A Baltimore bakery with two locations has been named the second-best bakery in the world and the highest-ranked bakery in the United States, according to Beli’s 2026 Top 12 Bakeries ranking.
Café Dear Leon, which operates locations in Baltimore’s Canton and Remington neighborhoods, earned the No. 2 position worldwide, finishing behind only JUNO the bakery in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Baltimore bakery ranked ahead of several internationally recognized establishments, including Arsicault Bakery in San Francisco, Lillebrors bageri in Stockholm, Sweden, and Radio Bakery in New York City.
Unlike traditional rankings determined by food critics, editorial teams, or judging panels, Beli’s rankings are based on user-generated ratings. The platform allows users to rank restaurants and bakeries they have personally visited against one another. According to the company, its rankings draw from a database of more than 140 million ratings worldwide, although that figure includes ratings across the platform and is not specific to bakeries.
Café Dear Leon has attracted considerable attention over the past year, particularly for its viral Crab Dip Bagel, which has drawn customers from across Maryland and beyond. As we reported in July 2025, lines for the bakery’s Crab Dip Bagel had been stretching down the block for nearly six months, with customers braving freezing winter temperatures and intense summer heat for a chance to try the popular menu item.
The bagel features Cajun butter, Old Bay seasoning, corn, cheddar cheese, and lump crab meat, combining several Maryland favorites into one breakfast or lunch offering. Much of the attention followed an Instagram reel by @giovannaposce that generated more than one million views, helping introduce the bakery and its rotating menu to a much larger audience. By February 2025, the bagel had become so popular that Café Dear Leon announced it would remain on the menu until further notice.
“We can’t thank you enough for all the love and support you’ve shown us these past few weeks for our Crab Dip Bagel!” the bakery wrote at the time, adding that customers had made it clear they wanted the item to stay. The bakery has also become known for its rotating selection of pastries and other baked goods, which are prepared in small batches throughout the day. Rather than making everything available at opening, Café Dear Leon follows a schedule of designated baking times for individual items.
The bakery has advised customers that arriving at the listed bake time provides the best opportunity to purchase a particular item before it sells out.
Dining and Cooking