Favorite Croissants?

Submitted by holheartedly t3_116h26i in boston

Anybody have a favorite croissant bakery? Been trying to find a new spot since my old favorite place, Café Madeleine, closed. Their croissants were delicious, rip. Any suggestions are welcomed! Thanks!

EDIT Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I better hit the treadmills if I'm going to all these recs

25

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

redditgame_riffraff t1_j96svhf wrote

clear flour in brookline

32

letsgetdissonant t1_j96te56 wrote

This is the answer- Clear Flour is the best bakery in the state of Massachusetts- probably New England

12

Shemsuni t1_j96vtmq wrote

Yeah ok

−4

jtet93 t1_j97sesq wrote

Where do you suggest that’s better lmao. I’ll believe it when I see it

2

Shemsuni t1_j97sj9f wrote

Iggy’s

−5

jtet93 t1_j97so2j wrote

Iggy’s is so overhyped. Sorry for the hot take. Between those two, clear flour by a mile.

6

Shemsuni t1_j97tjjs wrote

We are talking about best croissants. I stand by Iggy’s plain and almond croissants. They remind me of Paris.

5

jtet93 t1_j97tqog wrote

K, fair enough. I haven’t tried their croissants so can’t comment. I gathered that you were referring to the bakery as a whole because you replied to a comment naming CF as the best bakery. I will have to try a croissant from Iggy’s next time I’m out that way.

1

LordBawlmore t1_j9oerfw wrote

Croissants are fine. B+ quality. Pretzel croissant on certain days of the week (Saturday?) is A+ grade.

1

BigCrim8810 t1_j96f7co wrote

Lakon Patisserie in Newton is new and fabulous. And it's across the street from the Newton Highlands T stop.

22

chasingpolaris t1_j96fl71 wrote

This. Can't wait for their Brookline location to open as well!

8

alyyyysa t1_j98k262 wrote

This is by far my favorite. Salt in Newton Center is pretty good too.

5

alyyyysa t1_j98k5fx wrote

Actually Ma France may be the best, but I haven't been there in a long time.

2

pedro227 t1_j9904bd wrote

Easily the best. They sell out so fast too on the weekends with their specialty variants.

2

dtmfadvice t1_j96kubf wrote

Cafe Beatrice in Cambridge Crossing and Colette in Medford both do a great selection of traditional patisserie.

And don't miss Rae the Baker's pretzel croissant at True Grounds for a nontraditional take. (The miso morning bun is also an incredible mix of savory and sweet laminated pastry!)

13

member_member5thNov t1_j97ol17 wrote

Colette and Beatrice are same owner?

1

dtmfadvice t1_j9878vx wrote

No, totally different! Both very good.

(If they don't have a fierce rivalry about their Kougin Aman, they should!)

4

member_member5thNov t1_j98co8s wrote

well now I’m hungry.

1

dtmfadvice t1_j98hjvt wrote

LOL I should operate a bike pastry tour. Start at Colette for trad French.

Then True Grounds for Rae's neo-excellence. Then get Montreal bagels at Turenne, English muffins at Vinal, and finish off with trad French at Beatrice.

I know there was an ice cream crawl by bike last summer. And a hot dog crawl.... Although I think that was like "collect stamps from participating hot dog places over the course of several weeks" because nobody should eat that many hot dogs all at once.

10

agecanonix26 t1_j9a60c7 wrote

I’d go on the tour.

But for the record, the best Kouign Amann in Greater Boston is at Salt in Newton.

3

One_time_poster12345 t1_j96jb66 wrote

Butternut in Arlington! Really good chocolate croissants

12

CanIShowYouMyLizardz t1_j986rzn wrote

This place. Everything I’ve tried there has been way better than I expected. Their Vietnamese iced coffee is wonderful, too.

2

PartDigital t1_j98ibu6 wrote

My first thought as well! Their morning bun is AMAZING. My wife and I live down the street from a decent bakery but we regularly make the 7 mile drive to Arlington anyway. Totally worth it.

1

cheech14 t1_j96y32z wrote

Third cliff in JP

12

agecanonix26 t1_j97yl27 wrote

The absolute best croissants, especially pain au chocolat / chocolate croissant, in the greater Boston area hail from Mamadou’s Artisan Bakery in Winchester. They also have the best baguettes.

Yes, they’re better than Clear Flour’s croissants and baguettes. They’re better than La Saison, Colette, Praliné, Lakon, and Salt.

I’ve tried them all, repeatedly. I’ve done head-to-head comparisons. Blind taste tests. The results leave no room for ambiguity.

Did I mention that their baguette is out of this world?

12

rainniier2 t1_j98688z wrote

I’ve had baguettes at every French bakery in Somerville, Arlington, and Cambridge and I agree that Mamadou’s win.

6

jabbanobada t1_j96fz7y wrote

MA France Lexington

6

barkbarkkrabkrab t1_j98mdsi wrote

My workplace spent several months figuring out where to get the best croissants, at the behest of our French president. This was the winner.

2

DataRikerGeordiTroi t1_j98vdgo wrote

Ma France is the only thing that comes close in New England.

I believe they use French flour and yeasts as well. The chausse aux pommes is also 100% correct.

1

smellygoalkeeper t1_j99ige4 wrote

Mamadou’s Bakery made my French dad cry when he had their baguette for the first time. It was the first time we’d been able to find a real baguette since moving here.

4

smashy_smashy t1_j9a818b wrote

I’ve asked the owner about it. I believe for the croissants, the dough is flown in from France every single morning and they bake them in house. Some of the other pastries are flown in daily finished straight from France. They are amazing and the best croissants I’ve ever had, but they come with a ridiculous carbon footprint.

2

zeronine t1_j98paze wrote

Going to throw Quebrada into the ring here. I go to the one in Arlington.

The croissant in general are lovely, but the breakfast sandwiches are another level of amazing deliciousness. I swear my partner visits me just so she can get breakfast at Quebrada the next morning.

6

ryodark t1_j9ak636 wrote

My sister has been the head baker at the Wellesley location for like, 20+ years so I’m totally biased that this is my choice too 😉

2

LivingMemento t1_j96jugf wrote

Hana will still make you croissants. You just have to call her. Pick up at Cafe Madeleine.

5

Bleucalyptus t1_j97xwg9 wrote

They also were supplying some other cafés and possibly still are. The kitchen is definitely still in operation - walk by regularly with my dog who is keen to get an invite inside. I believe Render just down the street gets their pastries from cafe Madeline still. They usually have some croissants.

5

Medium-Ad-9645 t1_j9dbfz7 wrote

She still supplies La Colombe, at least the one in the Seaport.

1

holheartedly OP t1_j97aign wrote

Do you DM her? How do you pick up if Cafe Madeleine is closed though?

2

rcolonna t1_j98ir24 wrote

You call the phone number at the appointed hour posted on IG, then you pick up at the back door. Same bags, boxes, same deliciousness. They even answer the phone ‘Café Madeleine’. But now there’s a frisson of danger to it.

2

SchminksMcGee t1_j985o48 wrote

Breadboard Bakery in Arlington, open only on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

5

rn1cah t1_j96l7h3 wrote

Greystone has great croissants

3

arnoldpettybunk t1_j992l0s wrote

Came here to say this. Bonus, since OP was a cafe Madeline fan, might be a South End resident / visitor so this is by far the closest suggestion to there

3

smellygoalkeeper t1_j99irfs wrote

Biased because I used to work there but Mamadou’s Bakery is the best. He doesn’t have the variety as other bakeries mentioned. But that’s because it’s just him and whoever is his helper.

Everything he makes is incredible and authentic. Every French ex-pat I’ve talked to who knows about Mamadou’s approves.

3

ryodark t1_j9ajz8t wrote

Quebrada in Wellesley (and Belmont and Arlington) makes really nice flakey croissants that are my personal favorites.

2

SmallParade t1_j96divl wrote

Diesel in Davis Square has good croissants.

1

whereswalden90 t1_j97ut3e wrote

Forge bakery and La Saison would be my picks, both are insanely good. If you go to La Saison on a weekend you can often get them still warm. Forge’s pastries can also be found at Diesel Cafe.

1

SaltandLillacs t1_j986eff wrote

I’ve recommended forge , diseal and bloc in the past but the owner treasdd to the employees horribly. I used to work for one of the stores it always nervous to say something because of how wildly they are liked. The DBF owners are the epitome of small business tyrant. Everyone is paid minimum wage but yet customers are charged a kitchen fee that goes nowhere to BOH. Also this past week the are doing everything in their paper to prevent DBF from finalizing the unionism contract.

3

campingn00b t1_j9943hu wrote

It's a drive but my answer is always Keegan's Kreations in Plymouth

1

jaimegraycosta t1_j9aaa70 wrote

Pastry Land in Quincy, just down the street from Quincy Center station!

1

Lord_Ewok t1_j9ahuvm wrote

Cremeux brookline is good but wicked expensive

1

Brinner t1_j9bnfkv wrote

Iggy's for sticky buns and almond croissants

1

Sardoniosophy t1_j9i19d9 wrote

Okay....but are there any recs for a place in Back Bay or Downtown Boston specifically? I have to confess that one of the biggest perks was Madeleine being within walking distance on an early morning....🤞🤞🤞

1