The Best Bakeries in Oakland, by the Record

The croissant stuffed with Thai tea custard and mango puree probably tells you everything about what Bake Sum is doing: Cantonese bakery traditions running headlong into pan-Asian flavors via laminated dough. The okonomiyaki danish keeps its bonito flakes and smoky fishiness intact. The New York Times flagged their croissubi in 2024. Counter service, a few sidewalk tables, and a line worth joining on a Grand Lake morning.

1. The New York Times Croissubi · The Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S.
2. San Francisco Chronicle Best bakeries in San Francisco Bay Area

1. James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Monique Feybesse
2. James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Monique Feybesse and Paul Feybesse

The telera rolls are baked fresh every morning at this Fruitvale panaderia and deli, which means the tortas built on them have a structural advantage before anything else is added. The chorizo con papas filling gets made a day ahead so the potato and spiced sausage can concentrate, then it's layered with avocado and a chile de arbol salsa that earns its reputation. Two indoor tables, a loyal crowd of regulars, and a sandwich that sells out early.

1. San Francisco Chronicle Best sandwich spots in the Bay Area
2. San Francisco Chronicle #63 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
3. San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Oakland

The cupcakes here are moist enough to make you question every dry, forgettable one you've settled for before. A cupcake shop with locations across the Bay Area, Cupcakin' leans into citrus flavors, key lime and lemon cream pie among them, with tangy curd and a crumbled graham cracker base. Minis are available for the non-committal. The San Francisco Chronicle named it among the Bay Area's top bakeries.

1. San Francisco Chronicle Best bakeries in San Francisco Bay Area

The coyota is a Sonoran pastry that looks roughly like a flying saucer, which is a good start. Tutuli bakes them in fillings like cajeta, hibiscus, and guava, and the flavors open up properly once you toast one. They're somewhere between a cookie and an empanada, and they turn up at coffee shops around the Bay. The San Francisco Chronicle named Tutuli among the best bakeries in the Bay Area.

1. San Francisco Chronicle Best bakeries in San Francisco Bay Area