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Chocolate-filled bread at recent arrival Maison Kayser.
Chocolate-filled bread at recent arrival Maison Kayser.
Maison Kayser/Facebook

15 DMV Bakeries to Try Right Now

Head here for a sugar rush

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Chocolate-filled bread at recent arrival Maison Kayser.
| Maison Kayser/Facebook

Good news, carb lovers: D.C.'s baking scene is radically diversifying.

In addition to new permanent stores, temporary bakeries are popping up all over the map. Find Leesburg-based B Doughnut in Union Market, the Mosaic District, and Crystal City. District Doughnut has expanded to Georgetown semi-permanently and Nationals Stadium permanently, with another shop coming to the evolving Wharf complex. National chains are also growing in the region. There's a new Duck Donuts in Alexandria, Virginia; stay tuned to see if Lady M Cake Boutique also plants its flag in town. And cult bakery Milk Bar's biggest location yet — a bakery with room for on-site instruction and other special events — remains in the works for Logan Circle.

Here are 15 new bakeries to check out right now.

Updated by Eater Staff

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Fresh Baguette (Multiple locations)

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The second location of this Bethesda-based French bakery has an extensive menu of sweets, Viennese pastries, savory breads, quiches, and sandwiches available for breakfast and lunch.

Fresh Baguette MD counter The new Fresh Baguette in Rockville, Maryland. Photo: Fresh Baguette

Red Bandana Bakery

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The gluten-free diet gets the red-carpet treatment at this new Bethesda bakery, where the entire menu is gluten-free. Breakfast features egg sandwiches, oatmeal, and muffins. Lunch centers around sandwiches, salads, and soups. Treats include cookies, brownies, and cupcakes. Vegans will find plenty of choices among baked goods and savory options.

Red Bandana Bakery MD bread Grain-free cheesy breads at Red Bandana Bakery. Photo: Red Bandana Bakery

This all-in-one neighborhood eatery from the hospitality vets behind Bad Saint, Room 11, and Paisley Fig serves as a bakery, coffee shop, bar, and restaurant.The bakery side produces baguettes plus rotating specials (sourdough, loaves of buckwheat) each morning. Featured pastries include bacon-cheddar scones, banana bran muffins, guava turnovers, gourmet doughnuts, and more.

Elle DC food Baked goods and tea at Elle. Rick S./Yelp

Pitango Gelato + Café

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Washingtonians are the beneficiaries of the newest and largest Pitango store in the family-owned company. The bakers prepare breakfast pastries and breads for the sandwiches. Customers can entertain themselves by watching the gelato machine spin and/or consuming adult beverages at the spacious Italian-style café.

Pitango Gelato + Cafe DC baked goods Assorted baked goods and sandwiches at the new Pitango Gelato + Cafe. Photo: Pitango

Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffee (Multiple locations)

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This regional chain recently expanded to Shaw, bringing with it superior cake and yeast doughnuts that range from simple to seasonal to nostalgic interpretations of beloved candies and cookies. For those who prefer their sugar in liquid form, the shop houses a subterranean cocktail bar called Nocturne.

Sugar Shack DC sweets Cereal-crusted sweets at Sugar Shack. Sugar Shack/Facebook

Sylvan Cafe

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Located in the same spot as the former Grassroots Gourmet, this bakery is named after the old-time movie theater that once occupied the building. It features sweets, New Jersey bagels, sandwiches, and paninis. Whereas there used to be nowhere to sit, sidewalk tables now offer fair-weather seating.

Sylvan Cafe DC bagels Bagels at Sylvan Cafe. Photo: Sylvan Cafe

Boulangerie Christophe

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Frenchman Christophe Roux brought his St. Tropez sensibilities stateside when he opened his namesake Georgetown bakery and café with business partner Didier Martin. The display case holds a colorful assortment of sweet and savory baked goods, while sit-down breakfast and lunch is served in the dining room.

Boulangerie Christophe DC bread Baguettes at Boulangerie Christophe. Photo: Boulangerie Christophe

Lil' B Coffee & Eatery

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From his previous Capitol Hill location, restaurateur David Guas migrated west to Scott Circle, serving breakfast and lunch at his new Darcy hotel café. True to his New Orleans roots, Guas continues to make beignets, plus an assortment of baked goods, egg sandwiches, and lunch fare. Add Lil’ B to the list of spots repurposing everything bagel flavors as something else. Here it’s a croissant topped with everything spices and filled with chive cream cheese.

Lil B DC sandwich A breakfast sandwich at Lil’ B. Photo by Rey Lopez

Married pastry chefs Camila Arango and Tom Wellings are baking all their favorites at their newly opened shop near Union Station. Featured offerings include croissants, both sweet (almond, pistachio, chocolate) and savory (smoked ham and gruyere), cookies, assorted muffins, avocado toast, gourmet sandwiches, rotating quiche, and more.

Pluma DC display A fully stocked display case at Pluma. Pluma/Facebook

At D.C.’s debut whole grain bakery and in-house mill, baker Jonathan Bethony specializes in rustic breads made from whole wheat, millet, spelt, and more. Featured pastries include whole wheat croissants (with or without chocolate), canales, barley oat cookies, and chocolate sorghum brownies, and more.

Seylou DC display Assorted sweets at Seylou. Wayne L./Yelp

Ladurée (Multiple locations)

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This French import’s flagship Georgetown shop attracts ladies who lunch, camera-wielding tourists, and pastry fans who file in to marvel at the fine art of the legendary macaron. Cakes and pastries provide additional sweet temptation. Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea are served in the dining room. A Union Station outpost is smaller, serving a limited menu of macarons, pastries, sandwiches, and salads.

Laduree macarons Macarons at Laduree. Photo: Laduree

Nino's Bakery

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State Department alum Miranda Rinaldi has traded foreign service for gourmet pastries at her debut D.C. bakery. Featured offerings include chocolate croissants, hazelnut tea cakes, cream-filled lobster tails (sfogliatelle), specialty cakes, and more.

Nino's Bakery DC sweets Chocolate cream puffs at Nino’s Bakery. Duane Heaton/Neighborhood Retail Group

Maison Kayser (Multiple locations)

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Renowned baker Eric Kayser has now opened two of his Parisian bakeries in D.C. The casual cafes produce assorted breads, cookies, pastries, and more (think: traditional French soups, salads, and entrees) throughout the day.

Maison Kayser viennoiserie A raisin bun at Maison Kayser. Maison Kayser/Facebook

Bread & Water Company (Multiple locations)

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This homegrown chain recently expanded from Alexandria, Virginia to Pentagon City, bringing with it freshly baked breads, gourmet sandwiches, and specialty waffles.

Bread & Water Company VA rolls Sweet rolls at Bread & Water Company. Bread & Water Company/Facebook

Dolce and Bean

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This bakery and dessert shop makes cakes, macarons, and other European-style sweets. It imports Neuhaus Belgian chocolate and serves gelato all year around.

Dolce & Bean VA cake Tiramisu cake at Dolce & Bean. Photo: Dolce and Bean

Fresh Baguette (Multiple locations)

The second location of this Bethesda-based French bakery has an extensive menu of sweets, Viennese pastries, savory breads, quiches, and sandwiches available for breakfast and lunch.

Fresh Baguette MD counter The new Fresh Baguette in Rockville, Maryland. Photo: Fresh Baguette

Red Bandana Bakery

The gluten-free diet gets the red-carpet treatment at this new Bethesda bakery, where the entire menu is gluten-free. Breakfast features egg sandwiches, oatmeal, and muffins. Lunch centers around sandwiches, salads, and soups. Treats include cookies, brownies, and cupcakes. Vegans will find plenty of choices among baked goods and savory options.

Red Bandana Bakery MD bread Grain-free cheesy breads at Red Bandana Bakery. Photo: Red Bandana Bakery

Ellē

This all-in-one neighborhood eatery from the hospitality vets behind Bad Saint, Room 11, and Paisley Fig serves as a bakery, coffee shop, bar, and restaurant.The bakery side produces baguettes plus rotating specials (sourdough, loaves of buckwheat) each morning. Featured pastries include bacon-cheddar scones, banana bran muffins, guava turnovers, gourmet doughnuts, and more.

Elle DC food Baked goods and tea at Elle. Rick S./Yelp

Pitango Gelato + Café

Washingtonians are the beneficiaries of the newest and largest Pitango store in the family-owned company. The bakers prepare breakfast pastries and breads for the sandwiches. Customers can entertain themselves by watching the gelato machine spin and/or consuming adult beverages at the spacious Italian-style café.

Pitango Gelato + Cafe DC baked goods Assorted baked goods and sandwiches at the new Pitango Gelato + Cafe. Photo: Pitango

Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffee (Multiple locations)

This regional chain recently expanded to Shaw, bringing with it superior cake and yeast doughnuts that range from simple to seasonal to nostalgic interpretations of beloved candies and cookies. For those who prefer their sugar in liquid form, the shop houses a subterranean cocktail bar called Nocturne.

Sugar Shack DC sweets Cereal-crusted sweets at Sugar Shack. Sugar Shack/Facebook

Sylvan Cafe

Located in the same spot as the former Grassroots Gourmet, this bakery is named after the old-time movie theater that once occupied the building. It features sweets, New Jersey bagels, sandwiches, and paninis. Whereas there used to be nowhere to sit, sidewalk tables now offer fair-weather seating.

Sylvan Cafe DC bagels Bagels at Sylvan Cafe. Photo: Sylvan Cafe

Boulangerie Christophe

Frenchman Christophe Roux brought his St. Tropez sensibilities stateside when he opened his namesake Georgetown bakery and café with business partner Didier Martin. The display case holds a colorful assortment of sweet and savory baked goods, while sit-down breakfast and lunch is served in the dining room.

Boulangerie Christophe DC bread Baguettes at Boulangerie Christophe. Photo: Boulangerie Christophe

Lil' B Coffee & Eatery

From his previous Capitol Hill location, restaurateur David Guas migrated west to Scott Circle, serving breakfast and lunch at his new Darcy hotel café. True to his New Orleans roots, Guas continues to make beignets, plus an assortment of baked goods, egg sandwiches, and lunch fare. Add Lil’ B to the list of spots repurposing everything bagel flavors as something else. Here it’s a croissant topped with everything spices and filled with chive cream cheese.

Lil B DC sandwich A breakfast sandwich at Lil’ B. Photo by Rey Lopez

Pluma

Married pastry chefs Camila Arango and Tom Wellings are baking all their favorites at their newly opened shop near Union Station. Featured offerings include croissants, both sweet (almond, pistachio, chocolate) and savory (smoked ham and gruyere), cookies, assorted muffins, avocado toast, gourmet sandwiches, rotating quiche, and more.

Pluma DC display A fully stocked display case at Pluma. Pluma/Facebook

Seylou

At D.C.’s debut whole grain bakery and in-house mill, baker Jonathan Bethony specializes in rustic breads made from whole wheat, millet, spelt, and more. Featured pastries include whole wheat croissants (with or without chocolate), canales, barley oat cookies, and chocolate sorghum brownies, and more.

Seylou DC display Assorted sweets at Seylou. Wayne L./Yelp

Ladurée (Multiple locations)

This French import’s flagship Georgetown shop attracts ladies who lunch, camera-wielding tourists, and pastry fans who file in to marvel at the fine art of the legendary macaron. Cakes and pastries provide additional sweet temptation. Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea are served in the dining room. A Union Station outpost is smaller, serving a limited menu of macarons, pastries, sandwiches, and salads.

Laduree macarons Macarons at Laduree. Photo: Laduree

Nino's Bakery

State Department alum Miranda Rinaldi has traded foreign service for gourmet pastries at her debut D.C. bakery. Featured offerings include chocolate croissants, hazelnut tea cakes, cream-filled lobster tails (sfogliatelle), specialty cakes, and more.

Nino's Bakery DC sweets Chocolate cream puffs at Nino’s Bakery. Duane Heaton/Neighborhood Retail Group

Maison Kayser (Multiple locations)

Renowned baker Eric Kayser has now opened two of his Parisian bakeries in D.C. The casual cafes produce assorted breads, cookies, pastries, and more (think: traditional French soups, salads, and entrees) throughout the day.

Maison Kayser viennoiserie A raisin bun at Maison Kayser. Maison Kayser/Facebook

Bread & Water Company (Multiple locations)

This homegrown chain recently expanded from Alexandria, Virginia to Pentagon City, bringing with it freshly baked breads, gourmet sandwiches, and specialty waffles.

Bread & Water Company VA rolls Sweet rolls at Bread & Water Company. Bread & Water Company/Facebook

Dolce and Bean

This bakery and dessert shop makes cakes, macarons, and other European-style sweets. It imports Neuhaus Belgian chocolate and serves gelato all year around.

Dolce & Bean VA cake Tiramisu cake at Dolce & Bean. Photo: Dolce and Bean

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