Acme Bread ★ 4.7
Steve Sullivan opened Acme Bread in 1983 after years at Chez Panisse. His levain and walnut loaves defined Bay Area artisan baking. Retail window sells daily.
Bakery counters in Berkeley worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Where to queue for bread and pastry
Cheese Board Collective Bakery ★ 4.6
Worker-owned since 1971, the Cheese Board bakes around 40 types of artisan bread per week alongside croissants and pastries. Everything is baked on-site.
Fournee Bakery ★ 4.6
French bakery on College Ave. Croissants from Strauss butter. Seasonal tarts, quiche and pain au chocolat. The line forms before the doors open on weekends.
Boichik Bagels (6th Street Production Bakery) ★ 4.4
Production facility for nationally acclaimed bagels. Everything, sesame and poppy bagels with scallion cream cheese. Open daily until they sell out.
Third Culture Bakery (Eighth Street) ★ 4.4
Original mochi muffin bakery from Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu. Ube, matcha and black sesame flavors rotate weekly. National food press covered.
Nabolom Bakery ★ 4.0
Worker-owned cooperative in South Berkeley since 1977. Whole-grain breads, rye loaves, scones and vegetarian pastries baked without artificial additives.
Masse's Pastries ★ 4.2
Gourmet Ghetto patisserie since 1986. Opera cake, Paris-Brest, caneles, macarons and a seasonal tart case. Croissants made with cultured butter.