Start the day with kouign-amann, a labne-filled croissant, or freshly dipped doughnuts.
Boulangerie Christophe
1422 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 11321 Seven Locks Rd., Potomac
The morning pastries here are lovely—apricot-topped croissants, turnovers with chocolate and pastry cream—and so are the filament-thin crepes, which come with sugar and berries, Nutella, or savory fillings.
Bread Furst
4434 Connecticut Ave., NW
Mark Furstenburg’s Van Ness bakery quietly serves some of the city’s best bagels (the smaller, skinnier Montreal style) and doughnuts (we’re fans of the passionfruit). Morning sandwiches include ham and cheese on a biscuit or baguette.
Gustave Boulangerie
2213 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria
Del Ray’s breakfast game has always been strong, and this snug bakery with staffers in cute Breton shirts makes it even better. We like to start the day with buttery, crackly kouign-amann, a raisin swirl, or a cinnamon bun.
Heidelberg Bakery
2150 N. Culpeper St., Arlington
This Euro-style bakery in Arlington has been around for 50 years. There are tons of options in the long pastry cases—we home in on the raspberry and apricot jelly doughnuts and the flaky apple streudel.
Petite Cerise
1027 Seventh St., NW
Pastry chef Carmelo Gil’s swirled, wheel-shaped croissants could double as dessert at this pretty French spot in Shaw. Flavors rotate—meringue-topped yuzu-and-blackberry was a recent favorite—and they tend to sell out (the regular croissants are pretty great too, though).
Pluma by Bluebird
391 Morse St., NE; 610 Water St., SW
This Union Market pastry shop—and its Wharf spinoff—turn out especially nice croissants (especially when they’re filled with chocolate and pistachio), plus scones, cardamom-scented morning buns, and other treats. If you’re not in the mood for sweets, go for the leveled-up breakfast sandwich, laden with Comte cheese, braised pork belly, and egg on milk bread.
Rose Ave Bakery
2633 Connecticut Ave., NW
Rose Nguyen’s doughnuts—pillowy, perfectly sugared, and stuffed with luscious fillings such as passionfruit curd and ube-coconut cream—deserve every word of the hype that they get. But don’t miss the Woodley Park cafe’s sleeper hit: a square puff-pastry tart layered with creamy squash curry.
Saku Saku Flakerie
4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 3417 Connecticut Ave., NW; 1309 Fifth St., NE
Japanese expat Yuri Oberbillig turns out buttery kouign amann and Gruyère-and-za’atar croissants at her spare Tenleytown cafe, Cleveland Park storefront, and Union Market outpost. Keep an eye out for monthly specials such as strawberry/rhubarb or apricot/thyme cruffins.
Sunday Morning Bakehouse
11869 Grand Park Ave., North Bethesda
A great jelly doughnut is hard to find, unless you’re at this chic Pike & Rose cafe. Our other favorite wake-up: a ham-and-cheese croissant and an expertly made London fog.
Un Je Ne Sais Quoi
1361 Connecticut Ave., NW
Walk into this French cafe in Dupont and you’re greeted with shelves holding beautifully baked croissants (the almond version is our go-to), along with sugared orbs of brioche. There are also pots of intensely fruity, not-too-sweet French jam, which go perfectly with a plain croissant and will jazz up your toast at home.
Yellow
1524 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 417 Morse St., NE
Albi chef/owner Michael Rafidi is behind these cool, often crowded cafes in Georgetown and Union Market. The breakfast pastries marry French and Middle Eastern flavors. Find croissants glazed with orange blossom, or filled with labne or shakshuka.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
