As much as I try to avoid giving half-stars, this one is a 3.5 rounded up to a 4…read more
As part of my ongoing quest to find a neighborhood baker, I paid a visit to Boulangerie des Bains on my way to work. I had been avoiding BdB because it seemed a bit too organized and a bit too clean to have a real neighborhood feel.
They had many tempting pastries and chocolates that were tastefully presented in a large display, but (1) it was 7:30 am and too early for a piece of tart or a slice of cake, and (2) I had decided to sample the croissant at each bakery for a fair comparison. Although admittedly I did cheat a little bit and get a croissant des amades (CHF2.20--quite reasonable!).
I was expecting a more manufactured taste than the small hole-in-the-wall bakery that I visited last week, considering the larger scale of BdB. Surprisingly, the croissant had a nice, slightly imperfect density and light sticky glaze that made it evident that they were home-made, and the almond paste inside was also a good texture of graininess. In fact, it tasted much fresher than the croissant I had purchased at the smaller bakery.
As there are plenty of other bakeries in the area that I have yet to visit as I continue on my quest, I cannot say at this point that I've found my neighborhood baker. But if I'm looking for a little treat, I would not hesitate to go back to BdB to try their many other tasty-looking offerings.