12 Of The Best Bakeries In Richmond, VA

The 12 Best Bakeries In Richmond, VA

What makes a bakery great? That depends on how you define bakery. Should it focus on just one item, a la a cupcake or donut shop? Should it serve the highest-quality coffee? We think a true bakery should excel at whatever it produces – whether that’s a wide variety of goodies, from sweet pastries to freshly baked bread, or just a single, mouth-watering item. And good coffee is always a bonus.

Here’s where Discover Richmond Tours heads when a craving for baked goods hits.

Proper Pie Co.

Step into pie heaven with an impressive lineup of New Zealand-style savory pies, sweet pies, and sweet treats. Located in Church Hill, Proper Pie Co. is the perfect place to have a hearty meal and satisfy your sweet tooth. And there are plenty of vegan options, too!

Sub Rosa

Sub Rosa takes baking back to its roots, specializing in wood-fired bread made with organic, local ingredients. Have you ever had bread that melted in your mouth? Yeah, we hadn’t either until we ate here. You can’t go wrong with Classic, but be sure to check the bread schedule before you head over to this Church Hill bakery. Additionally, their chocolate croissants are worth standing in (a very long) line for, and you can see the huge oven and watch the bakers work through a window on the side of the building.

Sugar & Salt

Sugar & Salt is a bakery in Jackson Ward showcasing the most gorgeous pastries and cakes. Owner Sara is a former pastry chef at The Jefferson, so trust us when we say she knows what she’s doing. The cakes are ornate, fun, and delicious, and the tarts are the perfect combination of chocolatey and fruity. We adore the Passionfruit Tarts – so much so that we serve them often on our Art’s District Food Tour!

Can Can Brasserie

You may know of Can Can as one of Richmond’s biggest restaurants, but did you know that it’s also a full-service bakery? All of the restaurant’s breads, loaves, croissants, and pastries are made every single day in-house by their Master Baker. And you don’t have to dine-in to enjoy his hard work – just ask the host or bartender for a baguette to go!

Early Bird Biscuits

This is where you go in Richmond when you want biscuits (with or without gravy – they’re that good)! Craving something sweeter? Go for one of their pies, or pop tarts if they have ’em. You may have to stand in line or wait outside due to the shop’s small size. But the best things supposedly come in small packages, and Early Bird’s biscuits and sweets are no exception.

Mo’s Sweet Minis

Mo’s Sweet Minis says it all in the name – the specialty here is mini cupcakes (which themselves are already mini cakes)! With seven year-round flavors and a rotating selection of seasonal flavors (key lime pie and s’mores are two favorites), you can find yourself with a colorful assortment on one-bite sweets. This Broad St. bakery also makes a variety of cookies, which are well-loved among students at nearby VCU.

Montana Gold Bread Company

At this two-decades old bakery at the end of Carytown, you can watch the bakers make loaves of bread by hand each morning. As with Sub Rosa, you should reference the posted bread schedule if it’s a particular loaf you’re after (we recommend Cherry Apple Challah on Mondays), but Montana Gold is probably best known for the unbelievable cinnamon rolls.

Shyndigz

A dessert-only restaurant in the Fan? Yes, please! This alternative bakery serves giant (GIANT) portions of cake, pies, and other sweet stuff. Check out the crowd favorites, Fresh Fruit Cake or Salted Chocolate Caramel Cake. Open late Wednesday through Saturday, Shyndigz will satisfy your night-time sweet tooth cravings.

Sugar + Twine

This Carytown coffee and baked goods spot passes with flying colors when it comes to chic, metropolitan atmosphere. The owner, a pastry chef from Oregon, has crafted a menu full of amazing pastries from cheddar biscuits to vegan cookies. Grab a pastry and a coffee (roasted by Trager Brother’s Coffee in Charlottesville), and enjoy the space!

Sugar Shack

This multi-location Richmond donut shop comes up with all sorts of creative topping-covered donuts, from blueberry-glazed to bacon maple. The story behind this growing empire: Ian, the owner, saw an abandoned car lot up for lease on Lombardy Street while coaching soccer, and rented it on the spot, not knowing why exactly. Since then, he’s filled it with love and deliciousness and Sugar Shack grew from there!

Whisk

Some have said this bakery in Shockoe Bottom has the best french macarons around. See for yourself while you grab a coffee in old Globehopper Coffee location. And if you don’t go for a macaron, we whole-heartedly suggest the campfire cookie – marshmallow cream sandwiched between two chocolate-dipped graham cracker cookies!

WPA Bakery

This gem of a bakery has been serving customers long before WPA’s doors opened in the form of dessert at Garnett’s, The Roosevelt, and Ipanema. Now, the Southside spot serves a wide variety of baked goodies daily, and particularly caters to vegan and gluten-free customers. We recommend the raspberry almond muffins, or a donut if you go on Sunday.

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