came here since i saw it was walking distance from my stay in vancouver, and it was great!! they have a gorgeous spread of bread and pastries, which you can see live when you're in the store. i got a kouign amann and a small iced americano. their kouign amann is so good, as someone who gets kouign amanns everywhere it's available LOL. it's crunchy and sweet with salt flakes on the crust, so you get some nice contrast throughout your bites. their iced americano (no milk/cream) was also very good. the shot was pulled perfectly, not sour or burnt tasting. they do have extremely limited seating though. maybe seats only 3 or 4 max, so it's more of a grab and go place. we ended up eating on the bench outside haha. would love to have a place like this nearby me where everything is baked fresh, in house!! service was also pretty friendly and patient as i was deciding what to order/asking questions about the drinks. read more

The Bench Bakehouse - pastry spread - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Just a 10 minute short walk from commercial and Broadway sky train station. I absolutely loved the baguette and croissant. The crust on the baguette was amazing and flavourful. The baguette was full of complex flavours and each bite showed it's true colours Their breads are definitely artisan made The croissant was also amazing with its flakey layers. It was buttery but not overwhelming. The bread pudding was also delicious but not my style. I wish it had a few more apple chunks to every bite, I think that would add some extra freshness to the taste. They also sell a lot of goods in the store like canned fish, jams, and chocolates! read more

The Bench Bakehouse - Croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Prepare to be swept away by the divine pastries at The Bench Bakehouse on Commercial Drive. Their expertly crafted crunch pastries offer a symphony of textures that will leave you craving more. The star of the show is the luscious chocolate almond croissant, where the richness of chocolate and the crunch of almonds harmonize in perfect bliss. Baked fresh daily, each bite transports you to pastry heaven. The morning bun is a must-try, with its tender layers of cinnamon-infused delight. Indulge in the savoury perfection of the ham & cheese scroll. And keep an eye out for their unique white chocolate matcha cookie and rhubarb pistachio danish--an unexpected treat that will tantalize your taste buds. The Bench Bakehouse is a haven for pastry enthusiasts seeking pure culinary artistry. Thank you for the kind invite and hospitality. @thebenchbakehouse Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Kids: 4/5 Yay! Price: [#mediatasting] Presentation: 4/5 Parking: 5/5 There is a parking lot behind the plaza that offers 45 mins free parking, and you must register at the machine. Tips: * have gluten-free options available. * should arrive early for the best selection. * have friendly staff passionate about their craft and love sharing their knowledge. * offer convenient packaging options. Would I Return: Yes ‍ read more

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Always wanted to drop by here and finally got the chance to drop by during their opening hours. Got to try the Seasonal Rotating Danish, the guava flavoured with kiwi fruits. It was sooo tasty for someone that's a huge fan of guava. Super flaky with just the right amount of sweetness. Would love to come by for more and try their other pastries and bread!! Everything looked really fresh and seemed perfectly made read more

The Bench Bakehouse - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Located inside the commercial complex at the northwest corner of Commercial Drive & is where you'll find this fantastic bakery. As soon as you open the doors to this complex, you can smell the glorious scent of their baked goods in the hallway Their most direct entrance is on the side I bought the sandwich peanut butter cookies and coconut macaroons. The bag of cookies included 2 moist dense peanut butter cookie sandwiches with sweet creamy peanut buttery mix filling and 2 crispy airy chocolate cookie sandwiches with sweet creamy peanut buttery mix filling. Yes, these cookies were to die for! The coconut macaroons are traditional with the dark chocolate base I need to come back here and try some of their cakes! (Find me on Instagram - @aida.loves ) read more

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i was looking for a place to get a box of pastries as a gift. They were near me and seemed to have great reviews. I went in just after opening. They're inside the Il Mercato mall. Theres a free parking lot underneath for 45mins (but you need to register at the machine). Supermarket elevator takes you right to near their main entrance which is nice. I bought 6 different types of croissants. They were excellent, nothing to really complain about. Their seasonal special was an apple croissant which was well-received by my guests, as were the rest of them. Prices are high, $5.50-6 each, but you get what you pay for. They also serve espresso drinks. I got an americano, which was fine, nothing mind blowing. Their selection of pastries is small, and they seem focused on croissant variations, which they do very well. The place itself is a very small storefront, not a ton of seating so probably better to get things to go esp when its busy. I would def come back, really for 2 main reasons: excellent croissants, and free parking in the lot. No hunting for street spots and not having to pay for parking are huge pluses. read more

I first tried Bench during last year's hot chocolate festival. I am so glad to be back again! I really enjoyed their croissant with the strawberry and chocolate filling I also picked up a loaf with apricot and lavender. The staff also offered to cut the bread for us, yay! The crust was a bit tough for me to chew to enjoy But I would definitely go back for other pastries and croissants for sure! Protip: You can also order the goodies online read more

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We've been weekly customers for years. Outstanding quality, and a wonderful selection of breads, pastries and small cakes. Their seeded breads are outstanding. They're not Jewish, but some years ago a Jewish customer asked if they could make Challah (an egg bread for Friday evening service before dinner}. A friend who's a baker questioned whether it could be as good as Solly's, so we did a taste test. The Bench won! read more

I was invited to try a selection of baked goods and there is a large variety of bread and pastry at The Bench Bakehouse to choose from! It is located in II Mercato and there is a parking lot behind the plaza as well as street parking. The staff are very friendly and there are four seats by the corner window for dine-in. I tried the croissant, morning bun, lavender short bread, brownie, and rye bread. The croissant was my favorite! It was perfectly flaky whiteout being oily and was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Their breads are naturally leavened and everything is baked fresh daily. The morning bun is also really good and tasted like a cinnamon bun croissant! It is made with croissant dough and rolled with cinnamon and sugar. The lavender short bread has a nice note of lavender and is partially coated in white chocolate. read more

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This French-inspired bakehouse is A+++. Interior is a vibe, staff are so sweet, and the lot has 45 mins free parking (just register at the machine). Now for the baked goods: Kouign Amann - Always one of my favourite pastries and they sure make a good one. Due to how sweet they are these could be an acquired taste for some, but they definitely work for me. Cinnamon Bun - Officially my #1 in Vancouver. Icing is more cream cheese-y than sweet. You can taste the 100% real butter and how lovingly this was made from scratch. Worth many return trips. PS. It didn't just survive but THRIVED after a second day re-heat. Pesto Scroll - Biggest surprise of the bunch! The flaky layers and fragrant pesto came together to make something truly magnificent. One of my favourite savoury pastries ever. Also ate half on the 3rd day (illegal I know) after re-heating and it was still fab. Morning Bun - First, this thing is huge. Second, if you like the caramelized crust of a Kougin Amann but also desire the flaky butteriness of a croissant, this pastry is pretty much it. So good. Croissant - Not the best shot but this was an absolute unit of a croissant. Exterior flakier than your average Vancouverite, interior pillowy soft, though it could have been just a HINT more buttery for me. Tied with 1-2 other bakeries for #1. Doesn't come with icing, I accidentally lay it on the cinnamon bun lol. Kouign Amann Crunch - These are crunchy but don't hurt, caramelized but not bitter, sweet but not too sweet. This bakery has brought balance to the (pastry) force with this snack. 100% recommend. read more

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I really wanted to try their Kouign Amann but unfortunately they were out. Will get there earlier and try next time! In replacement, I tried their Kouign Amann end bits. Super crunchy with deep caramelized buttery notes. I have been munching on these non stop. I enjoy flakey croissant with lighter texture. The ones here has a denser inside and not as flaky exterior. Still very rich and buttery. Breakfast bun had a subtle cinnamon flavour. Texture wise, it was similar to the croissant. It may have been better if I heated up. read more

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First off, the kouign amann is not the best I ever had, mainly because it is not the buttery sweet treat I have come to love. I find it is the "lite" version as it is not overly buttery or sweet and that may appeal to some people. To me a good kouign amann must have that jolt of taste which wakes up the senses, that "wow, it's so rich" factor which makes sense why it is called the fattiest pastry. But the kouign amann crunch (sold in bags) are pretty good. What I love here is the Black Forest granola. It is crunchy with a bitter sweet chocolatey taste. I keep coming back to get it. The croissants are delicious. Crisp and flakey and light and buttery. They are what croissants should be. The scone is also delightful, not of the typical smaller size type though. It is not overly crumbly when broken off and is not dry either. Great with clotted cream and jam and tea. The bread is baked fresh daily and excellent. Almost everything I have tried here are really good. It is worth the drive if there is nothing similar in your neighborhood. Oh and the tiramisu is also highly recommended. One of the best I had. Closed on Monday. And there is 45 mins free parking in the Mercato building, making it easy to grab something from here. read more

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I occasionally drop in for a treat like their delicious lemon Shortbread,a small Loaf Cake or Bread.The selection is limited and the space is small but what bothers me more is the ungrateful staff.Not once did I get a Thank-You when buying items or any warmth out of any employee.Not a comfort zone for sure. read more

The Bench Bakehouse - Lemon Shortbread 5.99 - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I was looking for kouign amann but unfortunately I didn't see it. Instead of that, huge croissant caught my eyes! So I tried Baileys Cream croissant which is bigger than baby head! I didn't notice first inside of the store but the glaze has something pearlish pigment and looks so shiny under sunshine. Simple but gorgeous. Both glaze and cream has Baileys flavor and so delicious. I'm sure I will be back again. The counter staff are very friendly too. read more

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Dropped by for a snack and left very satisfied. For social distancing, they have clear signage of where to go and how many people are allowed in at the same time. They also have boxes taped onto the ground to know where you should be standing. I wanted something savoury and decided to go with the sausage roll. The sausage was flavourful and actually not very salty. I found it kind of on the sweeter side, but it was still tasty. The pastry was suuuuper flaky and delicious. Just looking at the sausage roll, you can see all the layers. It was a really good pastry and just writing about it now makes me want to go back to get more haha. My friend had their pesto scroll and also said it was delicious. But seriously, if you haven't tried this place out, go do it now. You won't regret it. read more

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Bench Bakehouse is located in El Mercato along Commercial Drive and is such the hidden gem. Each of their pastries are baed in house daily and they have an assortment of treats to choose from. Not only do they offer flaky croissants, gooey brownies, chewy cookies, crunchy granola, fluffy scones but they also make marshmallows in house! At the Bench Bakehouse, you can either choose to grab a pre-baked pastry to go or you can buy some of their pie shells, scones, or croissants frozen to bake at home for yourself. We were both tempted to buy some of their frozen pastries to bake at home but resisted because there were so many other treats to choose from. Kouign of the Empire We visited for the hot chocolate festival and the Kouign of the Empire was a spiced white hot chocolate with cardamom and orange blossom. The hot chocolate was rich in flavour and had just the right amount of spices to balance out the sweetness of the hot chocolate. The delicious drink was then topped with a house made cardamom marshmallow to take it over the top. Unfortunately, the drink was so hot that the marshmallow melted in it but we're sure it was delicious. The Polar Vortex There were quite a few strawberry hot chocolate offerings at this years hot chocolate festival and The Polar Vortex was one of them. This strawberry hot chocolate was made with dark chocolate and fresh strawberry puree. While it was sweet, the richness of the dark chocolate helped cut some of the sweetness. I loved how the strawberries added a pop of flavour and tartness to the drink as well. This was then all topped with the most magnificent brownie ever! It was fudgey, chewy and all the things you would want in a brownie. The only down side was that there just wasn't enough of it. read more

Commercial drive is infamous as the Little Italy of Vancouver, but there's a little known secret sitting on 1st Ave - Bench Bakehouse! The local shop does pastry so well you can hear the crunchiness of each flake being pulled apart Signature goods to order have to be the almond croissant and strawberry coconut danish These goodies are baked fresh daily, and bakers come to prep at 4am! Staff are also very friendly and approachable too read more

The Bench Bakehouse - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Delicious in taste, appetizing to look at, superb service. Little nook on Commercial and 1st Ave. Must look-see.

One of those rainy days where ya just stumbling around along commerical drive and wondering where the next best cafe could open up... Well we were wanting something small after a light breakfast and looked up on my handy dandy Yelp app that this hot and new bakehouse had just opened up. Tucked away in the shopping mall is the beautiful bench bakehouse, quaint and welcoming with the beautiful smell of baked goodness. We found ourselves wanting to try more than what we had anticipated. Because we both wanted sweet things and couldn't say no we got a high tea plate, something little of a bit of the things we wanted to try. The passionfruit melting moment is something I've never had explode in my food buds before... seriously wow. I wasn't a big fan of the bread pudding only because it was a bit too eggy for me, this peanut butter cookie was also a bit of a treat.. but hands down the passion fruit melting moment.. just wow. read more

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More from Bench, this time with an Orange Blossom and Peach Danish and Pistachio Cherry Danish. Both so great...The best thing about their pastries is that they aren't too heavy or rich but still tasty as ever. Light and flaky, I come by to grab some of Bench's delicious goods any opportunity I have! Great service and friendly people too! :) read more

The Bench Bakehouse - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Service was very friendly and inviting. It's located inside the Mercato off the E 1st Av entrance. We arrived an hour before closing and not that much remained. The double baked almond chocolate croissant was flaky and had a nice crisp. The apricot danish was flaky, not too sweet and fresh. The quiche would have been better warm and good. All in all it was a good experience and solid worth going, just not the best we've ever had. read more

I wasn't expecting to find a great bakery and coffee shop inside of a drab mini mall. The baking is top notch. I tried a blueberry lemon scone and a sausage roll, and both were excellent. Perfect texture and bursting with flavour. The drip coffee was also great and made with Pallet beans. The service at 10am on a Saturday morning was cheerful and friendly, and I didn't have to wait. I'll be back, and I'd go out of my way to visit The Bench again in the future. read more

I've always wanted to try this bakery, but never had the chance considering it is 45 minutes away from where I live. I preordered some holiday cookie boxes as gifts and a few extra pastries for the road. This bakery is located inside a little plaza (free 45 min. parking offered) so it is very easy to find. Prices aren't cheap but is fair because of the portion/size of the pastries and quality. The croissants we ordered were filling and quite large. They were flakey but not too salty. It was a flakey hot mess! I tried a couple of the holiday box cookies and appreciated that they weren't overly sweet and sugary. One thing that disappointed me is that the cookie box did not match the photo or description on the website. The website shows a simple black cookie box, and the description mentioned a gift tag being included. When I received the product, the holiday cookie box was a brown kraft takeout fold box with a pink ribbon and no gift tag. Presentation was one reason why I chose my holiday cookie box from Bench Bakehouse this year, but I didn't feel comfortable gifting it as is. I ended up having to oomph up the presentation before I gifted them. This impacted my rating for this shop. Overall, I would like to try the other items, but I wouldn't come all the way for it. read more

The Bench Bakehouse - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Came here before dinner at Federico's supper club for Dine Out because we were an hour and a half early. Prices are average, but items were a little small. Chocolate chip cookie (2.5/5) This was a chewy cookie. It was a little too sweet, but the chocolate they used was pretty good. It's small for the price, so I wouldn't recommend getting this as it's just an average cookie. Brownie (3.5/5) This was kind of pricey for the size, but it had a really rice chocolate flavour and there were large chocolate chunks throughout. If you're a chocolate fan I would recommed this. It's more of a fudgy brownie, and it is rather dense, so I recommend sharing with a friend. Kougin amann (4/5) This was really fantastic except for one major thing. It had the perfect caramelisation to it, but there was way too much butter, so it was like I was eating butter with each bite. I think there are definitely better bakeries out there, so I won't be returning. There kougin amann has a lot of potential though. read more

The Bench Bakehouse - chocolate chip cookie, brownie and kougin amann - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I was so eager to try this new bakery that I went on the one day they were closed (Monday). So I went back the next day. This is the kind of bakery I was hoping for after trying another new one down the street last week, which was rather disappointing. The Bench Bakehouse is all about artisanal bread and it's evident in everything they bake. I had a delicious croissant/cinnamon morning glory bun with an americano misto (pallet beans). I also ordered one of each of their baguette bites (country, seeded and sesame) to try their breads. It's an open kitchen so you can watch the bakers doing their magic. If only they sell half loaves and toast, then my bread world would be perfect. read more

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I love bench bake house! Their red fife sourdough loaf is to die for and their sweet treats are delicious. Some highlights include, peanut butter cookies, bread pudding sliced and their croissants. Whenever we make a homemade soup or chili, we stop by bench to get some hearty bread to go with it. One thing, this bread is best eaten over two days or so because when it get stale, the crust becomes rock hard. But no real complaints about that because we have never had any trouble with finishing a loaf over the weekend. read more

Tried a selection of goodies on the recommendation of a friend from Commercial Drive. Bought savory scone, sausage roll, chocolate bread pudding and the dessert deserving the five star by itself: the blueberry bostock. The creaminess of the almond frangipane, flavor of the sweet blueberries, the crunch of the almond slivers and the brioche with the right amount of flakiness while still dense enough to hold all the flavors - perfection! I returned after lunch to pick up the caramelized onion sourdough and the vegan chocolate loaf for my plant based friends. We enjoyed both with and after dinner. My vegan friends raving about the chocolate loaf. Not too sweet but a perfect bite after dinner. Next time, we're trying the vegan lemon poppyseed loaf. read more

The Bench Bakehouse - Ate the bostock ( bottom right hand side) before I remembered to take a picture by itself, so delicious. - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Atmosphere: I was in the area for a meeting and i stumbled upon this in passing. it felt very welcoming, modern and had the typical coffee shop vibe. It was busy at the time with enough seating. someone was kind enough to share a seat with me so that i could work on my zine. Price: average market value prices. Customer service: super friendly. i had a lot of questions about the milk alternatives and they were more than patient with me at the time. i did get a few baguettes as i was throwing a meat and cheese board party that week. Food: the latte was made the order and the bread was really good. in fact all their pastries looked good so will come here soon. Notes: heads up that they're closed on mondays. read more

Finally a delicious bakery on the Drive! The one just a block down from me is an Italian bakery. Which is good but not not for croissants or breads. The croissants here are delicious! Anyone who knows me knows they are my weakness. These were flaky, buttery and soft on the inside. The twice baked almond one is great too. Not too over cooked! I couldn't help myself from getting a cookie sandwich too, and it didn't disappoint. Creamy peanut butter filling sandwiched between 2 soft chocolate cookies. Highly recommend! The service here is great too! The girls are really sweet and great at helping you if you don't know what to get. read more

Ist time in and I must say wow. Had the Mornihg bun and an espresso. Both were so amazing and satisfying. The bread is made with only 3 ingredients which is crazy and so nice to see. I will be back. read more

The Bench Bakehouse - Bakeries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Introduced to this bakery by a friend who knows the owners. Really impressed! Tried the pain au chocolat, a kouign amann, and a baguette to take home, as well as coffees. Everything was great but I was especially impressed by the baguette - really good texture and flavour. Good variety of pastries and different types of bread. Not a ton of seating but there are a few benches and small tables. This seems like a much-needed addition to the neighbourhood - on Commercial there are a lot of coffee shops that have okay baked goods but instead this is a legit bakery which also has really great coffee. Price point decent, especially considering the quality, and service was friendly. Will definitely be coming back! read more

I ordered online and have my items picked up the next day. The products were mostly burnt and the scones were burnt but uncooked. very disappointing. I called the store, my phone got hung up while still talking. Super rude! Not even a kind word was said. this can be regarded as bullying. read more

I have only one thing to say: outstanding brownies. Try them! I've tried a few other things at the Bench and they were unremarkable but the brownies are out of this world. read more

Went to kits farmers market today. Decided on cheese & ham croissant in shape of roll. Have had many other croissants b4. But this one O.M.G.!!! Was light flakey & just the most perfect balance of ham & cheese in every bite. Worth every single penny it cost. Only regret they sold out even at their storefront today. This is one of these reviews I want to keep secret but thot the owners & their baker should know how much I love thisNow I can't wait to try their other goods. read more

Tried their almond chocolate croissant and really enjoy the amount of almond paste inside the croissant. Super flaky with lots of layers and just the right amount of chocolate chips. Definitely checks all the boxes. read more

Great little bakery. Unpretentious, friendly and helpful staff with a fantastic selection of bread (whole grain is my favourite and will be yours too after your first slice of toast but they are all great). The pastries are pure comfort and the sausage rolls deserve a special mention as they are an elevated, yet thoroughly recognizable variation. Their other products such as their marshmallows and their granola are also wonderful. Highly recommend making this place your weekly stop for bread etc. read more

SO RUDE! I bought one bag of flour and two loaves of bread and asked for some of their sourdough starter but they said I had to buy TWO bags of flour in order for them to give me some starter. They THROW OUT starter every day but they're still not willing to give me a tablespoon after I purchased items (multiple times)?? What ever happened to community??? Show a little holiday spirit! Now you've lost a customer. read more

This is a bakery of a lifetime. Authentic, even rare French pastries like the Kouign-Amann. My buddy from France said he's never seen one outside of Brittany, let alone had one taste so comparably exquisite. And their coffee is sublime. read more

I have loved every pastry I've tried here but I am literally OBSESSED with their baguette. most amazing bread in town! 15/10 would die for the bread. Reasonably Priced for the high quality and love seeing the bakers off to the side rolling pastries giving me confidence that everything is freshly baked! read more

First, I was overwhelmed by the smell of cooked onions and herbs -- maybe slightly burnt -- when I entered the bakery. When I left the smell lingered on my clothes and my croissant and husband's pain au chocolat tasted slightly like the smell above. Quite disappointing. Also the frozen croissant dough is $14 for only 4 or $3.50 each which is as much if not more than one pays for an already baked croissant. We'll see if they are worth it. read more