A good French bakery is one of life’s most reliable pleasures. The baguette, the croissant, the coffee — it’s a formula that works everywhere, as long as someone is doing it right. A great bakery is hard to find, and harder still to be named one of the best in the country.
One in Los Angeles just was.
One L.A. bakery, a national list
Food media publication Tasting Table recently published its list of the 14 best French Bakeries in the US, drawing from contenders across the country and weighing criteria that included Michelin recognition, James Beard Foundation accolades, classical French training and the sourcing of local ingredients.
Only a handful of cities made the cut, and the bakery representing our city is one that locals have known about for years. That bakery is République.
Why République belongs on the national list
Tucked inside a historic building — originally constructed as Charlie Chaplin’s offices — République has been one of the most seriously run bakery operations in Los Angeles since it opened . The space is beautiful, the dining room is full-scale French, and the bakery counter in the morning operates as its own destination entirely.
At the center of it all is Margarita Manzke, the pastry chef and co-owner who won a James Beard Award in 2023 for Outstanding Pastry Chef . Tasting Table specifically called out the croissants — described as tasting as though they were made in France — alongside the Basque cheesecake, buttery quiche and a pastry menu that rotates with the seasons.
Plan your visit!
If République has been on your list, now is a good time to finally go!
📍 Address: 624 S. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036
🕗 Bakery hours: Open daily in the mornings (8am-2pm) — arrive early, items sell out!
🍽️ Also: Full French dining room open in the evenings
🌐 More info: republiquela.com
