Bakery counters in New Orleans worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.

Where to queue for bread and pastry

Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery ★ 4.8

Bakery$Tue to Sun 06:00-17:00, closed MondayWalk-in onlyVietnamese pastry and king cake

Dong Phuong in New Orleans is the James Beard America's Classics Vietnamese bakery on Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East, with the city's most-demanded.

Tip: King cake sales run January 6 to Ash Wednesday only; lines form before opening on weekends.

Worth the queue: King cake (Mardi Gras season)

14207 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Willa Jean ★ 4.6

Bakery$Daily 07:00-15:00 bakery; brunch and lunch run laterSouthern pastry and breads

Willa Jean in New Orleans is Kelly Fields's James Beard winning bakery cafe on O'Keefe Avenue in the CBD, with biscuits, sourdough loaves. At 611 O'Keefe Ave.

Tip: The chocolate-chip cookie with milk is the cult dessert; order it at the bar even outside lunch.

Worth the queue: Chocolate chip cookie with milk

611 O'Keefe Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113

Levee Baking Co ★ 4.7

Bakery$Wed to Sun 08:00-14:00, closed Mon and TueWalk-in onlyLevain breads and laminated pastries

Levee Baking Co in New Orleans is Christina Balzebre's Uptown levain bakery just off Magazine Street at 9th, with sourdough loaves, kouign-amann and a Cuban.

Tip: Bread sells out by 11:00 on Saturday; pastries hold longer. Cash discount at the register.

Worth the queue: Sourdough miche

3138 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Bywater Bakery ★ 4.5

Bakery$Tue to Sun 07:00-15:00, closed MondayWalk-in onlyKing cakes and Southern pastry

Bywater Bakery in New Orleans is Maggie Scales's Dauphine Street corner bakery, with king cakes through Carnival season and a Chantilly cream cake that runs.

Tip: The chantilly cream slice is the year-round star; king cakes need a one-day pre-order at Carnival peak.

Worth the queue: Chantilly cream cake

3624 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117

District Donuts on Magazine ★ 4.4

Bakery$Daily 07:00-21:00Walk-in onlyScratch doughnuts and sliders

District Donuts on Magazine in New Orleans is the Lower Garden District doughnut shop on Magazine Street, with scratch-made doughnuts, breakfast sandwiches.

Tip: Daily doughnut flavours rotate; the Instagram feed announces the morning's drop.

Worth the queue: Chocolate ganache doughnut

2209 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Croissant D'Or Patisserie ★ 4.4

Bakery$Wed to Sun 06:30-14:30, closed Mon and TueWalk-in onlyFrench pastry and quiche

Croissant D'Or in New Orleans is the French Quarter patisserie on Ursulines Avenue, in a 1913 Brocato's ice cream shop space, with classic French pastry.

Tip: The almond croissant and the apple turnover are the cult orders; the back courtyard is the prize seat.

Worth the queue: Almond croissant

617 Ursulines Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116

La Boulangerie ★ 4.5

Bakery$Tue to Sun 07:00-15:00, closed MondayWalk-in onlyFrench breads and viennoiserie

La Boulangerie in New Orleans is the Donald Link bakery on Magazine Street near Cadiz, with French country breads, pain au chocolat and an Uptown morning.

Tip: The pain au chocolat sells out by 10:30 on weekends; pre-order loaves on Friday for Saturday pickup.

Worth the queue: Pain au chocolat

4600 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Leidenheimer Baking Company ★ 4.5

Bakery$Wholesale only; no retail counterPo-boy bread

Leidenheimer in New Orleans is the 1896 Central City wholesale bakery on Simon Bolivar Avenue that bakes the airy French loaf used at almost every po-boy.

Tip: No retail; the bread is at Domilise's, Parkway, Mahony's and most po-boy shops in the city.

Worth the queue: Po-boy French loaf

1501 Simon Bolivar Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113

Bittersweet Confections ★ 4.4

Bakery$Mon to Sat 10:00-18:00, closed SundayWalk-in onlyScratch cakes, chocolate truffles and pastries

Bittersweet Confections in New Orleans is the Magazine Street chocolate, cake and dessert boutique in the Warehouse District, with hand-rolled truffles.

Tip: The truffle box is the cult buy; order whole cakes 48 hours ahead for pickup.

Worth the queue: Chocolate truffle box

725 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Haydel's Bakery ★ 4.4

Bakery$Mon to Sat 06:30-17:30, Sun 06:30-14:00Walk-in onlyKing cake and Mardi Gras pastry

Haydel's Bakery just outside New Orleans on Jefferson Highway is the family-run king cake institution since 1959, with traditional cinnamon-braided king.

Tip: Order online for nationwide shipping in Carnival season; the original Jefferson store also stocks daily.

Worth the queue: Traditional king cake

4037 Jefferson Hwy, Jefferson, LA 70121
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