Best Donuts Restaurants in Financial District
5 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
D.R.E.A.M. Doughnuts (Ferry Plaza Farmers Market)
Culinary Institute–born recipes with Filipino and travel-inspired flavors.
Notable Picks
Female- and immigrant-founded small-batch outfit (since 2020) turning out polished, CIA-honed doughnuts at the Saturday Ferry Plaza market. Glazes and fillings spotlight ube, Madagascar vanilla, and Belgian chocolate.
Must-Try Dishes:
The O.G. (Madagascar Vanilla Bean Glaze), Ooh Baby (Ube Filled & Glazed), Napa Creme (Belgian Chocolate + Vanilla Bean Cream)
What Makes it Special: Culinary Institute–born recipes with Filipino and travel-inspired flavors.
8.1
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Portuguese-style malasadas with Hawaiian-Filipino flavors served daily inside the Ferry Building. Owner Randy Santos riffs with fillings like passionfruit and ube for warm, sugar-dusted dough straight from the fryer.
Must-Try Dishes:
Ube Malasada, Passionfruit Malasada, Classic Sugar Malasada
What Makes it Special: Fresh-fried malasadas with Hawaii-meets-Filipino flavors.
Worthy Picks
#3
Whack Donuts
7.9
Vegan doughnuts with inventive flavors from a pop-up turned permanent at Embarcadero Center. Expect small-batch glazes like Thai tea and chocolate peppermint with efficient counter service for the FiDi crowd.
Must-Try Dishes:
Thai Tea Doughnut, Chocolate Peppermint Doughnut, Carrot Cake Doughnut
What Makes it Special: Creative, fully vegan doughnuts in downtown SF.
Longstanding gluten-free bakeshop at the Ferry Building offering seasonal doughnuts alongside pastries and breads. Cider-spiced rings and cinnamon-sugar bites give donut-lovers a dedicated GF option.
Must-Try Dishes:
Apple Cider Donuts (seasonal), Cinnamon-Sugar Donut Bites, Chocolate-Glazed Donut
What Makes it Special: Dedicated gluten-free bakery with seasonal doughnuts.
#5
Happy Donuts
7.8
A cash-only, around-the-clock donut counter in the Financial District built on oversized apple fritters and no-nonsense classics at prices that barely register. The draw is speed, volume, and reliability—walk in at any hour, grab a fritter or a breakfast sandwich, and walk out fed for pocket change. It delivers exactly what it promises without pretending to be anything else.
Must-Try Dishes:
Apple Fritters, Glazed Donuts, Breakfast Sandwiches
What Makes it Special: Cash-only, no-frills donut counter in the Financial District turning out oversized apple fritters around the clock