Best Bakery

There are a lot of things that make this French bakery an absolute Gottingen Street gem: The traditional croissants, the decades-old sourdough starter brought over from France that was owner Laurent Marcel’s grandmother’s and the fact that everything from the fillings to the spreads are made in house.

Since 2016, the beloved north end bakery known by just two letters—LF—has become a Halifax landmark for baguettes, brioche and all manner of sweet and savoury pastries. It’s remarkable to think that it almost never happened: After working with Boulangerie La Vendéenne for a couple of years, Marcel considered a move to Montreal to open his own bakery. Thankfully, he found a spot on Gottingen Street with the help of a fellow French expat, Ratinaud’s Frédéric Tandy.

“We have the same philosophy and work ethic,” Marcel told The Coast in 2016.