Thislongtime Mexican favoritebrings out the kid inside every patron, regardless of age. Stock up on crispy conchas, moist tres leches cake, pan dulce, and other colorful treats. There’s another outpost in Rogers Park.

Thefirst Chicago outpostfrom a massive Mexican cafe chain,La Borra’s Divison Street cafe features a selection of pastries such as orejitas and conchas, plus laminated options like croissants. The carb-y delights pair perfectly with cups of coffee, frappes, and Mexican hot chocolate.

Korean mega-chainTous Les Jourshas established itself as a destination in the city for expertly laminated French pastries, stunning macaron, and elaborate, fruit-topped cakes. The company operates seven Chicago-area locations.

Letizia’shas served Wicker Park pastry aficionados for more than two decades. Locals love its Italian baci di dama, almond croissants, and glazed scones. There’s also a large back patio and sidewalk seating on Division Street.

Lost Larson, the modern Swedish bakery and cafe that quickly became a smash hit in Andersonville, recentlyexpanded into Wicker Park— much to the delight of pastry fiends in the area. Pedigreed pastry chef Bobby Schaffer (Grace) and his team put out some of the most sought-after cinnamon rolls in the city, along with perfectly-spiced cardamom buns, sweet and savory croissants, and more.

AmazCakesowner Iesha Williams is a self-taught decorating wiz putting out some of the tastiest and eye-catching cakes around, from best selling cupcakes in flavors like banana pudding, peach cobbler, and sweet potato pie, to towering fondant-covered creations. She relocated to Ashland from the South Side three years ago and is now eyeing future expansion plans.

Junebug Cafeowners Jacqueline Mancias and Chris Murphy have dedicated themselves to crafting the perfect beignet —New Orleans’ famous, fluffy fried treats generously dusted in powdered sugar. The pair say it took about a year to perfect their recipe and now Chicagoans beat a path to their cafes in West Town and Six Corners to savor the fruits of their labor. Patrons can also find meat pies and great gumbo.

West Town stalwartHoosier Mamais best known for its top-notch pies, but customers should be sure not to overlook the pastry selection. Stop by for joy-inducing cherry turnovers, corn muffins with honey, and chewy iced oatmeal cookies. There’s another location in suburban Evanston.

Pastry chef Aya Fukai is anotherlocal sweets whizwho has managed to accrue a devoted fanbase during the pandemic. She’s handled restrictions beautifully withtake-home kits and a drive-thru window, but the heartbeat of the business is Fukai’s quirky, creative items like supersized cake-versions of Girl Scout Samoas and coconut buns, or coconut cream-filled milk rolls crowed with royal icing and toasted coconut flakes.

Since 1970, this fabled Italian bakery has garnered a reputation for its bread, a sore subject between D’Amato’s and neighboring deli Bari (A rivalry between the sibling owners of the two businesses has led D’Amato’s to pull their bread from Bari’s famous sandwiches. Nonetheless, for a true taste of the old world, D’Amato’s perseveres with Italian classics including cannolis, cookies, and tiramisu.

Ex-Publican chefs Erika Chan and Sieger Bayerhave teamed upwith local coffee brand Metric to slingBrite’s often-changing menu packed with fun and unusual flavors out of the Fulton Street cafe. Patrons can find novel croissants in flavors like jalapeno popper, candied cocoa nib, and matcha almond kumquat.