Richmond’s kaleidoscopic dining scene is packed with more than 800 ever-tempting restaurants. But if all you’re craving is a quick treat for yourself or your loved ones, there’s also a delicious and diverse array of excellent bakeries here––so long as you know where to go.

We recently took on the crumb-tastic task of diving into the local bakery scene. And we discovered everything from inventive croissants and dainty pastries to savoury buns and some new-to-us international delicacies. Read on for our favourite discoveries, then plan your visit accordingly.

DAILY DELICIOUS BAKERY

#110 – 2811 No. 3 Road

Despite its off-the-beaten-path address, Daily Delicious is actually just a five-minute walk from Canada Line’s Bridgeport Station. A small, supper-friendly store where the counter is teeming with examples of all the available treats, this bakery is loved by in-the-know croissant fans. The large, all-butter regular and almond varieties here are a perfect combo of crisp shell and softly chewy interior. But they also offer intriguing original varieties, including a masago-topped version that indicates an inventive a fusion of Asian and Western approaches.

A delectable almond croissant from Daily Delicious Bakery. | Photo: John Lee

That fusion flare is also on full display in the bakery’s sourdough-like walnut and red wine longan loaf. But there are lots of other unfamiliar delicacies to try here as well. Consider the purple-hued sweet potato bun–filled with mashed sweet potato – and don’t miss the store’s top-seller: a soft, slightly curved and dangerously delicious sea salt bun. Need more masago? Take home a fresh-baked baguette that’s topped and filled with the tiny sushi-style fish eggs. It’s a buttery delight that’ll have you quickly returning for more.

Masago and butter baguettes are a specialty at Daily Delicious Bakery. | Photo: John Lee

LITTLE FOX BAKEHOUSE

#1180 – 8181 Cambie Road

Conveniently located just inside the entrance to President Plaza, Little Fox is just around the corner from the Canada Line’s Aberdeen Station. Under ever-smiling owner Eric Ho – who previously operated a busy bakery on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive – this highly inviting counter prepares dozens of different scratch-made treats in its sparkling onsite kitchen. Aim to try as many goodies here as you can, but keep in mind that the cash-free counter only accepts cards for payment.

A look inside Little’s Fox’s salted egg yolk custard double-baked croissant. | Photo: John Lee

Little Fox’s top-seller is the utterly amazing salted egg yolk custard double-baked croissant, a rich, dense, cake-like filled pastry that is best shared between two people (although you should expect to fight over the final morsels). But while regular butter and chocolate varieties are also popular here, there’s a cool selection of innovative croissant flavours to try as well, including pork floss, bubble tea and the amazing black sesame charcoal. It’s not just about croissants, though. Check out the filigree fine pastries and decadent large cakes. And if you want to treat your friends or family, consider making up a box of cream puffs, with individual flavours ranging from milk tea to strawberry to London fog.

A cream puff six-pack from Little Fox Bakehouse. | Photo: John Lee

LAMAJOUN

#128 – 11782 River Road

A genuine hidden gem tucked among the light industrial units of East Richmond, a recent kitchen expansion shows how successful this deeply warm and welcoming Armenian bakery café is. Order from the menu at the counter just inside the door–don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations or peruse the small glass cabinet of already-prepared items – then head upstairs to the dine-in area. When the pager you’ve been given starts to buzz, head over to the dumbwaiter hatch and your order, delivered from the kitchen below, will be waiting for you.

Full meals are available at Lamajoun, but we recommend ordering a selection of fantastic bakery items to share at your table. Consider a bagel-like sesame-studded simit or a beef-packed khinkali dumpling. But don’t miss our new-found favourites: jingle bread is a diamond-shaped flatbread pocket stuffed with spinach, onion, dill and parsley; while burek is an addictive golden pastry with pinched corners that’s filled with warm and gooey cheese. Once you’re done, head downstairs to pay, and pick-up some baklava to go. Then try not to eat it all before you reach your car.

THE SWEET SPOT

#110 – 12000 First Avenue

The Sweet Spot – a beloved treat purveyor located in Steveston – has been crafting its irresistible temptations in a tiny corner store in the village since 2010. Always busy with in-the-know regulars and wide-eyed newbies lured in by the rows of goodies and take-home soups and ice creams, the glass-screened counter here is neatly divided between European-style patisserie delicacies and heartier baked items such as madeleines and coconut macaroons.

A lemon meringue tart from The Sweet Spot. | Photo: John Lee

It’s the cabinet of glossy, richly detailed pastries that will catch your eye first, though. Take your time and peruse everything from lemon meringue tarts and salted caramel cakes to shiny domes of dark chocolate mousse guaranteed to make any gift recipient squeal with delight. But if you are buying one of these as a little boxed present for a loved one, make sure you reward yourself as well: The Sweet Spot’s soft, chunky cookies are delightfully satisfying – ginger molasses recommended. Need more? Their quiches are perhaps the best in the Lower Mainland, with two varieties freshly prepared every day.

There are temptations galore at The Sweet Spot. | Photo: John Lee

MAPLE CASTELLA BAKERY

#1068 – 8700 McKim Way

A small, hole-in-the-wall Taiwanese bakery that’s easy to miss unless you know exactly where it is, Maple Castella Bakery occupies an unassuming storefront tucked along one side of the Admiralty Centre strip mall. Step though its darkened doorway, though, and you’ll typically find a bustling interior where a friendly-but-busy staffer is balancing chatty counter duties with frequent telephone orders. And what exactly are these insistent treat fans calling in for? Read on.

A fresh-from-the-oven taro loaf from Maple Castella Bakery. | Photo: John Lee

This bakery serves-up a shiny cavalcade of sweet and savoury buns, pastries, and cakes. On our visit, shoppers were scooping up multiple orders of individually packaged peanut buns and curry pastries – plus lots of delicate, butterfly-shaped coconut buns that had us returning for more later in the day. But the main subject of all those telephone calls was something else entirely; large, just-baked loaves of soft taro bread that were still warm and fragrant from the oven. Picking-up one to go, we discovered a golden, almond-topped delight marbled with sweet, pink-hued taro paste.

KAM DO BAKERY

#110 – 4328 No. 3 Road

Richmond visitors rarely miss the fact that the city is lined with bright, authentic, Chinese-style bakeries that serve-up a thick slice of cultural immersion alongside their tempting, individually wrapped treats. A great way for first-timers to discover some new-to-them sweet and savoury goodies, Kam Do Bakery is one of Richmond’s best one-stop-shops for Asian bakery newbies. But while we’ve been frequent visitors to the often-crowded store across from the Richmond-Brighouse Canada Line Station, this time we dropped into the quieter, slightly more upmarket branch on No. 3 Road.

There are temptations everywhere you look at Kam Do Bakery. | Photo: John Lee

This red-accented shop is lined with baked goodies, but it also has tables where you can sit and sample your purchases. Visitors grab a tray and a pair of tongs, then wander the aisles loading up on whatever they fancy. And with prices for almost everything around the $2 mark, it’s easy to over-indulge (note that the bakery is cash-only). Be prepared for a surprisingly extensive array of savoury choices here: we enjoyed the pineapple buns, but we loved the seaweed and shredded pork buns plus the sausage and cheese buns – just one of several tempting options featuring sausage available here.

A sausage and cheese bun from Kam Do Bakery. | Photo: John Lee

Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Tourism Richmond