Pastry perfection. We were meeting up for a walking tour in the area and this was our recommended first stop, to fuel up before our adventure. I'm not sure about weekdays, although on a Saturday we easily found street parking in a residential area nearby. Also a note regarding Saturdays is to be prepared to wait patiently in line. While it moves quickly, a lot of people are also eager to get their treats, so the line can be a long one. We got a selection of different items and everyone in our group was happy. I went with the savory scone and it was one of the most delicious things ever. Bits of bacon, cheese, and green onions provide pops of flavor throughout the tender and just slightly crumbly texture of the scone. No notes. I'll take four more please. read more

A visit to Arsicault could easily convince you, you were in Paris. The high quality of ham they use in their Ham & Cheese croissant is the . When I get an itch to fly to Paris, I drive over an hour to get my fix. This is my happy place. Merci *Get there before noon so you aren't disappointed, cause they sell out!!!!!! read more

We planned a big New Year's brunch celebration this year, and my niece, a college student on a college budget, was in charge of bringing breakfast pastries. Wanting to do something special, she decided to splurge on pastries from Arsicault, a highly regarded and much-talked-about bakery she had been excited to visit. She shared how beautiful everything looked and how hard it was to choose. She ended up purchasing about a dozen pastries and arrived with a full box. Unfortunately, there was one major issue that completely impacted the experience, and I'm sharing this in hopes it helps future customers. The bakery staff did not mention (or offer) separating savory pastries from sweet ones. She purchased a few savory scones, bacon and cheddar - I believe, which were placed in the same box as the sweet pastries. By the time the box made it to our brunch, all of the sweet pastries had absorbed the strong savory flavor from the scones. The result was disappointing. The sweet pastries were completely overpowered and tasted unpleasant. I honestly couldn't even tell whether they were good to begin with because the savory flavor had taken over everything. It was such a shame, especially knowing how much she spent and how excited she was to bring something special. We truly wish the staff had suggested or automatically used a separate box. A small step like that would have made a huge difference. The pastries looked beautiful, but unfortunately, they did not taste good due to this issue. Hopefully this review can help prevent someone else from having the same experience. read more

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I've been to Arsicault twice now and it's easily one of the best bakeries I've ever been to! Everything is reasonable priced, and there's a variety of options. I've had the chocolate almond croissant, ham and cheese croissant, and the bacon chive scone. All of them were perfectly cooked, flaky, and had the perfect amount of filling. The chocolate croissant was warm and buttery, and had a gooey chocolate interior. The ham and cheese and chive scone are great savory options if you're a little hungrier. I was surprised by how filling everything was, it's great to come with multiple people so you can order more things and share! The first time I went on a Thursday afternoon, there was surprisingly no line at all! The second time I came it was Friday on July 4th and there were about 30 people in line- but it moved pretty quick, I think it took about 15minutes to order. Definitely lives up to the hype, everyone in sf or visiting needs to try! read more

Arsicault Bakery - Ham and cheese - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friends and I stopped by Arsicault and overall had a good experience. The almond croissant had great filling, and the layers and texture of the croissant were great. It was flaky and buttery but was on the sweeter side. I would've enjoyed it a bit more if it were less sweet or had a bit less powdered sugar on top. We also tried the ham and cheese croissant, which was just alright. It would've been better warmed up so the cheese would melt. The line was long but it moved quickly. We waited around 15 minutes on a weekend before noon which was reasonable given how popular the place is. I would recommend giving it a try for the croissants! read more

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In the Bay and had heard about this bakery and their croissants, so made a drive over to stand in a lengthy line (it went by fast) to try the croissants. Grabbed a chocolate croissant as it was early in the morning. First, the croissant. Very delicate, soft with a wonderful flaky outside with a nice crunch. Inside is pure softness mixed with a creamy chocolate. Probably one of the best croissants I've had, and that includes Paris. The chocolate almond croissant was also very flavorful with nice bits of almond coming through. The Kouign Amann, on the other hand, much different item. Nice sweet caramelization on the outside, soft on the inside, but I felt the flavor was lacking to some degree. Overall, definitely try the croissants, they are delicious. The Kouign Amann, up to you, but I say you can pass on it. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Chocolate croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Super long line but it moved quite quickly. The pastries were delicious especially the classic croissant. Unfortunately the chocolate almond croissant had so much paste in it, not sure what it was honestly and chocolate, I couldn't finish it. The morning bun was delicious, recently discovered those from another bakery. My favorite was the kouign Amann, which they said was their best seller and there is a reason why let me tell you. It is soooo crispy, fluffy, sweet, and the reason I will be coming back. I got a earl grey tea but didn't really get to try it because it was so hot I burnt myself twice, despite waiting 15-20 min for the next sip/ taking it out of the second cup it was in. No biggie. I took it home and put some ice in it. read more

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This is probably the best croissant I have ever had. The line on a Sunday morning was long but it goes pretty quick. Took maybe 20 min but I feel it was worth it and I just read my kindle in line. I tried the ham and cheese, as well as the chocolate almond. There's line ham and cheese is amazing and buttery flaky crust. The chocolate almond Wasn't too sweet and had a perfect balance. Good thing I don't live around here or I'd be getting a ham and cheese croissant every morning read more

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After living in the Bay Area for awhile, I finally was able to try out their "best" croissants to see if the hype was worth it. Came on a weekday and there was line 20+people, but moved flaky. Plain: star of the show, flakey and not heavy, what you'd want your croissant to be. If I went back again I'd repurchase Ham and cheese: good paring, cheese is salty enough to have a presence but not overpower the croissant Almond: unfortunately the wet paste adds sogginess to the croissant and the paste is a little too sweet for my liking. Also a small nuance but powdered sugar always gets messy. After taking it home, I put it in the toaster oven to heat up, doesn't help sogginess much read more

Arsicault Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

My wife loves bakeries. So when we were vacationing in San Francisco she had to look up some good bakeries and found this place. We took a Waymo from our hotel and it was in a nice residential neighborhood. The croissants were awesome, really light and fluffy. Seems they have a big neighborhood following, there was a lady there who goes there everyday. Hope to come back and try more stuff when we come to SF again. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Puff pastry - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Must try! Keep in mind there are two locations and lines can be long! We tried a regular croissant, chocolate almond and an almond. And they were so fresh and perfect amount of sweetness. We also got some shortbread cookies and definitely a unique flavor. This particular location didn't feel the safest but once your inside it was okay. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I shared some of their pastries with someone visiting the city. It was a first time for both of us. While there was a 20+ person line, it took about 10-15 min until we got to order. We ordered a chocolate almond croissant, chocolate croissant, and a chocolate chip cookie. The almond croissant was surprisingly not too sweet as I've previously had some that were almost coated in sweetness. The chocolate croissant was nice and fresh and the croissants were buttery and flaky. Fyi the chocolate portion is melted as some people may like to bite into a piece of chocolate for their chocolate croissant. The chocolate chip cookie had a crunchy exterior and tons of chocolate in the middle. The amount of chocolate for the cookie was overwhelming for my taste. The shop is small so only 1-2 groups can go in at a time and has no indoor or outdoor seating. We ended up taking ours to bakers beach for the view. read more

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Solid bakery with really good baked goods. Everything tasted fresh and high quality. It can get crowded, but the food makes it worth the wait. read more

TL;DR: one of the best bakeries around and the line out the door should be an indicator. I'm from Los Angeles and I always thought we have no shortage of excellent bakeries, but Arsicault manages to stand apart. I guess San Francisco just has great food and that's no surprise. The line itself should already tell you what you need to know. People are lined up daily, sometimes for long stretches, just to get their hands on these pastries Even if you're used to New York's diverse pastry scene, Arsicault's offerings feel like they are always better than you expected. Chocolate chip croissant. You can't go wrong! read more

If this isn't the best damn almond croissant I've ever had in my life... I don't know what is. Seriously, everything they bake here is well worth the trip and the line. read more

I think this place is way overhyped and not worth the 20-30 minute wait in line. My friends and I did a croissant crawl on a Sunday and this was stop #2. While the croissant and crispy and flaky on the outside, it lacked flavor; I barely tasted butter. The croissant at our first stop (Le Marais Bakery) was a lot better and had a more authentic French taste. There is some outdoor seating, but on Sundays, there is a farmers market right outside the bakery so it's hard to get a table. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Plain croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

After trying all the menu items I am interested in, I can now say my ranking is the following: 1. Ham and cheese croissant - 5/5 2. Morning bun - 5/5 (so fluffy and light with delicious cinnamon sugar) 3. Kouign amann - 4.75/5 (a tad on the sweeter side) 4. monkey bread - 4.5/5 (more dense than the above two) 5. savory scone - 4.25/5 6. Chocolate almond croissant - 4/5 (this was quite sweet) 7. chocolate chip cookie - 3.75/5 (I prefer thick cookies) Honestly, all the items are excellent so I would say you really can't go wrong. read more

Be prepared to wait in line for this. I waited for about 30 minutes on a Sunday morning. The store is pretty small, and they only let one party in at a time to order. But it's worth the wait though! I ended up getting the almond croissant, kouign amann, and cranberry coconut scone. Everything was so yummy. The croissant was flaky and buttery. The scone was not dry at all. But I didn't taste too much of the coconut flavor tho. read more

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I've had Arsicault bookmarked for 5 years and made it a point to stop here on my most recent trip to SF. People aren't kidding about the lines, granted their storefront is small and only allows one party at a time but they are efficient and move very quickly. I must have waited less than 30 minutes around 9:30AM on a Saturday morning. I picked up a variety of croissants to bring home on a one-hour flight back to OC. I wish I'd tried one while it was still fresh out of the oven, but even later, the chocolate croissants were impressively light and flaky. Definitely worth the stop although I think IZOLA in San Diego still serves the best croissants in California. Update* I airfryed the Almond Croissant and it was probably one of the best almond croissant I've had. The filling was perfect with the right amount of sweetness and the pastry was flaky. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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These croissants are insane! So insanely flakey, crispy, and buttery. I've had a lot of great croissants and this is one of the best! I love that the chocolate croissant has loads of dark chocolate. It's not overly done and not in hard sticks but smoothed. It was one of the best chocolate croissants I've had. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Chocolate croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Such a good deal, so fresh, and worth the hype. I came here 10 mins from opening on Sunday morning and I didn't wait longer than 20 mins in line. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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One of my favorite places in the bay to get croissants! My personal favorite is the ham & cheese croissant and it's always fire. If I want something sweet then the chocolate & almond croissant is my pick. They are only to-go and usually the line looks pretty long but it moves surprisingly faster than you think. Make sure to come early enough in the day or else they start selling out of items. read more

Arsicault Bakery - ham & cheese croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

WHEN: Sun @8:30am There's a line as expected, which is why I got out so my partner could go find parking. The sidewalk is clearly marked where to line up so we aren't blocking the sidewalk way. Parking is difficult since it's as also Farmer's Market day, with loads of wonderful vendors. I appreciate the "menu" being clearly listed on the window big enough for us to read at a distance. So I didn't take long once it was my turn to order 20 minutes later! The Bakery is quite small and the staff are so friendly and effeminate. They will queue in one part of customer at a time, and in some cases, there is an additional 10 minute wait for croissants. Which I don't mind since it meant my croissant will be warm and fresh! Here's what I ordered: PLAIN CROISSANT - $4.75 Yeah I see what the hype is all about. So buttery, light, flakey, oh man. SO good. ALMOND CROISSANT - $5.75 The almond filing was custardy and the croissant part didn't taste twice-baked, which I liked cuz that meant it was still soft with the right amount of flakey crunchiness. I really enjoyed this! HAM AND CHEESE CROISSANT - $6.75 I think the only ready this was good was the croissant. Everything else is fine. I still have my favorite spot for a ham and Swiss croissant in the east bay (Crispian). But it's a nice simple quick breakfast. KOUIGN AMANN - $5 I got this remember it was the best Kouign Amann Iever had! But this time it wasn't as sweet. It didn't have that thick sugary shell like the other location. Don't get me wrong, it's still good but more subtle on the sweet side. It's like paying a quarter to sweeten your plain croissant. LARGE DRIP COFFEE - $3.25 I appreciate how the coffee isn't over priced. Actually I appreciate how as popular as it is, the prices were reasonable. 20 minutes was not bad of a wait, and it was worth experiencing the best croissant in the Bay Area. read more

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When it comes to Kouign Amman and croissants, Arsicault is my fav place to visit. The pastries are light, flaky and delicious. The ham and cheese are another favorite of mine. Staff are friendly and quickly move the line along. Always look forward to stopping by here when I'm nearby. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Croissant and kouign Amman - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best. Croissants. Hands Down. Well worth standing in line! My friend (who is a French woman, discerning and well travelled) pronounced these croissants "most excellent." There is no higher praise coming from a French woman! read more

Popular bakery known for croissants. Came here with my boyfriend on a Friday morning for breakfast and there was a line, but it moved quickly. There is some indoor and outdoor seating available. We got a ham and cheese croissant that was freshly made so they called my name when it was ready. We had a chocolate croissant as well - the croissant was perfectly flaky and delicious. I can see why this place is so popular. Credit cards accepted. read more

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Arsicault Bakery has been in my SF bookmarks for a while. Finally got a chance to stop by and order to my hearts content. The trick to avoid long lines or having them sell out is to go on a weekday. I stopped by around noon on a Wednesday and there was no line. But by the time I finished placing my order (2-3 minutes tops), there was a small line outside the door. Since it was my first time, I basically ordered one of everything for myself and my family, and extra pasties for a work gathering. My total for roughly 16-18 various croissants was a little over $120. Literally every single thing I got was delicious. The biggest stand outs for me was the chocolate chip cookie, chocolate croissant, and regular croissant. The almond chocolate croissant was really good, but a bit heavy on the almond paste for my liking. Had to scrape some of it off in order to finish it. Service was mediocre. The ladies were kind of pushy since they only allowed one customer/party in the shop at a time and had to go quickly. No pleasantries, just straight to business. I'd definitely still come back for the quality products. They were a huge hit with the family and work! read more

Came around noon on Sunday and the line has about 30 ppl. It took about 20 min since only one party was allowed in at a time, but it felt like the line moved along quickly. The chocolate croissants were so delicious, and the chocolate melted at the first bite! They're huge and definitely worth the $6! Take a look at the menu ahead of time so you're ready to order when it's your turn read more

Arsicault Bakery - Storefront - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

To go only bakery shop. There is no seating and the shop is small. If I am not mistaken this is the first shop location. When we arrived there was long line but it move pretty quickly. When we left there was still many people waiting in line. There are plenty choices of pastries. Croissant is yummy. It is worth the wait. I like the cookies. read more

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Get yourself ready! Find parking, make sure to pay for at least a good hour! Get in line, have a game plan what you want and enjoy people watching while you wait! On a Saturday, the wait line was astonishingly "short" 20/25 minutes! Bought the chocolate almond croissant and oh my! It's hefty and so tasty with the almond filling and then you get this Chocolate squares surprise!!! So delicious! I would sacrifice time for another go to! Update! I also bought the kouign amann and had it for breakfast the following morning - stores it an airtight container the night before, heated it at low temp in an airfryer for 2 mins and that baby came out perfect! Soft, moist and so tastefully baked! read more

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Phenomenal bakery that truly has some delicious croissants. While I think their regular croissants are a little plain, their chocolate croissants are insanely good and full of flavor. They are all reasonably priced and while there might be a line outside the door, it's mainly because they only allow one party inside at one time. But at least you can enjoy the freshly baked good smell as you wait. read more

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These are the best croissants I've ever had! My favorites were the kouign amann and almond croissant. I went on a weekday, and the line moved pretty quickly. Parking is tough though. read more

I always in a hunt for a good croissant in San Francisco. There is hype over this place I pass by it all the time in the Inner Richmond in San Francisco. There is always a line at this place on Arguello and I had to grab the ham and cheese croissant and the scone at the Arsicault . I say the best ham and cheese croissant in San Francisco . It wasn't too cheesy and hammy but it was a bit flakey. It was savory and delicious. The scone was also very savory and it was tasty with a soft texture. Even though I didn't get anything too sweet here it does have sweet baked items available by availability. This place is a good place to grab some croissants to go. Arsicault in San Francisco has the best ham and cheese croissant It's a San Francisco bakery and not a restaurant read more

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One of our top favorite croissant places in the city! I absolutely hate parking in the city but would do it any day for these. The line may look very long if you don't come early (before 10:30) but it goes by pretty quickly! The staff is so friendly and efficient at getting your orders out as soon as you order and pay! There's no sitting inside so it's a pick up and go situation but there's sometimes a farmers market on sundays right around the corner so you can grab and walk around! The croissants come out nice and warm and are even more delicious when eaten fresh! read more

Arsicault Bakery - Ham and cheese croissants - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Husband was craving pastries this morning so we made the trek to SF. We got to Arsicault around 10 and the line was fairly long. I think it took us about 30 mins to get to the front. Just as an FYI we stayed in the area and the line pretty much stayed the same length the entire time. There were plenty of street parking in the neighborhood- both paid and unpaid. Arsicault is not a sit down. It's a fairly small storefront. You go in, order from the cashier, your order gets bagged, and you leave. There's literally only space for probably 3 people comfortably. Most people went next door to the coffee shop to eat, BUT please order something there too! Their menu is small. But I think that this is to their benefit. It's limited but they do it well. We got the kouign amann which is what they're known for. It's sweet, light, and flaky. Overall very delicious. We also got the chocolate almond croissant. They give you plenty of the filling so this can feel a bit heavy to eat. Overall, the pastries were delicious. The line goes by pretty quickly. read more

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Does Arsicault even need another top review to convince you? These pastry's are TRULY so delicious. The butter used just has that taste that leaves you wanting more. Perfectly crunchy, flakey and soft. Personally the almond croissant is the star for me, I've never been interested in almond croissants until having them here. I will say that, for me personally, I find their pastry's a bit too oily. That is a personal preference for me. Small and mighty store! And a long line so get there early or at an odd hour. The line does move fast. Highly recommend! read more

Arsicault Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love love the croissants at Arsicault. They're my favorite croissants in SF and the chocolate croissant is to die for. I also love the ham & cheese croissant if you prefer a savory breakfast. What really makes them special is how buttery the layers are and the flavor really beats other bakeries in the city. read more

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Elite foodie destination. Run, don't walk to Arsicault's bakery. Anything you get here will be fire. Ham and Swiss for savory, almond/chocolate almond for sweet. There are very few bakeries that get croissants both flakey and crispy and this place is one of them. read more

Arsicault Bakery - Almond croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Drove up here after hearing my friends and coworkers rave about this place. It did not disappoint! The croissants are so light, crispy, and fluffy. I tried to plain, almond, and chocolate. To each their own, but I'm a plain pastry person and it had me hooked. Can't wait to go back. read more

My favorite croissant in sf! Airy and soft. The line can be very long sometimes on the weekends. I'd recommend going on a weekday. read more

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