Here’s a rundown of the top bakeries in Seattle for croissants, from the humble butter croissant to a double-chocolate concoction.
🇫🇷 The Butter Croissant at Mirabelle by Orphée
We might as well start our tour with the outspokenly Parisian Mirabelle by Orphée. It’s owned by Frenchman Orphée Fouano, the flour is imported from France, and the croissants are big, light, delicate, and buttery, to the point where they almost melt in your mouth.
Know before you go: Mirabelle also offers a selection of upscale French food items from pâté to jams, in case you are a Francophile looking to upgrade your pantry.
🌰 The Twice-Baked Almond Croissant at Bakery Nouveau
For a sweeter take on the pastry, try this classic from Seattle mainstay Bakery Nouveau. These ‘sants are filled with almond cream, dipped in simple syrup, topped with more almond cream, and baked again before being dusted with powdered sugar. Crispy on the outside, nutty and sweet on the inside, this is what a dessert croissant looks like
Know before you go: The original Bakery Nouveau location is in West Seattle; there’s a second location on Capitol Hill, but there’s no seating available there.
🥐 The Hazelnut Croissant at Coyle’s Bakeshop
For another nutty take on the croissant, try the hazelnut variation at Coyle’s in Greenwood. The ‘sants here are on the smaller and more delicate side, and the hazelnut has a great nutty depth of flavor that really fits fall.
Know before you go: If you’re going to Coyle’s, you should also get a scone. In a country that is sometimes confused about what a “scone” is, this bakery knocks it out of the park.
⛪ The Chocolate Rye Croissant at Temple Pastries
You should already know about this popular Central District bakery, which has a lot of head-turningly beautiful sweets. The chocolate rye croissant is a pleasing shade of brown, but it tastes better than it looks — the rye gives it an earthiness that cuts against the sweetness of the chocolate, making it more complex than the typical pain au chocolat.
Know before you go: On weekday afternoons, Temple is quiet enough to be a pretty cool place for remote work. On weekends, good luck waiting in line.
☁️ The Double Chocolate Croissant at Cloudy Cafe
The newest bakery on this list is an Indonesian-French bakery in Ballard that serves some fun, slightly off-beat pastries. The double chocolate croissant is a favorite because it’s such a simple idea — why not make the dough in the middle chocolate as well? It’s rich and delicate at the same time.
Know before you go: Cloudy Cafe serves hot food Wednesdays through Sundays, but its real strength is as a bakery.
🐺 The Seasonal Croissants at Sea Wolf
This is going to be a vague endorsement, because this Fremont bakery changes up its croissant flavors a lot in order to feature seasonal produce, always serving one savory and one sweet ‘sant. (The current lineup is pumpkin pie and spinach/artichoke.) Whatever flavors Sea Wolf plays with, they’re always wrapped up in layer upon layer of flaky pastry. You truly can’t go wrong.
Know before you go: Sea Wolf is at the bottom of Stone Way, where there is sometimes no street parking for blocks around. The Bank of America parking lot next door offers relatively affordable public parking, however.
