This downtown San Anselmo favorite makes a strong case for starting the day with dessert. Pick up a flaky kouign-amann or tangy lemon bar, then add a loaf of artisan bread or one of the café's fresh breakfast or lunch dishes. The bakery emphasizes high-quality ingredients sourced from local farms and producers, and it shows in every bite. You can't go wrong with the pastries or the expertly crafted lattes.
There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and while prices are on the higher side, the quality more than justifies the splurge. Friendly, efficient service only adds to the experience. Even sweeter? M.H. Bread & Butter is preparing to open a second location in downtown San Rafael later this year.
Step into a little corner of Rome at this longtime Larkspur pasticceria, where display cases overflow with handmade pastries, cakes, cookies, and rustic breads. Pair a cappuccino with the pistachio-and-raspberry Primavera, a seasonal fruit tart, or a classic Italian cookie, or order a beautifully crafted cake for your next special occasion. The café has become one of downtown Larkspur's favorite gathering spots, where guests linger on the sunny outdoor patio over handcrafted espressos made with beans roasted in-house.
While the café is a beloved neighborhood institution, its culinary reputation extends far beyond Marin. As the first Italian-American inducted into the prestigious Accademia Maestri Pasticceria Italiana, Chef/Owner Gary Rulli is internationally recognized for his masterful baking—especially his celebrated panettone. This traditional Milanese Christmas bread requires days of meticulous preparation using a historic natural yeast starter, and each holiday season it is shipped to food lovers across the country.
Flour Craft proves gluten-free baking can still be the main event. Its dedicated gluten-free kitchen turns out artisan breads, flaky pastries, and irresistible scones in flavors like raspberry-almond, blueberry-lemon, and lemon-lavender, alongside colorful, plant-forward breakfast and lunch dishes.
Founder Heather Hardcastle eliminated gluten from her diet more than 20 years ago. Frustrated by the lack of delicious gluten-free treats, she set out to create her own. Drawing on the techniques she learned at The Culinary Institute of America, she mastered gluten-free recipes with the taste, texture, and quality of traditional baked goods. Together with her husband and business partner, Rick Perko, she opened the first Flour Craft Bakery in San Anselmo in 2013. It quickly became a destination for those with dietary restrictions—and plenty of loyal fans who simply appreciate exceptional baking. Today, Flour Craft's Mill Valley café, tucked inside the historic Lumber Yard, serves a seasonal menu crafted from locally sourced ingredients in a dedicated gluten-free facility. It's the perfect spot to linger over a pastry and coffee.
This family-run Novato favorite combines old-school European baking with a creative breakfast and lunch menu. Locals line up for buttery croissants, rotating seasonal pastries, cookies, and Creekside's signature princess cake, while savory dishes like the breakfast sandwich and smoked salmon toast make it easy to stay for a full meal. The lunch menu features gourmet sandwiches, house-made quiche, and other satisfying café favorites.
Whether you're craving avocado toast or just a cup of coffee with a pastry that's almost too beautiful to eat (though perfect for Instagram), Creekside Bakery is well worth the detour. One visit, and you'll understand why locals keep coming back.
What began with a homemade lavash flatbread cracker has grown into one of Marin's favorite bakeries. Since 2005, Rustic Bakery has been delighting locals with handmade breads, pastries, and wholesome café fare crafted from local and organic ingredients whenever possible. The menu features buttery croissants, flaky scones, muffins, seasonal pastries, along with sandwiches, soups, salads, and other light bites.
There are two Rustic Bakery locations in Larkspur—one at the Marin Country Mart and another on Magnolia Avenue near Ross. At the Marin Country Mart location, you'll find handmade croissants, muffins, and scones, stone-hearth breads, weekly quiches, and seasonal sandwiches, along with Rustic's signature flatbreads to take home. Since the menus are nearly identical (both serve Equator Coffee and the bakery's popular kouign-amann, for example), the choice comes down to atmosphere. Magnolia offers a quieter neighborhood feel with more locals, while the Marin Country Mart location buzzes with energy, drawing crowds to its spacious patio and white picnic tables that are perfect for lingering over coffee and people-watching.
