Amazing service and even better food and drink. Best hidden gem in siesta key. Traditional French food, drink, and music. read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Bonjour croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

One of the worst customer service experiences I have had, and I would absolutely NOT recommend this place. I stopped in needing to use the restroom and was completely willing to make a purchase. The gentleman behind the counter told me that I needed to spend more than $8 in order to be served and use the restroom. No problem--I agreed and attempted to purchase more than $8 worth of cookies directly from THEIR bakery counter. Then, unbelievably, he STILL refused to serve me and suddenly told me that I had to order food. So which is it? Spend more than $8, or order a meal? You cannot tell a customer exactly what they need to do, have them agree to do it, and then change the rules and refuse to serve them anyway. The entire situation was absurd. I wasn't asking for anything for free. I was standing at the counter, money in hand, ready to spend more than the amount I was specifically told was required. I simply wanted to purchase cookies that THEY had displayed for sale. Apparently, even being a willing, paying customer wasn't enough. The way this was handled was dismissive, unwelcoming, unnecessarily difficult, and completely lacking in basic customer service. A simple transaction that should have taken two minutes turned into such an unpleasant experience that I walked out without spending a dime. If this is how customers are treated, I have absolutely no interest in ever returning. There are far too many bakeries and cafés that actually appreciate their customers to waste your time, money, or patience here. I would strongly recommend SKIPPING THIS PLACE and going somewhere else. A business can have great products, but if customers are made to feel unwelcome when they're literally trying to give you their money, none of that matters. They didn't just lose an $8 purchase--they guaranteed that I will never spend a dollar here in the future. I will never return, and based on the way I was treated, I would NEVER recommend this establishment to anyone. read more

L'Ôpera is a wonderful and welcoming place to eat. The atmosphere is authentically French and so is the food. There is French music playing, but it's not loud. You can either order baked goods and coffee or sit down for a pleasant breakfast/lunch. I was very impressed by the coffee. I ordered a cafe mocha and the art was such a nice touch. Also, the Croque Madame was very tasty. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who would like to have a great French breakfast at an affordable price. I can't wait to come here again. read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Croque Madame - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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So me lady decided to stop by the French bakery L Opera bakery and bistro because she wanted a Crassant. She said if you want to see happiness on your lady's face take her there to get a raspberry croissant made fresh while you wait I took a bite and I got to say it was pretty damn good reminds me of back in the day anyway go by indulge a little for yourself always good to treat yourself the services definitely outstanding and apparently the croissants are definitely delicious after the first one we had to get to for me lady I myself will probably go back and have something to eat and then we'll both enjoy ourselves together so you can eat a plate of croissants and I'll have a meal. They're open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:30 to 2:00 p.m. closed on Mondays read more

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Visited for brunch on Sunday, loved the food! We enjoyed a perfectly prepared ham & cheese omelette and egg & Swiss cheese crèpe. It is an authentic French bistro, we enjoyed the service and that ambiance with the nice french pop music playing while we devoured our brunch. We will return! read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Delicious Cappuccino & Raspberry croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Once again, L'Opera exceeds the expectations! Best latte around, with much added love! Freshly made baguette, second to none! read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Latte - best in town! - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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BEST CROISSANTS IVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. This place is an absolute gem in gulf gate. We had the almond croissant and the ham and cheese croissant and they were flakey buttery and chewy the perfect texture. Not flaky dry, flaky how a croissant should be. 10/10!! read more

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It's been a few years since our last visit to L'Opera, as Rendezvous has become our go-to for croissants, baguettes and French pastries. But we gave it a try for a late breakfast/lunch and the overall opinion was "OK". The food was tasty, although the iced tea was clear as water with no flavor...however, the (lack of) service is more of a carryout option than dine-in (despite the many small tables in 2 rooms). No usual table condiments or beverage refills, which gave us the feeling of being alone in the restaurant, as staff was in the kitchen throughout of long, chatty meal. read more

Friendly staff, delicious food! The quiche lorraine was wonderful. A little off the beaten path, but worth the visit!

At Sunday brunch time we accidentally found L' Opera in our favorite retail community, Gulf Gate. Outstanding pastries similar to old long ago NYC Patisseries on the East Side ( Bonte Patisserie). Menu was surprisingly full varied for such a cozy bistro - - Croque Madame which we both had was a thin breakfast sandwich of ham cheese an egg on top between two thin slices of perfect bread served nice and hot. Breakfast also offered omelettes, quiches. Lunch is twice as broad with some great entres- - again surprising for such a cozy place! Today they offered a delicious from scratch lentil soup. The BEST part of the bistro is their pastry. I had the Baba Au Rum EXCELLENT! Perfectly saturated with rum not too sweet with a lovely butter creme icing. Yum! All their traditional French pastries were fresh, good portions, and priced similar to other French establishments in Sarasota, but here the flavor is richer and deeper. Their breads, especially the nice big sour dough, looked magnificent! Their many chocolate pastries sang out to me as did the almond croissants ( my favorite) and the infamous lemon tarts complete with tempting icing. I shall be back! Enjoy! read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Fresh baked bread - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

A great find I've been overlooking L'Opera Bakery Bistro thinking it was a different small bakery in the Gulf Gate area. It was recommended to my wife a few days ago and she brought it up to me. It does happen to be where Jim's Small Batch Bakery used to be, but that wasn't the one I was thinking about and anyway, L'Opera has been in business for over 4 years, so bad on me for confusing myself. The place is very French, French menu items, French background music, the owner is French and a delight to talk with, and yes, photos hanging on the wall includes the Eiffel Tower. I started with a cappuccino while I waited for my Croque Madame. Boy that cappuccino was good, and really put me in a European state of mind, if all the French reminders hadn't already. My Croque Madame was delicious, the bread nice and soft, great cheese, easy to eat with a knife and fork. The small salad and bread, very European. If I had one whine, it would be there wasn't enough food. It was like we were back in Paris again. Some people say American portion sizes are much too large, I say bring it on - lol. Well, two whines. Love the authenticity, to a point. That point is when we get to the money. We thought the prices were fine, about what we spend on breakfast other places. My complaint has to do with the bill. I barely caught there was an 18% service charge added and almost double tipped. None of the other reviews mention this, and I didn't see anything about service charges on their website, so it may be a recent idea. Common in Europe, bad idea here. If done, it needs to be very clearly understood by your customers. read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Croque Madame - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Let me start by saying I don't leave a review that often. L'Opera Bakery Bistro definitely deserves a try from everyone! I didn't know what to really order and told them to surprise me, it was absolutely amazing! I got a Coffee Mocha, Goat Cheese Honey Fougasse it was absolutely one of the best things I've ever had! The atmosphere is absolutely amazing; the music, employee, the look and vibe give this place such a small hometown kind of feeling! You can tell that they actually put the passion and love into what they create, I'll be back without a doubt in my mind!!! read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Coffee Mocha - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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This place is really great! They have a wide variety and selection of different pastries and entree offerings Liz read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Very nice little cafe. It is a great place for breakfast. They sell freshly made pastries and bread . The owner was very friendly and we got to practice a little French with him. I recommend this place! read more

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Great food and ambiance. We had a good time and were served quickly, overall no complaints. read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Coffee Latte - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Fabulous restaurant in Sarasota. Family owned, unique options, all freshly made and with lovely spirit. I usually get the breakfast croissant. The French bread is delicious as well. I usually get 1 and finish with wine, before my intended purpose. read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Breakfast with olive oil potatoes. Chocolate croissant on the side - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Amazing authentic French cuisine! The bread, the ambience, Loved it, came here last minute and it did not disappoint, will definitely be back. read more

What a hidden gem in Sarasota. Awesome breakfast and bakery! Staff very friendly and helpful. It's a great little spot to enjoy some really great food. read more

Quite possibly the best place in the are for true French-style baked goods and patisserie. The baguette here is as close to the real thing as it gets and not just an elongated loaf labeled "baguette." The croissants and similar are buttery treats that may rock both one's taste buds and cholesterol levels. Lunches are delightfully light plates and the coffees are simply delicious. A keeper, for sure. read more

Wonderful food! The pastries are amazing. Our personal favorites: - Pepito - a pastry with chocolate, custard filling and a flaky breaded outside. - Kouign-amann - layered, buttery pastry with a light sweetness. read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Cappuccino & Pepito - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Extend the menu and quantity of bakery inventory! Or simply close up when inventory is 86'd!

Adorable restaurant ..great food and always consistent. Love the daily bake breads! Quiche is always spot on and the lattes are beautiful!

A surprising gem of a place in Sarasota. My reviews are based on what a place is, not in comparison to o haute cuisine Michelin 3 star. So this place, tucked away in an out of the way mini strip mall, is a wonderful oasis for lunch. We're not talking white tablecloths, we're talking a simple storefront and paper napkins. My wife ordered a spinach quiche, which was served with a salad. It had a nice crust, and was both attractive and tasty. The salad was more than just a few leaves to fill the plate, and the slice of brioche was a nice touch. I had their Caesar, which came with chicken, and was dressed with a lighter dressing and also brioche. The portions were perfect, and the quality of greens was perfect. Bottom line is that this is great for a (very) informal lunch, with tasty, well prepared food, served by a friendly Frenchman, David. We will be back soon! read more

The atmosphere is very French Cafe in Paris. The pastries are made from scratch. They serve breakfast and lunch. I highly recommend that you come here for coffee and a pastry. read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Chocolate croissant and capacino. - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The pastries here are delicious!! I ordered 3 things and all of them were so yummy and made with good-quality ingredients. They packaged my food in a cute little box which was a nice addition. The man behind the counter was extremely nice and friendly. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Had recently finished breakfast at a national bread chain restaurant...and afterwards, walked down the street only to find this cute little bakery (w very warm, pleasant counter people working). I simply couldn't pass up their raspberry croissant that's available only weekends. OMG...delicious, fresh, buttery pastry filled croissant w a light, tasty and refreshing raspberry filling. We'll definitely be back to try other items on their menu...and more of these delicious pastries! read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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This lovely bakery was no more than a mile and a half from the place we stayed in the southern part of Sarasota (an Airbnb), and in cooler weather, we could have walked, and then consumed more calories, of course! The chef/baker was delightful and we couldn't have been more enraptured with his Kouign-Amann, the Pain au Raisin, and an Amandine Tart. I would dearly love to have tried many more, such as something divine looking including chocolate chips called "Pepito", or the Paris-Brest, but I just couldn't justify this much of a splurge. Besides, we're planning a return trip to Sarasota in the near future! Next time, he'd better be ready for us! (just kidding). We enjoyed our visit there so much and enjoyed the opportunity to chat with him as well, just wish I'd thought to ask for a name! Do try this place, and if you're a fan of real Kouign-Amann, this is 100% better than anything with the same name I've had in Seattle. read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Kouign-Amann - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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What a delightful place! We happened upon this for coffee and lunch. The pastries, spinach quiche and espresso was outstanding. All made in house daily. David, the owner, is delightful to talk with and the background music is a welcome change! read more

L'Opera Bakery Bistro - Best coffee art ever! - Bakeries Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Great breakfast and pastries. The raspberry croissant and almond croissant are OMG delicious. Good service and friendly staff. Thank you David. read more

Outstanding pastry shop near the main drag. We ordered the Napoleon, cinnamon rolls, almond croissant, pepito, and gluten free options I'll describe later. All were reasonably priced. All of these items are perfectly buttery and flaky. Every bite was delicious as our family descending upon these treats like locusts in a corn field. I was pleasantly surprised to find gluten free options available too, as I'm usually the odd person out. I ordered the flan which is a not -too-sweet, slightly firm, crustless dessert. It was delicious. We also ordered gluten free almond cookies whose texture is firm and not as crumbly as other gluten free cookies. Taste is so similar to the flan. Not too sweet, with buttery almond flavor. There are two French bakeries in the area. One of them is close to a well known franchise in a high traffic area. We decided to give our business to the bakery Well worth the trip. As a family who understands the restaurant business we chose the give some love to L'Opera and we were so glad we did!! read more

So many wonderful and tasty options. Loved all of these: Pain au raisin, almond croissant, croquant, financier, madeleine, meringue, baguette olive, baguette céréales, crêpe salée, French potatoes, meatballs Provençal!! All excellent, fresh and nicely presented. The owner and all staff were friendly, pleasant and aim to please. Highly recommend L'Opera Bakery Bistrot!! I live in New Orleans so I know good food. I'm also familiar with French food and pastry from many visits. read more

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As a pastry chef , I can attest to the fact that this place is the real deal. The owner has not cut corners . The croissants lamination is sheer perfection. I are the croq madame ...delish. It's a little slice of Paris. read more

Visited an early Saturday morning and had a great experience. Great service and amazing food, would certainly recommend visiting!

The best French toast I have ever eaten! Really. Excellent coffee. Everything made from scratch. What a great place to have nearby.

I came to this bakery with my husband and our service dog (not an emotional support animal, which is still protected) at 1:30 pm (they close at 2:00 pm). Although I know I have the right to enter a place that serves food with my service animal without asking first, I am always kind enough to ask if it is okay to bring the service dog inside. I am willing to respect an establishments request to eat outside instead of inside, even though I am legally entitled to service inside. When I arrived at 1:30 pm, my husband remained outside in the doorway with our service dog who walked in about two feet into the bakery, while I went inside to ask if we could eat inside with our service dog. There was a woman and a man (owner) who were behind the counter. The woman was willing to serve us, but the owner came out telling us he will not serve us because he does not allow dogs inside. At this point, the woman went in back. I asked the owner if he understands that our dog is a "service dog," but he said it does not matter, he will not serve us with a dog inside. He said we can be served outside. I told him, that that is okay, we can sit outside, but the tables and chairs were stacked outside. He said, he already stacked them because they close at 2:00 pm and he will not serve us. I let him know that it is 1:30 pm, they close at 2:00 pm, and that by not serving us inside with a service dog and not serving us outside, he is denying service to us on the basis that we have a service dog. This conversation repeated about three times as the owner argued that he is not denying service to us, but we can be served outside, but he does not care that there is no table and chairs available and he said he does not have time to discuss this with us. So essentially, the owner was playing games with us and refused to serve us with our service animal inside, which we were okay with, but also refused to unstack a table and two chairs to serve us 30 minutes before closing. We were saddened by how rude and disrespectful he was to us and that he is so hostile to people with service dogs. We laughed this off and left, but thought we would post this review so others know that the owner does not respect people with service dogs and is actively breaking the law. read more

service was ok, place is open and lovely, coffee & croissants are delicious. The veggie omlette was tasteless. I asked for mushrooms & cheese to be included, no such luck. The omelet came with carrots, peas and green beans! Novel maybe, but totally bland. The accompanying salad was equally dull. read more

I have never written a Yelp review before, but then, my family has never had a food experience as special and wonderful as we've had at L'Opera Bakery and Bistro. To eat there is to be transported from a tiny strip mall in Sarasota to a quaint streetside cafe in the heart of Paris. The talented Cherki family who own and run L'Opera are there every single day pouring their hearts into creating and serving outstanding French pastries and cuisine. The pastries are exquisite. The bread and baguettes are divine. Everything on the menu is cooked from scratch and absolutely delicious. Let's talk for a moment about L'Opera's cakes! When we celebrated my mother's hundredth birthday, we threw a big party and they created THE MOST spectacular cake EVER for the event. Then, when my mom turned 101, they created another edible work of art. The Bushe de Noel we had for Christmas was spectacular! Adding to the amazing food is the warm, welcoming, and friendly atmosphere of the L'Opera. The Cherki Family works tirelessly to make magic happen for their guests every day. L'Opera is truly our family's favorite restaurant in Sarasota! It is parfait! read more

Wonderful and charming place for breakfast/brunch/lunch. The owners son is the chef and baker and he doesn't disappoint. The food is tasty, and the desert's are fabulous. Definitely recommend. read more

We stopped in for espresso and croissants. Authentic. Little pricey but definitely had the feeling of a French Cafe. I would come again especially for a fresh baguette! read more

French pastries are yummy just like you are in France. Highly highly recommended. The owners are very friendly.