12 perfect croissants from Chicago's booming bakery scene
In the era of flavormaxxing, the humble plain croissant and its first cousins — chocolate and ham & cheese — become a deceptively difficult maneuver to deliver. After a lot of crumbs, here are WBEZ and Sun-Times contributor Maggie Hennessy's favorites.
This guide was originally published on suntimes.com and wbez.org on Oct. 26, 2026.
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Double chocolate croissant at Good Ambler
Good Ambler
Relaxed hangout with a contemporary vibe serving classic brews, plus cookies, cakes & croissants.
This glistening, tiger-striped croissant bun is the chocoholic’s dream, the outrageous exclamation point on a laminated classic. Executive pastry chef Meg Galus starts by wrapping chocolate croissant dough in dark-chocolate dough, which she fills with not two, but three Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate batons — just enough to make dogmatic French pastry chefs wring their hands. As Floriole’s Sandra Holl succinctly said of its inventor, “Meg is chocolate.”
Strawberry milk croissant at Fat Peach Bakery
Fat Peach Bakery
Neighborhood bakery specializing in flaky laminated pastries and premium espresso drinks.
Inspired by the vibrant cafes of Mexico City, wife-and-husband duo Kerrie Breuer and David Castillo opened their pint-sized bakery in 2024 with lines down the block for outstanding laminated pastries. A favorite since day one, the architectural marvel, strawberry milk croissant, takes a nostalgic cue from Nesquik’s Strawberry Quik. The brilliance of this surprisingly balanced sweet pastry lies in the puckering strawberry jam filling, which mingles with sweet, cloudlike cream beneath that shattering exterior. Tip: Pop by on a weekday to avoid Fat Peach’s reliably long lines.
Toasted rice croissant at Del Sur Bakery
Del Sur Bakery
Bakery known for its Filipino pastries serves coffee and beverages.
Known for over-the-top pastries like the umami-bomb longanisa-stuffed croissant with soy caramel and egg yolk, my go-to at pastry chef Justin Lerias’ popular Filipino American shop is the sneaky-simple toasted rice croissant. This clever twist on a classic weaves toasted forbidden black and Minnesota-grown wild rice into dough, which bakes up expertly crisp-edged with a delicately tender middle. A whiff of subtle nuttiness complements the buttery tang. This beloved young shop is in the midst of an expansion into the adjacent storefront and will reopen later this fall. In the meantime, you can find Lerias’ laminated works of art at residencies around town.
Ham and cheese croissant at Mindy's Bakery
Mindy’s Bakery
Hip family-friendly American eatery known for its seasonal fare, rich desserts & hot chocolate.
Award-winning pastry chef Mindy Segal debuted her standalone Wicker Park bakery in 2022, drawing longtime fans of her excellent bagels and bialys and irresistibly burnished pastries. Executive pastry chef Sarah Mineo, takes the dough-wrangling reins here with classic and creative bakes worth the long but quick-moving queues. I’m a sucker for the savory creations here especially. (Think roasted onion, fromage blanc and parm bialys and kielbasa & sauerkraut croissant danish.) The crackly ender ham and cheese croissant with tangy Gruyère, gently smoked ham and a smear of whole-grain mustard makes a strong argument that sometimes it’s best not to mess with a really good thing.
Almond croissant at Café Consume
Café Consume
Cozy neighborhood café serving specialty coffee and signature breakfast sandwiches.
Crunch-on-crunch-on-cream rather crudely encapsulates the textural jubilation of this toasty almond-flecked pastry filled with creamy, rich frangipane that all but begs for a cortado companion. Run by chef brothers Andrés and Guillermo Merlos and their mother, Olga, Cafe Consume shares a storefront with sibling vintage shop Consume Vintage Apparel, meaning you can browse for secondhand goodies once properly fueled on espresso and messy-good housemade pastries.
Guava and cheese croissant at Pan Artesanal Bakery
Pan Artesanal Bakery
Artisanal bakery serving scratch-made pastries, croissants, and breakfast sandwiches.
Mexican heritage and French technique mingle deliciously at this weekends-only spot whose long lines and pulsing tunes are clockable from a few blocks away. Founders Lizette and Marisol Espinoza are first-generation daughters of Mexican immigrant parents with roots in Michoacán, Mexico. Though I frequent this spot for savory breakfast sandwiches on squishy-tender bread, the guava and cheese croissant is a must. Juicy, pink guava preserve from Michoacán and cheese are folded directly into the laminated croissant dough for a crispy, tropically sweet-salty all-day treat. Tip: Go early; the pastries move fast here.
Chocolate croissant at Floriole Cafe & Bakery
Floriole Cafe & Bakery
Bright cafe & bakery offering lunch & an array of European-style pastries in sleek, airy surrounds.
The mild-mannered answer to Good Ambler’s chocoholic pastry, Floriole’s chocolate croissant earns its spot for achieving sweet-salty harmony. Because the croissant is a little extra salty, the cocoa-sweetness of the chocolate shines through. Best case: Pick one up within two hours of opening, because when the chocolate is still a bit warm, it melts into gooey harmony with the innermost ring of pastry, like the inside of a soft-baked chocolate chip cookie.
Ham and cheese croissant at Bad Butter
Bad Butter
Popular bakery known for inventive, high-quality pastries and signature croissants.
Actor-turned pro baker Dan Koester moved from professional pastry kitchens to his home during the pandemic, hawking his sourdough creations as Dan the Baker before eventually debuting his brick-and-mortar storefront in April. Bad Butter is known for creatively remixed, extra-crunchy croissants, zhuzhed into creations like Chicago-style hot dogs. Even the staple ham and cheese becomes pastry fine dining in Koester’s capable hands. The rich, flaky leaves encase sliced herbed porchetta from Tempesta Artisan Salumi, whole-grain mustard and Gruyère cheese, the latter of which melts into a cracker-crisp cheese skirt.
Pain au raisin at Guillotine Bakery
Guillotine Bakery
Modern French bakery serving artisan breads and authentic pastries.
Open since June, this popular West Town newcomer channels Parisian baking with an edge, as its French Revolution-inspired name suggests. Boasting one of the best baguettes in town, the high-gloss pastries also lean classically French, as in pain au chocolat, plain croissants (both available in hilariously oversized, $40ish versions as well) and pain suisse with pastry cream. My go-to is the pain au raisin, a golden, buttery coil made from the same laminated croissant dough. Each layer of this crisp, chewy-tender revelation is swiped with sturdy custard studded with tangy sultana jewels.
Banana pudding croissant at Sugar Moon
Sugar Moon
Popular neighborhood bakery offering an extensive variety of sweet and savory pastries.
From owner Dina Cimarusti’s tiny Logan Square storefront, Sugar Moon slings high-concept yet rustic sweet and savory baked goods well worth the interminable lines. The staple banana pudding croissant, packing vanilla custard, just-caramelized banana, salty caramel, whipped mascarpone and vanilla-tinged crumb, is a balanced, light-yet rich textural marvel on its own. But its pastry vessel speaks just as loud via flaky, golden layers with a rustly crunch. Tip: You may have better luck on Fridays at this weekends-only shop. Regardless, plan to come early, and wait.
Chocolate croissant at Misericordia's Hearts & Flour Bakery and Cafe
Misericordia's Hearts & Flour Bakery and Cafe
Cozy cafe serving handcrafted coffee drinks and fresh baked pastries.
The third chocolate croissant entry on this list, Hearts & Flour’s version suits the mornings that require an extra drizzle of indulgence. The golden, crackly exterior is squiggled with chocolate before giving way to a tender, buttery middle packed with more chocolate. While the weather cooperates, pair it with a floral, citrusy cardamom orange cold brew. In case you need another excuse to visit, this sunny cafe employs adults with developmental disabilities, matching responsibilities to unique abilities.
Pistachio croissant at Obelix
Obélix
Modern French restaurant serving creative beef Wellington and acclaimed duck dishes.
A crunchy, silken brunch fixture since this raucous neo-bistro opened four years ago, Obelix’s visually striking pistachio croissant began life as a special from then-pastry chef Antonio Incandela (now pastry chef/owner at Mariscos San Pedro). It became a brunch staple owing to its popularity. Now in the capable hands of executive pastry chef Courtney Kenyon-Snider, the green-striped, laminated dough envelops a cloud of satiny, not-too-sweet pistachio pastry cream that smacks of gelato. It’s available for pickup on weekends as part of the restaurant’s preorder pastry program.
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