The full ranking
Lamination is a religion in Montreal. From Mile End icons to Plateau pâtisseries to Outremont classics, these are the bakeries where the crackle, butter, and crumb actually live up to the hype.
Au Kouign Amann (Plateau)
A Plateau institution since the early 1990s, founded by French pastry chef Daniel Fourne and now run by Normandy baker Nicolas Henri. The focus is the eponymous Breton pastry, baked in large rounds and sold by the wedge, but the croissants, light and fresh from the oven, are among the best on the street.
Les Co'pains d'abord (Plateau)
Master tourier Eric Goeury has been turning out top-tier croissants, wild blueberry chocolatines, and experimental viennoiseries from this Rachel Street corner since 2009. Long fermentation, no additives, and seasonal riffs using pistachio, maple, and Indian spices set it apart.
Le Saint Louis Café (Plateau)
A sunny corner cafe opened in 2019 by Anthony Blanc and Guillaume Lavoisier, with only 12 seats and a counter stacked daily with croissants, almond croissants, pain au chocolat, and the house specialty gougounes, a croissant-dough pastry filled with raspberry-cream-almond or chocolate-pear-almond.
Hof Kelsten (Mile End)
Jeffrey Finkelstein trained at Per Se, The French Laundry, and Noma before opening this Mile End Jewish-style bakery in 2013. The croissant has crisp, flaky edges built for serious lamination, and the chocolate babka, caraway rye, and rugelach supply half the restaurants in the neighborhood.
Fous Desserts (Plateau)
A singular Plateau patisserie owned since 1995 by Hiroko Fukuhara and Carolle De Boisvilliers, blending classic French lamination with Japanese nuances: matcha mousses, pepper-spiked ganaches, and just-sweet-enough croissants built on seasonal, often organic ingredients.
Le Paltoquet (Outremont)
An Outremont bakery-cafe that has been serving croissants, fruit tartlets, Royal Cake, and crisp-edged viennoiseries from its Van Horne Avenue address since 1990. Tastet named it one of the best croissants in the city, and the terrace keeps a loyal neighborhood crowd returning year-round.
Croissant Croissant (Plateau)
Matthieu Virloget, trained at Ferrandi Paris, opened this Mont-Royal Avenue shop in 2016 with a single obsession: the proper French croissant. Sweet variations run from raspberry to chestnut to almond-hazelnut praline; savory and seasonal riffs rotate alongside on dough made with long fermentation and Quebec-sourced ingredients.
Boulangerie Guillaume (Mile End)
Guillaume Vaillant's bustling Mile End bakery on Saint-Laurent turns out dozens of bread varieties daily alongside crisp, properly laminated croissants. A neighborhood anchor that rates among the city's best for viennoiserie.
Rhubarbe (Pointe-Saint-Charles)
Pastry chef Stephanie Labelle's refined patisserie, celebrated for fruit-forward entremets and meticulous viennoiserie. Its croissants and morning pastries draw devotees from across Montreal.
Olive et Gourmando (Old Montreal)
A bakery-cafe-restaurant that has anchored the Rue Saint-Paul end of Old Montreal for over 25 years, beloved for its fresh-baked breads, flaky pastries, and extraordinary brownies. Croissants, paninis, and housemade soups draw locals and tourists alike from opening.
Ranked across 5 sources: Tastet 2026; Time Out Montreal 2024; Tourisme Montréal 2026; Yelp · Ranked by Rating (June 2026); Google Reviews · Ranked by Rating (June 2026). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
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