My 10 Favorite Bakeries in the World

Everytime I travel, I am most excited to explore different bakeries and pastry shops. Here is my list of my top 10 favorite bakeries from around the world-

CONDITORI LA GLACÉ, Copenhagen

CONDITORI LA GLACÉ, Copenhagen

I spent a week in Copenhagen in October last year and have some of the happiest food memories from there. I realised that the Dutch love their desserts and do such a fantastic job with them. I loved the cinnamon rolls “kanelsnurrer from Meyers, that my cycling guide took me to and also the Danish pastries at Andersen bakery , that a local recommended. But if you could go to only one confectionary in  Copenhagen, make sure it’s the iconic Confitori La Glacé. It’s a charming, old fashioned cafe set in middle of Old Copenhagen. It was established in 1870 and has been serving the most gorgeous layer cakes, small confections, macarons and baked marzipan cakes since then. One dessert you should absolutely try is their is the iconic Sportskage ( sports cake). The Sports cake has a thin macaroon bottom with a filling of whipped cream mixed with crushed hazelnut praline and topped off with whipped cream and caramelized cream puffs. It may sound like an overly sweet dessert but it’s very delightful. Don’t forget to order some hot chocolate with it!

also read- best bakeries in Copenhagen 

MAITRE CHOUX, London

London has something for everyone and for a choux pastry fan like me, it has Maitre Choux!

MAITRE CHOUX, London

Headed by three Michelin star experienced chef Joakim Prat, it is the first and only choux pastry specialist patisserie in the world. No trip to London is complete without dropping by at Maitre Choux and eating their eclairs because I’ve never had better ones anywhere in the world. The gorgeous eclairs are lined in the glass counter, looking totally irresistible. Every single flavour they do is incredible but my favourite is the Red Love Eclair- It is filled with Tahitian vanilla cream and a refreshing raspberry purée. It is then delicately covered with a raspberry-flavored éclair-shaped macaron. The Paris-Brest eclair is a close second!

also read- must try desserts in London

VAN STAPELE, Amsterdam

VAN STAPELE, Amsterdam

Best cookies ever! It is a very popular place in Amsterdam and you’d usually see long lines of people patiently waiting to get into the shop. The tempting aroma of freshly baked cookies that fills the street make it slightly tough but once you bite into the cookies, you realise what the fuss is all about. The most interesting part is that they only bake one type of cookie and that’s all they sell. These cookies are made fresh in front of you because you’d see people buying entire trays in one go. Filled with white chocolate, these cookies are the best you’ll ever have.

Also read- Vegetarian food and desserts in Amsterdam

TIONG BAHRU BAKERY, Singapore

While you may already know about Janice Wong’s popular 2 am dessert bar in Singapore ( you should totally go there too), Tiong Bahru bakery is a gem I was happy to discover while walking around in the area.

It is supposed to be the best french bakery in Singapore. I loved it so much that I went there thrice in four days. It is perfect for breakfast. While they do have a savory menu as well, I stuck to eating fresh croissants and pastries. Besides the beautiful flaky croissants, I also recommend trying the lemon basil tart, Paris-Brest and the raspberry cake- all very fresh and flavourful.

Also read- vegetarian food and desserts in Singapore

PIERRE HERME, Paris

I went to paris long back and don’t really remember much of all the incredible food and desserts that I must have eaten while I was there but what I do remember is being the happiest at Pierre Herme. While you’re there, eat as many macarons as you can because they’re worth the next 6 months of exercise you’ll be doing to burn it off. Two pastries that you shouldn’t miss at the boutique are Ispahan ( rose, lychee and raspberry) and Mogador ( passion fruit and milk chocolate)

ROSE LEAF CAFE, Dubai

ROSE LEAF CAFE, Dubai

Dubai enchanted me with it’s spice markets and flavours. While old Dubai was beautiful, I was also impressed by the cafe culture in Dubai. Rose Leaf cafe was hands-down the prettiest cafe I went to in Dubai. Also the most Instagramable hehe. It is in the Dubai Garden Center and is surrounded by a huge nursery of plants. The interiors are gorgeous and so is it’s home-style bakery. They have an extensive variety of cakes to pick from. They’re all simple but so beautiful and tasty. Pick the carrot cake ( if you’re in Dubai, make sure you also try the carrot cake at Lime Tree Cafe), lemon curd tart and victoria sponge cake!

Also read- Most instagramable cafes in Dubai

TARTINE BAKERY, SAN FRANSISCO

Some of my favourite dessert memories from the Sates are the churros at Disney land and the cupcakes from Sprinkles. But what really stood out for me was Tartine Bakery in Sf. It was the first time I ever saw people stand outside a bakery to get in. I decided to brave the 30 minutes waiting because Tartine had been on my go to list for a long time. When I finally got a chance to enter, I didn’t want to step out of the small bakery because it was so cosy and the aroma of freshly baked pastries was just addictive. While there were so many options to choose from, I decided to go for the frangipane tart and the bread pudding. I would go back just for the frangipane tart- light almond-cream filling baked in a flaky pastry shell with season fruit!

GOOD FOOD CAFE AND BAKERY, Prague

GOOD FOOD CAFE AND BAKERY, Prague

One of my favorite memory from Prague is walking on the old cobbled streets with a Chimney Cake in my hand and not getting enough of it. I remember exploring the old town of Prague and accidentally coming across this open shop serving something that looked like fancy ice-cream to me. I was intrigued and decided to check it out.Turns out it is what they call Trdelník ( which means a hollowed out log) or Chimney cake. It belongs to the family of spit cakes. It is made by depositing layers and layers of dough on a cylindrical spit. It is then covered in sugar and baked on an open fire.  The sugar caramelizes and forms a nice crispy crush while the inside is still soft and fluffy. The dough tasted like a delicious mix between donuts and churros– both things I absolutely love. It is every where in Prague and you’ll see a lot of small shops I the city centre making it. Don’t forget to get your chimney cake generously filled with ice-cream and Nutella.

LECKERBAER, Copenhagen

LECKERBAER, Copenhagen

Leckerbaer is an absolutely adorable bakery that you could drop by for a great cup of coffee and a collection of some spectacular desserts. Their gourmet cookies are very popular and I’m not surprised why. They are so delicate and the flavors are bold, just as I like it! I’m sure these flavors will blow you away. Each cookie costs DKK 15. I decided to go with the selection of 8 cookies ( DKK 100) . You should also try their tarts- they’re beautiful!

Also read- 10 things to do in Copenhagen

DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY, London

DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY, London

Trust Dominique Ansel to always blow you away by the creativity and innovation in his desserts. Every time I’m in London, I look forward to being at the bakery to see which new masterpieces sit on the counter this time. Make sure you try Dominique Ansel’s invention- the cronut, which is a cross between a croissant and donut. They keep changing flavours according to the season. I had so many of the plum-cinnamon ones while I was there in December last year. One should also try the very popular frozen s’mores and cookie shots. Psst- very close to Dominique Ansel bakery is also Peggy Porschen, which is your Instagram’s best friend. They serve the most gorgeous cakes!