Located a half mile north of Marietta Square, Sessions Stand is a gem tucked away in the city’s historic downtown neighborhood. Owned by Katie and Micah Pfister (Butcher and Baker), the pastry options vary, but one of the stand’s staples is the croissant made with spent grain from Reformation Brewery. It gives these croissants a nutty flavor. Sessions Stand is counter service and patio seating only. Come here for coffee, too.

Marietta is home to several Brazilian restaurants, including Brazilian Bakery Cafe. The dessert cases here are overflowing with gloriously decorated cakes — sold by the pound, not the slice. But, it’s all about the Brazilian pastries. Try the coxinha, a fried teardrop-shaped pastry stuffed with chicken and mozzarella, or the pastel de palmito, a turnover filled with hearts of palm in a cream sauce. The cafe also offers lunch sandwiches and salads.

White Windmill is a Korean bakery with locations in both Doraville and Duluth. The bakery offers an impressive array of treats, including flavored coffee and tea lattes, breads, and French and Asian pastries. Try not to over indulge in all of the samples here. Head straight to White Windmill’s standouts, such as the red bean buns and the taiyaki, fish-shaped pastries filled with custard. 

Café Vendôme in Sandy Springs is a French pastry lover’s wonderland. The beautiful desserts are classic and crafted on-site at their bakery. Try the eclair filled with either vanilla or chocolate and one of the fruity tartelettes. They also have petit fours, cannelé, and Madeleine cookies, along with a lunch and breakfast menu. 

The pastries at this Westside market and bakery, owned by chef Anne Quatrano, are extremely popular and sell out fast — especially on the weekends. It’s best to get here early. Order a pecan sticky bun or chocolate croissant. Star Provisions also makes other pastries like pop tarts, macarons, and doughnuts.

In house-milled bread gets top billing at Root Baking Co., the Charleston transplant now open on the second floor of Ponce City Market. But don’t overlook the pastries here. Head in early for morning rolls that are soft and laced with cinnamon or one of their many varieties of croissants, including one made with turmeric and roasted mushroom. Root Baking offers a light breakfast and brunch as well as dinner in the evenings.

Billy and Kristin Allin of Bread & Butterfly also own a cozy Inman Park bakery at the corner of Hurt Street and Dekalb Avenue. Proof carries a plethora of baked goods and pastry treats in its cases, along with plenty of coffee. Try one of the bakery’s almond croissants or gruyere-green onion scones, and grab a seat with the morning paper or a good book in the cafe.

The recently opened coffee shop on Edgewood Avenue roasts their own beans and bakes their own pastries on-site. Order a cappuccino or pour over and pair it with the shop’s pain au chocolate. Although, the classic croissant here is a solid option, too.

What started as pastry chef Sarah O’Brien’s farmers market stand has grown into three locations throughout Atlanta: Krog Street Market, Grant Park at the Jane, and the newest shop in the Summerhill neighborhood, just east of Georgia State stadium that also includes a cafe. At Little Tart, the cases are full of beautiful pastries, which change with the seasons. It’s sometimes hard to choose. The bostocks (croissant dough with pecan frangipane,) the croissants, or the fruit-filled galettes are always winners.