There is nothing quite like the buttery goodness of a perfectly flaky croissant, or the soft, pillowy interior of a freshly baked slice of focaccia. For those who prefer savoury options, a sweet tooth is not even required for either of those choices. Of course, it certainly helps if you have a raging soft spot for cakes, cookies, buns, and other confectionery items like me (and those who clicked into this article). Whether you are team savoury or team sweet, lace up your sneakers and don’t forget your Leap card, as these are the best Dublin bakeries to grab a treat from during this miserable exam season.
1. Blossom Artisan Bakery: The Current Gold Medal Position
Location: Ballymun Industrial Park, Dublin 11
Located inside Buddy’s Farmers Market in Ballymun Industrial Estate, this hidden bakery impatiently awaits you. You may need to entice a friend who can drive by offering them a complimentary pastry; the slightly arduous journey and petrol money are most certainly worth it. With a dynamic menu offering seasonal flavours, there is a never-ending variety from their signature pistachio and tonka bean tart and their cinnamon morning buns, to playful almond, fig, and even black sesame creations.
Blossom Artisan Bakery bakes all their pastries and breads in-house each morning, and it’s clear from that first bite. Crispy, soft, and delectably fresh – what more could you ask for? Beware that lines may be long and the goods disappear from the displays, especially on weekends – you don’t want to wait until they sell out!
2. Elliot’s: A Very, Very, Very Close Second
Locations: Phibsborough Dublin 7 & Smithfield, Dublin 7
Honestly, the first and second places on this non-exhaustive list of bakeries are interchangeable – I’m sure they’ll both leave you dreaming of your next visit. At least I certainly still am after stopping by Elliot’s a couple weekends ago. Now, I don’t miss having to queue out the door, but the best things in life require patience!
Opened by the sandwich café, Oxmantown, both bakery locations in Dublin 7 offer a mouth-watering selection of savoury French-style baguettes filled with generous slabs of Irish butter and ham. Not to mention their sweet pastries with novel monthly inventions. Think maritozzi buns dusted with powdered sugar, crunchy tarts with buttery laminations, and indulgent dollops of whipped ganache.
3. The Middle Child Bakery: An All-Rounder
Location: Beaumont, Dublin 9
If you haven’t already slipped away from placement or lectures at Beaumont Hospital yet (which, to be clear, I am absolutely not encouraging), consider making this your next side mission! Delight in a healthy dose of carbs and sugar in every shape and form; from Biscoff cookie sandwiches, chocolate brownies, and scones, to overnight oat pots and vegan protein balls, there is something for everyone here. Not to mention the unbeatable prices, a hefty almond croissant – as big as my head – costing you €3.50 and putting countless other bakeries to shame. To wash it all down, pick up a warm drink in this chilly weather. Whether you prefer the bitterness of coffee to chase away the sleepiness or something toasty like a chai latte, The Middle Child Bakery is the perfect break from the bleakness of the hospital.
4. Bread 41: Infamous for a reason!
Locations: Pearse St, Dublin 2; Stillorgan, Dublin; Cabinteely, Dublin 18
Bread 41 has consistently been on Dublin’s go-to bakery list for tourists and locals alike. Its original location at Pearse Street is the cornerstone and criterion for all things picture-perfect pastries. With excellent craftsmanship and a diverse selection, I have no doubt whatsoever that everyone will find something to suit their taste buds.
Sourdough fiends, you’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re drawn to the crunchiness of a sourdough baguette or the softer, seeded breads, each loaf is guaranteed to deliver the perfect crackly crust and a light, tender interior. Now boasting multiple locations across Dublin, and a freshly opened branch in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Bread 41 leaves you with no excuse – its flaky cruffins and pillowy focaccia slices are well worth a long-overdue visit.
5. Cookieboy and Nobó Treathouse: Do cookies qualify as pastries?
Location: Stephen St Lower, Dublin 2 (Cookieboy) & Rathmines, Dublin 6 (Nobó)
Technically, cookies are not pastries, but all baked goods are welcome on this list.
Opened in 2024, Cookieboy, located near RCSI, showcases a delicious selection of soft and chewy Korean-style cookies – reminiscent of New York’s famous chunky Levain cookies. There’s nothing quite like a midday sweet treat to break up a library session, and this niche spot will satisfy any craving at a surprisingly reasonable price, given the current climbing costs of food and drinks in Dublin.
Not too far from the city centre, Nobó Treathouse offers their own range of numerous cookies to choose from, most notably their pistachio and flaky sea salt flavour. However, the baked goods don’t stop there, expect a serious bout of indecision as you’re faced with ample choices between nourishing acai bowls, plant-based ice cream and refined sugar-free chocolates. Less than a 5-minute walk from the Beechwood Luas station, this vegan-friendly cafe is an ideal spot for catch-ups between friends or perhaps a new study location.
6. Russell Street Bakery: Let’s talk about croissant rolls!
Location: Russell St, Dublin 1
If you haven’t already seen the viral New York-style croissant rolls across social media platforms such as TikTok, let me influence you. Imagine a cylindrical croissant with buttery concentric layers that unfurls with each bite, revealing either a lush pistachio filling or a nutty hazelnut chocolate centre. Luckily, for those who can’t be bothered to hike to Croke Park, the French pastry chef, Thibault Peigne, has opened a new sister bakery, ‘Parnell Street Bakery’, on the northside of town. Both locations offer their iconic filled croissant rolls, and with each crispy bite of golden pastry, you’ll find yourself transported into the current craze of ASMR and TikTok mukbangs.
A final word…
As busy students, we spend so much of our time dashing from lectures to placements to late-night study sessions that we often forget to take a breather. Using this select list of bakeries to start your exploration, Dublin is stacked with options to provide emotional support as we head into this wintry exam season in the form of sweet and savoury pastries. The next time your brain feels fried from staring at an ungodly amount of lecture slides, take it as a sign to step away and revive yourself with a freshly baked croissant.