Best Ham and Cheese Croissant it is! Extremely crispy outer skin and super flaky. A bit on the greasy side I love the burnt flavor, perhaps they brushed the outside with browned butter. Not into the famed Hazelnut Almond Blackberry Croissant, but I tend to not like these fruity remakes of twice-baked croissants. Too crusty and dry for me. I like the texture of the snappy chocolate in their Chocolate Croissant when it cools completely. No wait in an early frigid Sunday morning at opening. read more

I had to wait in line for about 10minutes as expected but this place has hands down the best croissant I have had thus far. Flavor, crispiness and butteriness of the croissants were impeccable. Recommend getting every single type of croissant they have because you will regret not getting more after your first bite. Will definitely come back here next time I am in SF! read more

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The food is great, but the service is something else. I ordered 6 pastries. When I was at checkout, they said I only ordered 5. I clearly told them I wanted a chocolate croissant twice. Even my coworker heard it, but they decided to give the last one to the white gentleman behind me instead. They told me if I wanted a chocolate croissant, I would have to wait 8 minutes. I'm not sure what sense does this make as I was in line before him and ordered before him. I guess I'm not surprised as I'm Asian and it's not the first time I get mistreated for this reason. I love the food, but won't be back. read more

Arsicault - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I finally got a chance to try some of the baked items at Arsicault. We got a almond croissant, a chocolate croissant, and a ham & cheese one. Luckily with multiple locations now, the line was pretty quick at the Tenderloin location on a Sunday afternoon. The crust is very flakey, and as you chew into the croissant, it is buttery and moist. To me, the almond one had some bites that was just too sweet and heavy - but I can see why they are popular and people love them for substantive and special croissants. I saw many groups of people - friends, family, locals, and tourists just hanging out in the space, which was nice. read more

Great place for pastries and coffee. We had the blueberry croissant, chocolate croissant and the best almond croissant I have ever had. The almond filling/ marzipan was dense and the actual croissant was soft and fluffy. It looks like every pastry is baked fresh downstairs. The staff was friendly and courteous. My only complaint was that the tables weren't cleaned up fast enough when a customer left. We had to fend for ourselves and clean the table. read more

I used to love this location because the line moves much quicker than Arguello. The quality has gone downhill, hard. My last couple of croissants were fairly empty and even tasted slightly undercooked. After blowing $$$$$ on multiple trips ruling out that it wasn't a off... I am crossing this location off and sticking to Arguello. Also, if you order a sandwich here you'll probably wait 20 minutes as they seem to only make one at a time. Literally. One at a time. read more

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No longer trusting this place. First time, barely a month ago, got a super soggy wet interior for the croissant. Overbaked exterior. Thought was just a one off. Today-- the croissant was not acceptable, AGAIN. See photo. Wanted to get a cookie too... fresh out of the oven, but was significantly darker than the ones on the tray... they were overdone. For $4,50 is not right. You shouldn't put out product and sell if it's not right--people come to arsicault with expectation of certain level of quality. Arsicault used to keep the French standard for croissants and now, in just a two month time span, twice offensive croissants. When it's done right, it's off the chart. But not worth traveling to arsicault, paying the price point, and playing roulette with quality. Will no longer be recommending arsicault to anyone and will not be returning until I hear by word of mouth that this place has regained consistency. Been going to arsicault for so many years. I know when the flavor is off or anything is off. When I'm in France, arsicault matched the quality standard... not anymore. read more

Arsicault - Not acceptable. First offense just a month ago, wet and soggy inside. 2nd offense, this croissant seen in photo. - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

The raisin kouvign-amann and almond croissant were so good! Service was so-so, nothing exceptional. The line was pretty long when I got there on a Saturday. I wish they have more seats tho. 10/6/25 The blue berry and ham and cheese croissants are superb! The crust feels like it melts but really, it just dissolves quickly. 11/10 for both! read more

Unlike the Richmond location, this location has a wider selection of pastries, a large sitting area, and a bathroom. After shopping at the farmers' market, I decided to check it out. Like other reviews have mentioned, the area outside is not the safest so make sure you pay attention to your surroundings. There was already a line out the door, and I perused the options as I waited. I decided to pick something that wasn't available at the other location, and ended up ordering the Blackberry Almond Hazelnut Croissant ($6.50). It was still warm when I bought it! The croissant had a crispy, caramelized exterior, but the filling was too sweet and it was hard to distinguish the individual blackberry, almond, and hazelnut flavors. It was huge and perfect shared between the three of us. *Verdict: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 I was disappointed since this received rave reviews and wouldn't get this again. If I was in the area and craving a pastry I might check it out again. read more

Arsicault - Blackberry Almond Hazelnut Croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I never visited the inner Richmond location because of the ginormous lines but this is nearby. I braved the street characters and came here today. Luckily on my visit, three SFPD officers were stationed there. I feel totally safe! They have a lot of pastries. I ordered the chocolate almond croissant which is bigger than my hand. This was split into two to enjoy. The croissant is good. Flakey and just enough filling. The bakery is gated, can't blame them. Inside was clean and bright. Skip the line at the inner Richmond location. Visit this one! read more

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In town on vacation and I had seen this place as the best croissant ever. It lived up to the hype as advertised. We sampled the regular croissant, apple turnover and the ham/cheese croissant. Through all three the flaky and buttery crust was divine and executed to perfection. This will definitely be a place I visit every time when in town. The prior reviews were spot on that there would be a line but the line went fast. The counter staff were very nice and greeted us with a smile and pizazz. read more

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This place is 10000% worth the trek through the Tenderloin. Came in on a Saturday around 10:30 and while there was a bit of a line, it moves fast and when I left the line was even longer than when I arrived. There is seating both inside and outside. I got a Kouign aman, a bacon scone and a chocolate almond croissant. When I tell you that every single one of these items were DELICIOUS! The bacon scone was flakey, buttery, soft and full of flavor! They were out of almond croissants and I didn't want to wait so I got the chocolate almond croissant and it was also flakey and the perfect combination of chocolate and almond. The Kouign aman was buttery and soft. There were so many other items I wanted to truck so I will for sure be back! read more

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Most amazing chocolate croissant I've ever had in North America... I mean... UNREAL. The Kouign Amann was also absolutely amazinggggg, just the right amount of sweetness. Service was fantastic, there was a long line out the door but it was moving. There were tables throughout the store however with a line that long they could probably use more hahaha but it was absolutely worth it. If you're thinking about going, don't walk... run. And then run back to burn it off hahahah Other items were also delicious but do not walk out without a croissant. read more

Arsicault - Chocolate Croissant, Kouign Amann and Vegetarian Galette - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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First off this a random stop, I went to another bakery right next to the place and I was like why not. They were cool, I wasn't blown away but it was worth the stop read more

Chewy undercooked baguette, very dry, burnt tasting bostock. Not the most creative flavors to make up for quality. I have to say did not live up to the hype for me, preferred other bakeries in SF and cities like Chicago and Denver beat it easily. Totally confused by the hype! read more

Finally had the chance to try Arsicault. I'm not a huge fan of the location but there was no line! I had ordered a latte, kouign-amann and croissant. The latte was decent but nothing special. The kouign-amann and croissant was definitely the star of the show. The croissant was super flaky and buttery. I really enjoyed the pastries and thought they were delicious just wish they were warm! read more

Arsicault - Inside - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I had heard about Arsicault from a friend before making a trip to San Fran, and I am SO GLAD I did. Me and my wife stopped by this location before we started our day in San Francisco. This location was the closest one to our hotel, about a 10 minute a walk. It's similar to a French type of bakery. They have many pastries, a few sandwiches, some quiche, some breads, and a bunch of options for coffee. We got the chocolate croissant to share. I am not kidding when I say this was one of the best chocolate croissants that I have ever had. SO GOOD. It was busy inside when we got there, but the line moved very efficiently. We got our croissant, paid, and were at our table within 5 minutes. There aren't too many places to sit inside, but there a a few spots outside. We were able to grab a table inside for the two of us. I loved our visit and would definitely come back here again if I ever found myself in San Fran again. read more

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Just get the croissant and don't be distracted by all their other offerings. It really is the best and you won't be disappointed. There's always a line but it moves fast. Also that's how you know the baked goods are fresh! read more

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5/5 galette 5/5 almond croissant Service was great and can't wait to try more offerings read more

A coworker picked up items to share with me, so I didn't pick my goodies myself. I got to try three items, none of which were my very top tier of ones I want to try (which, if you are curious and/or want to bring them to me sometime, are the chocolate almond croissant and the kouign amann), but all were quite good, and I'll now make more of an effort to seek them out. Apple Turnover. $7. The first item my visitor got was a slight wildcard for me, the apple turnover. Not an item I've ever heard mentioned from Arsicault, and interestingly, the most expensive baked good on the menu. Yes, it was large but all their pastries are. Offered only at the McAllister location. The puff pastry itself was really quite good. It was buttery, rich, flaky, well laminated. Different from the croissant dough, less airy, and the butter level seemed higher, or at least, I tasted more richness. I was genuinely surprised by how good it was, given how ordinary it looked. 4/5 pastry. Inside was the apple filling. It wasn't stuffed particularly well, with a fairly large air pocket on one area, but tons of filling in the other sections. There were some small cubes of apple, a bit softer of a style than I'd like, plus some goo, more akin to a thicker apple sauce than more generic donut filling goo. Very lightly spiced. It was ok overall, but I did wish for perhaps more cinnamon, and the apple pieces to be either bigger, or a bit more al dente. Good, but not great filling. High 3/5 filling. This was good at room temp (and honestly, the pastry so good it was hard to stop to wait to heat some up), but even better warmed up and paired with a salted caramel swirl gelato. 4/5 overall, surprise second favorite item. Blackberry Bostock. $5.75. I've probably only had about 10 or so bostock in my life. They aren't particularly common on menus, and I'm not sure why. People love french toast, people like twice-baked croissants, why not bostock? They are kinda the marriage of the two. Arsicault offers these in two flavors at the McAllister location, apricot or blackberry. My guest selected blackberry. It was a good item - thick slice of brioche, lightly crisp on the exterior, slight soak of sweet syrup, then a layer of blackberry jam covering the entire top, and a big round of frangipane topping it off. Lightly dusted in powdered sugar to seal in the sweetness a bit more. It had some flaws though - it wasn't quite as moist as others I've had, I missed having some slivered almonds on top for extra crunch, and the base brioche did seem a bit overdone (too dark). The other elements were all done fine, and the amount of jam was just right. Good, but not exceptional. My least favorite of the items I tried, but still high 3.5/5. Best warm and with ice cream I suspect. My favorite bostock to date though is still from Neighbor Bakehouse, where I found the cinnamon almond bostock to be truly exceptional. Blackberry Almond Hazelnut Croissant. $6.75. And lastly, a croissant! The item I was most anticipating. He selected another blackberry item, the blackberry almond hazelnut croissant. This had a *lot* going on. First, the excellent croissant itself. Flaky. Buttery. Messy in all the right ways. Clearly, top notch croissant. No question. 4/5 (or higher?) croissant. I also loved the lightly crispy frangipane on top, somehow more chewy and flavorful and more successful than on the bostock. Then, the filling. There was (the same?) blackberry jam as on top of the bostock, plenty of it, making it really quite a fruity treat, and fairly sweet. Then frangipane (like on top of the bostock, but this was mostly inside, so it was softer, gooeier, and not crisped up). I think both the almond and hazelnut components were in the frangipane? The decadent fillings, the amount of them, and sweetness level, definitely made this eat more like a dessert than a morning appropriate pastry, or even afternoon tea treat. Overall, this was a journey to eat, with every bite slightly different, and equally joyous. It was a massive pastry, definitely best for splitting, particularly if you are getting a trio of items! My favorite. 4/5. read more

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Lines every time we walked by for a good reason. Perfection! So light and airy with substantial rich chocolate. read more

Arsicault - Chocolate croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

popular branch despite the location, ideal croissants (flaky layers, large, buttered), perfect french baguette (add the cheese, nice chew), chocolate chip cookie thin crispy with salt, fanciers a little weak ham and cheese croissant batch could take up to an hour read more

Honestly kinda worth going to this location since there was basically no wait and plenty of seating compared to the OG location. It's kinda funny because the first time I went to the OG location they ONLY had ham+cheese croissants left and this location was sold out of that one. I really liked the caramelized pasty bits. They were puff pastry sticks that were coated in a sugar syrup? The pastry was super flaky and crispy and the coating was just sweet enough. It kind of reminded me of the flavours of a palmier, which I absolutely love. read more

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Heard a lot about how tasty the croissants were at Arsicault and decided to stop and try it out. I was not disappointed. Based on the reco, I tried the Blackberry Almond Hazelnut Croissant. And omg, this was amazing. The blackberry jam just goes so well with everything else and was a flavor bomb in my mouth. The only thing I have to say is that it is pretty heavy so sharing one would be ideal. I enjoyed so much, I went back the following day to try their other pastries. The apple turnover was very light and I also tried their raisin Kouign Amann (which was solid but not best I have tried, but could be because I got there late and all the good ones are gone). Apparently if you get there before 12 you will have a better chance on scoring one. Overall the place was great, has a nice outdoor space for you to sit and relax and enjoy your delicious pastry. Service was friendly and helpful and their recommendations were on point. Would certainly come back to try more. read more

Arsicault - Blackberry Almond Hazelnut Croissant - must try. Probably can share between 2 - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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holy. crap. what we got: plain croissant chocolate croissant ham & cheese croissant almond croissant blackberry almond hazelnut croissant kouign amann chocolate chip cookie palmier everything was an absolute 10/10 just go try it PLEASE. i have nothing else to say other than the line is worth it 100% she will change your life. read more

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I'm a sucker for amazing croissants and let me tell you what every review is saying that this place makes amazing croissants! I ordered a pain au chocolate, Kouigan amann and the hazelnut blackberry almond croissant. Alll so amazing! I wish I ordered more so I had extras but definitely will be returning when I come back to visit the area! The service was really quick, there wasn't much of a line thankfully. read more

The best croissants I've ever had in my life hands down. I've tried so many croissants but Arsicault definitely stands out. Their ham and cheese croissant was amazing and the flavors went so well together. It was the perfect amount of savory and flaky for the bread. This is a must order when you come here. It's served warm and wow I could probably eat multiple. We had their chocolate croissant and scone which were also good and many other pastries. I'm obsessed with Arsicault now and definitely lives up to the hype!! read more

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Lovely, well-lit, and relatively spacious second location for SF's most famous croissant bakery is right outside the Civic Center BART station! The employees here are the sweetest people I've ever met. I went on a Sunday afternoon around noon and they had most of their croissants available as well as plenty of seats. Compared to the original Richmond location, this place is definitely more accessible by public transport, clean, and spacious. I knocked a star off because for being the number one croissant in SF, it wasn't anything groundbreaking. I got the almond croissant, chocolate almond croissant, and the seasonal blackberry hazelnut croissant and all 3 were extremely buttery and extremely sweet. While the croissants are baked well and served warm, the lamination was a bit ruined by the heaviness of the filling and the flavor was overwhelmed with chocolate and sugar. I definitely recommend everyone to try if they're in the area but I especially don't see it being worth waiting in long lines for. read more

Arsicault - seasonal blackberry hazelnut - i would skip - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great pastries. Line was long but went by quickly! Good set up. Will be back to try other types of croissants read more

Arsicault - Ham and cheese croissants - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place was so underwhelming considering the reviews. Im surprised they didn't ask if we'd like our pastries warm as they tasted like they were sitting a while. The chocolate almond croissant didn't have anything resembling real almond in it and really missed the mark. read more

Best croissant I've ever had, my favorite was the almond croissant but all of them were amazing, in total we ordered the original, chocolate, almond and the ham and cheese. All phenomenal. There was a line but it moved pretty fast, there is no seating inside it's all to go. read more

This spot is always delicious. I've yet to eat something here that I don't like. Don't pass on the ham and cheese croissant or the blackberry almond croissant. There's very limited seating inside and out, which depending on what you're looking for can be make or break. It's not like there's suggestible seating nearby in the neighborhood. If you order a coffee, just know it'll take a little while but it's generally worth the wait. It's very tasty coffee. The inside of Arsicault is very aesthetic! Instagram girlies adore this spot. Definitely a spot to add to your list and if you go on a Sunday, there's a neighborhood farmer's market just a few blocks away in Civic Center. read more

Arsicault - Kouign Amann, Ham & Cheese Croissant, Latte - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Arsicault is a gem that shines brightly in SF's vibrant culinary scene. Their croissants are, without a doubt, the best in town. The prices reflect their premium status, but they are in line with other modern SF bakeries. The Almond Croissant is an absolute masterpiece, earning a solid 5/5 from me. It's crispy and sweet, with a soft and flaky interior. The almond flavor is perfectly balanced, providing a delightful nuttiness without being overpowering. The texture is flawless, creating a harmonious bite that is both satisfying and luxurious. the portion size is generous, so it's ideal for sharing. The Chocolate Croissant, while not quite reaching the heights of the almond one, is still impressive. It's rich and buttery, with a luscious chocolate filling that will satisfy any sweet tooth. The Kouign-Amann is another standout, but I personally prefer the one from b. Patisserie. Either way it's still a fantastic choice for those seeking a caramelized, buttery delight. The Scone, unfortunately, is less memorable. I'd give it a 3/5--it's decent, but lacks the wow factor that makes Arsicault's other offerings so special. There is always a long line, but it moves quickly thanks to the efficient and thoughtful staff. However, beware the bakery is located in the Tenderloin/Mid-Market area, which can be a bit sketchy. They do a good job of maintaining a clean and inviting exterior, but you may encounter some weirdos while waiting in line. They offer outdoor seating, but I personally prefer to take my treats to go due to that reason. read more

Arsicault - Assortment of baked goods - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ariscault is a SF staple, best known for their croissants. This location is in tenderloin and is not the original location. Being in the tenderloin, it's in a grimy neighborhood and this is evident right outside the cafe. I got the ham and cheese croissant and cappuccino. The croissant was soft, fluffy and delicious. The cap was very mid. Skip the coffee here Only come here for the croissant read more

Arsicault - Ham and Cheese croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

The croissants and baguettes at this Arsicault location are worth stopping by for! Arsicault has long ranked high in my list for best croissants, but now it's also well up there for their ham on baguettes. FOOD + DRINK // + Blackberry almond hazelnut croissant: Decadent. Plenty of almond and blackberry flavor inside, surrounded by layers and layers until you get to that crispy exterior. Mmm. + Ham and cheese croissant: So good. They may run out later in the day! + The Parisian (ham, butter, sea salt on baguette): The classic French sandwich - they do it well here. The baguette on this one could've been a little crispier, but it was still good. + The Vegetarian (housemade garlic aioli, roasted cauliflower, oven roasted tomato, arugula, sea salt on baguette): Loved this one! The garlic aioli was really tasty, and all the ingredients combined were amazing. The baguette on this one was also one of the best we've had - super crisp outside and fresh-tasting. + Latte: Solid. I probably wouldn't come here just for the coffee, but it was a good accompaniment to the pastries. SERVICE + AMBIANCE // This is a busy spot! They usually have a lot of staff though and they move quickly. Conveniently close to the Civic Center BART station, which also means you'll encounter all kinds of people around here. Recommend taking public transportation here and not parking on the street if you can help it. There are a few tables inside for seating. Not the best "ambiance", but still worth coming for the food. read more

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arsicault has my favorite croissants rivaling the ones i had in france! the chocolate almond croissant was heavenly (albeit a bit heavy), and the almond paste shined through. there's usually little to no wait at this location, so if you're in a rush, i'd come here! read more

Arsicault - almond chocolate croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Arsicault Bakery in Civic Center SF is a trendy bake shop serving in fellow Yelper Susan's words "life-changing" croissants. AMBIANCE The interior and exterior decor are modern. The surrounding area is a bit dodgy. SERVICE Staff were friendly and attentive behind the counter. FOOD 5/5 BLACKBERRY CROISSANT: an unbelievably crispy exterior dusted with sweet powdered sugar, and a jammy sweet blackberry center. Heaven was ringing bells of sweet matrimony at our Union. This is quite a sugar bomb. PARKING Limited street spaces. My next trip to SF wouldn't be complete without a stop here. read more

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The pastry is flaky, buttery and sweet in all their dessert. Must try all the croissants and the crystallized sugar on the kouign amann . Service is fast and lines move like lightning . Ambiance is marred by the location.. a lovely lovely bakery in the heart of homelessness. I'll be back anytime I'm in the city ! read more

Arsicault - Star of the show: The kouign amann - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been to this Arsicault location a couple of times now and every time has been a great experience. Even though it gets wildly busy on weekend mornings, I have yet to experience a long wait. I've tried a couple of the breads and pastries but by favorite by far is the kouign amann. Even when the bread is a day old it still tastes delicious! The outdoor seating is usually more readily available. I would highly recommend giving anything on the menu a try but especially the kouign amann if you're not averse to something on the sweeter side! read more

My favorite bakery in the city! The Civic Center location has more options so I always opt for this one. Came here on a Thursday around noon and there was no line but plenty of people seated around inside. I got the Kouign Amann, which was utterly perfect -- beastly airy pockets with flaky pastry and a sweet glaze. One of my favorite pick-me-up spots in the city! read more

Arsicault - Kouign Amann - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California