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    The Bakester

    4.4 (154 reviews)
    Closed 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Pumpkin Pie
    Matea P.

    Wow. Just WOW. The Bakester has done it again. This year, I went for two pies for Thanksgiving--an apple and a pumpkin--and they were nothing short of PHENOMENAL. Really and truthfully, these were the best apple and pumpkin pies I'VE EVER HAD. Both were absolutely unforgettable, but if I had to pick one the pumpkin pie stole the show. But then again, when it comes to the Bakester, this kind of excellence is to be expected. A Thanksgiving treat that sticks with you long after the leftovers are gone. These pies didn't just complete the meal--they elevated the entire holiday. By the time Thanksgiving was over, I'd already decided I'm ordering from the Bakester for Christmas. It's hard to imagine celebrating the holidays without them.

    Cute little cafe with an indoor seated area as well for breakfast
    Brian W.

    We decided to check out a cafe that we hadn't been too for some coffee and pastries. The Bakester was a cute looking cafe with good reviews, so we dropped in. Initial impressions was that the place is nice, but empty. The pastry cabinet was half empty and the scone that my wife wanted was mislabeled and unavailable. There were to bins of mugs and dishes laying around, one on a table and one on the counter by the register. It almost seemed they do t show up early before opening to prep the store. The first lady just stared at us, didn't ask if we wanted help, no hello, nothing. We had to initiate the conversation. Then an older lady came but and was very nice and polite. Our orders were quick and we received the food fairly quick. I got a lemon scone, and my wife got a cranberry scone. We shared a latte. The coffee was light, but good. Both scones were moist and very tasty, but we did expect them to be harder being a scone. I would definitely recommend their food and coffee, but their customer service by the one lady was terrible. It almost made us feel like she didn't want to be bothered. They are worth checking out, but if we have a duplicate experience like our first, it will be our last. 4 stars for food, -1 stars for customer service.

    Lisa M.

    Been here twice now for high tea, and it is consistently delicious. The owner and her servers are all sweet and helpful--especially when we have little kids who want to partake in tea but don't need the caffeine. Lots of tea varieties to choose from. The sandwiches are just right--flavorful and filling without being stuffed with ingredients that fall out. They're perfectly constructed and the perfect portion. The sweets/desserts are so good. I don't know how she does it--nothing is overly sweet in any way. The whole place is bright and clean, with soft music so you can have a comfortable conversation. As a family dining in a nicer establishment (with fine china and breakable everything), we worried about our kids being too boisterous or damaging, but the staff were very accommodating by providing paper cups for water instead of glass, and never made us feel unwelcome or hurried. Couldn't recommend this place more! Just be sure to make a reservation if you want to do high tea.

    a buffet table with dishes on it
    Lena M.

    I'm afraid to let this little treasure out of the closet because it's so darn adorable and I'm afraid I won't ever get an open table after this rave review! The Bakester is THE MOST DARLING coffee/tea/pastry shop you may ever find in the northwest burbs! To begin with the shop isn't mega chain size, but big enough so that you can have nice conversations without the people at the next table hearing every work, but it's small enough to give that nice cozy, quaint feeling. The wall is lined with beautiful tea pots and cups, tiered crystal trays begging for pastries to be rested on them, and touches of flowers - but not so overly "feminine" to keep guys away. You place your order at the register and if you choose to dine in, they'll bring your order to you. It'll arrive in a pretty china cup with saucer. If you order something to eat, you'll get it on a real plate with silverware. Tea will be served with a teapot. It's all very elegant. The ladies working there are so patient and kind. The owner always has a bright smile on her face and she's such a delightful person to chat with. Everything is made there fresh in-house and you can smell the warm, baked smell as soon as you walk in. The bakery selection has something for everyone, including a quiche or two and there are also sandwiches made with their flakey, buttery croissants. They also offer High Tea which I can't wait to try!

    Sweets
    Steve A.

    Checked out yet another offer shop in downtown Arlington Heights, one with a bit classy of an atmosphere. It means prices are kind of high too, but not as much as you may think because the quality is great. The Brewster specializes in French style coffee, paninis, and more. Also has tea if wanting another beverage. You can get one of those fancy tea times with the crumpets and whatever. After looking for a close by coffee shop, we came here. It turned out to be more fancy than we expected, but oh well it had some great stuff. The coffee is the main thing. It's about $4 for a regular cup. The Vegan Panini is more interesting. It's about $9 for a pretty big sandwich filled with everything. There was avocado and tomatoes. Maybe it wasn't a super creative one, but it was a filling one for brunch or lunch. The pastries include classic types of scones. Good place when looking for a French press or other fancy coffee. It also has a breakfast and lunch menu of food. There's a lot that's cheesy and meaty, but the Vegan Panini is a good one for plant based eaters and vegetarians.

    Turkey, Havarti, and Spinach-Artichoke Spread Croissant
    Emily E.

    An absolutely LOVELY place to sip on a raspberry lemonade while admiring the silver teapots, vintage china, and gorgeous flowers! The owner is sooo sweet and accommodating- seriously one of the nicest ladies you'll ever meet. She throws high tea parties, which are so fun and very affordable compared to the ones in Chicago. For food, I enjoy the turkey & spinach artichoke croissant. So, so tasty! Also love the chocolate chip cookies and the macarons.

    Front area for cafe pastry pickup
    Ruth L.

    Excellent spot! It's such a gem to have a fancy place like this for a tea party so close by. Came here with friends for a mini get together and baby sprinkle. Also had two kids with us who really enjoyed dressing up like a princess and sharing all the yummy goodies. $40 for adult, $30 child for the standard tea party. Premium is $10 more. There are also other menu or bakery items to order as well. Parking can be tough bc its street parking in DT Arlington Heights. Once you walk in you see the pastry displays, then it opens up to a beautiful eating area with fancy table set-ups and beautiful drapes and chandaliers through out the tea area. The quality of the teas are amazing, same with the sandwiches and pastries. Wait staff is pretty attentive and comes to check in and delivers the requested items fairly quick. Would highly recommend reservations, as they get pretty busy on the weekends. Great for ladies get togethers, showers, or small intimate parties. People do come dressed up in their dresses and nice hats :) I would only say its a great spot, except the $30 for young children is a pretty steep price as they don't eat as much as the adults or really drink tea since they are still young. Otherwise great experience. Would def do it again.

    Bakery counter and register
    Cristel M.

    What a hidden gem! I've stopped in here a couple of times for a pastry to go, but didn't know until recently that they offer a high tea service. A couple of friends and I made a high tea reservation and had the best time. For $40 per person, we were served three kinds of sandwiches, three large scones, an assortment of desserts, and unlimited tea. We ended up trying several flavors of tea, and loved them all. The service was fast and beyond accommodating -- we were encouraged several times to take our time, and we ended up staying there for a few hours. By the end of our experience, which we scheduled during brunch hours, we were all happy and stuffed. The Bakester also offers a small breakfast and lunch menu, and I'll absolutely be back for breakfast or a panini or lunch.

    The most delicious key lime pie- created by The Bakester!
    laura c.

    Thank you for the beautiful and delicious key lime pie you made for my husband's birthday this week. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful. I will order from this bakery again!

    The space.
    Maureen S.

    Had a lovely experience having afternoon tea at The Bakester this past week. Pretty space, friendly service, and delicious food and tea. You select your tea from the containers they have... it's all tea bags. They then bring you a silver pot of tea. You can have a second kind as well. Sandwiches are larger than most tea sandwiches but all were delicious so was happy for the bigger sizes. You also get two large scones (with jam and cream), a macaron and cookie, and generous slice of a European dessert. Definitely worth the visit! I'll be back!

    Truc N.

    Feels like I step in for afternoon tea. This place has a European vibe with the classy plates and decors. We got a few different choice for teas (unlimited) for the Duchess High Tea options. This included tomatoes soup, spinach and cheddar quiche, cucumber sandwiches, smoke salmon sandwich, turkey on a croissant, scones, pies and French macaroons. The pastries was delicious. The scones was definitely my favorite. It was nice and soft. The cream and berry persevere was delicious and accent the scones flavor perfectly. Our waiter was super nice and refilled our water glasses and tea cups without having us asking. It's definitely a cute place for afternoon tea with some girlfriends.

    Cappuccino
    Khalid F.

    We found this place by accident, and what a happy accident it was. We were driving around Arlington Heights and I turned into a street because I really liked the look of the old-fashioned buildings and castle-like look of this quaint downtown area. As I was driving, my wife spotted The Bakester. With a sweet tooth the size of an orca, it took no convincing for me to find a parking spot and dash in. As soon as we entered, there was a feeling of being in a fancy patisserie or cafe somewhere in Europe. We didn't really know how it worked or if it was table service only, but the young man at the counter was super friendly. We ordered coffee and dessert at the counter, took a seat at a table, and they brought the goods out. I ordered a cappuccino and my wife got a latte with vanilla. For my son we got a vanilla macaron. My wife and I also got a chocolate-pecan opera cake slice to share. They really knocked it out of the park with the foam on both drinks. And they included a spoon to make it easy to scoop out and enjoy the thick foam. The cake was rich and decadent; it looked like a small slice, but was perfect for us. The macaron was equally excellent; great vanilla flavor and nice texture. Pricing was fair for the quality and overall experience. Would love to come back.

    Desserts!
    Zainab B.

    Absolutely love this place! So beautifully decorated and the service is fantastic. I came today with my daughter for tea time. The quality and portions of the food were also wonderful. Definitely want to visit here every time I'm home to visit family!

    Blackberry cheesecake, sooo delicious!!

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    2 months ago

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    2 years ago

    This place is adorable! The coffee was great and the quiche was good but I'd get something else next time. Such a relaxing place.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    What a lovely, welcoming place! The food was delicious and staff is attentive. Charming downtown Arlington Hts location.

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    3 years ago

    Sign said open till 5. I got their at 4:10pm and the door was locked while workers were behind the counter. Bad bad service.

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    3 years ago

    Went here for an afternoon tea. The food was great, it was served out of beautiful tea pots and beautiful dishes.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Bakester

    How easy is it to get seating here? Is it first come first serve? Is this a good place to come to to chat with a friend?

    I've been here in the morning and at lunchtime (both on weekdays) and there were several empty tables. The room to the side is quite spacious and ideally suited to conversations

    Are there vegan options?

    I believe the apple pie thing is vegan.

    One reviewer mentioned the croissants are "real ... imported from France." Are the croissants frozen from France and then reheated just before consumption?

    The owner bakes all pastries and croissants at this location. Bakester is very reminiscent of a traditional French patisserie. The owner is European and such a lovely woman! The baked goods are excellent!

    Are there ready made cakes for walk-ins? Do they accept apple/android pay?

    All pastries and cakes are available for in-house or takeout. Card cards accepted, except not sure of Apple Pay.

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    Pastry House Hippo - Storefront

    Pastry House Hippo

    4.4(164 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $

    When I go to Mitsuwa, nine times out of ten I also stop by Pastry House Hippo, the cute Japanese…read morebakery located inside the grocery store. This has been my routine for decades, yet I just realized that I had never actually left a rating for it. What makes this bakery especially appealing is its soft, airy, and smooth bread and buns, which are handmade using ingredients sourced directly from Japan. My personal favorite is the red bean bun. While my sister loves their sandwiches and milk bread, which has an incredibly soft, fluffy, and moist texture. All of their bread and buns are made fresh daily. Many years ago, they even allowed their staff to take home any unsold sandwiches and bread at the end of the day! With increasing competition from newer Korean and Taiwanese bakeries, I hope Pastry House Hippo continues to stay competitive. As a self-serve bakery, it would be nice if the buns were individually wrapped, something many other bakeries already do, to help prevent contamination from careless customers. My most recent visit was on the second day of the new year, and I was happy to see the shop bustling with customers. I hope this little bakery continues to thrive for many years to come.

    Super disappointed. Picked up the chocolate flourless cake aka Gateau Chocolat Classic. It was…read moresuper dry and burnt at the bottom. In addition to that, it leaves a very weird after taste in the mouth- like artificial sugar was used. For $6.99 (with tax)- it was a waste of money. The place is pretty much self serve- you grab a tray and tongs and they bag everything when you get rung up. Cakes are behind the counter and you order when you get to the register. My interaction was very minimal- the cashier rung me up and I paid.

    Photos
    Pastry House Hippo
    Pastry House Hippo
    Pastry House Hippo

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    Jarosch Bakery - untitled

    Jarosch Bakery

    4.3(466 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    So I went to Jarosch bakery this morning at their NEW location at 111 Higgins Road, about a block…read moreto the left of their original address. And the new digs look outstanding. I went in early this morning, before 7am, to pick up some paczkis, their awesome cinnamon raisin bread and my dad's favorite, the Swedish Flat. And we weren't disappointed. So the front counter space is big. Their inside space to wait is, I believe, a little bit bigger compared to their old location. They still have their shelving in there with kolaczkis, assorted breads and pre-boxed paczkis. They are still getting everything together from their move and they didn't have a lot of pazckis available, which is ok because we aren't at Fat Tuesday yet amd last year you could place an order for them online. But their customer service is great as usual, and customers leave with smiles on their faces. I asked one of the employees there how have the longtime customers taken to the new building and she said so far it's been a mix. I love the new place and can't wait to see how they perform when they are all don't acclimating to their new home. Also, they have a awesome looking espresso machine but it isn't up and running when I was there. Thanks for being able to replace my hole in my heart when our local bakery closed a ling time ago.

    Jarosch Bakery is one of those classic, old-school bakeries that's been serving the Chicago suburbs…read morefor decades, and you can tell the moment you walk in. It has that traditional neighborhood bakery feel with display cases full of cookies, donuts, pastries, breads, and cakes. The bakery has been around since 1959 and is known for making many of its items from scratch, which really shows in the quality. Jarosch Bakery +1 The selection is impressive. Their butter cookies, coffee cakes, sweet rolls, and donuts are standouts, and everything looks fresh and carefully made. If you're picking up dessert for a gathering or ordering a custom cake for a celebration, this is the kind of bakery that has built a reputation for doing those things really well. The place can get busy, especially around holidays, but that's usually a good sign that people keep coming back. Prices are a bit on the higher side compared to grocery store bakeries, but the quality and traditional baking make it worth it. Overall, Jarosch Bakery is a great spot if you appreciate classic bakeries that focus on fresh, scratch-made pastries and desserts. It's the kind of place that feels like a local tradition.

    Photos
    Jarosch Bakery - Untitled

    Untitled

    Jarosch Bakery - Chocolate chunky brownie cake

    Chocolate chunky brownie cake

    Jarosch Bakery - New storefront.

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    New storefront.

    Central Continental Bakery - Wedding cake recreated for 50th wedding anniversary

    Central Continental Bakery

    4.2(269 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Small-local- not a chain- go support!!! For the pros: Great…read moreservice overall. The Black Forest cake was delicious and beautiful and they did an excellent job. Donuts, apple fritters, and eclairs were very tasty. The custards were yummy. Cons: Place was dead, not one customer to be found on a Saturday morning at 7:30am. Stop going to the chain coffee joints and try a small place that needs us. I preordered a little leas than $100 worth of cakes, pies, and pastries so I grabbed some of the cookies to make it $100. The butter cookies are $33 a lb. Ouch! As soon as you take a bite they fall apart and crumble everywhere. The kids didn't like the taste and didn't eat any of them, a waste of $12. No prices anywhere other than the boxed goods or coffee signs. 4% fee for using a credit card which I get, but have it posted better. Couple small signs I caught over by the fresh stuff saying price tags reflect cash price, but yet didn't see prices anywhere other than on shelves by boxed stuff. Have prices posted. French silk pie was very thick and not very chocolaty. No one really cared for it, def would not get again. I looked back at receipt after I left and see a random charge for "open retail" for $3.12, no clue what that is. So was over charged for something I didn't get.

    Small-local- not a chain- go support!!! For the pros: Great…read moreservice overall. The Black Forest cake was delicious and beautiful and they did an excellent job. Donuts, apple fritters, and eclairs were very tasty. The custards were yummy. Cons: Place was dead, not one customer to be found on a Saturday morning at 7:30am. Stop going to the chain coffee joints and try a small place that needs us. I preordered a little leas than $100 worth of cakes, pies, and pastries so I grabbed some of the cookies to make it $100. The butter cookies are $33 a lb. Ouch! As soon as you take a bite they fall apart and crumble everywhere. The kids didn't like the taste and didn't eat any of them, a waste of $12. No prices anywhere other than the boxed goods or coffee signs. 4% fee for using a credit card which I get, but have it posted better. Couple small signs I caught over by the fresh stuff saying price tags reflect cash price, but yet didn't see prices anywhere other than on shelves by boxed stuff. Have prices posted. French silk pie was very thick and not very chocolaty. No one really cared for it, def would not get again. I looked back at receipt after I left and see a random charge for "open retail" for $3.12, no clue what that is. So was over charged for something I didn't get.

    Photos
    Central Continental Bakery
    Central Continental Bakery - Ready made all occasion decors cakes

    Ready made all occasion decors cakes

    Central Continental Bakery

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    A Thousand Tales

    A Thousand Tales

    4.4(349 reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$
    Healthy dining
    Private events

    A Thousand Tales is a great restaurant, and they also have a coffee and pastry shop in the same…read morebuilding. This time, we tried the coffee shop. The pastries are plentiful and beautiful. We had a very hard decisions to make deciding what to get. I don't know what it was called, but we got something that looked like a strawberry Napoleon. I couldn't have any because of an allergy, but my wife loved it. Their coffee bar is also impressive. My wife had a latte and I had a mint tea. They make an elaborate latte. I was a little disappointed that the tea, which was not inexpensive, was made with a tea bag and not tea leaves. But it was good, so no real problem there. There was a short line to order at the counter, but it moved quickly. The people behind the counter were pleasant and seem to enjoy talking with their customers. All in all, the Thousand Tales coffee shop rates up there with the best.

    I came back from another state, and the first place I missed was Thousand Tales with their cozy and…read morestylish atmosphere. The pistachio crumble latte is still one of my favorites -- creamy, flavorful, and comforting. If you prefer stronger coffee, I'd definitely recommend adding an extra shot. The pogacha with beef and the burek were both delicious, rich, and full of flavor. I also tried the pistachio cheesecake, and it was absolutely delicious -- just as good as I remembered. I was a little disappointed with the Dubai chocolate cheesecake this time though. It didn't even look the same as before, and the pistachio paste tasted less natural than I remembered. The service was good, everyone was friendly, and I'll definitely come back again.

    Photos
    A Thousand Tales - Buffer on weekends

    Buffer on weekends

    A Thousand Tales
    A Thousand Tales

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    The Bakester - coffee - Updated May 2026

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