Executive pastry chef Sam Ward opened Wentworth & Fenn in Camp North End in 2020 and in the Latta Arcade uptown in 2023. The space, with deep greens, wood accents, and a forest cottage feel, matches the down-to-earth approach to the menu —pistachio biscotti, toasted marshmallow sweet potato cookies, or the savory dill pickle scone. The bourbon butter oatmeal creme pie and the individually wrapped salted caramel bread pudding are top sellers, but the tortes and tarts with jams that switch with the seasons are close runner-ups. The coffee cake cookie, a proud size with brown sugar oat crumbs atop cream cheese frosting, can be devoured in one hand with coffee in the other at the few indoor tables or the outdoor patio. 

Keep an eye out for Wednesday’s melty breakfast sandwich special and Ward’s collaborative open-to-the-public baking demos.

Lab tech turned self-taught baker Norma Zuniga shares her Mexican heritage with Charlotteans by recreating her childhood favorite, conchas, at several pop-up locations throughout the city. Norma’s cloud-like conchas, pan dulce with a sugary topping resembling a seashell (hence the name concha), range from cajeta and churro to strawberry and cookies and cream. The sweet goat milk wafer perched atop her dulce de leche concha is a nostalgic ode to her childhood. Conchas themselves are a product of blending cultural techniques from centuries of immigration in Mexico — the story of which is illustrated on a poster hung outside the Dulce Dreams’ pop-up location.

At Villani’s standalone Plaza Midwood spot, folks lined up out the door are transported to a tightly packed bakery in New York City. Villani’s pastry case is a rainbow of made-from-scratch New York-Italian delights — jars of Italian amaretti cookies, traditional cannolis, and cream puffs. The dozens of cake pre-order options prove to be quite the hit for big gatherings. Or small gatherings (no judgment). Just as impressive as the fan-fav carrot cake is the baker behind the counter rattling off the twenty-plus macaron flavors like it’s the alphabet.

Life and business partners Sam and Yerman Carrasquero opened a sunny, airy Southend bakery in summer 2023 with a variety of intricately laminated pastries, many of which celebrate Venezuelan (where Yerman is from) and Argentinian (where Sam and Yerman met) flavor with tactful technique. Vicente’s sticky-sweet, crispy on top, and soft inside dulce de leche croissant-esque pastry is a standout. Another staff favorite is a custardy pastry cream topped with cacao imported from Venezuela and fresh orange slices wrapped inside thinly, thinly multi-layered pastry dough. On weekends, try the Venezuelan sticky buns that go quickly, and be on the lookout for the soon-to-be patio and walk-up window.

The list would be amiss without the OG baked good, bread, specifically Verdant’s tangy sourdough, nutty sesame, sprouted spelt, and caraway rye loaves which fly off the shelves of the Oakhurst neighborhood storefront and the many metaphorical shelves of local farmers markets. Walking up to Jaymin McAffrey and Tanner Fink’s quaint Verdant counter is a front-row peek into a kitchen of dough rolling and baguette toasting. These loaves, acting as a complementary vehicle for cheese, jam, and olive oil, are many of Charlotte’s beloved restaurants’ best-kept secret. The kneading and proofing is a labor of love for this crew that has a steady stake at the Matthews Farmers Market, offers walk-up and subscriptions, and donates leftovers to nearby shelters and compost centers. 

Renaissance Patisserie, helmed by French chef Sylvain Rivet, began selling his tried-and-true French pastries at farmers markets around Charlotte, and then to a take-out-only spot, before opening this charming cafe in SouthPark in 2018 with an expanded daytime menu. While the breezy front patio tucked between shops is dotted with sidewalk tables and leisurely visitors, the inside is a compact space with a plethora of bright macarons, buttery croissants, and an amaretto mousse gateau with peaches for a bit of local flair. Among a scattering of more American-leaning cake pops, Renaissance Patisserie’s roots in French pastries are the stars and staff favorites, like the kouign amann, a supple-centered pastry from Brittany, France, combining butter, sugar, and flour, begging to be dipped in espresso.

Despite being a franchise among many franchises in South Park (and Pineville and soon-to-be Southend), Tours les Jours offers an aesthetic and flavor palate not usually seen in Charlotte, a South Korean-style cafe designed purposefully for gathering. The unique serve-yourself line is a parade through multiregional Asian pastries with a French flair — yuzu pies and croissants dolloped with indulgent portions of whipped matcha or strawberry cream. There’s a clear and impressive pillow theme here — the pillowy honeydew milk bread, the cloud cakes with layers of buoyant green tea cake hugged by airy cream, and yes, the actual pillows lining the stair-benches for visitors to hang out. The tangy kimchi croquette and pretty-in-purple ube latte can be enjoyed anywhere: tables, chairs, or pillows, in the two-floor space. 

In the spirit of the Quechuan word meaning “the ideal and beautiful fulfillment of life,” Sumaq pays homage to Peruvian delicacies and the simple art of communing over a cup of coffee in this stumble-upon location down South Boulevard. Its spacious layout is fit for lounging with Sumaq’s top-selling passionfruit cheesecake or the pastry drizzled with dulce de leche. Pair those with the signature Sumaq latte, a lighter take on a brown-sugar cinnamon latte (according to baristas, Sumaq latte is best hot). Alongside the sweeter items, Sumaq serves a panko pesto sandwich, empanadas, and smoked ham and cheese bread. The South American roots, generous hospitality, and green leaves at every corner make this light-filled space a must-go.