Best Donuts Restaurants in Downtown LA
9 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Duchess
Chef-driven fried chicken and artisanal donuts under one roof since 2016.
Notable Picks
#1
Duchess
8.8
Originally opened as Birdies in 2016, this South Park staple still turns out small-batch, chef-driven donuts and serious fried chicken sandwiches late into the night. Expect inventive flavors like pistachio-lemon thyme alongside hearty breakfast burritos that draw both office workers and post-game crowds.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pistachio Lemon Thyme Donut, Candied Maple Bacon Donut, Spicy Chicken Sandwich
What Makes it Special: Chef-driven fried chicken and artisanal donuts under one roof since 2016.
#2
Donut Friend
8.8
Donut Friend’s DTLA shop spins out all-vegan donuts with playful, music-referencing names and dense, satisfying crumb. Locals treat it as both a dessert stop and a coffee break, especially when they want inventive toppings without sacrificing that classic donut comfort.
Must-Try Dishes:
Polar Berry Club donut, Angry Samoa donut, Apple fritter
What Makes it Special: All-vegan donuts with creative, music-inspired builds and bold flavors.
8.4
The Donut Man’s Grand Central Market stall brings the Route 66 legend’s fresh fruit–stuffed donuts into the heart of DTLA. Between the seasonal strawberry and peach specials and classic old-fashioned rings, it’s where downtown workers and visitors go when they want throwback donut flavors with real fruit and heft.
Must-Try Dishes:
Fresh strawberry stuffed donut, Peach stuffed donut (seasonal), Tiger Tail twisted donut
What Makes it Special: Decades-old SoCal donut icon known for fresh fruit–packed donuts.
#4
Virtu Coffee
8.4
Across from the Pico station in South Park, Virtu is a design-forward coffee bar that pairs specialty drinks with a small but thoughtful lineup of pastries and donuts. Local art, hip-hop touches, and a relaxed work-friendly vibe make it a popular stop before games and concerts nearby.
Must-Try Dishes:
Ham & Gruyère Croissant, Chocolate Croissant, Iced Mocha Latte
What Makes it Special: Art-forward South Park café with specialty coffee and refined pastries.
8.2
A specialty coffee bar inside ROW DTLA that also turns out some of the area’s most distinctive donuts, especially their green tea and cereal-topped styles. It’s a polished, airy stop that pairs thoughtfully brewed coffee with dessert-leaning donuts made for lingering.
Must-Try Dishes:
Green tea (matcha) donut, Cinnamon Toast Crunch donut, Vietnamese iced coffee + donut pairing
What Makes it Special: Coffee-and-donut culture with standout matcha-driven pastries.
Worthy Picks
7.9
Tucked into a Fashion District mini-mall, DK Delicioso feels like a classic LA counter where workers grab strong coffee, fresh donuts, and breakfast sandwiches before heading to the garment showrooms. The selection leans old-school, with fritters, maple bars, and croissant sandwiches at very friendly prices.
Must-Try Dishes:
Apple Fritter, Maple Bacon Bliss Donut, Breakfast Croissant Sandwich
What Makes it Special: No-frills Fashion District shop serving generous, classic donuts for cheap.
7.9
A family-run donut shop that has held its corner of a Washington Blvd strip mall for three decades, drawing early-morning regulars with 4 AM openings and prices that feel frozen in time. The draw is straightforward—solid croissants, filled donuts, and soft-serve ice cream at a pace and price point that rewards showing up before the rest of Downtown wakes up.
Must-Try Dishes:
Croissants, Chocolate-Filled Donut, Breakfast Sandwich
What Makes it Special: Family-run donut shop operating for 30 years with some of the most affordable prices in Downtown LA, opening as early as 4 AM
7.8
A family-run French bakery and café near Pershing Square that anchors downtown mornings with serious bread and pastry craft. Croissants, baguettes, and tarts are the headliners, but the savory side—tartines, soups, salads—makes it an easy lunch stop too. Reliable, unfussy, and built for daily repeat visits.
Must-Try Dishes:
Almond croissant, Jambon-beurre baguette, Savory tartine
What Makes it Special: Classic French boulangerie execution in a downtown grab-and-go format.
#9
Donut Snob
7.7
A raised-donut specialist in the Arts District that builds each batch around inventive flavor pairings—torched marshmallow over milk chocolate, orange zest glaze on maple bacon—rather than standard glazed-and-sprinkled options. The small-batch format keeps the lineup tight and the textures dialed, drawing design-district foot traffic looking for a deliberate pastry stop over a quick sugar fix.
Must-Try Dishes:
Campfire, Razzy Lemon Lulu, The Oinker
What Makes it Special: Small-batch raised donuts handcrafted with off-the-wall flavor combinations like milk chocolate with torched marshmallow and maple bacon with orange zest glaze.