Roggenart has a few locations, but they can get pretty busy.

It's not really a coffee shop, but Bonheur Patisserie & Deli always has a ton of variety and they sell coffee in addition to the baked goods and sandwiches. We've pretty much always had good experiences there.

Edit: Also, Decadent is towards Laurel and has a bunch of coffee options in addition to baked goods. I think they sell Irish coffees there too.

Whaaa, all in Baltimore?

In Columbia itself, Mad City Coffee has been my go-to for some time. They roast their own coffee and have like a million flavors.

I used to go to Roggenart a lot, but how crowded it's gotten has tested my patience lately. It's the only place around here I can find a Schnecke, which is a type of Austrian sweet roll. Their new bacon gruyere roll is really good. In quieter moments I like to flip through all these lavish photography books they have about the history of Austria and fantasize about traveling.

Let's see, The 3rd just opened up at the Lakefront a few weeks ago. So far, I like their baked goods and the ambience. It's a very relaxing space. They have tasty little bundt cakes and cheesecake, and are very vegan and gluten-free friendly. No patisserie though. I can't help but miss Petit Louis a little. Also, the coffee is just drip coffee, but pretty good for what it is.

As a fan of patisserie, I'm a huge fan of all the Korean bakeries on Rt 40. Tous Le Jours, Shilla, and Bon Appetit are pretty good. Super good patisserie as well as more typical Korean desserts. (I'm not the biggest cupcake/cake and muffin lover, which seems to predominate a lot of American bakeries.) Also, they're open relatively late as far as bakeries go, so it's possible to get dessert after dinner.

Old Ellicott City is fun to check out. There are a bunch of cafes all along Main Street. Georgia Grace Cafe just reopened recently and has crepes and various Greek desserts. There's also Syriana for Middle Eastern baked goods and coffee, and I believe it's run by Syrian refugees. The decor is also incredible. I like Little Market Cafe for their outdoor evening concerts and comedy nights in the summer. They have such a beautiful courtyard garden and great sandwiches. However, they can be really slow and there's no indoor seating. If you go to Old Mill Cafe at the bottom of the hill, you can also take a walk along the Trolley Trail.

Is Savage Mill still in Howard County? I like Brewing Good Coffee, which is a coffee roastery that runs a vegan cafe there. It's very dog friendly and right by the Savage Mill Trail along the Little Patuxent River. Not necessarily related, but there's also a geeky board game shop right next to it with a huge game room, if you're into that.

Sidamo in Maple Lawn

I second Georgia Grace in Ellicott City and Decadent in Maple Lawn- both are fantastic!

Shila Bakery on Rte 40 is great and I really like Cozy Cafe on Main Street in Old Ellicott City. Roggenart is pretty good, too. I’m kind of sad they bought Rustiq in Savage Mill, though, because I preferred the menu of the latter.

Decadent is great. +1

People have mentioned some good ones, but also Baltimore Coffee and Tea! There's one in Hanover, Odenton, and Annapolis Junction. Their sandwiches are 🤌🏻 and their coffee is good, too.

More of a baking operation out of someone's house, and it's over in Halethorpe, but The Baker's Tin. It's just two ladies out of one of their houses, you put your order in and pick up Saturday morning. The absolute best pastries I've had, they are crazy talented.

Brewing Good in Savage Mill is the best coffee place in town. They have food items and a while separate seating area they recently opened up with games etc

Decadent in maple lawn is good if you want homebaked treats and top-shelf beer on tap.

Rt. 40 has all the Korean cafes/bakeries... Shila is usually considered the lowest, Tour le Jour is pretty good... Idk if cafe benne is still around, but there are plenty of good choices.

Downtown Laurel also has a more contemporary cafe.

One I haven’t seen mentioned is Cafe June on rt 40 in Ellicott City

Bonheure is another good European bakery. Not quite as charming as Mad City for a place to just chill & study, but the food is better

I second Roggenart. I was just there this morning and it was busy, but not so busy you couldn’t find a seat. Isn’t that the coffee shop vibe? The food and pastries are really good— I make a point of going there anytime I am in town.

My hidden gem is Touché touchet for cupcakes and cakes.

I love Baltimore Coffee, but unfortunately the Hanover location closed down a few months ago :(

Woah - thank you for mentioning a blast from my past! I worked at Mad City Coffee two decades ago. That spot had been a pizza place and a convenience store prior to Bill converting the space to a coffee spot. If my memory serves correctly, it was also originally part of the Riverside Roastery family located in Ellicott City. That EC location was later called Bean Hollow, but has been closed and boarded up completely since the 2 major (nearly) back-to-back floods on historic Main Street. So many good times were had and copious amounts of caffeine ingested while on and off the clocks. I highly recommend them for their coffee!

Yeah, I actually have a pot of their French Toast blend brewing right now! It's making my whole kitchen smell soooo nice. :)

I do miss Bean Hollow. I had heard after the floods that the owner was considering opening up a coffee shop in Catonsville? I wonder if that ever happened.

Ooh, I haven't tried Cozy Cafe yet! Thanks for the recommendation!

I do miss Rustiq. I really liked their oat bread and avocado sandwiches. I think the Savage Roggenart location still serves Rustiq's everything croissants and their Pain Suisse. I've generally had good experiences at Roggenart, so it's good to see they're doing well.

And yeah, Shilla is great too! My favorite thing from there is their nut tartlets. Good tea cookies and savory croquettes too. They also have an unexpectedly amazing sandwich, which is like a frybread with ham and pickled cabbage?? I have no idea what it's called, but that was a great unexpected lunch find.

Atwater’s

Why the downvotes?

I recommend Cozy Cafe in old Ellicott City specifically for the coffee flight. It's the only coffee flight I'm aware of in HoCo

Tous les jours

Love the ham and cheese croissant from roggenart!

I second all the korean-french bakeries, they're absolutely delightful

Cafe June is great. Particularly if you’re a specialty coffee seeker.

Ragamuffins in Laurel is a cute spot.

There’s also a Roggenart right next to the coffee shop in Savage Mill!

There's a really cute bakery and cafe in The 3rd. It hasn't been open very long yet but I really enjoyed it!

Bonhuer

A lot of these places are overcrowded and some are from Baltimore. If you want a small business with good pastries and food, go to Bonheur Patisserie.

As a coffee snob who will drive to hit a Ceremony, I recommend Georgia Grace.

Bonheur is my favorite bakery

It is vegan only including the milk for coffee, right?