A local’s guide to the best croissants in London, from unexpected shops to vintage cafes and pretty bakeries – the best spots for breakfast or a snack!
I was born in France, where I’m currently staying for a bit, and there’s nothing I love more than a good old buttery croissant or two to start the day.
At times, being away from France is hard, especially when I live in a city like London, but the weather’s pretty similar in Troyes, where I’m staying, and when I’m in London, there are plenty of grocery stores with French specialties.
When the time comes that I’m about to move to London, I know I won’t really be missing croissants much either – you can find authentic ones in the city.
From grocery shops to cute bakeries and more secret cafes, you’ll find here some of my favorite spots to have a good, French-inspired breakie while in London!
London’s 9 Best Croissants: Bakeries, Cute Cafes and Shops
Think colour, taste, and scrumptious layers of buttery dough filled with tempting or creamy toppings when you visit these bakeries.
Actually, one of the best croissants in London is not even located in a bakery – I’ve included it at the end of the post, and well, if you know, you know.
Even you won’t be able to control yourself!
Grab that camera of yours (because well, there are lots of amazing photo spots in London you shouldn’t miss) and let’s go find where to eat the best croissants in London!
Best French Pastries in London: Aux Pains de Papy
Let’s start with one of the best French croissants in London, shall we?
For authentic croissants, explore the magnificent Aux Pains de Papy, a rustic French bakery located in King’s Cross which offers some of the best handmade goods in the area.
It’s a unique family-boutique-style bakery which has been offering amazing breads, pastries and viennoiseries in London since 1948.
Only traditional methods are used to offer some of the best vegetarian treats in London, too.
At Aux Pains de Papy, one of the must-try pastries is their gooey-cheese-filled croissant with mushrooms – it’s heavenly!
Read: The Best Macarons in London
Best Croissants in London: Specialty Cafetiere
I had to write about Specialty Cafetiere; while it’s very famous for its coffee, I absolutely love and adore its croissants!
That’s right, this place right here offers some of the best pastries in London.
I may be biased but is there anything better than a croissant stuffed with pistachio, Kinder Bueno toppings, or ice cream?
Specialty Cafetiere is one of the best places to eat in Central London if you’re looking for a quick fix.
At The Working Line, we love anything which resembles Italian culture even remotely.
From Italian cafes to beautiful filled croissants and Neapolitan pizza, we’d eat Italian all day, every day if our stomachs would let us.
Here, you’ve got a mix of French and Italian cornetto style pastries, as well as beautiful hot drinks to enjoy when it’s raining in London.
Read: The Best Free Things to Do in London
Best Pastries in London: Richoux London
For an incredible London experience, Richoux is another one of the places to get authentic French croissants.
Unlike the other bakeries, this incredibly fancy French spot does not focus solely on croissants, but also on cruffins, a blend of croissant and muffin.
The range of flavors is constantly changing, but some must-try classics involve chocolate and hazelnut, or pistachio cream and raspberry.
Delicate, rich flavors to enjoy while taking a stroll in nearby St James’s Park – time also, maybe, to pay a visit to Duck Island Cottage, one of London’s best hidden gems.
Read: The Best Cookies in London
French Bakeries in London: Le Deli Robuchon
On the outskirts of Green Park, you will find yet another fancy and gorgeous-looking patisserie.
One of the best French bakeries in London, Le Deli Robuchon brings something quite unique to the city’s pastry scene, such as the very viral cube-shaped croissant.
If you’ve spotted one of these on your Instagram feed, you’ll most likely have wondered where it may be.
I get it, honestly – I felt the same way with the sweet-shaped fish pastry taiyaki at Chinatown Bakery.
Le Deli Robuchon is the one French bakery in London behind these trendy cube croissants, launched the in 2022 and ever more popular.
Vanilla cream, chocolate ganache, green matcha cream and raspberry – these pastries sell in the blink of an eye, with the shop prepping over 700 pastries daily!
Read: The Best Cupcakes in London
Best Croissants in London: Sourdough Sophia
So you’re adventuring yourself in North London and suddenly feel the urge for a snack?
Well, waltz in Sourdough Sophia for a treat-yourself delight!
That’s right, this cute cafe in London offers more than just gorgeous and mouth-watering pastries.
The wooden interior will help you boost your day, starting with a little sweetness, but hey, we’re here to find the best croissants in London.
Well, try Sourdough Sophia’s for something just a bit unusual – the famous croissant loaf, made like a fluffy French croissant and turned into sandwiches.
Flavors change monthly, and a few other pastries to try at Sourdough Sophia include the mango cheesecake and the hazelnut praline pain au chocolat, which both go heavenly with their coffee.
Best Croissants in London: Donutelier, Charing Cross Road
Donuts, donuts and… donuts!
Fear not, Donutelier isn’t only a perfect spot for doughnuts, but also a great bakery to visit for some of the best croissants in London.
The croissants here are an absolute feast to the eyes (excuse the pun), beautifully decorated, scrumptious, and utterly mouth-watering.
You can choose from buttery plain croissants, filled with sweet vanilla cream and fresh strawberries.
Or try their pain au chocolat, or opt for Duntelier’s famous work of art – their spiral croissants!
These come in different flavors, with pistachio raspberry and hazelnut praline being two of the best flavors.
Donutelier is very close to Covent Garden, Chinatown and Leicester Square too, so you can enjoy some sugar before you keep walking around the city!
Read: The Best Bagels in London
Best Croissants in London: Chestnut Bakery
Waltz into the heart of Belgravia, a beautiful place where you will see not only embassies, but also aesthetic brick buildings and tons of cute streets.
Belgravia is one of the poshest areas in London, and it hosts Chestnut Bakery, a quaint bakery opened in 2021.
The place is famous for its classics, with the likes of pains au chocolat, sweet pecan and salted caramel croissant, and even twice-baked almond croissants on the menu.
You’ll also find at Chestnut Bakery plenty of savory items, such as the croccacia, a mix of croissant and focaccia dough served with yummy toppings.
Read: A Fun Marylebone Itinerary With Food and Hidden Gems
Best Croissants in London: Kossoffs
Kossoffs is a family business founded in 1920 by Wolf Kossoff, a Jewish refugee from Kyiv (Ukraine) with a big dream after fleeing persecution.
Over the next 40 years, Kossoff opened several traditional Jewish bakeries around the English capital, which have since then shut down.
However, Aaron Kossoff, Wolf’s great-grandson, kept the tradition and the family name alive by opening his new bakery in Kentish Town, in 2021.
From amazing traditional bagels to cakes and viennoiseries, Kossoffs is one of the must visit bakeries in London when you’re close to Camden.
The croissant cups?
Buttery layers with icing sugar creating the perfect dough, filled with ever-changing flavors of fresh berries, meringue, mascarpone vanilla cream and many more incredible sweet notes!
Read: The Cutest Pink Places in London
Best Croissants in London: Lidl Stores
Last but not least, I’ve decided to include Lidl in this guide.
I told you before, I am an absolute lover of Tesco’s large chewy cookies, and the same goes for Lidl’s croissants.
Whilst it might not be a French patisserie, this German supermarket franchise usually has a bakery inside each of their shops.
How to say no, right?
In fact, Lidl sells one of the best croissants in London, as well as their famous pains au chocolat, doughnuts, cookies, and many more pastries.
If you’re ever looking for amazing snacks to buy in London, you’ll find amazing apple pastries, blueberries muffins, and even the Lidl lightly salted crisps are amazing!
Read: The Most Instagrammable Cafes in London
London’s 9 Best Croissants: Bakeries, Cute Cafes and Shops
There you have them, all the spots to get the best croissants in London!
I’ve tried to show you some of the very best places to get a snack in Central London while you’re walking between Oxford Street, Soho and Covent Garden.
From authentic French croissants to the more brioche-y Italian cornetto, you now have plenty of new shops and bakeries to try!