I spent some time in Paris last summer and everywhere I walked I could find a cute boulangerie where I’d order a quiche and continue on my way. When I got back to LA, I noticed we don’t really have places like that. Most places serve quiche as a slice of the pie. When I took a vacation to San Francisco I was overjoyed to find an actual French boulangerie with the exact kind of quiche lorraine I loved in Paris; a whole mini pie with the super flaky pastry crust that they’d warm up for you on the spot. Just perfect. Luckily it was as delicious as the ones I had in France. and only 6 hours away instead of a whole ocean!
Suz q.
Rating des Ortes: 1 San Mateo, CA
Our family is a la Boulange now la boulangerie de SF fan club. After today’s experience, I have no interest in going back to any of the locations. The food here was meaningfully worse than others. The almond croissant filling was almost nonexistent, and it was overlooked. The bread pudding slice was a little more than half the thickness it usually is. But most important to us, the service was terrible. We arrived after having driven for an hour and my toddler daughter had to use the restroom urgently. We got a rude look and since there is no restroom, I asked where nearby we could go. The? manager? Shared condescendingly, no where. Thankfully other customers thoughtfully pitched in and shared locations. This experience seriously made me want to throw away our la Boulange kitchen towels.
Diane Z.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Belmont, CA
Great bakery and great service! Surprisingly, their coffee is the best I have ever had!!!
Riana C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
Best(and cutest) cold brew coffee I’ve ever had! It’s strong but not bitter, smooth without an aftertaste, and not too grainy/beany. My new fav cold brew in SF. My boyfriend loves palmiers and we got a bag of the mini’s which runs about $ 8. They were perfect! Sweet but not overpowered by too much demerara sugar and crunchy but not messily flaky. The chocolate croissant was well balanced between croissant and chocolate sticks!(The ones at Starbucks ones are too heavy on the chocolate stick side… and I love chocolate.) The seating space is limited but it’s really cute and nestled up close to the bakery. The vibe and ambiance inside is quaint and clean. I will be back next time I’m in the neighborhood and will try more items!
Nina H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Fremont, CA
Finally came to this original store after last year’s massive closure in sf city! Every pastry remains the same like before! And taste is also the same like before!!! Very happy with it! But price goes up a little bit.
Naty D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
Love my neighborhood bakery! Ecstatic that they are still around after the whole Starbucks fiasco. Fantastic bread, pastry, and sandwiches. My favorite breads are their walnut in peasant or baguette, Pine, whole wheat honey sandwich bread and brioche loaf which is perfect for weekend french toast at home. I loved bringing home their homemade hazelnut jam with a walnut baguette, tempted to eat the whole thing before I get home but I haven’t seen them carry it in awhile. I miss having weekend dinners there when they offered it. I wish we went every weekend now that they don’t do it anymore. It was a real treat! Hopeful they bring it back.
Carrie X.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Menlo Park, CA
Got the hazelnut chocolate croissants here and they were the bomb! The croissant was flaky and I could taste the individual layers when I bit through. The chocolate and hazelnut filling was very generous; it wasn’t a sugary paste but a rich chunk of chocolate and hazelnut(almost fudge-like in texture). The only slight con was a very slight sogginess around the filling but I’ve found that to be the case for any filled croissant when left out for a few hours.
Jenny H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Jose, CA
I LOVE the croissants here! I would recommend any of the square flat croissants(my favorite)! It’s flakey, thin, and light. Coffee is also ridiculously good. There’s usually a line in the morning before work, but it’s not a long wait at all. I’m still in the process of trying everything they have to offer :). Can this get any better?
C N.
Rating des Ortes: 3 San Francisco, CA
I have alway loved the La Boulange cafes and was a daily patron at the Union St. location –until it was sold to Starbucks. I was also one of the people in the long line on Pine St. when the bakery and franchises were closing –and was one of those who rejoiced when it was bought back by the original owner. My favorites were the chocolate fondant, the flourless chocolate cake and the pain de mie bread. And the coffees were great. We all thought it would return to the glory days before Starbucks. Sadly, it has not. The pain de lie is not made at the Pine St. location and it just isn’t very good. The chocolate fondant is back but not with the dense chocolate taste. The personnel also isn’t the same. You have perfectly nice people at the cafes but generally not knowledgeable or as charming as in the old days. The exception are the guys with French accent at the Pine St. location who remind me of the best of the La Boulange businesses. It seems the owner is cutting costs this time around so there are fewer personnel at all locations and a more limited selection of pastries(with raised prices) Pine St. is still the best. The cafes are much more run of the mill which pains those of us who remember the good old days and hope the owner returns to those.
Linda X.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Francisco, CA
Great service and food. There’s several small tables in the back that are nice for reading or getting some work done. I got a bottle of almond chai($ 4.50) which was refreshing. My boyfriend and I grabbed a vegetable quiche($ 5) and hazelnut chocolate croissant that they kindly heated up for us. I thought the quiche was amazing! The crust was perfectly baked and the flavor was spot on. The croissant was very tasty but a little too rich for me to eat more than a few bites.
Lisa I.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Francisco, CA
I miss La Boulange, but La Boulangerie’s swanky and Paris reminiscent shop on Pine is a good replacement. I stopped in here early on a Saturday morning for a pastry and to really just be a little nosy to see what was going on since it had opened(…or re-opened?). In stepping up to order, there was absolutely no surliness by the person behind the counter, and there was the offering to warm up my almond croissant if I was going to be eating in. I appreciated the gesture and warm conversation, and wished I could have had the warmed up option. The croissant, just like all things French and fantastic, was delicious, and I particularly liked the simple and sweet taste of almond paste inside the croissant. Their choux selection looked fantastic, and the beautiful loaves of bread for sale were equally tempting. I definitely will be back here to pick up more delicious treats when I’m back in the neighborhood!
Lauren C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Henderson, NV
I had some time to kill while my husband went shark diving. Obviously I was going to use this time to make my own food crawl with sweets being the main food. After some research I found that this bakery was regarded as one of the best bakeries in the city. This spot is in a mostly residential area so it had a relaxed vibe on a Sunday morning. Parking nearby wasn’t difficult either. I came in planning to get French macarons, but didn’t end up leaving with just that. I had to use real self control to avoid buying half of the case because there were so many good options. They had a wide variety of flavor options for macarons including pistachio which is one of my all time favorite flavors. The macarons were the perfect texture, exactly how a macaron should be. They boxed them up in a super cute box that kept them the perfect texture so that I could enjoy them back at the hotel as well. My impulse buy was a quiche. C’mon, it’s a French bakery! The quiche was a good choice. The crust was perfectly buttery and flaky and baked to a nice brown. The filling inside was delicious and perfectly baked.
Donna H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
I loved La Boulange! I LOVE Pascal Rigo’s new La Boulangerie de San Francisco. First off, I am thrilled to see familiar faces behind the counter, which is fabulous. These hardworking people did not deserve the shaft from S******ks. I am happy they decided to stay. I am thrilled Pascal Rigo saved my neighborhood bakery. Now, to the new place in the old space, same counter, new paint on the walls, new checkout system has added a little speed to the checkout and an itemized receipt. Cold case behind with fruit & ?? Because I did not look. The stuff IN the display counters and in the bread baskets, nirvana. I ordered old favorites like almond croissant, apple turnovers and they were as they always have been, deeeelicious. I wanted a lemon tart, but, some greedy swine came in before me and bought all they had. The pear tart and the chocolate tarts, amazing. I saw croque monsieurs, so happy dance! Many things to try for my weekly visits, welcome back!!! I’m a regular and will remain a loyal customer!
Guillaume B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
This is it !!! The new La Boulangerie de SF is open ! La Boulange 2.0 with so many upgrade but still the same atmosphere and experience ! Go there early if you want to have some choice !!! Like in any French Bakery !
Amy W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
YEAH — It is back baby — Good ridance to mean old Starbucks for taking it away, Thanks Pascal for bringing it back — though — If I had $ 50 Million in the bank I might have retired. Today was day one — It was busy, lots of samples to be had, and lots of old favorites. I am loving the rum rasin danish!
Joanna T.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
This bakery has a lot of love & forethought put into it. When Pascal Rigo opened up La Boulange, there was no other French bakery like this in San Francisco. The products were authentic. The ingredients were & are top-notch. I grew to be a regular part of the Pacific Heights neighborhood. The desserts like the Tropizienne & macarons were just like in France. Incredibly fresh and flavorful food with that high quality French standard attached to all food made. Always happy to see regular staff with their smiling faces & a polite inquiry of help. Established over 15 years ago, it is still one of my favorite bakeries in San Francisco.
Victor G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Oakland, CA
La Boulange de Pine had displays of pastries 2ish but i felt strange, standoffish vibes from the cashier so just got the coffee brew:(la maison?) Lg.2. –strong, smooth, slighty herby taste. 3.5 stars
Libby J.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Altos, CA
The closing of La Boulange(s) will be a hard blow for SF. Yeah, Starbucks still carries their pastries, but this doesn’t even come close to mimicking the full selection, quality, or atmosphere from visiting an actual location. I’ll leave the much debated decision to the web. Atmosphere: This location has that super authentic feel to it almost transporting your senses into a little French café. Why this location shines: –Samples! Three samples — the breads and jams, a tart, and the macarons. –Quaint with little tables in the back right near where the bread is baked… the bakery scent wafts. You can eat your lunch there or let your mind wander as you sip a coffee, munch a pastry, and read a book. The location is smaller than the one on Fillmore, but the pastry selection is larger. –Awesome coffee! Caf or decaf easily dispensed. They also have stevia packets, which few places supply. Can’t wait to visit this little Paris café… oh wait, La Boulange location again!
Julie D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
THISPLACEISAMAZING!!! I’m a huge fan of Bay Bread since my high school year. It never disappoints. The place is very casual and cute French themed café. The staff is always prompt and attentive, but be warned It is often hard to find a street parking spot. All items — plain, almond, chocolate, apple, ham n cheese, cinnamon raisin, sandwiches, French onion soup and the list goes on… are all delectable. Also, if you love deserts then this is the place for you. Croissants are always my MUST purchase piece of item here. Pricey, but tasting that real butter is worth paying for… YUM !!! I absolutely love this place La Boulange, you complete me. Seriously, if you don’t then maybe you should just stop eating food altogether.
Erik H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
A little taste of Paris de San Francisco. It is almost so perfect that I actually order en francais when here. Yes that is pretentious, but you can kind of get that snooty vibe here especially from the elder French lady who I think is part of the family that sold to Starbucks. As my French friends say, she’s not rude, she’s just Parisian! Actually the people here are awesome! And more importantly the bakery is all you can ask for and more if you want a slice of France. The croissants are crispy and have just the right amount of filling and sweetness. Definitely get the classic pain au chocolat or the almond croissant or both. The quiches are also amazing! I usually get the«jambon et fromage»(ham and cheese) or quiche lorraine. Oh wait! I know it is sacrilege in SF, the city of sourdough, but while there on weekends, pick up some of their fresh baguettes for your dinner party! Great for your brie cheese hors d’oeuvres, pâté, or foie gras(now that the silly ban is lifted). Can this get better? Yes! On weekends they usually have a prix fixe country French dinner with vegetables, roast chicken, pork or salmon, dessert, etc. I haven’t been in a while. It is really romantic and is first come first served! Some say this place has changed after Starbucks bought them, but I beg to differ. I don’t even think(I might be wrong) they even serve Starbucks coffee. This is the original location and is the only one I go to because I love the vibe and have been told the other ones are a little less French and more lounge/café than a boulangerie feeling.
Kathy S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 South Pasadena, États-Unis
walnut baguette, hazelnut chocolate croissant, and morning bun is the best!!!