# Chicago’s 12 Best Croissants

> A food critic samples 12 Chicago bakeries for the perfect croissant.
- Title: Chicago’s 12 Best Croissants · Chicago Sun-Times | Shortify
- Summary: A food critic samples 12 Chicago bakeries for the perfect croissant. Chicago has 12 outstanding croissants ranging from plain to flavormaxxed.
- Keywords: chicago, croissant, bakery, floriole, guillotine, milli, publican, bad butter, fat peach, misericordia, obelix, sugar moon
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/food-drink/2026/10/26/chicago-best-croissants-bakeries-guillotine-floriole-milli
- Published: 2026-10-26T10:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: chicago, croissant, bakery, floriole, guillotine, milli, publican, bad butter, fat peach, misericordia, obelix, sugar moon
## The Perfect Croissant Challenge
A food critic searches Chicago’s bakery scene for the ideal croissant after a post-pandemic boom in pastry quality.
## Plain Croissant Wins
The critic prefers a plain croissant from Floriole Cafe & Bakery for its buttery, balanced flavor without toppings.
## Floriole’s Story
Floriole opened 16 years ago in Lincoln Park and uses local rye and whole wheat flours in its starters.
## The Croissant Process
Croissants start with mixing dough, wrapping butter, folding, chilling, and baking over multiple days.
## Local Flours Matter
Bakeries like Publican Quality Bread and Floriole use local flours from Janie’s Mill and Spence Farm to enhance flavor.
## The Taste Test
The critic tastes plain and flavored croissants at 12 bakeries to find the best balance of butter and flavor.
## 12 Chicago Croissants
The list includes plain croissants from Floriole, chocolate croissants from Good Ambler, and flavormaxxed options like banana pudding.
## Good Ambler’s Chocolate Croissant
Good Ambler’s double chocolate croissant features three Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate batons.
## Fat Peach Bakery’s Strawberry Milk
Fat Peach Bakery’s strawberry milk croissant uses a strawberry jam filling with sweet cream.
## Del Sur’s Toasted Rice Croissant
Del Sur Bakery & Cafe’s toasted rice croissant includes wild rice and a subtle nuttiness.
## Mindy’s Ham and Cheese Croissant
Mindy’s Bakery’s ham and cheese croissant combines Gruyère, smoked ham, and whole-grain mustard.
## Cafe Consume’s Almond Croissant
Cafe Consume’s almond croissant has creamy frangipane and is filled with toasted almonds.
## Pan Artesanal’s Guava and Cheese
Pan Artesanal’s guava and cheese croissant uses pink guava preserve from Michoacán, Mexico.
## Floriole’s Chocolate Croissant
Floriole’s chocolate croissant balances sweet and salty with a warm chocolate center.
## Bad Butter’s Ham and Cheese
Bad Butter’s ham and cheese croissant includes herbed porchetta, whole-grain mustard, and Gruyère cheese.
## Guillotine Bakery’s Pain Au Raisin
Guillotine Bakery’s pain au raisin is a golden, buttery croissant with sultana jewels.
## Key takeaway

Chicago has 12 outstanding croissants ranging from plain to flavormaxxed.