The San Francisco Bakery With Croissants So Flaky They've Earned A Cult Following

Getting a good croissant outside of France isn't always an easy feat, but there are tons of bakeries in San Francisco that claim to be up to the challenge. In a city perhaps most well known for sourdough, French bakeries may seem like an afterthought. That is, until you come across Arsicault Bakery. Even among the many iconic northern California restaurants, Bon Appétit magazine quickly took notice of this small shop after its opening in 2015 and named it the best new bakery in the country the following year.

There are currently three locations in The City By The Bay, with a new one set to open in Palo Alto in 2026, and all of them get swamped during the morning rush for pastries and coffee. The menu is slightly different at all three, with the one on Arguello having slightly fewer offerings than the other two. However, all of these locations have one thing in common: croissants. 

Plain, almond, chocolate, ham and cheese, and more are available to those who nab some before they run out. Anyone who has tried these artistic beauties can attest that they are shockingly light for how buttery and rich they are. They are flaky almost to a fault and linger in your memory as you go about your day. It is because of these pastry deities in edible form that this eatery has won such acclaim and rabid love from locals. Even speaking ill of Arsicault is sometimes seen as taboo if you live in San Francisco.

When you enter the original location on Arguello, you'll be met with features from a time long ago. An antique pastry pushcart stands to one side, and a large black-and-white photo of a horse and buggy adorns a wall. This early 1900s photo features the great-grandparents of owner Armando Lacayo, and it is because of their passion and his own perseverance that Arsicault now has a tight hold on San Francisco.

This man is the kind of baker who easily knows the difference between an Italian cornetto and a French croissant, and he takes a deep pride in his work. His drive all dates back to a childhood spent hearing stories of his family's old bakery in France, the original Arsicault. As a young teen, he sampled numerous pastries and fell in love with the craft of baking. Once he was an adult, he came to the United States and began a finance career, but he couldn't seem to find a croissant that satisfied him. This inspired him to change jobs, eventually leading him to the San Francisco Bay Area.

He began working with an already established bakery. He'd been perfecting his croissant recipe, and he eventually felt ready to share his skills with the world. This meant risking it all and getting his own space in one of the most expensive cities in the nation. In April of 2015, he made his dream a reality and opened the doors to Arsicault Bakery. The rest is buttery, flaky history.

Armando Lacayo has spent decades getting his croissants to be incredibly flaky without being dry. Part of that involves Kerrygold butter, which is consistently creamy and malleable. He'll tell you the real secret, though, is that he gives the croissants three turns instead of two. This creates more layers, which results in a flakier finish. He also credits his top-notch team, which carefully documents its process and checks for errors.

These might seem menial, but baking is a game of millimeters, and even minuscule changes can make a world of difference. The internet agrees, with people singing the bakery's praises. One Reddit user says, "I have been to several bakeries in France that don't come close to Arsicault croissants," while another on Yelp professes, "It isn't a true SF trip without going here. They have the best croissants ever. The lamination is perfection." 

When it comes time to make your order, you're going to have tons of choices. To try Lacayo's pastries at their best, you can't go wrong with the OG croissant. It isn't actually considered good etiquette to dip croissants in coffee, but many people do, as the bakery also serves a variety of hot drinks for cold Bay Area mornings. If you've got a sweet tooth, many say that the kouign amann is even better than the croissant. If you want something decadent, the almond croissant is to die for, filled with a vanilla almond cream that uses real Madagascar vanilla bean. Honestly, you can get pretty much anything here and still be satisfied. Just get there early because pastries this good fly off the shelves très vite!