Café Dear Leon

"Possibly one of the best bakeries in the entire country? Forget crab cakes; when you’re in Baltimore, you must visit Café Dear Leon, like how a foodie trip to SF is not complete without Tartine. I was struck by how much better CDL is than even the top bakeries in NYC. They’ve mastered the art of the laminated dough—croissants, kouign amanns, danishes, quiches. Also, their scones are the best I’ve ever had. CDL releases baked goods on a strict schedule. Check their website. Once an item has sold out for the day, that’s it. The most popular items are completely gone in less than an hour on a weekend. During the colder months, CDL doesn’t have any seating as they need the space to keep guests warm while queueing. The pastries do retain their crispness throughout the day, but obviously they’re much better when fresh out of the oven. I’ll be haunted by the fact that I can’t just hop over to CDL whenever I have a craving for pastries."

"Came highly recommended by a local friend. Small line on Thursday & Friday mornings around 10/11am. Apparently the line gets long on weekends but well worth it! They publish their menu on their website daily. First day we got their butternut squash sandwich (v good), Korean Kalby short rib croissant (unreal!!), quiche, and coffee cake. Second day I got an almond croissant. Absolutely will line up again for this place. Great bake and the savoury things are amazing!"

"Amazing bakery - definitely recommend if you're in the area. The staff is so friendly and everything we had was perfectly baked. My favorite was the creme brulee tart, but I also really enjoyed the financier and ham & cheese croissant. Would absolutely go back! A quick warning though: there can be quite a long line, so I would normally recommend going early but their menu (at least in November 2023) is time-based so they don't have all of the items available at any given time."

"Full stop, you must experience this equisitely fresh baked food. There is limited outdoor seating but the beautiful park across the street has benches. At peak hours the line wraps around the building, so come early or tag-team your order if you have limited time. They do process orders quickly and have a very clean public restroom. The staff were very kind and attentive."

"Best pastries in Baltimore. Been coming here since 2020 when they’ve opened and it’s good every time. They have a rotating bake schedule that changes monthly, and they have different times where items start being available. Their menu is very very unique and they have Asian inspired items. There’s almost always a line in the morning, but worth the wait. On cold days they’ve even given us hot drink samples. I’m pretty sure the Tamago Sando is consistent on the menu- it is a must try if you like egg salad! It’s a Japanese style egg salad and has a soft boiled egg in the center. Perfect! Their seasonal croissants also always hit the mark. I particularly remember the Ispahan croissant (raspberry + lychee) they had in February. Seating: small place no seating indoors but they have an outdoor space Parking: street"