Went and bought the lemon bar and the key lime bar and the cherry brownie all were excellent I am never disappointed with the bakery good service yummy baked goods read more

Just ok. We finally took the family in for breakfast. We live in the area and I frequent them quite often for a box of chocolate croissants as a gift for when we are invited over to friends homes. I am sad to say that I will not be back after the experience we had this time. The forgot parts of our order, poor service, silverware was dirty, the large chai tea was maybe 8oz, cheap paper napkins, I could go on. For a breakfast close to $80 for a table of 4 in a competitive area of Arcadia I would expect a little more. It is a cute little place with a lot of potential if they class it up a bit. The pastries are amazing. Wish the owners the best of luck but we won't be back. read more

Love this place! Was our first breakfast stop during our Phoenix vacation. Super cute, and the food is yummy! I had the Huevos Frenchos. It was the chefs version of Huevos Racheros. The eggs just melted in your mouth! We even went back before we got on the airplane to grab some of their homemade macaroons! read more

Once you get past the fabulous design of this space (beautiful yet warm & inviting), you'll find some delicious food! The pastries (and any sandwich that comes on croissant) are falky buttery bliss! Egg dishes are delightful, both breakfasts and the egg salad sandwich. Love the macarons! read more

I really wanted to like this place but my first visit was disappointing. I got a iced coffee and ordered to go. The iced coffee was great and the person who rang me up was super nice and helpful. I ordered the huevos frenchos with bacon which sounded delicious. After 35 minutes (I came in at 11 so it was not busy at all) I finally got my food and left to eat at home. When I got home (I only live 2 minutes away) there was no bacon and the eggs were super cold. It was just flavorless potatoes and cold eggs so I ended up just making myself a breakfast with the potatoes and my owns eggs. I would have gone back but I never got a receipt and I was starving so I didn't want to go back and wait for a whole new meal. It was just disappointing I was super excited for a new breakfast place in my neighborhood. I used to work in restaurants so I know that employees don't pay attention to the details when it gets slow but simply printing a receipt would have helped me. read more

I ordered the Greek meatball special and it arrived to the table burned - not simply overcooked but half black. I showed the assistant manager and she stared at me and simply said "thanks for letting me know" and walked away, never to be seen or heard from again. My response to this below average food and service will be the same - to walk away and never return again A cooking mistake is sometimes forgivable but poor management is not. read more

Met a friend there for some breakfast. I'm not usually a big fan of bakery type places but this was excellent. You order at the counter. The decor is modern and minimalist. A very nice environment. I had "The Big Breakfast." 2 eggs, mashed potato cake, sausage, mushrooms, and a baguette. Everything was perfect. The eggs were cooked perfectly(over medium), the sausage tasty, the potatoes were well made and finally the mushrooms were perfectly sautéed. I like things simple and well made. Each item was perfectly prepared and they all complimented each other nicely. Finally their Nicaraguan Organic coffee is smooth and strong. No hints of corporate coffee here. Seriously good breakfast. I can't wait to head back and try something else. read more

Wow. Croissants tres bien. Owners were wonderful. We Just moved to Arcadia from Gilbert, and may have just found our new favorite breakfast spot. read more

I wanted so badly to fall in love but I didn't. Took friend to lunch today, she ordered spinach parmesan soup. 5 leaves of spinach in clear broth topped with "cheese"? She said it tasted like egg and it sure looked it. I ordered Lemon Basil Chicken Sandwich. Now I made a mistake as I expected Chicken Salad. But I've had better sandwiches from the GROCERY STORE! Bun cold and not soft or crunchy...plain nothingness. A tiny portion of "salad" on the bun. No lettuce, tomato..a good pickle slice but that's it. Just a disappointment all the way around. At least could have toasted the bun...or given me a choice of toasted or not..or other bread choices. NO bun costs $8.50! It was all bread. Fancy 2 inch (Largest) cookies are $3.00 each. Smaller ones are $17 per dz. Gheesh! Yikes! read more

A coworker who lives in Tempe originally suggested I try Essence. My first visit was to buy croissants for a meeting at the office and my highly picky boss (he says nobody can beat his wife's baking) asked me where I got them. SCORE! The next three or so times I got the egg salad sandwich. I can't eat cheese or mushrooms so I am very limited by menus. But I love egg salad. Each time over a many month time span I had egg shells in the egg salad (YUCK). I see a problem they need to work on there. Nobody wants to eat egg shells. So the next visit I decided to spend the extra money and I got the chicken pot pie and I fell in love! Their chicken pot pie is not traditionally made with pie dough. They put it in a flaky pastry. It has chicken, peas and carrots (no mushrooms). I have gotten this twice and it is a big hit with me. I also get a pastry each time and all have been good. read more

where to start. Lets start with todays breakfast special. Eggs Benedict. Most places that serve the good ole eggs Benedict you get watery, crappy tasting hollandaise. Not at Essence! It is silky, smooth, and has a slight tang too it. It is one of THE best hollandaise that I have ever tasted. Eggs poached to perfection, fluffy buttery brioche, crispy potatoes..my mouth is watering just thinking about it. GIVE ME MORE!...ok moving on. along with my delicious breakfast I got a caramel latte. I am a stickler when it comes to espresso, and the lady who did mine this morning had that barista magic. temp was right on point, nice creamy smooth foam. loved how the caramel did not over power the espresso. All in all two thumbs up! keep doin ya thang Essence! read more

Love this place! Had the vegetarian special on Thursday and it was perfection. Veggie side salad crisp and lemon dressing light and flavorful. BUT the coconut cream pie I ordered for my husband's birthday is hands down the best we've ever had!! Instead of custard or cream, Eugenia whips up the creamiest meringue to top this pie. A must try for you coconut lovers! read more

We had the most amazing breakfast at Essence! The owners are wonderful. They take time to come and chat to you. The sweets are to die for! We couldn't eat everything we wanted so we bought some extra home for dessert later today read more

One of my favorite spots! Great vegetarian options. Their caramel macaroon is the best!

This place is a wonderful combination of first-class food, made-from-scratch with local organic sources, in a non-fussy setting. Breakfast is a dream, with choices of things such as French scrambled eggs with Dijon mustard and Parmesan cheese, homemade hot cereal with homemade yogurt, and brioche French toast. Lunch is equally great with Greek and French inspired dishes and one of my favorites - homemade soup with toasted baguette. The pain au chocolat is terrific - best I've had in Phoenix. There are all sorts of other French pastries, some of which change based on the fresh fruit available. The proprietors greet you as if you are dining at their house. Staff is also terrific and friendly. I am there regularly and love it. read more

I'll go out if my way to come here for the Rum Vanilla Bean macaroons and chocolate croissants, by far my favorite in town. Unfortunately there is no wi-fi here so I can't really sit and work while I have my coffee in the morning. The owner isn't as friendly and I've had her interrupt the person helping me while we're having a conversation. Food is great, service could be better. read more

I've frequented Essence Bakery many times because I live in the area and generally have had an "ok" experience. Generally I would not write a review for ANY establishment on Yelp but I feel compelled to do so because I am appalled by what I experienced. My first impression walking into Essence Bakery is a little underwhelming. The pastry case is rather small and the selection is always barren by mid morning. For a "bakery" there should be a larger selection of pastries and desserts at ALL times. The French macarons are fabulous and the pastries are good, but the wait time for any order of food is horrible. Even when the place is empty I have waited far too long for a simple plate of eggs. The customer service on the other hand is great! The employees are very welcoming when you enter and greet you with a pleasant "hello, how are you!" and a smile! Throughout your dining experience they ask you how your food is which is great for a fast casual cafe! I used to be a waitress so I appreciate the work they are doing. The restaurant concept is fast casual so the employees are not waiters and customers should not expect to be waited on hand and foot (as I have read from other reviews). The FOH employees seem pleasant and competent! The reason I was so appalled the other day was because of the owner. She is rude and extremely abrasive. She seemed pleasant upon entering, as she was at the front greeting customers but as I was dining I noticed something horrible. She pulled each FOH employee aside and completely yelled and berated them in the kitchen. Even though she thought she was being discrete behind the door the whole restaurant could hear. Managing your employees is a crucial aspect to being a restaurant owner and she failed. Yelling at your employees is unacceptable, even behind closed doors. If you have an issue with an employee you should be able to speak in a normal tone and preferably after hours when they are not on the clock. This an extremely abusive tactic to manage employees and I have never known an owner to be micro-managing the FOH. That is why people hire managers!! I used to like Essence Bakery but I really do not think I will come back ever again, the food isn't that good to over come my complete disgust with the owner. I feel sorry for her employees, they deserve better than to be berated and embarrassed when they are doing their best. My last note is that there is no WiFi. It's 2017 come on. I was told by an FOH employee that the owner prefers that customers interact! She was apologetic for the inconvenience and I appreciated it, but yet again a downfall of the owner. If you want to have a fast casual cafe than people will expect you to have wifi. Now if you were an actual restaurant with a waiting staff than wifi would not be necessary. Just overall horrible ownership. Never returning purely because of the owner. read more

I'm a bit at a loss for words to describe how much I and my entire family love this place. This review is focused on their baked goods. The baguettes are crispy and tasty, just like in France, and their croissants and pains au chocolat, too. I especially like that they have two bars of chocolate in the pains au chocolat (it's basically a double pain au chocolat). You do have to be careful to time your visit, as sometimes they have not yet finished baking the bread, and there's no set time when you know for certain it will be done every morning (I'm talking about showing up around opening times fyi). Anyways, we always make a point to stop here and get these pastries for breakfast when we're in town. And the brioche is delicious, too! The owners are very friendly and great to talk with. Highly recommend. This is the best place for viennoiseries we've found, and we've been test tasting a bunch of places in LA, too! If only Essence were (also) in LA...we're still on the hunt for a place on par with their viennoiseries. read more

Overpriced and inconsistent food quality and service. We waited over 20 minutes for our lunch to go and received ice cold chicken pot pie. On past occasions, regularly burnt brioche buns on our sandwiches. Disappointing to say the least. read more

I originally was recommended to the Essence Bakery in Tempe by 2 friends. But we went over there on a Saturday morning and it was packed! Which is not a bad thing, but we were hungry right then, so we left. We were really excited when the Arcadia location opened up because it's a lot closer to us. We've been to this location several times and we really do like the atmosphere that fits right in with the "Arcadia style". You can walk in the front door or the back door and people will greet you with a friendly smile. We've been in enough that the owner Eugenia knows us and always makes a point to say hello to us, which we love and appreciate. And about the food... I've had 4 kinds of croissants and they are ALL DELICIOUS. The almond croissant and the almond chocolate croissant have a really unique flavor. And for those of you who like a more savory croissant, then the Gruyère is for you. It's not covered in cheese, it's somehow folded in to the pastry. Essence has other things as well such as Macarons and éclairs which are also very very good. In addition they have a nice breakfast and lunch menu. I highly recommend checking it out. I know we'll be back again and again. read more

this is a nice little place tucked away off Indian school. The food was good I just felt the menu was limited. I really wish the had more vegetarian/vegan options. The inside has a very nice atmosphere and pleasant staff. read more

The pastries are to die for. The staff is always upbeat. If I have a qualm and I don't, it's they run out of stuff to quickly. Cool looking inside, I really like the giant kitchen aid mixer. read more

The pastries are amazing, but everything is just too expensive l. Breakfast for one was almost $17. I had a cappuccino and it was good but they serve them in like rocks glasses and you just don't crave hot coffee in glasses. read more

The very best pastries in Arizona -- maybe the world! I love that they open daily now and early. Theses bakers are artists and produce amazing products that my family and friends love to enjoy. My only complaint is that they are located so far from me! I wish they'd open another bakery in North Phoenix! But, the drive past Camelback Mountain is always enjoyable. Don't miss out on this gem of the Valley! read more

Yum! I love the grilled bleu cheese and sautéed onion sandwich with a tossed salad

Since Essence Bakery opened their Arcadia location in 2013 (shortly after we moved into the neighborhood), we've always had wonderful experiences - customer service is friendly and the food is fantastic. During this time of uncertainty (COVID-19 pandemic), it is so important to support our local small businesses to ensure their longevity. We've visited Essence twice in the past week. This past weekend, we picked up an almond croissant (my go-to and always amazing), pistachio croissant (also very good), blood orange ricotta brioche (delightful), and a walnut streusel cake (Mmm...). In addition to these pastries, we purchased what we primarily came for, which was one of the weekend specials - Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. A-maz-ing! The pastry was flaky and buttery, and the fruit filling was tart but sweet. If you've had anything with rhubarb before, this is the way to do it! I took a photo, but it doesn't do it justice, so I won't share. And it was the perfect size for two. Then today, in addition to a couple of Macarons (best in town!), we had the lunch special - Turkey Burger with Roasted Poblanos, Jalapenos, and Oaxaca Cheese on an Onion Roll. This was the BEST turkey burger we've ever had - possibly the best burger PERIOD! The turkey was cooked to perfection, the Oaxaca was creamy, the roll tender, and just the right amount of heat from the chilis. It's too bad these items aren't on the everyday menu, but then they wouldn't be so special (or in season in the case of the pie). I would also like to add that when I picked up our lunch order today, the Owner, Eugenia, thanked me from the kitchen. Very considerate. Some people complain the prices are on the high side, but when you realize how much of it is sourced from local farmers, and you understand the time and effort it takes to create these delicacies, it's well worth it! Needless to say, we highly recommend Essence Bakery! read more

The owner refused to talk to me when I asked to speak to her (even though she was a few feet away in the kitchen). I attempted to place a holiday order that was advertised in multiple places along the counter and at the register. I was told they were not taking any more orders, even though the sign was right in front of me and the deadline had not passed. I politely asked to speak to the owner since I was a regular customer. She refused to walk over to talk to me. It was so rude and appalling. I will never go back. No customer should ever be treated that way. read more

Ordered the chicken pot pie today. I took a bite to find out that I had a ~2 inch chicken bone in my mouth. Grossed me out, as well as the other three that I was eating with. I told the two ladies behind the counter, and they just said "Don't you hate it when it happens?" That was their answer? Really? read more

Super comfortable, welcoming atmosphere, great coffee, out of this world pastries - including some of the best macarons I've ever had! Didn't get a chance to try any of the savory food but it all looked great. We were here for spring break and came here twice. Highly recommended. read more

Excellent coffee, great food and top notch macaroons. Order at the counter and they deliver it to your table. I went here for a lunch meeting, it wasn't too busy and the food came out quick. I will definitely go back. read more

Way over rated and over priced. 9.95 for pancakes, sorry not up to speed with a bit of a cardboard texture and $2.75 for one, yes one small store bought sausage. Coffee, weak and not up to par either. Sorry, it is what is is! read more

As a big supporter of Local First AZ businesses, I will not be supporting this business. First, the guy who took our order was a bit frazzled and it was difficult to ask any questions. Then we ordered the hummus and bread w/cukes asking for more cukes than bread. Now, I've eaten hummus and cucumbers all over the Valley and this was truly pitiful. 3, yes I said 3 of the most thinly sliced cucumber slices I've ever seen. Not sure how I was supposed to eat a mound of hummus with those paper thin slices. I went up to ask for more cucumbers and they charged me $1. Well, I wanted to eat the hummus so I paid. 10 minutes later I'm still waiting for the $1 order of cucumbers. Nothing. I waited 5 more minutes thinking, maybe they're trying to slice them even thinner? Nope, they just didn't come, and going up to the counter wasn't really an option, no one there could do more than one thing at a time. SO, Essence Bakery Café, consider my dollar a donation and the last time I go there. It's so disappointing when the locally owned restaurants do it this way...luckily there are plenty more to check out, and plenty I've been to that got 5 stars!! read more

BEST MACARONS ON THE ENTIRE PLANET!!! Strawberry, Vanilla and caramel are my go to! If you think someone makes them better than you obviously haven't had these yet! read more

Essence bakery is a family friendly spot and I love going there for a light breakfast with my 2 1/2 year old! The staff is awesome and always attentive to their customers. The pastries are the best in town and the over-easy eggs are sooooo goooood that I don't think you can find them as yummy anywhere else! Coffee is great and iced latte is perfect, not too heavy on the milk and you can actually taste the espresso! Love love the atmosphere! No wi-fi but it's refreshing that people are not sitting around on their phones and you can actually spot people reading an actual book or two from time to time! read more

Peg and I have been enjoying this wonderful experience for years....and I realized only a short time ago that I had never Yelped it! Since Chef Eugenia and husband/partner Gilles opened a second location in the Arcadia district, we have been fortunate enough to visit fairly regularly....and the quality has never wavered. While the macarons have always gotten well-deserved attention, I always look for the people and service factor. The Chef has an infectious smile and laugh, and it brightens up the day when you walk into the place. Of course, the food is as amazing as has been reviewed elsewhere. The chocolate croissants are indeed shut-the-front-door good. The coffee (something that is almost as important to me as the ambiance) is stellar and consistently good. We met GIlles the last time we visited, and it is easy to see how well suited they are together not only in the food they serve but in the caring they have for each other. This is a delightful stop and a great addition to the take-a-deep-breath, read-the-paper, and relax-for-a-bit location list! read more

Killer food! Every time. Huevos Frenchos, Big Breakfast, chocolate croissant, lunch, coffee... it's all good. Go there!

Hands down, the best food of this kind in the Phoenix metro. I've been to Europe on many occasions, and no one, I mean no one, beats the croissants here. I've never had a bad meal here, and I've been many, many times. Don't waste your time with inferior pastries at trendy places like LGO. read more

Cute cafe, cute decor-and the best chocolate almond croissant! Would definitely come back for more. Totally worth the price.

First walked in and it smelled amazing. We were really looking forward to eating here, however, we didn't get a chance. After waiting ten minutes in one line a very rude girl with dirty blonde hair and clear framed glasses told us that we had to go get in the back of another line, which had grown quite a bit while we were waiting. She was extraordinarily rude to us, as well as another employee. We tried explaining that we'd already been waiting, she didn't care at all, and was just plain rude. That attitude isn't acceptable in the service industry. read more

I will never return to this restaurant! I had previously been to their Tempe location and loved the macaroons. So on May 25th I was excited to take my houseguest to the Phoenix location for lunch, but mainly to taste the delicious macaroons. After our lunch, we each selected a macaroon for dessert. Unfortunately, my friend selected the raspberry and after tasting one bite, commented on how peculiar it tasted. I then tasted it and it was awful. I called over the waitress and told her, and she said that the raspberry is the only one with jelly rather than cream filling and it does have a different taste. I explained that my friend could not eat it, that it tasted more like perfume than food, and asked if she could select another as a substitute. I was told that no, they do not do that. After spending over $22 on lunch and then another $3 each for the macaroons, they would not accommodate our request. Three different people told me no. I think this is extremely poor customer service. I was embarrassed and disappointed for my guest. After returning home, I sent a note to the manager describing what had happened, and have never been contacted or received a response. That macaroon probably cost less than $1, and the poor customer service that we received will cost more than that as I have shared this experience with many others. read more