Note: The sequence is random, not based on my personal preferece. If you are interested in any one of them, you can go check out their instagram or website page directly using the link here. Or click the tags at the end of this page to check out my previous blogs on each bakery.

Quick link to the pastry shop you are looking for:

Cafe Dear Leon

location: 2929 O’Donnell St, Baltimore, Maryland 21224-4823

ig: @cafedearleon

website: https://cafedearleon.com/

Cafe Dear Leon is a nice, little pastry shop located in Canton neighborhood. They have a very organized baking schedule, updating and posting their menu monthly on instagram. They even have very detailed time line illustrating when each type of pastries is coming out. Have to admit this is one of the best parts I love about this cafe.

Their 6AM menu are relatively fixed, usually including some croissants, basic muffin and scones. 7:30AM menu includes some special pastries and some regular pastries (Financier, Creme Brulee Tart, Morning Kouign, etc.). 9AM menu is usually the most changing ones and is usually where I order from. It could be very seasonal based (i.e. they brought up Chausson Aux Peche in the peach season and changed to Chausson Aux Pommes when it’s autumn). I like their danish most in general and wrote a lot of posts on my orders (check out in my blog part).

They do not have seats inside, but do have an outside seating area. But most people just grab and leave. I sometimes sit on the outside to wait till 10AM and the library is open. There are also benches in the little garden beside and in patterson park so you can take a bit of walk and enjoy your breakfast with some sunshine.

Maillard Patisserie

location: 3528 Chestnut Ave, Baltimore, MD 21211

ig: @maillardpastries

website: http://maillardpastries.com/

Maillard Patisserie has two locations, one in Hampden and one in Hamilton area. I’ve only been to the Hampden one since it’s closer to the homewood campus, so easily achievable. I’d say the pastry shop is not very noticable. In fact, I wouldn’t know if my friend didn’t tell me there’s a nice pastry shop there.

Maillard usually announce its menu on the night before on weekdays in its story, and its weekend menus are announced on Friday night and posted as a “post”. The products vary greatly each week, and the product content is highly related to the fruits of the season. I like their drifting menu very much since it gives an impression of using the fresh, seasonal fruits, and they are seriously thinking and actively improvising on the dessert each week. The overall product composition is croissants (some common varieties + occasional surprises), cakes, Scones (never bought one, there are several common flavors), Cookies (usually only Chocolate Chip option?), Galettes, Hand Pies, tarts, brioche buns (these are seasonal products and vary greatly, not always available). Most of their products are absolutely amazing, but the cakes are not my type of thing (I was often attracted by the combination of elements in their cakes but disappointed by the taste, probably just not the taste I’ve imagined)

They barely have any seats inside though, usually I just take the things out. I do like to sit on the bench outside their store for a bit when it’s not crowded there.

SACRE SUCRE

location: 933 Fell St, Baltimore, MD 21231

ig: @sacre.sucre

website: https://www.sacresucre.com/

I think they find a really nice location, near harbor and fells point area. They have a variety of choices in their nicely decorated cake and macaroons. They also have regular breakfast options like croissants, etc. I’ve read a post on Xiaohongshu/RED saying they have the best macaroons sold in Baltimore. I’m not a macaroon expert (and personally I think macaroons are all too sweet), so just for reference. But if I have to give a comment on this pastry shop, I’d say their products are more beautiful than actual their taste.

They have a relatively larger area to sit, but it’s time limited (2 hours or so I don’t remember clearly). Definitely enough for you to finish your breakfast and chat a bit with your friend. But if you are looking for somewhere to work or read, maybe try somewhere else.

Bonjour

location: 6070 Falls Rd #2233, Baltimore, MD 21209

ig: @bonjourbakerybaltimore

website: http://bonjourbakerycafe.com/

If you are living around homewood campus, you can start your beautiful and chill weekend by biking all the way up Roland Ave, and make a left turn at W Lake Ave to reach this French Bakery. Then you can probably stop by the Lake Roland Park for a bit of walk. I feel like now much people know this place except from people living around their neighborhood. As for their pastries, I’d say if you are not expecting a very authentic french pastry, then they are relatively good.

They have several seats inside and a few outside. I love the seats on the outside where you can enjoy the sunshine in a nice weather (they also have flowers on each side), but meanwhile since it’s close to the road, you might be eating dust and gas with your dessert if you are sitting outside (don’t mean to ruin the vibe but it’s the truth TAT).

Patisserie Poupon

location: 820 E Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21202

ig: @patisserie.poupon

website: https://patisseriepoupon.com/

This is also a French bakery that mainly sells French style pastries. About their location…I have to say it’s a bit sketchy outside. And they don’t have sit-ins so better just grab and go. There’re some nice cafe around fells point or in harbor east area you can go to. They also have a chained spot in DC, but I’ve never been to.

For the pastries, I couldn’t say it’s very authentic French pastries. But they do offers a great varieties. I was pretty surprised to found any pastry shop selling canele in Baltimore, but they did surprised me.

Doppio Pasticceria

location: 2600 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21211

ig: @doppio_pasticceria

website: https://www.doppiobaltimore.com/

Their dessert options are a bit limited, but they have several tables inside and no time limits so you can do some work while enjoying your dessert and coffee. It’s also pretty close to the campus so I guess easy for people living around campus to go there. I heard they are moving back to somewhere across the street from R house later but not sure when exactly (tbh I was asking if I can use the wifi but they say they are moving soon so it’s not installed). I’ll keep the address updated afterwards.

They also serve pizza around noon, so if you are working there for a whole day, you probably won’t need to worry about food lol. (Would be even nicer with the wifi installed)

Kanom Cafe

location: 3811 Canterbury Rd, Baltimore, Maryland 21218

ig: @kanomcafe.md

website: https://www.kanomcafe.com/

This is a nice little cafe owned by a family (I think?) from Thailand. I think their specialty is all kinds of croissants and I also like their Taro Latte pretty much. They have some seats indoors and some outdoors, and have free wifi there. I won’t say their pastries and cakes are outstandingly good, but it’s definitely a nice spot for people living around homewood campus to work or hold group discussion.

Motzi Bread

location: 2801 Guilford Ave, Baltimore, Maryland 21218

ig: @motzi.bread

website: https://www.motzibread.com/

They are a pastry shop that mainly sells bread rather than pastries, and the options are mostly fixed and quite limited. You can see on their website and even preorder if you want to. I think they are a very local community based pastry shop, serving people mostly living around their place. They’ve also got some specialties sometimes like ice creams and pastries that would be posted on their instagrams for notification. If you live around Charles Village or anywhere in a walking/biking distance, it would be really nice to drop by and get some bread for the next week.

Ovenbird Bakery

location: 300 South Exeter Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

ig: @ovenbird_bakery

website: https://ovenbirdbread.com/

I pasted the harbor east location’s address here but they have also opened up a new place in highland area (near patterson park). If you are ordering from the doordash, I believe they serve the order from the highland location. Ovenbird is a Italian bakery that provides a large variety of breads, pastries, cakes and cookies. I personally think they have some very nicely made breads – their sourdoughs are delicious and large in portion size. While you may found the pastries not having an outstanding look on the outside as Sacre.Sucre’s, they are still remarkable in tastes.

Kneads Bakeshop & Cafe

location: 506 S. Central Ave, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

ig: @kneadsbakeshop

website: https://www.kneadsbakeshop.com/

My friend recommended this place a long while ago, but I wasn’t paying much attention at that time (tbh largely affected by the reviews on google map).