The counters in Granada worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Granada worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Casa Ysla Piononos in Granada is the in-city outpost of the 1897 Santa Fe pasteleria, where Ceferino Isla invented the pionono to honour Pope Pius IX.
Tip: Six-pack of piononos travels well; takeaway is the norm and the cafeteria seats are limited.
Worth the queue: Pionono with cinnamon sponge and caramelised cream
Pasteleria Lopez Mezquita on Reyes Catolicos in Granada has baked hojaldres since 1872, with the Apperley pastel named for English painter George Apperley.
Tip: Closed for the month of August; the front window display rotates by feast day with seasonal specials.
Worth the queue: Apperley pastel and felipes
Minuit Panaderia in Granada is the bakery half of Minuit Pan y Cafe on San Anton, with sourdough loaves and a laminated pastry counter the Granadinos rate.
Tip: The viennoiserie laminates fresh at 09:00; brioche and croissant are the morning order before 12:00.
Worth the queue: Brioche with chocolate and croissant ferme
Panaderia Maria on Calle Mesones in Granada is the locals favourite for molletes antequeranos, sweet pan de leche and the working-day mid-morning bread queue.
Tip: Cash preferred; the queue moves fast and the mollete with olive oil is the canonical desayuno order.
Worth the queue: Mollete antequerano with olive oil and tomato
Casa Ysla Piononos Beiro in Granada is the second-oldest branch of the 1897 Santa Fe pasteleria, next to the Caleta courts on Avenida de la Constitucion.
Tip: Quieter than the Centro branch; the Beiro counter has the largest seasonal pastel selection.
Worth the queue: Pionono with rum syrup and caramelised cream
Panaderia Luque on Cuesta del Progreso in Granada is the Realejo neighbourhood panaderia for Twelfth Night roscones and the citys best Christmas mantecados.
Tip: Seasonal: roscones de reyes come out late December; the rest of the year run a steady pan basket.
Worth the queue: Roscon de reyes with marzipan and candied fruit
Pasteleria El Sol on Calle Alhamar in Granada is the long-running confiteria of Granadina hojaldres and honey-glazed pestinos near the Centro.
Tip: The pestinos rotate Christmas to Easter; the rest of the year run hojaldre and roscas.
Worth the queue: Pestino glazed with honey and aniseed
Convento de las Comendadoras de Santiago in the Albayzin of Granada sells cloistered-nun convent sweets through a turn, with bizcochos and yemas baked daily.
Tip: Ring the buzzer; the nuns pass the order through a wooden turn so there is no face-to-face contact.
Worth the queue: Bizcochos and yemas through the convent turn
Casa Pasteles on Plaza Larga in Granada is the Albaicin pasteleria with piononos, eclairs and savoury pan y tomate breakfasts in the heart of the old quarter.
Tip: Breakfast queues form before 10:00; the piononos are baked at the obrador on Horno del Moral and arrive fresh each morning.
Worth the queue: Piononos and pan y tomate at breakfast
Horno de Encarnacion on Calle Almona in Granada works the traditional wood-fired horno baking hornazos with chorizo and boiled egg every morning.
Tip: Hornazos sell out by 11:00 on Saturdays; the working-day mollete bag is the safer late-morning order.
Worth the queue: Hornazo with chorizo and boiled egg
Convento de San Bernardo in Granada sells boxed convent sweets through the turn, olive-oil mantecados and yemas de Santa Teresa baked by cloistered nuns.
Tip: Pre-order by phone for Christmas surtido boxes; smaller mantecado packets are walk-in only.
Worth the queue: Mantecados de oliva and yemas de Santa Teresa
Pasteleria Flor de Lis on Calle San Anton in Granada is the modern patisserie working French technique, with macarons, fruit tarts and a viennoiserie counter.
Tip: Closed Mondays; the lemon tart and macarons are the consistent orders, the macarons baked daily.
Worth the queue: Macarons and viennoiserie tarts