How to Find the Best Bakery in Any City You Visit
8/6/2026
The best bakery in a city is almost never the one at the top of the search results. That spot goes to whoever is best at marketing, which is a different skill from making good bread. Here is the method I use in a new city, and it has not failed me yet.
Start with the wrong search
Do not search "best bakery." Search the name of the thing in the local language: panaderia, konditorei, patisserie, forn. You immediately drop out of the tourist listings and into the places locals actually name.
Read the photos, not the reviews
Reviews are noisy. Customer photos are not. Look for a display case that is nearly empty by afternoon, which means they sell out, and pastry that looks slightly irregular, which means human hands. A perfectly uniform case at 4pm means a delivery truck.
Go at the right hour
Whatever a place is famous for comes out of the oven in the morning. Arriving at 3pm and being disappointed is not the bakery's fault.
| Signal | What it means |
|---|---|
| Case empty by 2pm | They bake to demand, good sign |
| Line of locals, no menu in English | Excellent sign |
| Identical, glossy pastries all day | Likely shipped in |
| One item stacked high | That is their thing, order it |
Are bakery review scores worth trusting?
Only in aggregate, and only above about 200 reviews. Below that, a handful of friends can move the number. The photos attached to reviews are more reliable than the stars.
What if the bakery only makes one thing?
Then order that thing. A shop that sells one pastry and stays in business is usually the best in the neighborhood at it.
How do I find bakeries away from the tourist center?
Search in the local language and then sort by distance from a residential area rather than your hotel. Twenty minutes on public transit is the difference between a good croissant and one you will think about for years.