Golden croissants are the breakfast of champions. Whether you fill them with cheese, chocolate or salty bacon, or just enjoy them buttery and warm from the oven, these pastries are the perfect morning pick-me-up.

Named for its distinctive crescent shape, the croissant is made with leavened puff pastry, layered with butter, and then rolled and folded to create that curvy shape we love. People have been eating bread baked into this shape since the Middle Ages, some say to pay homage to another object of worship, the moon. Though, of course, the modern croissant dates to 19th-century Paris.

Some cafés (even in France) bake them from frozen, or worse, wrap them in cellophane to sit on the shelf for days. But in order to do the noble croissant justice, we sifted out the kitchens that roll, fold and bake their very own croissants daily.

Johannesburg

The Argentinean
Poison: Plain, chocolate, almond, and custard Danish.
Price: R13 for plain; R15 for the other flavours.

Bread Basket
Poison: Plain, chocolate, cheese, almond, cinnamon and custard. Price: R8.20 for plain; R10/R10.50 for the other flavours.

Doppio Zero
Poison: Plain, chocolate, cheese and almond.
Price: R8.50 for plain; R9.50 chocolate, cheese; R10 for almond.

Fournos
Poison: Plain, chocolate, almond, cinnamon and raisin, and cheese.
Price: R7.50 for plain; R12.50 for almond; R9.50 for the other flavours.

Jozi Food Market
Poison: Plain, cheese, chocolate and almond.
Price: R10 to R12 each.

Junipa’s
Poison: Plain, chocolate, chocolate and hazelnut, cinnamon, cheese, ham and cheese, almond, white chocolate and marmalade, and assorted Danishes.
Price: R13 for plain; R15 for the other flavours.

Olivia’s Coffee Bake
Poison: Plain, cheese, chocolate, and ham and cheese.
Price: R10 each.

Vovo Telo
Poison: Plain, chocolate, almond and chocolate.
Price: R10 for plain; R14 for chocolate and almond.

Pretoria

BICCCS  
Poison: Plain and pain au chocolat.
Price: R15 for plain; R18 for pain au chocolat.

Isabella’s Cake and Food Shop  
Poison: Plain butter croissants.
Price: R28 to take-away; R30 to eat-in, with preserves and cheese.

Not Bread Alone
Poison: Plain, cheese and chocolate.
Price: R9 for plain; R10 for cheese and chocolate.

Durban

Bread in Love  (now closed)
Poison: Plain, cheese, chocolate, ham and cheese, bacon and cheese, pain au chocolat, apple Danish, and custard Danish.
Price: R10 for plain; R8 for cheese and chocolate; R12 for bacon and cheese, ham and cheese and pain au chocolat; R14 for apple Danish and custard Danish.

Hollandse Bakkery
Poison: Plain, chocolate, ham and cheese, ham, almond and whole-wheat.
Price: R5.20 for plain; R8.50 for other flavours; R9.50 for an extra-large croissant.

Remo’s Coffee Shop
Poison: Plain and chocolate.
Price: Take-away: R12 for plain; R17 for chocolate. Sit down: R24 for plain served with jam, mozzarella, or butter; R25 for chocolate with icing sugar.

Cape Town

Bonjour Patisserie
Poison: Plain, chocolate, raisin, almond, cinnamon, apple and brioche.
Price: R10 for plain; ranging from R10 to R20 for the other flavours.

Cassis (Constantia, Gardens, Newlands)
Poison: Plain, chocolate, almond, and almond and chocolate.
Price: R11 for plain; R13 for chocolate or almond; R15 for chocolate and almond.

Crocodeli
Poison: Plain, chocolate, cheese, almond, cinnamon and Parmesan twists rolled in rosemary.
Price: R7.50 for plain; R8.50 for large, R6 for medium and R3 for cocktail-size flavoured croissants.

Giovanni’s Deli World  
Poison: Plain, cheese, almond, cinnamon, chocolate and a range of classic French croissants in plain, almond, muesli and chocolate.
Price: R9.50 for plain; R9.95 for other flavours. Classic French range: R8.95 for plain; R12.95 for other flavours.

Jason
Poison: Plain, bacon, almond, pain au chocolat and cranberry Danish.
Price: R12 for plain; R18 for bacon, almond, pain au chocolat and cranberry.

Knead (Claremont, Gardens, Kloof Street, Muizenberg)
Poison: Plain and chocolate.
Price: R9.50 for plain; R12.50 for chocolate.

Martin’s Bakery
Poison: Plain, chocolate and hazelnut, almond and cheese.
Price: R6 for plain; R8 for the other flavours.

Newport Deli
Poison: Plain, chocolate, almond, cinnamon and cheese.
Price: Take away: R10.95 for plain, R13.95 for the other flavours. Sit down: R13.95 for plain served with jam, cheese or butter; R16.95 for the other flavours.

Nook Eatery
Poison: Butter croissant, pain au chocolat, and sticky cinnabon.
Price: R12 for plain; R14 for pain au chocolat; and R12 for cinnabon.

Olympia Bakery Shop
Poison: Plain, ham and feta, mushroom and mozzarella, ham and cheese with wholegrain mustard, chocolate, and almond. Also get raisin, apple, apricot or hazelnut custard Danish and cinnamon sticks.
Price: R11 for plain; R12 for chocolate and almond; R19 for Danishes; R9 for cinnamon stick.

Tribeca Bakery (Tokai)
Poison: Plain, chocolate, almond, bacon, and cheese.
Price: R12 for plain; R15 for chocolate and almond; R25 for bacon and cheese.

By Tayla Africa, Kelly Pluke and Linda Scarborough

Photographs: Alpha, Pierre Olivier Carles, Dennis Wong, Kochtopf, Ken Hawkins, Patrick Nouhailler, Kanko