The Best Croissants In Miami

There’s a debate to be had about every type of food these days—except maybe this one. Because who doesn’t love a croissant? No, not those sad, deflated ones that your boss thinks will lure you back into the office. We’re talking about the kind that makes you stop, put your phone down for 37 seconds, and enjoy the mellifluous sound of honking on Miracle Mile. And before you ask—we tried a plain croissant at every place on this guide, so there could be no hiding behind added flavors and powdered sugar.

THE SPOTS

Baker & Barista

Plain croissant purists and almond croissant lovers can coexist at this Buena Vista bakery, which nails both the stuffed and unstuffed croissant beautifully. Their plain croissant has a crisp yet fragile exterior, and interior air pockets so large you could live inside one if you ever found yourself shrunken to the size of a pea. But we also love their ham and cheese—which is never stingy with the ham (or cheese). And their almond croissant is just sweet enough, but not so buried with sugar that you can’t tell there’s a croissant underneath it.

Casa Bake

Usually, bakeries that use “artisanal” more frequently than a ceramics artist from the 1870s means you’re about to pay way too much for a teeny croissant. But that isn’t the case at Casa Bake. The warehouse bakery is whipping up some insanely light and flaky plain croissants for $3.50 (and hosting classes so you can learn how to make one yourself). They also have delicious almond croissants and ones with chocolate and pistachio cream fillings. But we’re partial to the plain ones that are perfect for dipping in their cappuccino.

True Loaf Bakery

“Small” would be an appropriate way to describe this to-go bakery, but not so much for these seriously puffed-up croissants. They’ve got well-defined, airy layers and a rich butter flavor. The beach is only a few minutes away, so you could grab a towel and enjoy your croissant on the sand. Or you could just inhale it on the sidewalk in ten seconds. We usually do the latter.

Zak The Baker

Two things have remained true about Wynwood over the last decade: you should never attempt to drive down NW 2nd Ave and the neighborhood is home to one of the city's best bakeries , Zak the Baker. While you really can’t go wrong ordering bread in any form here (especially the ridiculously good babka), leave room for a croissant. Shaped exactly like a mini Nerf football, they have an intricate, web-like pattern of layers on the inside and a great—almost nutty—butter flavor.

Madruga Bakery

Many differences in the croissants on this guide are cosmetic—some are larger than others, some are different shades of ochre, some are going to flake all over your car seat just a bit more. However, Madruga’s croissant stands out from the others because of their interiors . The webbing is much smaller and closer together, suggesting that what you’re about to bite into might be tight and dry. But, surprise: they are as soft as the ears of your neighbor’s new puppy, Horace, and deceptively light too, with a toasty bite.

B Bistro + Bakery

At a certain point in writing this, we began to wonder if there might be a limit on ways to say “buttery” and “flaky.” And it turns out, there is. But B Bistro, a breakfast and lunch spot in Brickell, made that a bit easier by allowing us to talk about how crispy their croissant is. Yes, it’s wonderfully buttery and flaky, but that extra shattery outside provides a great textural contrast with the soft interior. You can sit and eat here, or quickly dash in and out for a to-go pastry if you can't stand being in Brickell for more than 20 minutes.

Flour & Weirdoughs

If there is a fine line between genius and insanity, the bakers at Key Biscayne’s Flour & Weirdoughs balance on it like flour-dusted tight-rope walkers. But with items like cacio e pepe sourdough loaves, al pastor danishes, and spicy corn empanadas, Flour & Weirdoughs definitely lands on the genius side of that line. While their croissant might not be as aesthetically pleasing as some of the others on this list, it makes up for it with rich, toasty butter flavor and a crisp texture. Oh, and there’s also an excellent version stuffed with brisket, provolone, and grain mustard, because of course there would be here.

L'Artisane Creative Bakery

Butter—and the flavor it provides—is essential to a great croissant, right? To quote the great Lee Corso of College Gameday, “Not so fast, my friend!” (Feel free to imagine us putting on a giant croissant mascot head to a chorus of cheers.) That’s because at Coral Gables’ L'Artisane Bakery, you can find an outstanding vegan croissant. It’s soft with a subtle sweetness that isn’t present in any of the other croissants on this list. That sweetness is due to the glaze L'Artisane uses—a simple syrup instead of the traditional egg wash.

Caracas Bakery MiMo

It’s one of our favorite bakeries in Miami —croissants aside. But you should still get one here. The croissant resembles the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and you may or may not briefly imagine it terrorizing New York City. But you’ll appreciate its crisp exterior and ideal butter flavor. If you happen to be a croissant sandwich person, consider getting the one here—a drippy masterpiece stuffed with scrambled eggs, avocado, tomatoes, and american cheese.