Can I get something STARTED for you? For years at various coffee shops, I've enjoyed their fine product, usually the blueberry muffin. Today, I'm at their company store on Solano Avenue in the gastronomic epicenter of the lovely town of Albany, California enjoying a nice warmed up chocolate croissant, and a passionfruit Madeline. A nice clean facility, friendly staff, and calm environment. To say that this is the best chocolate croissant I've ever had might be stretching it, but I can't imagine better? The warm melting bittersweet chocolate is what makes it so tasty. Nothing worse than a chocolate croissant with cold hard chocolate in the center. First the chocolate croissant, and then for dessert the passionfruit Madeline. Snap, crackle, pop. What a way to START the day! Next time I'll grab one of these sandwiches for lunch. This is a real winner. Don't hesitate, bring a date. Note: They have a huge wholesale business and if I had a coffee shop, that's where I'd get my product. read more

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Stopped by after brunch to get some pastries for the ride home. I've been to their other locations. This one is nice because it has plenty of street parking. The line was short and I could see that the selection was still good. I came for the kouign amann. They have some of the best, always crispy and buttery. read more

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Delicious pastries, great coffee drinks and friendly service. Known for their Kouign-amanns so definitely a must! Chocolate babkas are also heavenly. The sandwiches like the Ham and Gruyère and Smoked Salmon are fantastic. Honestly, can't go wrong with any selection here! read more

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Fantastic pastries served by friendly energetic and enthusiastic counter staff. Located on lively Solano Avenue in the tiny enclave of Albany tucked in between Berkeley and El Cerrito is this latest branch for Starter Bakery. Starter er.. started in 2010 with their first location in Rockridge, along the Oakland/Berkeley border. At this Albany location you will find superb world-class pastries and coffees, lattes etc to get your day off to a great start, or afternoon for that matter, with some premade sandwiches and salads in the grab 'n go counter. For our visit midday, we chose the twice-baked almond croissant, the Hazelnut KA (Kouign Amann), and Cardamom Pistachio Twist, which looks a lot like a KA.. Tough to choose just three, as everything looked positively delectable behind the glass. Once you pay up, there is a fair amount of seating available inside the airy interior for you to savor your new treats and beverage in relative peace. Not gazing at your phone or laptop? Peoplewatching works too, as there were tons of folks strolling up and down Solano.. We loved the beautifully prepared pastries here, and would not hesitate to return as soon as we can. Love the pleasant mellow East Bay Vibe here. Still urban, with some chill mellow peaceful ambiance that just seems to permeate this place and the neighborhood. Parking is a little tight, as this neighborhood is really popular these days, and no longer sleepy like it was years ago. I don't mind the new energy, but the parking might be a little challenging. You've been WARNED! Much recommended! read more

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What.a.spot. I've heard about Starter's other locations and positive reviews, but this was the first time experiencing for myself their new(ish) location on Solano Ave in Albany. And omg..I've already been back since. Upon walking in, it's like an adult kiddo in a candy store. You're greeted by staff and all of the finest and fresh baked goodies you could ask for. Between savory and sweet, I truly think there's a little something for everyone. With two different visits we've tried the ham & cheese twice-baked croissant (make sure to ask them to warm it whether you're eating on-the-run or at the bakery), the avocado toast, quiche lorraine (also ask for this to be warmed), banana cocoa nib loaf, chocolate babka, and the brekkie sandwiches..a must. The Egg & Cheese in Brioche..no notes! Other notable items we would love to come back and try: the Pretzel Croissant, Salted Bittersweet Chocolate Cookie, any of the Kouign Amanns, and filled Beignets. They also have slices of pie, cakes, other sandos/packaged salads, local juices from Voila in Oakland, and of course, their fresh bread! This location has a few tables but is warm/cozy if you're coming solo or with 1-2 others. Seems like more of a grab/go style spot. Regardless, looking forward to this being apart of the weekend rotation of fun! Coffee here is also on point from I believe a local beanery :) Worthy on all accounts of a trip and a bit of a splurge (but not too bad!) Leave a few extra minutes for Solano Ave parking. read more

Starter Bakery - Chocolate babka and seasonal quickbread - Bakeries Near Me - Albany, California

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Newest location for Starter Bakery with other locations on College Ave, Oakland and Gilman Ave, Berkeley. I rarely visit their storefronts as fortunately, they're usually at various Farmer's around the Bay Area: Oakland/Grand Lake, San Ramon and Castro Valley on Saturdays. Starter Bakery is my favorite bakery in the SF Bay Area for their ginger cookie, twice-baked almond croissants, Kouign-amann! Yup...I said it! Laminated dough with plenty of sugar and butter with seasonal offerings! Nice to finally visit one of their locations as they offer items not sold at the farmer's markets like sandwiches, cakes, tarts....and donuts! Unfortunately, when my friend and I stopped by they didn't have any until 10am. Darn...bad thing about getting there early to avoid the crowds :) Plenty of seating inside and outside to enjoy the weather and dine with your pups! Coffee offered but be careful...they have lids that don't fit the cups properly! Smh read more

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Wife and I were super excited to hear that they opened a Starter Bakery close to home. She used to bring the Starter kouign amann home from a cafe near her office. When we got there, the line was long as expected but moved quickly and every pastry behind the display glass looked so freakin yummy! She ordered a pistachio cardamom twist and a regular kouign amann. I ordered the specialty KA (strawberry rhubarb) and a chocolate filled beignet. Everything was super buttery, flaky and sweet! The special KA was smaller than the rest but it was still filling. Can't wait to visit again and try more! read more

Starter Bakery - Kouign amann, strawberry rhubarb KA, chocolate filled beignet & pistachio cardamom twist - Bakeries Near Me - Albany, California

Cute little bakery coffee shop in Albany, nice amount of seating. Good coffee & pastries. Kouign amann in different varieties. I chose the chocolate & had a cappuccino. read more

Starter Bakery - Chocolate kouign amann & cappuccino - Bakeries Near Me - Albany, California

I'm so excited about this new addition to Solano Avenue. I've frequented their wholesale location on Gilman, so it'll be nicer to have one closer to all of the other shops and restaurants on Solano Avenue. Unlike other locations, I believe the Solano Ave is the only location serving beignets. My favorites are the kouign amans (especially the seasonal ones) and the chocolate babka. They also have a selection of breakfast and regular sandwiches which I haven't tried yet. The lines have died down since the opening last year, so it's easy to pop in and get your favorite pastries. read more

The wonderful smell of buttered pastries. It's the first thing you experienced when you walk through the door and they are very busy so plan appropriately. I walked into the selection was really great. They had everything from sweet the sandwiches available on various kinds of rolls and pastries. The staff was fast and efficient was smiles as busy as they were. It seems sort of silly at this point to tell you how delicious it was, but it was off the hook delicious and very much like a European style pastry and the light layers of dough that make the whole experience enjoyable. read more

Starter Bakery - Ham and cheese sando - Bakeries Near Me - Albany, California

I came in near closing time expecting to have zero treats left, but I was pleasantly surprised to see some KAs, croissants, muffins and cookies. I got a beignet stuffed with passion fruit cream. Excellent!!! The staff were very professional and knowledgeable too, and were able to provide the info I needed about their sipping chocolate made with Guittard. Next time! read more

Starter bakery is a nice addition to the Solano area. The space is nice and inviting and as seen by how many kids are here on a weekend morning, a great place to take the kiddos for a coffee and pastry breakfast. The croissants are solid and hit the spot. I am not here for the best croissant of my life but starter bakery strikes a good balance of solid pastries and a nice cafe space to sit and enjoy. It's exactly what we are looking for a weekend morning start. read more

Came in for a mom/ daughter date on a Saturday morning. Charming cafe, delicious kouign Amman (buttery goodness), and a croissant that my daughter approved of (she has high standards thanks to Rotha being so close to us). Lots of natural light. Great addition to the neighborhood! read more

VEGAN REVIEW Not a single vegan option in the year of our lord 2025?!?!?! In the Bay Area?!?!? UPDATE AFTER OWNER REPLY: I specifically asked the staff is there were ANY vegan options (including breads) and they said NO, so there may be a training issue? I shouldn't need to check out the website, staff should know what's on the menu read more

The worst breakfast sandwich I think I've ever had, the bun was hard as a rock very obviously toasted then refrigerated then microwaved or something, egg was something popped out of a mold too. 2 stars because the pastries are pretty good but inconsistent on how fresh they seem. Bread is not good, every loaf I've had of theirs (never from this location) has felt a day old, like dry on the inside not crispy on the outside anymore. read more

First time here and ordered a slice of vanilla cake with passion fruit filling and a ham cheese crossaint. Cake: The buttercream frosting I could kust eat by itself! It was divine. It was perfectly sweet but not too much and it just melts in your mouth. Then having it with the cake was even better! The cake even melts in your mouth! The texture and flavor were amazing. Crossaint: This was the best ham and cheese crossaint I've ever had. It had a perfect amount of meat and cheese AND a surprise addition of Dijon mustard. Can't wait to try other treats! read more

I was excited to have Starter Bakery enter the neighborhood. I've probably been about 7 times at this point, but I probably won't be returning until they address some of the areas for improvement I outline below. The staff is consistently not very friendly, especially the folks you order pastries from at the front. Some of them are downright rude. I would say two of the cashiers have been friendly-ish, but the negativity when you enter and order pastries is really off putting. This morning I went and ordered two pastries, and was later notified the espresso machine was broken... they should probably have a sign or let you know upfront as I would not have even ordered the pastries if I knew that espresso machine was down. They have you bus your own tables, which.. sure, fine. But the bins are super low to the ground and aren't accessible for old or disabled people. The last time I went, there was a huge hair on the table so even if patrons have to bus their own dishes, the tables should still be cleaned consistently. The pastries and coffee themself are a little above average. Perhaps they're just working out kinks and will improve their customer service, operations and quality in the future. read more

Let me first say, "Oh m'gosh!" Many years ago, I first learned of Starter Bakery when they were starting out and were frequent purveyors at the Temescal Farmer's Market in Oakland. I used to regularly score their Kouign Amann, which based on what I witnessed today in the display case, they have some new permutations now. Today, I strolled into their Solano Ave store and imbibed on a warmed-up Ham & Cheese Twice-Baked Croissant. It was LEKKER, LEKKER, LEKKER, BEYOND FANTASTIC!!! It reminded me of the warm croissant I used to get daily at the Banketbakkerij Brandsma in Utrecht, The Netherlands before heading to class. The exterior of this comestible was perfection in crispiness and texture, and 'decorated' caramelized onions. Super-duper, nice complement! The interior was filled with (no they did not chince on, like other establishments) ample (Black Forest?) Ham, Gruyere (?) Cheese and a smear of Dijon Mustard with Brassica juncea, Brown Mustard seeds. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Alsjeblieft! read more

Everything was top notch! We ordered the seasonal KA (caramelized pear,) Ham & Cheese Croissant, Pretzel Croissant, and a Latte. Opening day was a super success and very excited to have this amazing bakery in the neighborhood! All the staff were friendly even offering suggestions based on food preferences. Music inside that was calming but not too loud, great ambiance. Outlets run along the under the benches so you could also work from inside! read more

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Service still sucks even after being open for a while. Why I adore their products as they taste very good in flavorful the Service lacks. I hate going there just for this reason. read more

DELECTABLE!!! I immediately had to bite into the hazelnut ka and OH MY GOODNESS SPECTACULAR!!! must try! I also had a veggie quiche which was perfect! read more

Starter Bakery - Seasonal tartine (pineapple, mango, passion fruit) and a nibbled on hazelnut ka - Bakeries Near Me - Albany, California

What a gem to have in the neighborhood. The beignets are a must, the chocolate babka and pretzel croissants are also very good good, and they have parking! There are also a bunch of fancy looking cakes and tarts. I didn't try any but they all looked delicious. read more

Location: beautiful interior and display of pastries in a conveniently walking distance location 2 doors next to the post office. Food: base off what was purchased from my visit: chocolate cake was good, Kouign-amann excellent, ginger scone (I wouldn't get it if i knew it was ginger flavored, too strong of a taste) banana loaf bread with frosting on top (i wanted the tiny ones on display but the guy ended up selling me the bigger one with yucky frosting instead! I would not recommend it.) Overall experience: overprice and need improvement on the above mentioned pastries. read more

Good. Food was so wonderful. Gets very busy at times but likely will settle down a bit after the new novelty passes

Got there for the first time at 11:30 am today and it was closing. I said something like , "My first time here and it's closing" The female worker responded in a disrespectful and mocking way. Really bad vibe. Will not return. I'm sure they expect tips too for a passing a pastry to you. I miss Japan where there is no tipping and way better service. I'll never know if it's a good or not but businesses need to learn that the customer is king. Avoid this place on principle. Update: Due to the professional response of the representative and the fact that I tried the bakery again, I am upgrading from 1 to 4 stars. The Kouign-Amann was excellent. I may even add another star if I continue to have positive experiences. It must be hard to train staff these days to properly interact with the public. read more

San Francisco quality pastries at Beverly Hills Prices . Pastries are decent , just not $6 delectable good.

Their pumpkin pie is to die for! I am also so impressed by their multigrain batard it crisps up so perfectly and goes so well with a schmear of butter or preserves! In the area we have plenty of pastry options as well but I'd like to add that their chocolate croissants are definitely a contender! read more

Love that we have a delicious pastry place that is open early! Only wish they opened all weekdays. The blueberry muffin is so tasty and a go to for me. Also the lox sandwich is delish! Rose is helpful and very pleasant! read more

Was happy to discover that they make a "citrus" pie (lemon, basically, but not entirely) that is to die for.

The new Starter Bakery has opened on Solano Ave in Berkeley at the bottom, crossroad is Stannage Avenue. Hooray! Some of the most excellent pastries in Berkeley. Try the Belgian style Koign Amann, which you can't get hardly anywhere, and certainly not as well-made as this. Perfectly buttery, sweet and flaky. They also have small and large pies, lots of creamy cakes, and excellent salads. Support these guys by spending some money there soon! I've been driving all the way to the other Starter Bakery on College Avenue in Rockridge to get these pastries, that's how good they are! read more

Great pastries, terrible coffee! We ordered a cappuccino and a coffee to go. We walked a half block before pouring them out in the gutter. If you like your coffee over-the-top bitter, then this may be for you. read more

Everything was top notch. Ham and gruyere, quiche Lorraine, almond croissant, focaccia. I wanted to eat literally everything in the display case. They heated the sandwich and quiche and we ate outside. It was truly delicious and I can't wait to return. read more