Consultant Lawn Love measured up 200 of the biggest U.S. cities, looking for plenty of access to highly rated bakeries and patisseries. The group also considered bakers awarded by the James Beard Foundation and patisseries recognized by Mashed for having “The Absolute Best Pastries In The US,” among nine total metrics.
Here are the top 10:
- San Francisco
- New York City
- Chicago
- Seattle
- Los Angeles
- Portland, Oregon
- Minneapolis
- Miami
- Philadelphia
- Charleston, South Carolina
San Francisco, is a pastry lover’s paradise. The Golden City has the most patisseries and coffee shops per square mile in our ranking. There are also award-winning pastry chefs serving up delicious croissants and other baked goods across the city.
Other big cities puffed up to the top, including New York (No. 2) and Chicago (No. 3), which tied for first place in patisseries recognized in “best pastry” lists. NYC has the most James Beard Award-winning pastry chefs, with Chicago a close second.
Sweet stand(outs): A few mid-sized cities rose in the ranks, landing in our top 20 and “proofing” they have what it takes to please pastry lovers. Charleston, South Carolina (No. 10), Boise, Idaho (No. 15), and Bridgeport, Connecticut (No. 18), all tied for No. 1 in share of highly rated patisseries. Charleston takes sixth place in quality.
For four consecutive years, Sub Rosa Bakery in Richmond, Virginia (No. 16), was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award’s “Outstanding Baker” category. That’s not the only spot RVA has to offer for a sweet treat — the city has great access on top of high pastry popularity.
