First came monster donuts piled high with bacon and Fruity Pebbles. Then there were cronuts—the croissant-donut hybrid that had everyone buzzing. Later came the era of everything filled with pistachio paste, followed by pastries crafted to look like fruit. For Californians with a sweet tooth, the latest viral dessert trend is often just a drive away.

Now, a new report has confirmed what residents in the Bay Area have known for decades: when it comes to sweets, San Francisco can’t be beat.

From artisanal sourdough bakeries to late-night ice cream spots, San Francisco has secured its place as the fourth sweetest city in the United States, according to new research from Betway.

Analyzing dessert shop availability alongside online appetite for sugary treats, the study ranked major cities across the U.S. and Canada to uncover the nation’s sweetest city.

San Francisco ranks as the fourth most favored spot for folks with a sweet tooth in the nation, placing behind Miami, Atlanta, and Las Vegas, but ahead of cities like Boston and New Orleans—have beignets lost their luster?

The report noted San Francisco’s strong dessert scene, including 111 bakeries and cookie shops, 54 ice cream parlors, and 135 dessert shops. Overall, the authors wrote, the mix of high-quality bakeries and steady demand keeps the city firmly in the top tier of dessert cities.

Viral dessert spots in San Francisco to visit now

San Francisco’s ranking among the best cities for desserts should come as no surprise. Legend has it that the city is the first place in the U.S. to serve a fortune cookie. The slightly sweet, crispy cookie with a grain of insight—a memorable fortune read: “Buy clothes now, more expensive later”—is still produced in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. The factory produces up to 10,000 fortune cookies a day and offers tours that should be on every visitor’s San Francisco itinerary.

The pastry shop that some say has the best croissant in San Francisco (see: Arsicault below) has experienced long lines since it opened its doors in the North Beach district three years ago. Owner and head pastry chef Sophia Smith honed her skills in Paris, where she mastered the art of lamination, a process that begins with high-quality French butter and yields a range of sweet and savory pastries that regularly sell out. The demand at the viral spot has gotten so great that a notice on their website asks customers not to line up before 7:45 a.m. The shop opens at 9 a.m., Thursday through Sunday.

Named the best new bakery in the U.S. by Bon Appétit when it opened its doors in 2016, Arsicault is a slice of Parisian heaven with three locations in San Francisco. Known for their traditional French pastries, including sweet and savory croissants, each location has a slightly different menu. Customers will find an assortment of sundries, including French baguettes, scones, cookies, quiches, and freshly made sandwiches.

The exquisiteness of their guava tarts warranted a mention in the New York Times when they were a pop-up; now, Sol Bakery is the latest viral sensation to open a brick-and-mortar spot in San Francisco. Located at the corner of Hayes and Central in the city’s Panhandle district, Sol Bakery is known for its viral tart, as well as its fresh focaccia, cakes, and sourdough croissants.

The name says it all. Known for their inspired multi-layered crepe cakes, Sweet Glory delivers on taste and aesthetics. Located in the Inner Sunset area of the city, Sweet Glory offers handcrafted desserts made with handpicked ingredients. In addition to their crepe cakes, try their moreish Basque burnt cheesecakes, which also come in a delectable range of flavors.

If you know, you know, and Holy Nata knows how to make the best Portuguese tart in San Francisco. Gooey, crispy, and luscious all in one, the “pastel de nata” is an egg custard tart with provenance. The recipe of the viral tart comes straight from Lisbon and is infused with the love of family and tradition. In addition to the traditional (which can be bought by the box), Holy Nata offers a rotating assortment of flavors each week. Holy Nata is in the city’s financial district.

San Francisco drivers may soon experience even worse traffic than they did last weekend when a part of Interstate 80 shut down. This weekend, Highway 1 northbound from Sloat to Lincoln in the Sunset District will be closed starting Friday morning.

Muriel Scala has lived on 19th Avenue for over 20 years. She’s lost count of the endless construction projects in front of her home.

“It’s like having a mini earthquake every day in your house,” Scala said.

Scala is not looking forward to CalTrans repaving 19th Avenue. Starting at 7 a.m. Friday, the northbound lanes will be closed until Monday, with two additional closures over the next month to fix all 6 lanes of Highway 1.

“I’m frustrated because I don’t see an end result,” she said. “It keeps happening.”

Some other neighbors on 19th Avenue shared the same frustrations.

“It’s the price I pay to live on 19th Avenue, honestly,” Bailey Zuk said.

Zuk is worried about the parking and traffic. She has made plans to take public transportation all weekend. She doesn’t like the disruption and noise but knows 19th Avenue has to be fixed.

“Which is obviously really needed, like there are so many potholes,” Zuk said. “I drive up and down 19th Avenue every day and there’s so many potholes already.”

Some of the businesses along the main business corridor on Irving Street say they didn’t know that the closure was even happening. Jet Seeto with The Mochi Donut Shop just heard about it yesterday.

“We are the little guy in this area,” Seetos said. “We need to accept it and prepare ourselves.”

Seeto says she’s preparing to drum up more business by doing online orders, even offering delivery if people are reluctant to drive. She’s trying to stay positive about the 19th Avenue closure.

“It is what it is because it affects anyway,” Seeto said. “If I think I worry too much, it doesn’t help me.”

And residents say they will do the same.. as they brace themselves for 3 weekends of road work.

“It’s not going to stop doing what I need to do,” Scala said. “I’m going to keep doing it.”

The San Francisco 49ers bounced back from a 6-11 season in 2024 to go 12-5 in 2025. It marked the third time in four years that Kyle Shanahan’s squad had posted at least 12 wins and the fourth time in five years it had won at least one playoff game.

However, the 49ers saw their season end in unceremonious fashion. The eventual Super Bowl 60 champion Seattle Seahawks smashed them 41-6 in a divisional-round playoff game that highlighted some of San Francisco’s key weaknesses.

Still, that the 49ers were able to log a six-win improvement was impressive considering they played in the difficult NFC West and that starting quarterback Brock Purdy was limited to nine regular-season games by a turf toe injury. Mac Jones comported himself well when Purdy was dealing with injury, while Shanahan schemed up a quality offense despite consistently being undermanned at receiver.

2026 NFL DRAFT: The biggest remaining need for all 32 NFL teams

With that in mind, the 49ers could once again emerge as a Super Bowl contender if they can improve their roster during the 2026 NFL Draft. San Francisco will naturally get better from the return of Nick Bosa, but improving its pass rushing should be one of the top priorities for John Lynch and the front office.

Here’s everything to know about the 49ers’ picks, needs and outlook for the 2026 NFL Draft:

49ers 2026 NFL Draft picks

The 49ers have six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Here’s the complete list:

• Round 1, Pick 27
• Round 2, Pick 58
• Round 4, Pick 127
• Round 4, Pick 133
• Round 4, Pick 138
• Round 4, Pick 139

MAX IHEANACHOR: From football beginner to NFL draft in 4 years

49ers NFL draft grades

This section will be updated after the 49ers make their first selection.

49ers 2026 NFL Draft needs

Offensive line

The 49ers could use an upgrade at left guard but also need to think about finding a successor for Trent Williams, who turns 38 in July. Players like Max Iheanachor, Blake Miller and Caleb Lomu could all make sense as developmental tackle options that could also begin their careers at guard.

Edge rusher

San Francisco posted the second-worst pressure rate in the league last season, per NFL Next Gen Stats. The 49ers should improve in that area with Nick Bosa and 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams returning from season-ending injuries, but fortifying the pass rushing rotation needs to be a priority for John Lynch.

Wide receiver

Mike Evans and Christian Kirk signed with the 49ers in free agency, but the team could stand to add young depth to its rotation behind the 32- and 29-year-old veterans. Using one of the team’s many mid-round selections on a pass-catching understudy to partner with Ricky Pearsall long-term would be wise.

49ers 2026 NFL mock draft

Here’s what the 49ers could do come draft night, per Ayrton Ostly’s seven-round mock draft:

• Round 1, Pick 27: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
  • San Francisco hasn’t selected an offensive lineman in the first round since Mike McGlinchey in 2018. It may be time to do so. The 49ers have some questions at left tackle with Trent Williams’ future in doubt. Even if he’s back, the team could use more from its left guard after losing Spencer Burford in free agency. Lomu is a young prospect and could start at guard immediately before moving to left tackle – where he played for Utah – in time. His athleticism and anchor in pass protection give him a solid floor to work with in the NFL.
• Round 2, Pick 62*: Edge Malachi Lawrence, UCF
  • Nick Bosa should be back healthy in 2026, and the team got a pass-rush boost with Osa Odighizuwa arriving via trade. But the team could use more pass rushers to fill out the edge room, especially with 2025 first-rounder Mykel Williams having more of an impact as a run defender early on. Lawrence is full of tools with prototypical size and elite burst off the line. He’s more of a projection at this point but could develop well under Kris Kocurek.
• Round 4, Pick 116**: WR Deion Burks, Oklahoma
• Round 4, Pick 133: S VJ Payne, Kansas State
• Round 4, Pick 138: CB Hezekiah Masses, Cal
• Round 4, Pick 139: Edge George Gumbs Jr., Florida
• Round 5, Pick 170*: LB Justin Jefferson, Alabama

* Projected trade with Denver Broncos.

** Projected trade with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.