Haute Top 5: Best Bakeries in Los Angeles

The "g' in Gjusta should stand for "great"—for everything relating to baked goods (and aesthetics...and that includes its patrons). Travis Lett's hipster Venice Beach bakery serves up chocolate, butter and baklava croissants, fruit galettes, banana loaf, scones, tea cakes and everything in between. Make sure not to miss the morning nut loaf: it's the perfect way to start your day.

Walter Manzke and Margarita Manzke Margarita’s love affair (and love affair with food) shows in each and every baked good showcased in their gleaming pastry case at their Mid-City eatery, Republique: it will be hard to look away from the bacchanalia of baguettes, cookies, croissants and baked breads staring your straight in the face. Breads are made fresh on the daily. Go on, don't be so L.A.—order a loaf, served with French butter and jam. Your mouth will be happy you did, because it's hard to do something so simple so, so well.

Zoe Nathan's pastries and breads are revelations, as anyone who has ever waited in line at the Santa Monica bakery and cafe she co-owns with husband Josh Loeb (also of Rustic Canyon) already knows. Everything served at Huckleberry is made on site, using the best ingredients, including organic flour and pantry staples, Valrhona chocolate and farmers-market produce. The menu changes regularly with the seasons and based on the culinary team’s whims, but just PRAY her Whole Wheat Butter Strawberry Cake is available. Noms.

Pitchoun brings some authentic French bakery fare to L.A. in the best way. Co-owner Frédéric Souliès is from a family of bakers, and brings some of their long-beloved recipes to his downtown bakery. Expect to find decadent baguettes, viennoiseries (morning pastries) like chocolatines, almond croissants and chausson pommes (apple tarts) as well as millefeuilles, macarons and the absolutely outstanding eclairs. All we can say to Pitchoun is: oui, oui!

Thomas Keller's delicacies are some of the most coveted treats in the 90210. Make sure to try the bakery's macarons (they come in flavors like Earl Grey, pistachio, caramel and strawberry), or Keller's signature “TKO”— Thomas Keller Oreo cookie. Honestly though, whether you're noshing on one of these items or a tart, eclair, brownie, caramel popcorn or slice of cake, you're going to walk away with a very, very happy sweet tooth.