Juniper
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I ordered the caramel apple choux and raspberry croissant and both were delicious. Please have bigger cups for the choux because the guy helping me had a hard time putting the choux inside the tiny cup that the edge of the big slice of apple touched his hand as he tried to wedge it into the cup. I didn't want to give him a hard time on the spot so I went home and had to throw away the slice of apple on top.
A lover of savory pastries like me? Look no further! For those who are tired of the general rotation of chocolate croissants and various other bakeries catered to sweet tooths, Juniper has something for everyone! TOMATO BOMB A standout dish! Their Tomato Bomb is absolutely delicious and bursting with flavor; it is so savory and I wish it wasn't only a seasonal thing! Sadly, I think it's only available during the summer. MUSHROOM DANISH If you're a mushroom aficionado like me, you will also enjoy this dish. The pastry is perfectly flaky, just like the Tomato Bomb, and very good. The mushrooms are well-seasoned as well. BLACK SESAME KOUIGN-AMANN I dream about this pastry. Truly, the sesame adds this toasted flavor to the sweet kouign-amann, which is perfectly flaky and also very rich. This is my favorite thing to get. I will almost always get a black sesame kouign-amann every time I visit Juniper. LYCHEE CHOUX PASTRY I think this is generally people's favorite but as I don't like sweet pastries as much--especially sweet pastries with sweet fillings--it wasn't my personal favorite. However, my boyfriend who has a big sweet tooth certainly really enjoyed it. Finally, the interior of the bakery is extremely cute. There is actually a lot of seating for such a busy bakery that looks small from the outside. The staff are effective and friendly, and everything is very clean.
Juniper has some seriously good pastries. There are so many varieties here, both savory and sweet, and I love that they have combinations you don't see everywhere else. I tried the mulberry pastry and it was so good. The flavor was really unique and had a nice balance without feeling too heavy. Unfortunately, it's seasonal, so I'm hoping they bring it back because I would definitely get it again. Their espresso tonic is also a hit. It's refreshing and goes really well with the pastries, especially if you want something a little lighter alongside all the baked goods. The only downside is that there aren't many seats and the line can get pretty long, especially in the mornings. Definitely come early if you want to avoid a long wait or have a better chance of finding a table. Such a fun spot for pastries and coffee, especially if you like trying things that are a little different from the usual.
date & time: wednesday september 29, 2026 @ 2pm coffee date: the husband vibe: work wives & besties in isabel marant boho inspired white tops w/ matching short flowy skirt w/ dainty gold jewelry & the row bag decor: aesthetic, minimalistic & vibey coffee spot service: efficient devour: arguably the best raspberry & almond croissant in the city total: $7.50
I loved: Raspberry Almond Croissant I really liked: Strawberry Lychee Choux I liked: Banana Matcha Latte Strawberry Matcha Latte Juniper has quickly become one of those SF cafes where the pastries and drinks feel like they were made to be enjoyed together. The Raspberry Almond Croissant is easily the standout. There's a lot going on between the sweet raspberry, savory almond flavor, and all the different textures, but somehow it works. The raspberry comes through really nicely without getting lost in everything else. The Strawberry Lychee Choux is another winner. Light, flavorful, and honestly kind of addicting. It's one of those pastries where you take a bite and immediately want another. Both matcha drinks are solid, though definitely on the lighter side when it comes to matcha flavor. The Banana Matcha Latte does a good job balancing the banana without letting it overpower the drink. The Strawberry Matcha Latte is decent too, although the strawberry can lean a little bitter. Neither blew me away on its own, but paired with the sweeter pastries, they work really well. Juniper is almost always busy when I'm here, but the staff are consistently super nice and accommodating. The cafe itself can feel packed, but there's a reason people keep coming back. Great pastries, good drinks, and everything complements each other really well. Feels like a nice cozy cafe if you're in the area #goodeats
=== Beautiful croissants === Walked in at 2:10 pm less than an hour before closing expecting nothing to be left. But was lucky enough that they had croissants left. Choice of plain, ham and cheese, and bacon-something. Since it's my first time there, had to try the plain! Super cute but I was headed elsewhere so I took it to go. +++ Beautiful croissant. Even for a croissant near closing, this thing was beautiful. I've never seen gloss on a croissant like that. ++ Tasted great. Every "premium" croissant I've ever tasted just tastes like CostCo except with an extra stick of butter per croissant, and I'm not a huge fan of over-buttering things. This was rich but not overly so. Textures were amazing with crisp exterior and airy fluffy interior - so much so I had to take a photo of the half-eaten croissant just to show it off. + Interior was super cute. I was on the run so I didn't catch a photo but plenty of others from other Yelpers (thanks other Yelpers!) I'm not in the City often but if I was in the area, I would totally bring folks by.
I'd been looking forward to trying Juniper - mainly for the black sesame kouign amann - but also to check out the hype (all of my friends and coworkers told me that I must visit). I ventured to Juniper during the late morning rush, and while there was a line out the door, it moved quickly and the bakers were hard at work keeping the pastries stocked throughout the morning. As I waited in line, I admired the impressive selection of sweet and savory croissants. Since I visited during the summer, many of the pastries featured fresh tomato and stone fruits. While I was tempted to try one of each, I was on a mission during this visit to try the black sesame kouign amann. When I placed my order at the counter, I was served a fresh-from-the oven kouign amann - this rarely happens! I couldn't resist trying a piece as I left the bakery, and it was indeed exquisite. The black sesame kouign amann from B. Patisserie is my gold standard, and Juniper's version is a close contender. While the black sesame flavor is much lighter and the texture fluffier than the B. Patisserie version, I liked the abundance of the crispy edges (as well as the year-round availability). I will certainly be back to try more of Juniper's pastries.
Visited on a Sunday afternoon around 11AM, and the line wrapped around the store. The line moved fairly fast (~15 min wait), and there were menus posted outside the door to look at while waiting. They still had all their items in stock, including the seasonal fruit danish and elote danish. I opted to try the cubano croissant since it was labeled as award winning on the menu. I was surprised to find a decently thick cut of pork inside the croissant, since most croissants are typically rolled with thinly sliced pieces of meat. The croissant was flaky and buttery. Definitely a must try for a savory option. There are a few tables at the back of the bakery to chat/eat but it can get crowded when people are waiting for their items. Solid spot for delicious pastry items!
On a Saturday morning at 11am was a bit of a line around the corner but it wasn't too bad, maybe 20 minutes, and once you're inside time passes quickly looking at the bakery case. We tried the pain au chocolat, Cubano croissant, black sesame kouign amann and regular croissant. The texture of the regular croissant was lightly crisp on the outside and flaky inside, though not as buttery and rich as we hoped. The pain au chocolat and kouign amann were great pastries with a subtle sweetness. The Cubano was easily the best with an incredibly tender croissant and savory sandwich flavor.
Labor Day line was a bit daunting, but always worth the wait. Was very tempted by the Tomato Bomb but opted for old reliable lemon choux.
Juniper is in my top 3 bakeries you must go to in San Francisco! I have been here a handful of times already and can confidently say everything I have had here has been exceptional and delicious. The pastries are all flaky and crispy, and you can tell they were crafted by a true craftsman. I think what makes Juniper so special is the selection of unique flavors they have. My favorite being their award-winning Cubano croissant, their black sesame kouign amann, and their choux pastries. I do want to call out how much I appreciate the amount of savory pastries they have since I don't always want a sweet treat the moment I wake up. To note, Juniper is typically busy, but I have never waited in line for more than 10 minutes, even on weekends. They also have a lot of tables for seating, but because of the flow of people, it might be difficult to find a spot. Stop by here if you're around the area! They are also a sister shop of Saint Frank, so you can get some coffee while you're here as well.
Juniper is a cozy little cafe on the corner of a busy street. They serve unique pastries and have a nice drink menu. Lots of variety here. Service was a 5/5. I was instantly greeted and personally recommended a pastry. Shout out Chris and Jess for their outstanding service! All the staff at Juniper are so friendly, you can really tell they enjoy working here. The Chai Latte was nice and creamy. I do prefer it a little stronger and less sweet, but there were no sugar adjustments. Still recommend chai lovers to try this drink. I'm not the hugest pastry fan, and with a quick glance around the room, it seems like most people just came here for the coffee and ambiance. Overall, a sweet spot to chill and do work. Next time I'll try some of their food options.
I discovered this bakery last year when visiting SF and I knew it would be a frequent spot for me when going to SF. They open at 7:30am and there was already someone in line when we arrived at 7:20 on a recent Sunday morning. The downside to getting there too early is they didn't have all the pastries ready and on the shelves for purchase. So that was disappointing and also noted for my next visit. I ordered the lemon choux along with a plain croissant. I don't usually order croissants at bakeries because I'm more interested in the more fun dessert offerings but needed to see if the hype was real. It is. Croissant was buttery and flaky and airy. Their lattes are also very good. I did visit a second time this trip and made sure to arrive after 8 to ensure I had all the options! Avocado toast is delicious and served on a nice milk toast along with some radishes. Everything looks beautiful and the staff is so nice.
Reviews are largely positive. People praise the flaky croissants, creative pastry flavors, and friendly staff. The lively atmosphere is also well liked.
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2 years ago
While there seems to be a plethora of cafe and bakeries in SF, only a certain few are considered good and sadly Juniper did not fall in this bucket. I was excited to try their juniper flavored pastries due to the namesake and ordered the Juniper Lemon Choux and Juniper Lemon Escargot pre tip for $10.70. The escargot was mediocre with the soft core being the best part, but the choux was a ridicule! For $4 it felt like a mini appetizer version of an actual choux, it definitely needs more juniper berry because all that existed were lemon and mint flavors. Juniper's offerings did not impress as everything felt skippable (i.e. blueberry muffin, avocado toast, breakfast sandwich) and the portions did not match their prices. As a byproduct of Saint Frank Coffee...they should just stick to coffee. read more
1 year ago
11 months ago
First time trying this cafe and I ordered the vanilla iced coffee w oatmilk, this coffee was the best coffee I've had in soooo long. The service was incredible too, I got my dad a hot coffee drip and he absolutely enjoyed it. I'll def be coming back! read more
I have been WAITING for this place to open. Finally! A Saint Frank's coffee shop even closer to me and right on my most common bike route--something I didn't know I needed. There's more indoor seating at this location and I can't wait to do work here, read, and just grab coffee and a baked good to-go. I like how this cafe also has more food! There's Craftsman and Wolves pastries, but more are baked in-house. I came here with a friend to chat/hang and we both shared a Apple choux and a Tiramichoux--of course, they were very cute and Instagrammable, so we posted them there. They were delicious as well--I feel lucky there's a place I can get choux in SF that I can easily run to! The highlight, however, was the (hot) Sweet latte I tried with oat milk. It was warm, delicious, and of course, sweet. It tastes unlike any latte I've had--they said it was a latte with some special syrup and it is definitely special! They also sell whole bags of beans. Service was so good and insanely friendly. I'll be back (of course) to try their filled muffins and other drinks and the breakfast sandwich! read more
Juniper recently won the best croissant in SF, and I came in specifically to try them! The first time I came, they were all sold out (around 12 pm), which was unfortunate, but I tried some of their other goodies, including their chocolate espresso cookie (which btw is absolutely AMAZING)! The second time, I was not about to miss out on the croissants, so I came right when they opened and got a huge selection of their croissants and other baked goodies to try. My expectations were definitely exceeded, and I am obsessed with Juniper's croissants. They are perfectly flakey and have the perfect amount of butter (without going completely overboard). One of my pet peeves with croissants is when they are way too greasy from too much butter, and it makes you feel all heavy and sick. Juniper's croissants were not like that at all, and I kept wanting to go back for more. I also really liked their Black Sesame Kougin-Amann and they also have unique coffee creations to try as well! read more
11 months ago
Love their cubano croissant that won best croissant in SF. The texture is so flakey, buttery, while still having a chew and not overly dry. Could understand why it's voted best croissant. Their choux are also always delicious. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Wanna try this place for a long time and got a good chance when stopped by and no line around noon. Got a bunch of them for take out with 3 of Hazelnut Florentine Choux that was amazing, not too sweet and perfect crunch. Peanut butter jelly brownie, sweet croissant loaf and of course!! A couple of croissant. All of them taste great and reasonable price. Didn't have a chance to try their coffee but I will next time. A little tough for street parking but worth it!! read more
2 years ago
We went here shortly before closing. They still had a few items left and we ordered a plain croissant and I had a chai latte. The croissant was flaky but not too much where you had fine crumbs everywhere and it was soft and airy inside. The staff was kind enough to cut the croissant in half as I was sharing with someone else. Great cross section and honeycomb inside. The ambience is nice inside. It has tall ceilings with fans to provide a nice cool breeze. I would come back again. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
This cafe was recommended by an Instagram foodie. Tried a few things and here is my rating out of 10: Croissant - 7.5 Yuzu Macadamia Cookie - 10 Mini Lemon Choux - 5 I found the croissant to be good not great. Flaky crust and overall airy inside. I found it lacking in butter flavor, which I guess it's not advertised as a "butter" croissant. Yuzu Macadamia cookie was spot on! Just a hint of Yuzu compliments the nuts. I really wanted to love the lemon Choux but sadly it wasn't great. 10 for presentation though! read more
1 year ago
Good! I believe there are better croissants in San Francisco but this is a great croissant. Food is good. Service is great, friendly cashiers. Good cafe ambiance. Not a lot of seating though read more
2 years ago
Great atmosphere - bright, lots of seating, simplistic interior. Loved how flaky the croissant was, soft on the inside. Would have loved it more if there were more layers. Cappuccino was creamy and just strong enough. read more
Cute spot in Nob hill / Polk Gulch area! Came here after having a breakfast at Cafe reveille earlier. I got a drip coffee and a plain croissant. Honestly they were both good and there was amble seating. The interior was a bit dirty and this is not my favorite place to go to in the city / not the cutest but it's good for what it is read more
1 year ago
love the ambiance and pastry selection! feel like there isn't a lot of baked goods options near this area so it's a nice option to have and want to try their lattes/drinks next :) got the mushroom danish and it was really flaky and nice savory start to the day. the hazelnut choux was a cute, small little treat. gives cream puff energy. read more
2 years ago
The croissants are very good, light, airy and buttery. The chocolate croissant has the right amount of dark chocolate. I loved the black sesame bun. The choux were less good. Full review here: https://www.marga.org/foodblog/2024/06/sf-food-juniper/ read more
I had high expectations coming into Juniper as they recently won an award as the best croissant in San Francisco and... I was not disappointed! I came on a Wednesday around noon for a quick snack and loved the ambiance. There is plenty of seating which is great for someone like me who works from home. I ordered a croissant and an iced chai latte. The croissant was so perfectly flaky and crispy on the outside and buttery soft on the inside. I can definitely understand how they won the award. The staff is also very friendly though note that they run out of pastries very quickly (there were only croissants left when I came). read more
2 years ago
Came here because it won an award. The croissant was crispy and so delish! Will have to come back and try other flavors read more
1 year ago
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1 year ago
plain croissant was good and fresh, did not disappointed at all! also got three choux back home which were black forest, strawberry fresh cream and lemon meringue. those were super yummy and not too sweet. love them all! read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Had to come early and make it before pastries ran out. I came on a Sunday as soon as they opened and it wasn't too busy. They had everything in stock. I had their award winning cubano and it did not disappoint. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with the pork and ham. Although I was missing the mustard. I ordered the original and raspberry croissant. Everything was delicious and worth getting up early. I would definitely come back and try other items. Very good customer service. Nice ambiance to eat indoors. read more
I'm always eager to try new cafes and was so excited to try the pastries + coffee here! This is a great spot on Polk and I've been here a few times now to grab a quick latte and a treat whenever I'm on this street. The interior is clean and nicely lit with plenty of seating to stop by with a friend or even get some solo work/reading done. The coffee here is decent, but nothing too special. I like their Iced Sweet Latte with oat milk! In terms of pastries, I haven't tried too many but most of have been pretty decent. I think the food + drinks are good, but not mindblowingly so, and kinda pricey. Nonetheless, a solid option for a sweet bite if you find yourself in the area. read more
2 years ago
Friendly staff, glad to see people smiling. While their award-winning croissant deservedly garners attention, don't overlook the fabulous milk bread avocado toast - yum yum yum. Believe it or not, parking's not bad on Sundays. read more
8 months ago
2 years ago
Such a cute bakery with a warm, friendly atmosphere. The pastries were delicious - the raspberry almond croissant was doughy on the outside, crispy in the middle, and the filling was the perfect amount of sweet. The cubano was really crunchy, and the pastry itself was a bit flat, though there was a lot of filling. Coffee was also very tasty and comforting on a cool day. read more
9 months ago
2 years ago
Food: Very good pastries and coffee from the Saint Frank team. Croissants and choux are among the best in town. For kouign amann, I prefer Arsicault and b. patisserie. Service: Friendly counter service staff. Quick moving line. Barista poured the lattes very well. $25 for two lattes + two pastries. Vibe: As of June 2024, there's no major external signage. Inside is simple and warm. Limited space and seating, which may be an issue if you're looking to camp on a busy weekend morning. read more
More info about Juniper
1401 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109
Polk Gulch, Nob Hill
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http://www.juniper.cafe
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Do you have gluten-free options?
Yes we do! We have a gluten free brownie, pb&j blondie, and an orange cake muffin
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