Having heard nothing but rave reviews for AB, I finally tried it for myself and now understand why…read morethere's always line. Due to scheduling, I wasn't able to arrive until an hour before closing on a Friday which meant many of the items were sold out. When I arrived, there was a line so I had my buddy drop me off while he found parking. In retrospect, I should have had him drive around the block a few times as the line moved fast and there wasn't much to choose from. Since we both didn't know how quick the transaction would be, he figured out the metered parking, which was a feat in and of itself, and when he was walking over to the bakery, I was done with pastries in hand. Only one customer is allowed in the narrow shop at a time while the other customers queue up waiting to be signaled to step forward. As for seating, there is none so no one hangs around. Of the croissants remaining, I ordered all of them: Chocolate Almond Croissant - full of almond paste and chocolate, you could share this one, but why? This was my favorite. Almond Croissant - very good Kouign-amann - good sized While you can't enjoy the warm croissants with coffee at the shop, my buddy and I tucked in as soon as we got into the car. Good thing we carry a vacuum to clean up all the crumbs.

Super small shop with a line out front. Came highly recommended by several family members…read more We got the kouign-amann, ham & cheese croissant and morning bun. I also got a black coffee they only sell tea and coffee.

I am slightly reluctant giving this bakery five stars, but I think it is well deserved in the end…read more I'd feel bad giving it anything less for the sheer amount of effort and constant creativity the bakers put into their craft here to create such an expansive, eclectic, and novel menu. You think of a trendy San Francisco bakery and think croissants. Here you'll find tarts, danishes, bostocks, monkeybread, cakes, breads, buns, cookies, and pain suisse. All very technical. All executed to perfection. Can't imagine how early the bakers have to wake up to set up for the day. Flavor wise, some are definitely better than others, especially considering the cost. No amount of quality, care, and personal touch could make a croissant worth $10 in my opinion. The other pastries are all great. Some I'd be satisfied with only one bite of. Some I'd buy a dozen just for myself. If it includes a filling, know that it is bursting at the seams and will be messy to eat. Learned that I love bostocks, and the guava one here is worth a try! Be adventerous, have an open mind, and know that you're in for a treat! Quick service, clean asthetic, even combined with a more approachable feel with the open kitchen layout and handwritten menu. I can see why this bakery is so popular.

Two compatriots and I did takeout brunch for sharing family-style. While there were barely any…read morecustomers during the weekday morning, the street parking spaces were mostly taken. It was easy to order online and pick up, and the person behind the counter kindly helped me confirm the order's contents. 4/5 12 oz Matcha Latte with Almond Milk This is one of the better tasting matcha lattes from a bakery/cafe that isn't a standalone tea shop. I could taste the matcha powder, though it wasn't grassy. It's nice to see oat milk doesn't have its own surcharge, but it is pricy at $7.25 for 8 oz, and $8+ for 12 oz. 2/5 Kaya Toast The Kaya jam tasted strange to me, though the others sharing the meal said it was good. I couldn't define what exactly it was, maybe I couldn't handle the milkiness nor pandan overload. The bread was soft and fluffy, though. My friend said the kaya toast was comforting and reminiscent of home. 5/5 Kaya Bun This was a 2-in-1 dessert. The top is a chewy matcha cookie atop a cream bun. The pandan cream was nice and smooth, and less milky and strange than the kaya toast. I wasn't as impressed by the bun itself, it seemed a bit on the hard side (similar to chasiu bao). However, this is a dessert I may get again. 5/5 Shrimpwich The shrimp patty was bouncy with a brisk crunch. The veggies also added a nice tang to the burger. I think this was a crowd favorite within the brunch haul. 3.5/5 Chicken Cutlet Sandwich Tasting the chicken cutlet first, I found this to be somewhat close to the taste of Taiwanese cutlet. However, when combined with the pickled veggies, I found the sourness overpowered everything in this sandwich. The pickled veggies did have a nice crisp to them, though. 3/5 Mango Passionfruit Monkey Bread This was also sour (as expected), and on the drier side. I did have a small piece from the outside, so it may be more moist near the center. 2/5 Chocolate Soba-ko Cookie This was an odd cookie. Folks described it as "healthy tasting", and I personally think it tasted like a flourless cookie? I liked the crunch and toasty quality of the buckwheat, but the cookie fell apart and didn't have the stuck together hold you find in chewy cookies. 2/5 Sesame Cookie This seems to be Breadbelly's take on an Asian alfajore. The caramel was tasty, but I wasn't sure it went together well with the sesame, as both flavors tend to be overpowering. It also fell apart easily. There were a few other items that caught my eye (guava chocolate milk?!), so I might be back to check them out.

Small but mighty grab-and-go location in Union Square! We got four pastries:…read more (1) regular Kouign Amann ($5.25) ~ always solid. I like the size of this Kouign Amann compared to some other places. The crispy crunchy sugar bits are my favorite parts. Pastry is relatively light and fluffy. (2) seasonal lemon curd Kouign Amann ($5.75) ~ lemon curd added brightness to the pastry. I personally love lemon curd so I would definitely get this again but I'm also excited to see what the future seasonal flavors are. (3) seasonal raspberry almond croissant ($5.25) ~ can't go wrong with these flavors. The raspberry jam was inside. I usually like more filling and the amount of filling in this one was just ok. (4) savory scone (cheddar) ($3.95) ~ a bit dry but that's the nature of scones. I took this home and added some butter. Not sure if I would get it again. Good size though (that's mainly why I would potentially get it again) We took public transit, so we didn't park. Service was quick. We didn't get any pastries warmed up.

My last morning in San Francisco :( and making my way for the last a bit of pastries before I head…read moreback home. Since I'm staying in the Financial District, bakeries have to be at least walking distance. On my search I saw that "banana bread chocolate croissant"...ON MY WAY! I made it over at 930am on a Sunday after I had my real breakfast LOL. There was no line so I know I've scored. As I was ordering, the infamous croissant, I was told there were NO BANANA BREAD CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS - none available until later that afternoon which I would be well into my way back home. What a bummer. Since I was there, I went ahead and ordered the giant chocolate chip cookie which was as round and large as my face! I love cookies and this had mounds of chocolate blocks not really chip size. Good crunch and soft center with melts chocolate. This was like home baked. I was happy with this. I was intrigued by the Kouign amann which is like an encrusted with a sugar crunch, appears like a round crunchy flaky croissant filled or not filled with custard or jam. I did opt for the raspberry filled. I actually liked this too, but did it make up for not have the banana bread chocolate croissant? I don't know, but I'm not disappointed with what I ordered. I'd definitely get these again and recommend to everyone. I did have a long delay at the airport so enjoyed and consumed as I waited for my flight. The shop is smack dab at Union Square which is the perfect spot for a pastry treat. Enjoy the weather on a nice day and people watch while you're there.

UPDATE: My original review was overly negative because of long lines at opening and limited stock…read more Both have improved substantially over time, though mostly through a natural drop in demand rather than any change in policy or supply. With the lines under control, this is a great neighborhood pastry spot -- a bit pricey for what you get.

wowowowowowow, some of the best pastries I've ever had. will definitely be coming back soon!read more

I was excited to try Saltwater Bakeshop after seeing their new cafe open. I had seen them at…read morefarmer's markets in the area but never had a chance to grab their pastries. We stopped by on a Sunday morning and it was surprisingly pretty empty. I got the passionfruit kouign aman to go and it was really yummy. I like the sweet crispy outside and the dough was nicey laminated. I appreciate that it's a big larger and taller than other kouign amans in the city but I thought there could be more passionfruit jam to give it more flavor. I did like how how buttery it is. The space is nice with plenty of tables and seating. It is a bit out of the way in South SoMA so I'm not sure how often I would pass by this shop but it's a nice cafe tucked away in an otherwise kind of empty part of town.

I went on a Sunday around 11am. There was no line. It's a big space with plenty of seating…read more Friendly staff. I ordered the following: Passionfruit kouign amann 1.5/5 - There was about a 1/2 a tablespoon of passionfruit filling. The pastry itself was doughy and the exterior had a light crisp. I like mine with more of a crunch. Orange Blossom Cardamom bun 1/5 - 2 of my favorite flavors and unfortunately neither was there. I could not smell nor see the cardamom. Description says there's a paste of orange blossom and cardamom and if there was a paste it was minuscule.

Hotel food use to be in the same discussion level as airport food years ago. Today hotel food has…read moreleveled up. It seems I have been enjoying hotel food over the years and this includes bake goods. There are so many hotels in SF which have good places to enjoy a drink and some food. You even have some hotels with Michelin star restaurants inside. There are also boutique hotels which have some hidden gems to drink and eat. There is one place if you are around the many hotels like Parc 55, Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Hotel Nikko you could pass by it and miss it. This place is located at the Tilden Hotel at it's the winner of the 2025 San Francisco's Croissant competition for best original creation and it's called Le Carousel Patisserie. On the start to the week of SF Tech Week and Fleet Week this week it is always good to go for a coffee run which means also grabbing bake goods like croissants. Around the many Union Square hotels there is an award winning French dessert place which offers many different croissants which are flakey in SF. I landed at the Hotel Linden at Le Carousel Patisserie. I ordered their regular croissant and it was buttery and a bit flakey like some on my social media feed. Then I got the raspberry bow which had jam jelly inside which was not too sweet. I then got the ham and cheese which was savory and it wasn't as cheesy like some in SF. I also got the lemon cream which was a bit flakey and not too sour like some on my social media feed. I then got the pistachio cherry pastry which was tasty and a pleasant surprise. This is the spot to go to any day of the week whether it's sunny or when rain starts to drop no matter the weather. It's all good all four seasons. Come a place during fleet week were you see lots of "Navy Sailor" and also SF Tech week were a company is looking for a "Scaler" this spot is located in a hotel but it's a bakery that's a "retailer" its address in SF is "345 Taylor" Located at "Tilden Hotel" once inside its has an aromatic welcoming "smell" it's located in SF the city that I "dwell" and it's located at a French Patisserie called" Le Carousel"

A French bake shop with delicious variety of croissants including the "Best Original Creation,"…read moreaward at the Best Croissant Competition of San Francisco 2025. I wanted to try all of them but opted just three of their heaven made baked goods. Next time, it will be the Kouign Amann. Met the head baker/chef and one of the owners. Very down to earth people and sociable. The store is not big, at all. But, if you're looking for authentic, buttery croissants, this is a no-brainer recommendation. A beautiful experience in the Tenderloin.

Had no idea this place was way out by Pier 70. An old WW2…read morefactory was converted into offices and art studios and Breadbelly B12 is right in front next to a paddle sports gym with a huge indoor atrium (no skylights) and shared seating for Breadbelly near the adjacent Standard Deviant Brewing. The location was a surprise, so was the gnarly line in the early afternoon on a Sunday. We ended up ordering online for pickup so we could walk around for a bit and check out the building. After buying some ceramics at Sven (awesome local pottery studio upstairs) our order was up and our favorite was also a surprise... We'd ordered a breakfast sandwich on a biscuit with bacon onion jam and cheese and bacon - all of the ingredients that make up our hopes and dreams - but the Morty was light years ahead on flavor and texture, perhaps because it was unexpectedly light and the bread was sweet like Japanese milk bread with Smokey provolone and mortadella and the most perfect heirloom tomatoes EVER. To be fair, the breakfast sandwich was still "good" but I'm probably keeping that Morty as a back-pocket go-to whenever I'm in the Dogpatch area from now on. 4 thumbs up! Looking forward to returning many times in the future.

Breadbelly's second location is tucked in the corner of a huge shared warehouse with pickleball…read morecourts, offices, bars, all in the same space. It's a bit more of the industrial area of SF, but totally worth swinging by. They were sold out of a few items by 11AM on a Friday, so if there's something specific you want, would recommend getting here early. Seating wise, they have some dedicated indoor and outdoor tables as well as some shared seating in the atrium area of the building as well. Kaya Toast (4.25/5): Not super traditional at all and I think I do prefer a thicker slab of super soft bread, but still delightful. I enjoyed the flaky salt to balance out the sweetness of the pandan and coconut. Served nice and warm, fantastic little brunch option. Kaya Bun (3.25/5): I think this just loses to the Kaya Toast every time. The bun was just a little dry and not that fluffy. Maybe got unlucky, but there wasn't a ton of filling. The cookie crunch on top was a nice touch though. Mango Passionfruit Monkey Bread (4/5): The pastry chunks in monkey bread format is an absolute home run. Passionfruit was nice and tart if a bit messy to eat, but surprisingly kinda hard to find the mango flavor.

I was so hyped to try this place because I follow them on TikTok and as with all viral places,…read morethere was a line. I love the layout of this coffee shop, they also have clothes and accessories for sale. The wait wasn't too bad, it probably took my friend and I about a 15 mins to get to the front. I'm not the biggest fan of banana flavored things but I decided to try an iced vanilla latte w/ banana cold foam. To my surprise, my drink was good! It was yummy and refreshing for a sunny day in the city. I would come back but probably order something else!

I ordered an Iced Matcha Latte with Matcha Cold Foam since they had already run out of the Banana…read moreCold Foam. I'm not a fan of overly milky matcha, so I opted for nonfat milk. The matcha flavor was nicely pronounced without being too sweet, which I really enjoyed. My biggest issue was the portion. The drink felt like 80% ice and only 20% actual drink, so I finished it in less than two minutes. For $8.42 including tax, I was hoping to get more for what I paid. I'd suggest exploring other matcha spots if you're looking for great matcha and cold foam. That said, the ambiance here is inviting, with plenty of natural lighting and a visually appealing space. Unfortunately, it was quite packed during my visit, so I didn't get to fully enjoy it.