The World’s Best Bakeries

Candies, sweets, pastries, chocolates, cakes… No matter what strikes your fancy, we can all agree that there’s something magical about visiting a good bakery or pastry shop and treating yourself to something sweet. The world is full of places to get that sugar fix, but some places just have that special touch that turns a simple dessert into an experience.

From New York to Paris, Madrid to Buenos Aires… Today at Civitatis, we’re bringing you on a journey to the most iconic pastry shops across the globe for the next time you’re traveling and want to treat yourself to a good cheesecake, chocolate tart, cream-filled Neapolitan or a fluffy donut.

Ladurée, a Parisian pastry icon & one of the world’s best bakeries

Paris is not only home to extraordinary art galleries and romantic restaurants. It’s also home to one of the most beautiful pastry shops in the world. Enter the iconic Ladurée, famous for having invented the double macaron.

Although several of these establishments are scattered throughout the French capital, one of Ladurée’s most emblematic shops is undoubtedly located on the Avenue des Champs Elysées. Its macarons are beautiful works of art that come in multiple colors and flavors: vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, caramel, coffee, raspberries…

In addition to its macarons, Ladurée also stands out for its designer chocolates. Of course, you can’t miss their lemon tarts either. There are even vegan cakes made from coconut!

Pastéis de Belém, a Lisbon classic that never goes out of style

A visit to the Belém Tower is a must for any visit to Lisbon. This iconic watchtower is located in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of the Portuguese capital, where you can also find the Jerónimos Monastery and the Monument to the Discoveries. This monumental ensemble is completed by a unique locale, Pastéis de Belém, whose origins date all the way back to 1837!

Belém pastries have been part of Lisbon’s culinary heritage since time immemorial. These cream-filled delicacies go perfectly with a good Portuguese coffee. The perfect breakfast or snack! These delicacies are truly appetizing at any time of the day.

The Lisbon neighborhood of Belém would not be the same without its classic pastries, whose taste has attracted everyone from locals and travelers to kings and nobles. Its cream filling is hard to forget!

Café Sacher in Vienna, flavor & elegance since 1832

The most famous bakeries in the world can also be cafés, an excellent example of which is Café Sacher in Vienna. The Austrian capital is a symbol of Central European pastries, and, of course, its greatest icon is the Sacher cake. This chocolate cake was invented in 1832 by Franz Sacher, and its popularity has not dipped since.

Sacher cake undoubtedly sets the bar high for chocolate lovers. Two dense layers of chocolate sponge cake are joined by a thin layer of apricot jam, all topped with a dark chocolate glaze and a healthy dollop of whipped cream. If that doesn’t get your mouth watering, your taste buds may be broken.

Vienna’s Café Sacher is also one of the most elegant and distinguished cafés in the Austrian capital, so there is really no shortage of reasons to visit.

La Mallorquina, one of the most famous pastry shops since 1894

The nerve center of Madrid is Puerta del Sol. In this central point of the Spanish capital, we can find La Mallorquina, a popular bakery and cafe that has been sweetening the lives of locals and visitors since 1894.

La Mallorquina’s artisan pastries are a classic at breakfast and snacktime in Madrid. Particularly noteworthy are their cream-filled napolitanas and their suizos, a specialty that, despite its name (meaning Swiss), is a Madrid staple.

If you go on an early morning stroll through Puerta del Sol and approach the corner of Calle Mayor, the soft aroma of freshly baked pastries is hard to miss. More than enough to lure you into this local pastry temple! Try it for yourself, and you’ll have no doubt as to why it’s one of the most famous pastry shops in the world.

Maru Botana, a must for any sweet tooth in Buenos Aires

Maru Botana is a well-known Argentine pastry chef with several bakeries in Buenos Aires. One of her great classics? Cheesecake. A treat that is truly irresistible for all lovers of cheese, which are hardly few and far between.

In this pastry shop, you can also find other types of cakes, including almond cake, mille-feuille, tiramisu, mocha cream, sponge cake, plum cake, and many more.

Dough, New York City’s famous doughnuts

Dough makes our list of the most famous pastry shops in the world for many reasons. But its main and most powerful claim to fame is its famous doughnuts. No reasonable person could resist these delicious rings of fried doughy goodness. They come in all kinds of flavors: glazed, cream-filled, toasted coconut, chocolate, lemon poppy seed, cinnamon sugar, and are even themed for holidays like Halloween, Christmas & Valentine’s Day.

There are numerous Dough restaurants in New York. Most of them are scattered around Manhattan, making it an easy stop to add to any trip to the Big Apple. Doughnuts amongst the giant skyscrapers of the city that never sleeps… what more could you ask for?