Lately we’ve (I’ve) been on a croissant quest in our family where we’re trying all the croissants in Seattle to find our favorites. So far we love the ones we’ve found on the list below:
Pufftown-this is one of the easiest places to get a pastry with a pup in tow because it’s literally a counter in Pike Place market and it’s such a friendly one at that. I can walk up with Scout and choose my pastries and Scout often gets a treat for himself too. Also, they have creative and beautiful ingredients (kumquat and cardamom I think was the last one I had) but I even just love the plain croissant here because it is a force to be reckoned with all on its own. Grab a coffee here or at the original Starbucks and wander to the new Overlook Park.
Le Panier– this cafe is also in Pike Place market and it’s a classic (I think it’s been around nearly 40 years) and I go here in the morning for sandwiches for my kids’ lunches too. Years ago, I bought a bakery tour in an auction and learned about the secret baking area a floor below the cafe where you’ll often find customers lined up out the door. Their pain au chocolate is a favorite in our family. I often get the croissant aux fruits as well. I have a post on what locals do in the market if you want to check out some other shops here too.
Fuji Bakery-even though I hate their parking lot, their pear croissant will always be a favorite of mine. There are two Fuji Bakeries in our city and one is in the International District so you could pick up pastries here and bring them to a Mariners or Sounders game. The Fuji Bakery on Elliott is right across the street from a bridge you can walk over to get to my favorite biking path/walkway in the city and you can walk all the way from there to Olympic Sculpture Park if you have the time. I only stop at Fuji Bakery when there are street parking times because I really can’t do this parking lot for the life of me.
The French Guys– I only recently tried the French Guys and this cafe is in such an adorable part of Capitol Hill. The stained glass windows give it so much character and I only did takeout but I want to come back and sit and savor my croissant and cafe and also wander to Kobo next door to check out the pottery here too. Apparently you can get the French Guys croissants at some of our local farmer’s markets too (and I think this is how this bakery first started out.)
Mirabelle by Orphee– I was initially invited to try this bakery by a marketing company and I’m so thankful because I’ve been back so many times since it’s an easy stop on my morning commute. To say this bakery will help revitalize Pioneer Square is an understatement-I know I’ve definitely spent more hours in Pioneer Square since Mirabelle by Orphee arrived. Orphee imports his flour from France and the croissants here are perfection. We also love the baguettes. Everything is reasonably priced so far and the cafe feels like Paris but with a definite Seattle vibe. If I can get a parking spot nearby it’s a must stop. If you’re in Pioneer Square I have a list of other places to check out and if you’re there on a Thursday it’s especially amazing.
Flora Bakehouse-this one is near where my kid goes to school so it’s an easy stop unless it’s lunch time and then there are big lineups. This might be the only place in the city that serves ice cream in a croissant. (and this kind of reminds me of the ice cream wrapped in bread we get in Singapore). Their pastries are all pretty delicious and I like their sandwiches tied up with string here too. They have such a beautiful rooftop patio. I wish I could go to their restaurant more often too.
Petit Pierre-this is where you come if you want magical round croissants. They always seem to have some new and inventive flavor. And they do have regular croissants and other pastries too and everything we’ve tried has been delicious and beautiful which should be a standard everywhere but is more of a unicorn. I go to the one in Magnolia and this is a great treat to get for a walk in Discovery Park or for a pastry picnic at Ella Bailey Park.
Sea Wolf Bakery– to be honest we don’t usually buy croissants here because we are in love with their cinnamon bun but they have beautiful croissants here too. These would be great to take to Gasworks park or some spot near the Fremont canal. Sea Wolf Bakery also makes delicious bread. We often pick up Sea Wolf pastries when we stop at Evo across the street and it’s along a great bike route too.
This is in no way a definitive croissant in Seattle list but it’s a good start. Already I know I’ve left out Dahlia bakery and I need to stop by and try some of the croissants I’ve seen in their social media lately. Do you have a favorite croissant in our city? And do you go to places specially to get a croissant or do you end up in an area of the city for an activity and then elevate your trip by finding a perfect pastry nearby?
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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