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A number of laminated pastries sit on a counter at Ken’s Artisan Bakery.
An assortment of laminated pastries from Ken’s Artisan Bakery
Michelle Lopez / EPDX

Where to Find Flaky, Crackly Croissants in Portland

Savory crescents, rose-scented pastries, and simply iconic all-butter croissants

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An assortment of laminated pastries from Ken’s Artisan Bakery
| Michelle Lopez / EPDX

There’s no shortage of creativity when it comes to Portland’s pastry scene. This is the city that birthed cereal-topped donuts and foie gras profiteroles, after all. But classics are classics for a reason, which is why this map focuses on buttery, flaky croissants.

Croissant dough is made by rolling and folding together yeasted dough with sheets of butter multiple times to create layers; this process is called lamination. In the oven, the butter melts and creates steam that leavens the dough and gives the croissant its signature airy and flaky texture. As a result, a good croissant should have some lift—depending on its size, it should be about three or four inches tall, complete with a crispy, flaky crust and an airy-yet-buttery crumb.

Although this map primarily focuses on croissants, many of the bakeries included also offer other pastries like danishes, donuts, and even muffins made from the same laminated dough that are worth exploring. Points on the map are listed geographically, rather than ranked. Those looking for non-laminated pastries like cakes, pies, and donuts may prefer this bakery map.

Note: Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Jinju Patisserie

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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

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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.

Grand Central Bakery - Beaumont cafe

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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.

Bakeshop

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Bakeshop makes its croissant dough with Rouge de Bordeaux flour, made from a French heritage wheat known for its rich and nutty flavor. It serves as a gorgeous foundation for Woodblock chocolate or thinly sliced almonds, as well as seasonal treats like peak-summer tomatoes. All of that being said, the straight butter croissant, available year round, it just as lovely. Order online for a weekend pickup; Bakeshop also has a limited menu available for walk-up pastry orders on the weekends.

Fleur De Lis Bakery & Cafe

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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.

Twisted Croissant

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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.

Croissants from Twisted Croissant in a box.
Assorted croissants from Twisted Croissant
Michelle Lopez / EPDX

Nuvrei has always excelled in traditional French baking like flavored croissants, fruit danishes, caneles, and more. Its butter croissant, with its airy crumb and flaky outer shell, reflects this exceptionalism. Nuvrei also offers some extraordinary croissant varieties, including distinctive flavors like rose, matcha, and sesame, glistening as they’re placed on a plate or in a pastry box.

Ken's Artisan Bakery

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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.

Tabor Bread

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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

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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.

Baker & Spice

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Baker & Spice is primarily known for its cakes and sweets, but this Hillsdale bakery is more than just dessert. In addition to beautifully browned and perfectly flaky plain butter croissants, Baker & Spice offers varieties like ham and cheese, chocolate, and whole wheat. Other notable laminated pastries include the Katie Bun, in which the croissant dough is rolled like a cinnamon bun and layered with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins.

Jinju Patisserie

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

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.

Grand Central Bakery - Beaumont cafe

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.

Bakeshop

Bakeshop makes its croissant dough with Rouge de Bordeaux flour, made from a French heritage wheat known for its rich and nutty flavor. It serves as a gorgeous foundation for Woodblock chocolate or thinly sliced almonds, as well as seasonal treats like peak-summer tomatoes. All of that being said, the straight butter croissant, available year round, it just as lovely. Order online for a weekend pickup; Bakeshop also has a limited menu available for walk-up pastry orders on the weekends.

Fleur De Lis Bakery & Cafe

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.

Twisted Croissant

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.

Croissants from Twisted Croissant in a box.
Assorted croissants from Twisted Croissant
Michelle Lopez / EPDX

Nuvrei

Nuvrei has always excelled in traditional French baking like flavored croissants, fruit danishes, caneles, and more. Its butter croissant, with its airy crumb and flaky outer shell, reflects this exceptionalism. Nuvrei also offers some extraordinary croissant varieties, including distinctive flavors like rose, matcha, and sesame, glistening as they’re placed on a plate or in a pastry box.

Ken's Artisan Bakery

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.

Tabor Bread

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

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.

Baker & Spice

Baker & Spice is primarily known for its cakes and sweets, but this Hillsdale bakery is more than just dessert. In addition to beautifully browned and perfectly flaky plain butter croissants, Baker & Spice offers varieties like ham and cheese, chocolate, and whole wheat. Other notable laminated pastries include the Katie Bun, in which the croissant dough is rolled like a cinnamon bun and layered with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins.

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