Diogo Amorim carries well the missions he has set for himself. Amorim, who got his first taste of sourdough bread through his internship in England’s the Fat Duck established a bakery with delicious bread that gets praises from the customer and the press alike.
The bakery offers a green rye bread from Tras Os Montes, Wheat bread Alentejo. It also uses some interesting ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes, figs, chocolate and much much more. Their bread comes out amazing!
Website: gleba-nossa.pt
Address: Rua Prior Crato, nÂş 14, 16 e 18, 1350-352 Lisboa, Portugal
Hours: Monday- Sunday 9am-8pm
Artisan Bread – Ra’anana Israel
I am a bit biased here because this bakery is owned by my relatives, the gifted bakers Haim and Guy but I know bread so I must say that this is really one of the best bakeries out there.
This bakery specializes in bread. They feature over 20 different types of bread in addition to great buns from ciabatta bunds to soft finger rolls for kids. You can find bread from a dense German Rye to white Casten bread and everything in between. Don’t get me started on their flutes ( skinny baguettes ). Dark, and Light wheat bread, Challahs and special kinds of bread like Nordic bread, chocolate bread, gluten-free bread and more.
They really pride themselves on using the best ingredients with no preservatives or additives unlike most bakeries do when they start to expand and grow.
If you have a craving for a Montreal style bagel this is the best place in Israel to get it.
The Bakery has a number of branches in Central Israel. The main branch is located in Ra’anana. It is recommended to arrive on Fridays when they have even a bigger selection of special bread in stock. Warning: expect the tiny bakery to be packed with people, but as I said, the bread is definitely worth it. This is a must visit for bread lovers.
Website: artisan-bread.co.il
Address: 18 Ha-Melakha St Ra’anana
Hours: Monday- Thursday 7:00 am- 8:00 pm
Friday 6:30 am- 3:00 pm
E5 Bakehouse – London
This bakery uses only organic ingredients from different farms in England that supply them with various kinds of wheat. Their bread is hand-made and baked fresh every morning in a wood-burning oven in the back garden.
The bakery offers baking workshops on weekends for home baking enthusiasts that want to enrich their knowledge of baking bread.
Recommended: Multigrain, Wholemeal, Walnut Rugbrød.
You can catch breakfast or lunch or brunch on the spot – better than any other restaurant in the vicinity, for sure.
Website: e5bakehouse.com
Address: 395 Mentmore Terrace, London E8 3PH, UK
Hours: Monday – Sunday 7:00am-7:00pm
Blackbird – Toronto
Toronto offers a vibrant culinary arena and chic bakeries are popping up at every corner, but Blackbird Baking Company in Kensington Market surpasses them all and offers high-quality amazing bread.
Simon Blackwell, the man in charge, is a fourth generation baker. Simon produces bread in small quantities (the variety of bread is not huge), all hand-crafted bread but in very high quality.
The bakery also provides bread for many restaurants throughout the city, indicating that the city’s chefs also know quality when they see it. All the best bread in the bakery are also served as sandwiches that can be snatched to go or eaten on the spot.
Website: blackbirdbakingco.com
Address: 172 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON M5T 1L8, Canada
Hours: Monday – Saturday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Breads On Oak – New Orleans
Okay, as you can see, we’re already in the 13th bakery and the title of this post has promised 12 unforgettable bakeries but it just makes no sense to exclude this bakery from the list so forgive me if I bend the rules a little bit…
Bread is the real star in this bakery as you can assume from the name.
The French inspiration that exists in every corner in New Orleans does not skip this bakery and the French-style bread it offers.
Bread On Oak, which opened in 2012, uses natural ingredients, sourdough starter, organic eggs, and makes sure the fermentation process gets the time it deserves, even if it means a whole day to give the taste time to develop.
Chef Sean O’Mahony’s serves not only bread but a wide range of sandwiches, many of them vegan, and even a meat lover like me must admit that these sandwiches taste amazing.
Served on rotation: sourdough Dark Rye, Vollkornbrot, Irish Soda Bread, Italian Sesame. Try getting there on Saturday & Sunday, you will have the chance to get a bite on one of these treats: Cheese & Herb Bread Twists, Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Brioche, and Croque Monsieur Stuffed Brioche. Do I need to say more?
Website: breadsonoak.com
Address: 8640 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Hours: Monday – Sunday 7:00am – 3:00 pm