It can be hard to choose Jinju’s butter croissant among more showy offerings like sculpturally elaborate mini cakes and colorful chocolates that could be mistaken for gemstones; however, Jinju’s butter croissant is earth-shatteringly crisp with a light-as-air interior. In addition to the butter croissant, Jinju also offers equally excellent chocolate croissants, almond croissants, and a cinnamon orange morning bun made with rolled up croissant dough. On the savory side of things, the bakery’s ham, cheese, and bacon croissant shimmers with a thin and crisp exterior, while still feeling as hearty as a breakfast sandwich. Pop by on the weekends for the popular chocolate-almond croissant.

St. Beatrix, formerly Bushel & Peck Bakeshop, is a relative newcomer to the Portland pastry scene. But its butter croissants are on par with the classics on this list: light and flaky, with an attractive browned crust. Additionally, St. Beatrix likes to experiment with seasonal flavors, coming up with savory croissants filled with mortadella and pistachio cream cheese or sweet croissants with tamarind and mascarpone. Flavors here change frequently, but it’s extremely hard to go wrong.

Although larger chain bakeries typically don’t invest in the time and care required to make a standout croissant, Grand Central Bakery makes an exceptional butter croissant with a crunchy crust and an open, airy interior. Another notable offering is its pesto and cheese croissant, filled with kale-hazelnut pesto and a mix of three cheeses. Grand Central Bakery currently has seven Portland-area locations, all selling a variety of croissants.

This sweet Grant Park bakery offers a wide selection of croissants on the sweeter side, but not in a cloying way — baker Greg Mistell shows restraint as he fills folds of laminated dough with pastry cream or frangipane, creating balanced, comforting pastries. Visitors should keep an eye out for seasonal specials like fig and goat cheese.

For years, Twisted Croissant has made exciting laminated pastries in the Portland area, selling seasonal stuffed cruffins (a hybrid between a croissant and a muffin), stunning striped chocolate croissants, and doughnut-croissant mash-ups in various farmers markets. The shop’s savory ham and cheese croissant gets a swipe of dijon, making it feel like the ideal breakfast sandwich; for dessert, a raspberry-rose cruffin is hard to beat. Although it can be difficult to pick the plain butter croissant from such an exciting lineup, those who do will be rewarded with a cloud-like crumb and golden crust.

Nationally celebrated baker Ken Forkish may have left the state, but his bakery lives on — as do his butter croissants, puffy and crisp with a golden shell. But the croissant isn’t the only laminated pastry on offer: Northwest Portland locals line up for raspberry and passionfruit escargots (croissant dough rolled in the shape of a snail and glazed with the fruit), and chocolate, ham and cheese, and goat cheese and leek croissants. Croissants also support tuna salad with lemon-mint aioli for lunch.

It can be tricky to take something as unwieldy as sourdough and subject it to the exacting process of pastry lamination, but if someone is going to do it, it’s this trailblazing sourdough bakery. Tabor Bread’s croissants — made with a blend of Oregon flours from Camas Country Mill — show off an impressive webbing of crumb, whether it’s the classic butter or the ones studded with batons of chocolate. Specials are often stunners, whether it’s a baklava croissant or a rhubarb-mascarpone danish.

Little T Baker offers some of the best breads and pastries in the city, particularly known for its thin, crunchy-crusted baguette. Although Little T’s croissant is smaller than the other croissants on this map, don’t let its small size disappoint you — every bite is buttery, flaky, and delicious. Little T also frequently offers seasonal fruit danishes made from its croissant dough, with personalized touches like fruit from owner Tim Healea’s very own backyard.