🥐 Pastries That Deserve Their Own Fan Club (ATL Edition)
I lived in Europe for a bit, & honestly? I still think about the bakeries like they were old lovers. Especially around the holidays — when the streets smelled like warm butter & glühwein, & every corner café had a new pastry to cry over.
I deeply miss the slow joy of popping into a neighborhood shop to grab something flaky & beautiful.
Back in Atlanta, I’ve made it my mission to find pastries that hit like that. The kind that stops you mid-bite. That makes you text someone immediately. Or at the very least, makes you want to walk dramatically down a sidewalk with a coffee & a secret.
Croissants are one of my absolute favorite things in the world… & if you’ve ever attempted to make them, you know the layers, the folding, the butter math... It's a science & an art. I still peep the lamination every time I eat one — like a little pastry nerd — because I know the chaos that went into each bite.
This list isn’t just a roundup.
It’s a love letter to the bakes in Atlanta & beyond that deserve their own fan club. From flaky icons to under-the-radar gems, these pastries give main character energy — & I’m just here to make sure they get the praise they deserve.
My Go-To’s
🥖 Evergreen Butcher + Baker (Kirkwood)
Don’t let the “butcher” part fool you — this spot does absolute magic with pastries & bread. Their sausage roll has a special place in my heart, & their bakes have that nostalgic, European feel I crave. The bread has the crunch. IYKYK.
Fan Club Favorite: Sausage roll, ham & cheese croissant, Vollkornbrot, or seasonal bake.
Vibe: Neighborhood staple with old-world flavor
Pro Tip: Grab a pastry, then come back for Sunday burgers
🥧 Galette (Avondale Estates, formerly a pop-up)
From lowkey pastry pop-up to one of the dreamiest bakeries in town — Galette is IT. Think classic French technique, flaky perfection, & croissants that might cause a minor public meltdown (in a good way). The vibes are delicate, the lamination is loud.
Fan Club Favorite: Any of the croissants or their jambon beurre
Vibe: Minimalist, elegant, pastry-first energy
Pro Tip: Follow their IG for what’s in the case — they keep it simple & special
🥮 Grand Polish Bakery (OTP: Lawrenceville)
A lowkey gem bringing Polish pastries to the scene, & trust me, the vibes are very much old-world deliciousness. From pillowy poppy seed rolls to flaky kolaczki, it’s giving “your grandma snuck it into your coat pocket after Sunday dinner” energy. The kind of spot that quietly sells out every time... because the people know.
Fan Club Favorite: Poppy seed roll, Challah, or paczki & don’t sleep on the cakes
Vibe: Homey, nostalgic, & no-frills in the best way
Pro Tip: Check out their Eastern European pantry goods too (Spezi)
Tasty Bakes, I Still Think About
🌙 Viennoiseries After Dark (After Dark Delivery)
This moody after-hours pastry drop is giving pastry noir. These sell out every often — for good reason. Think dramatic, layered bakes that feel too indulgent to be legal.
Fan Club Favorite: Literally anything. No crumbs.
Vibe: After-dark French patisserie with seductive energy
Pro Tip: Follow @viennoiseriesafterdark on IG & set alerts — they’re elusive
Pro Tip: Follow @viennoiseriesafterdark on IG & set alerts — they’re elusive
🍞 Leftie Lee’s (Avondale Estates)
A Korean-style bakeshop that delivers. From buttery ube coconut roll to savory danishes, or Korean salt bread. Everything here is a win — especially when paired with a breakfast or a sandwich.
Fan Club Favorite: Can’t go wrong with a seasonal donut or danish (but tbh… it rotates)
Vibe: Modern Asian bakery with heart
Pro Tip: Go early & stay for lunch — you’ll thank yourself.. Also, keep an eye out for their events, Big Asian Brunch & Asian Night Market
Fan Club Favorite: Ube croissant or ham & cheese
Vibe: Modern Asian bakeshop with heart
Pro Tip: Go early, grab a pastry, then stay for lunch
🥖 Buena Gente Cuban Bakery (Decatur)
This former food truck turned brick-&-mortar gem is unapologetically vibey. The pastelitos are buttery, flaky, & filled with that guava-cream-cheese combo that lives rent-free in my brain.
Fan Club Favorite: Guava & cream cheese pastelito + don’t skip a coffee
Vibe: Bright, nostalgic, & full of Cuban warmth
Pro Tip: Order extra. One for now, two for the car ride home
🧇 Yay Beignet (Hapeville)
Technically not a croissant, but she’s welcome at this table. These pillowy, New Orleans-style beignets are fried to order & always covered in the perfect powdered sugar snowstorm. Pure joy in a pastry bag.
Fan Club Favorite: The classic + Ethiopian coffee combo
Vibe: NOLA in the heart of ATL
Pro Tip: Bring napkins. So many napkins.
🥐 Little Tart Bakeshop (Multiple locations)
The croissants? Flaky perfection. The seasonal bakes? Elite…. & don’t even get me started on their galettes. Little Tart is that girl when it comes to pastries in ATL, & somehow still feels cozy, not overhyped.
Fan Club Favorite: Almond croissant or seasonal galette
Vibe: French bakery meets cool-librarian energy
Pro Tip: Go early — the good stuff does sell out + keep an eye open for their cookie boxes
Bread & Butterfly (Inman Park)
Like stepping into a French café with just the right amount of cheekiness. I’ve popped in for coffee, bubbles, & small bites, & it always feels like a mini vacation.
Fan Club Favorite: Croissants or quiche if you’re brunching
Vibe: Euro café fantasy unlocked
Pro Tip: Stay for a long brunch & pretend you're in Paris
🌱 Flour & Timebakery (West Midtown)
A vegan bakery that goes hard. You don’t have to be plant-based to fall in love with these bakes — they’re tender, rich, and made with so much care. It’s the kind of spot where you can tell every treat was created with intention.
Fan Club Favorite: Cinnamon roll or seasonal galette
Vibe: Cozy, community-centered, feel-good AF
Pro Tip: Pair your pastry with a coffee & claim a sunlit corner
👀 Follower Picks (that also go off)
Colette Bread & Bakshop (Poncey-Highland), Alon’s Bakery & Market (Morningside + Dunwody), Henri’s Bakery & Deli (Multiple spots), Saint Germain Bakery (Ponce City Market + Interlock), Five Daughters Bakery (Ponce City Market)
🗺️ OTP Mentions
The White Windmill – Korean-French Bakery with pastries, delicate & addictive
⏲️ Pies Worth a Damn
Not all pies are created equal — & these two? Deserve a standing ovation, a seat at the dessert table, & maybe a sonnet or two.
🥧 Sugarloaf ATL (Brick & Mortar Coming Soon)
A pop-up that packs serious flavor & never plays it safe. Sugarloaf’s globally inspired bakes rotate with the seasons — & somehow, every pie feels like a plot twist & a love letter. Thoughtful, innovative, & just a little bit magical. The crust? Flaky perfection. The filling? Always fire.
Fan Club Favorite: Whatever’s on the menu — they don’t miss
Vibe: Globally inspired pastry wizardry with Southern heart
Pro Tip: Follow them on IG for drop alerts — these pies will sell out fast
🥧 Heaps Pies (Decatur)
This New Zealand-style pie shop is giving buttery handheld comfort food you didn’t know you needed. Think savory pies with flaky tops, bold fillings, & serious cozy energy. It’s a warm hug in pastry form — with flavors like steak & cheese, butter chicken, & veggie curry that go way too hard.
Fan Club Favorite: Steak & cheese or the classic butter chicken
Vibe: Kiwi comfort food with a flaky ATL twist
Pro Tip: Grab some frozen to keep at home — late-night pie cravings are real
Find them in my Fresh, Local, Intentional blog here
🧁 Bonus Mentions (Because I’m Dramatic About Sugar)
Auntie Kim’s Pound Cakes – For when you need a slice of damn delicious (GF & Vegan options).
Seven Fingers Baked Goods – A small-batch pop-up serving up nostalgic sweets & wildly good use cheesecake. Follow their Instagram to catch the next drop or market table!
The Daily – seasonal scones and GF-friendly treats. Bonus: Chrismukkah Bar
Missing these Spots – Remy made (pop-up), the Proof Bakeshop, & the Buttery.
🍰 Final Crumb
If you’ve ever driven across town just for a croissant — welcome. You’re in the right place. These ATL pastries aren’t just delicious… they’re main characters.
Did your favorite make the list? Drop your pastry crush in the comments.
Let’s start the fan club. T-shirts pending.
P.S. 💌 Want more local foodie gems?
Subscribe to my newsletter or follow @nerdy.retreat on Instagram for more eats worth obsessing over.