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- Hours:
Mon-Sat 7:30 am - 7 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert, Lunch, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
59 reviews for Arely's French Bakery
Review Highlights
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"the dark chocolate mousse." In 7 reviews -
"They have quiche made fresh every day, and desserts galore." In 8 reviews -
"Fresh pastries, breakfast and coffee." In 17 reviews
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59 reviews in English
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Review from Jennifer S.
San Diego, CA
4/27/2012
I give this place 5 stars for what it is and that's a "French" (notice the quotes) cafe / bakery in the C-mont square (notice the location). If you're looking for an upscale charming cafe that mimics those actually in France, this is not the place for you. But what they do have are some damn amazing looking pastries that appear to be fairly authentic, good lunch items that have a French touch and an average setting with a couple of French-ish decals on the wall.
I've been here twice for lunch and when you walk in, the pastry display sort of beckons at you to not over-stuff your face so you can try something deliciously overindulgent after your meal. I have failed at this on my first two visits, but I will hold out hope that one day restraint will find my soul. So I unfortunately cannot comment on the sweets, but I will say that I have seen with my own eyes several women let out a Meg Ryan When Harry Met Sally-esque groan following a first bite of one of Arely's baked creations.
I will however comment on the rest of food which I think is a great addition to the Square which tends to have a lot of greasier options. I had the french onion soup, which was cheesy and delicious and the spinach salad with chicken which was huge, satisfying and served with their yummy crusty french bread. The first time I went I brought my dad a turkey croissant sandwich and he said the croissant was amazing and definitely made the sandwich. The second time I brought the hubby and he had the grilled chicken panini with melted swiss and grilled mushrooms. I had a bite and it was really freaking good. The sandwiches don't come with any chips, salad, fries, etc. and this would normally annoy the hubby or leave him wanting more food, but he ate the whole thing and looked genuinely satisfied.
The service has been mixed. The first visit, the girl behind the counter was wearing flip flops and was sort of laissez faire about the whole customer service thing (which if you've ever been to France, that kind of service is actually pretty French), but I don't know she looked disheveled and overall was pretty unimpressive for a new business' image. The most recent trip the girl was sweet and attentive and I don't remember what she was wearing so it couldn't have bothered me that much.
Overall, totally great new addition to the Clairemont Square which was due for some new culinary flair. Oh I just rhymed! Yay me! -
Review from Nalene N.
San Diego, CA
2/13/2012
when i walked in it seemed like a nice place to have lunch and desserts. however, the cashier wasn't the friendliest person i've ever met. i got the impression that she was annoyed and wanted me to be done with my order as quickly as possible. kinda ruined my first impression of this place.
but the pastrami panini was pretty good, a bit on the fatty side. i had to throw away a good portion of the meat. however, the cheese danish was really good! their other desserts look yummy as well = P.
i will probably go back to try the quiche and other desserts, hopefully i'll have a friendlier experience this time. -
Review from Soo H.
San Diego, CA
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
The is a nice small shop and the staff was nice too! The croisant had a nice crunch on the outside and the inside was light and had a good buttery flavor. The apple turnover was really flaky on the outside and had a delicious apple filling inside. The pineapple upside down cake was also very well done.
Everything here was great tasting and almost the best I have had. I'll be back to try out more of their goodies! -
Review from Ang M.
San Diego, CA
5/14/2012
A cute little place to grab breakfast. The bakery is also delish! The flakey, buttery Chocolate Croissants are a must!
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Review from Natalie S.
San Diego, CA
3/14/2012
I have been walking/driving by this place for the past year on my lunch break and never walked in. Today I decided to check it out and good thing I waited; I would have gained 50 lbs by now!!
I got the almond croissant, DELICIOUS!!!! Totally worth the $1.85 and then some! I will be back. -
Review from Liz S.
Seattle, WA
1/4/2012
Blah. That's the only way to describe. I would give one star (my meal was gross -- very strange Nicoise salad and the worst cheddar/broccoli soup ever), but my friend seemed to like the sandwich and French onion soup he ordered.
The cafe is very un-french and overall grungy. If you actually like French food, definitely go somewhere else. And if you like a good lunch, probably go somewhere else too... -
Review from James F.
10/31/2011 4 photos
A delightful cafe! We came for lunch and had a nice meal. I got a chicken breast panini, with cheese and mushrooms and bell peppers (http://www.yelp.com/bi... ). The panini was not huge, but it was filling - some places give you big ones that are flat - this one wasn't flat, and i had to get a fork to eat the goodies that fell out of it.
My wife got croque monsieur ( http://www.yelp.com/bi... ), and this was the biggest croque monsieur that we had ever encountered. Two thick slices of bread with the ham and melted cheese on top. She ended up taking 1/3 of it home. Good stuff.
My parents got a ham/pineapple panini and some spinach quiche, though my mom thought the quiche was too heavy on the cheese. Also got some cookies afterward - biscotti like texture.
Service was a bit slow, and it took a while to get some glasses of water since the one server had bakery customers and cafe customers all at once. But very pleased with the food and the baked goods looked nice.
If only the sidewalk looked out upon a nice pedestrian environment instead of a parking lot... and the heavy metal chairs didn't make a horrible scraping sound when you moved them. -
Review from Tiffany R.
San Diego, CA
9/12/2011
Him - "What time is it?"
Me - "6:40"
Him "We can TOTALLY make it to Arely's. Let's go!!!"
**vroom**
This scenario literally happened three times within the week that we discovered Arely's.
Located in the Clairemont Square shopping center, you will find affordable, decadent desserts without the fuss of a downtown location and all the charm of a local, family-owned bakery.
We always get something with chocolate mousse for me, a fruit tart for him, and I'm sure you'll find something for you! They also serve breakfast, cafe drinks, and paninis. More perks include free wifi and custom celebration cakes!
So if you have time to spare before 7pm, spend it well at Arely's!Listed in: We$t-$iiiiide Clairemont Mesa…
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Review from Orlando P.
Escondido, CA
2/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very good bakery items...the fruit tart is tasty and fresh! Nice selection to choose from!!!
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Review from Greg L.
San Diego, CA
I've seen this place many times, usually with lots of people, the other day i was so thirsty, she made me a raspberry iced tea, it was really good, not to sweet, i had an eclair, she had the creme brulee', it came to 9 bucks, a bit expensive.
the place really small, but neat, the tables clean, the girl behind the counter helpful and friendly, and answered my questions about the cakes and tarts, I'll try it again. -
Review from Alison F.
San Diego, CA
8/27/2011
I've been coming to Arely's when I want a decadent treat. I recently came here for lunch with some friends. Here's what I thought:
Pros:
Delicious quiche (ham and cheese) and mousse cup with a chocolate dipped strawberry.
Super cheap prices. The two above items for $7
Really, anything in the dessert counter is worth a visit.
They have Orangina, a hard to find treat.
Cons:
Service can be a little slow. The chick offered to bring me butter for my bread and never did.
They leave the front door open, which can mean flies.
Lunch and breakfast are only served until 2:30.
I absolutely recommend for a simple French lunch and treat. Enjoy! -
Review from Christopher V.
Chula Vista, CA
7/26/2011 2 photos
Who says you can't get a great breakfast in a strip mall in Clairemont?
I ordered the ham, egg and cheese croissant breakfast sandwich, which comes with seasoned potatoes. The croissant was delicious, with two minor gripes: the ham was all clumped together on one side of the sandwich, and as the meal progressed the bottom of the croissant got soggy. Aside from that, it was absolutely delicious. The potatoes were also very good.
Cy had one of the paninis (probably all veggies, as he can be meat-tarded) and adored it.
Nice selection of pastries, none of which I tried because I am trying to be less enormous. -
Review from Karen H.
San Diego, CA
7/24/2011 20 Check-ins Here
Small bakery with all the goodies. The strawberry short cake with almonds is very good. I ordered that cake twice for 2 different parties and it was a success. Everyone loved the cake.
Almond croissants are good as well for only $1.80. I personally like the apple danish a lot. I will definitely come back for more. -
Review from Juje J.
San Diego, CA
Back again, only 7 days later and I want to give Arely's the props they deserve.
I talked about the BEST ALMOND CROISSANTS IN SAN DIEGO the last time I came by here and now I'm gonna talk about the Quiche...particularly, the Spinach & Mushroom one I ordered today.
For the low cost of $3.95, you get a good slice of quiche. I must tell you, I was mightily impressed with this slice of quiche. The spinach and mushroom was extremely good together and it worked really well with the flaky crust that it was baked in.This combination proved to be not too over powering and at the same time, pretty well balanced.
I've stated 7 days ago that I would come here again just for the Almond Croissants...but I will make an exception to the delicious quiche also...it is that good.
I like this bakery...I like this bakery a lot. The funny thing now is, I've now found another reason to come back to Arely's French Bakery.
SPECIAL NOTE* - I also bought a box of ALMOND CROISSANTS
~they are to die for... :)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/15/2011
I'll keep this short and simple...
Arely's French Bakery makes the BEST ALMOND CROISSANT in San… Read more »
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Review from Brinda J.
3/15/2011
DISCLAIMER: Was in really crappy mood in dire need of sweets in my mouth. Review might not apply to purists.
That being said, it's really just A-Ok. But because they had raspberry turnovers and it was super flakey and I ate it in 3.5 seconds and it made me smile the whole time, is why I'm a fan. Plus it's nice to support locals. I can't honestly say it's genuinely French but I honestly don't care right now.....hmmm..... -
Review from Lori N.
1/12/2011 2 photos
From the looks of it, this little strip mall "cafe" should be selling donuts and ham & cheese sandwiches, but never judge food by its appearance!! Despite its unattractive exterior, I went inside this bakery in search of an almond croissant & I found much more than I bargained for. Napoleons, chocolate mousse cups, fruit tarts, quiche, ham & brie sandwiches, boy oh boy this is gonna be trouble.
And the best part is that everything is really reasonably priced, sandwiches in the $6 range and pastries in the $3, I'd say that's a decent priced lunch &/or snack. I practiced total self control & only bought two pastries for myself, an almond croissant & a napoleon, both for $5.75. Not too shabby for 10 minutes worth of eating!
As for the taste? The croissant was flakey & buttery, as any good croissant should be, but a little too hard on the outside since they probably sat around all morning. The almond paste was the saving grace! The napoleon was great as well, lots of custard with a sweet, frosted top layer. The pastry was a little stiff, but still tasted good.This isn't a fancy cafe or anything, but a good place to get a decent French pastry, worth it for the price! -
Review from Conrad R.
** Sandwich Review **
I'm a n00b when it comes to French cuisine, other than references to bread, toast, fries, escargot, foie gras, and les jambes de grenouille [or de caisses]. One of these days, I'll break down and hit up a traditional French restaurant to try the real deal. I'd still prefer to have a foodie guide when traveling off the beaten path for my new culinary directions. Today I only have my Americanized taste buds on today's lunch.
The bakery cafe is small, brightly decorated, with a few tables inside and more on the patio. I took a few moments to scan the pastries behind the glass, but noticed on the large wall menu that they serve breakfast and lunch, with sandwiches starting at $5.50.
At this point I'm looking for the unconquered territory. Yeah, yeah...ham...turkey... croissant...quiche...fairly common and consumed, so I go with the pate sandwich. After a few minutes of uploading more yelp photos, the server brings out my sandwich plate, which does not include any side item options.
I stare at it, trying to analyze the one ingredient http://www.yelp.com/bi.... This is one of those moments when I had to get over my preconceived notions and sensory references and just dig in to the pate sandwich. A harsh dismissive description would be to say it looks like cat food, but canned corned beef [ccb] is a more palatable description. The texture is spreadable smooth and I've never tried cat food, even back in my fraternity days, but this pate is reminiscent of a salty ccb.
The rest of my rustic sandwich components were just fine: Chewable, crusty French baguette, creamy Dijon mustard, crisp lettuce, and the sweet snap of those little briny pickles. It's all good and if you're in this neighborhood, then give it a try for a menu item alternative to other sub shops.
Yes, a 'Try" recommendation from the guy who still has yet to try snails, fattened duck/goose liver, or frog legs.Listed in: Don't Touch My Junk
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Review from ljrobot r.
La Jolla, CA
6/11/2011
Great Quiche for the price and size,and the Crème brûlée is fantastic!
As far as the other bakery items go,some are real good and some are a little above average.. -
Review from Kelsey L.
San Diego, CA
9/27/2010
I've been coming to Arely regularly for a couple of years now, since discovering them in the Clairemont Center - try to ignore the unfortunate location, the place is cute!
Their plain croissants are my standby. Light, soft and flaky, not too buttery, reallyy good. The chocolate ones are good too if you want something sweeter. Unfortunately, I am a huge almond croissant lover, and Arely's are honestly not worth getting. They are too crispy on the outside, and soggy with buttery almond filling in the middle. Too sweet, too buttery, just plain too much for me. My boyfriend orders them often though, so it just depends on your taste.
The breakfast dishes are delicious, too - I get the Arely scramble minus bacon. The eggs come on one of those incredible croissants, with lots of avocado and a little hollandaise, plus potatoes and fruit on the side. Mmmm... I demolish the whole thing. Their coffee is extra good too - definitely worth making a trip in the morning just for that.
I've heard the sandwiches are very good too, but vegetarian options are few and far between (just like in France - tres authentique!). I haven't had many of their desserts, but the chocolate chip macaroon tastes better than you'd think a macaroon ever could. The staff are really nice too! I only wish they were also open for dinner! -
Review from renee j.
Santa Ana, CA
10/25/2011
Walked in, decided I wanted several pieces of cake and a chocolate croissant. Then waited, and waited. And more waiting. Until chola girl decided to stop texting on Blackberry, and favored me with her attention. Apparently she did not appreciate the interruption and wanted to convey this: slow, rude servicethen threw my change down instead of handing it to me. Of course then back to her phone.
Pastries decent but uppity waitstaff ensures I will never return. -
Review from Cindy W.
My search for the perfect almond croissant is OVER!!!! I have been searching for almond croissants all up and down san diego and nothing has ever been good. The one at UCSD in the price center at Cafe Roma is really not good at it's pricey. It is a lame croissant with a little almond paste (marzipan) for $3.00
I went to TJ maxx last Saturday and was dissapointed that I couldn't find anything at the store. My bf decided to cheer me up with something sweet from the bakery.
I go in an immediately I see that sweet almond croissant. OMG!!!!! It was covered in fresh almonds. Then then........what the croissant had even more sugar on it! It was almost like a butter crumb topping on top of the croissant.
THAT"s not it...the inside was filled with lots of marzipan. Nothing stingy going on here. The croissant itself was so flakey. Who knows how much butter went into it.
For a mere $1.80, I tasted bliss! I dunno if they actually make them here but who cares. It's good and cheap!
My diet right now...is not in existence anymore. If you yelp about food, you def aren't dieting for sure!
YAY!!! MY ALMOND CROISSANT SEARCH IS OVER!! I can finally rest in peace and gain weight in San Diego. Good thing it's not bathing suit season :)Listed in: Crap i'm hungry quick places…
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Review from Benjamin W.
San Diego, CA
3/21/2010
This place is an Americanized French pastry shop.
There isn't a ton to say except that every item I have tried is better than 90% of the stuff you can get at a regular bakery/pastry shop. It's a small shop with all the best pastries and goodies. The cookies are a bit dry/crunchy, and some of the pastries are too sweet to be traditional french, but nothing here is not good.
If you want a traditional french experience try Champagne bakery, but if you want really sweet, sweets, and crave something flaky, rich, creamy, or something with brittles, custard or breads involved, try this place. -
Review from Kristen M.
San Diego, CA
1/26/2009
I don't usually wake up hungry, but this Sunday was different, for reasons I will not divulge. So when the boy suggested going to breakfast I was stoked, but a bit less thrilled that he suggested a French bakery. Personally, I am a huge breakfast person, I LOVE bacon and eggs, potatoes, the whole bit. Eating a croissant, although yummy, didn't sound like it was going to satisfy my hungry hungry hippo appetite.
I was pleasantly surprised for several reasons. One, the place is so cute...like seriously cute, too cute for Clairemont. Secondly, they have a very full menu of full breakfast and lunch options. I got my big, hot breakfast after all, and on a freshly baked croissant. Best of both worlds. The croissant was delicious. It was stuffed with eggs, cheese and bacon and came with breakfast potatoes that I thought were yummy, but the boy was not impressed with the taters.
They had all types of pastries, cakes and delicious looking sweets. I honestly can't wait to go back.
__________________
EDIT 2/26/09:
So this is now the go-to Sunday breakfast place, and I can't complain. Breakfast croissant FTW. I did have a turkey & brie panini one time, and while it wasn't bad, I think I will be sticking to my new stand-by brekky. -
Review from Darren S.
2/22/2010 4 photos
The cafe is cozy and is usually busy during the weekend. All of the times when I've driven by it's been busy enough for me to scope from the car and say, 'Eh, maybe next time it'll be slower'. Well, it finally was slow but it was within an hour of closing.
Since nothing in the case is labeled, I had to take more time to examine the pastries closely. I walked out with a Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake (dubbed fairly appropriately I believe) and a croissant. The cake was layered with a roughly 1/4th inch of cake, 1 1/4th inch of mousse, a generous amount whipped cream and some shaved chocolate. Sorry I didn't analyze the subtleties of the cake. I wolfed it down and it hit the spot. If anything, I can say it wasn't the best chocolate raspberry mousse cake I've ever had.
They've got tables and seating but it's not the most interesting place to linger. Unless you're already shopping there's not much 'atmosphere' to entice to stick around and enjoy the scene.Listed in: Lunch spots, Sweets & Dessert, Clairemont
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Review from CherylAnne J.
Redding, CA
3/30/2008
This place is a great asset to "beautiful" clairemont. 2 X-mas' ago I bought a fabulously delicious yule log cake. It was decorated so super cute! It was chocolate w/ raspberry filling & light whipped cream.
I really enjoy the sandwiches here. The turkey on baguette w/ grapes & egg is delicious. Unfortunately they are not served after 3 pm. The place is only open till 6pm, so why not ? The store is small so i prefer to eat @ an outside table.
The pastries are all very good,my faves are; apricot tart,chocolate mousse,fruit tart,any muffin & the chocolate chip cookie (i think it's made w/ shortbread batter).
They have a bread slicer for loaves of their delicious bread. -
Review from Shanel S.
San Diego, CA
8/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
My review is about the apple tart. Mmmmm and mmmm again! I'm eating it a day late and the sliced apples are still crispy and tart and the custard is the perfect sweetness to make a beautiful combination. The reason why I give it 4 stars is because it's really pricy. I paid over $3 for a square. I really hoped they'd have a deal where I'd get a certain amount for $10 or something, but they didn't. They also didn't have much of a variety, and when I'm eating something this delish, I'd hope there was more to be able to enjoy.
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Review from Heather M.
Olympia, WA
1/22/2009
I'm surprised this place doesn't have more stars. It's really nice. I love to stop in and get coffee and a pastry. It's cheaper than Starbucks and A LOT better!
The woman behind the counter is always nice. All their food is made daily and very fresh.
It's a great French bakery! -
Review from Jess G.
Escondido, CA
6/15/2011
Went here today for the first time and man, it's good!! I had an omelet with eggplant and zucchini with a side of fruit! Soo yummy! The fruit was freshly cut! Not the normal side of fruit that you usually get at restaurants that has taken flavors from the others and it all just tastes the same. My bf had Arely's scramble think it was called. English muffin with avo bacon and egg topped with hollandaise sauce with a side of potatoes. His was better, only because it had all the goodness that isn't good for you :). Also we had a chocolate croissant that I ended dipping I'm my caramel coffee! Yuummmm!!! This place IS in a strip mall, but who cares! The food makes up for it!
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Review from Linda M.
Orange County, CA
12/15/2009 2 photos
A friend casually mentioned this place to me once and I had stored it in the back of my mind. I live pretty close by but had only stopped in once late at night to check it out (but didn't by anything at the time). It's a pretty small place, very mom & pop feeling with but a few tables inside. Today, I stopped in again and finally bought a slice of the cheesecake and a slice of the vanilla mousse cake.
I love, love CAKE. Of all kinds of desserts, cakes are my favorite, and this really did not disappoint. The vanilla mousse was not too sweet (how I prefer desserts) and I could taste the vanilla bean that had gone into it (yum!). It was on top of a thin layer of chocolate mousse, which was on top of a thin sheet of vanilla cake. The whole thing was topped with chocolate shavings.
The vanilla cake was not dried out at all, in fact, it tasted very fresh, like it was just made. Everything together tasted great, and I can't wait to come back and try some of the other desserts. I have only tried a bite of the cheesecake and also found it to be delicious.
I don't think their pastries are as strong, but it seemed to be what everyone was purchasing as I was waiting.
The only thing keeping me from giving this place a higher rating is the variety of cakes and the price ($3.10 a slice, yikes!) Overall though, I thought it was good, and a nice place to stop for an occasional treat! -
Review from Matt I.
San Diego, CA
11/6/2010
Short and simple review...
A guy I know who has lived in Paris all his life who was here in San Diego taking some International courses at UCSD, said this place has better croissants than anywhere in Paris.
You just don't get any better than that! -
Review from Lindsay H.
San Diego, CA
8/24/2008
Thinking of a place to go for lunch, my boyf and I were driving around Clairemont to see if there were any breakfast/brunch places we could have a quick meal at. We passed by Arely's and I must admit I showed skepticism standing outside thinking whether or not I should try it out.
Eggs Benedict for me and a sandwich for my bf. I think the toast underneath my benedict was delicious, but the bread my bf had was probably too chewy. If you have false teeth, you'll probably pull it out. Nonetheless, it was a rare discovery and if opportunity arises, I may try their cakes (it did look good) -
Review from Becca B.
San Diego, CA
5/30/2010
Thank the heavens an independent eatery moved into this chain-dominated square. Stopped by because I had time to kill and was surprised that such a tiny spot had cases of goodies! I stopped and just had tea (unimpressive selection--but they're starting out, so no biggie) and some fruit. Fruit was fresh and sitting on their patio with the great smells abounding gave me to motive to pick up two strawberry tarts for my grandparents who live nearby.
Looking forward to stopping by for one of their lovely looking pastries for myself. Maybe even a salad or sandwich (a lady in after me raved about their roast beef). -
Review from Janet D.
3/12/2011
Just OK. Not sure if the owners are French, but the employees and the atmosphere are not. What can I say? A strip mall just doesn't bring me back to the streets of Paris or a quaint Provencal village. Have eaten the quiche several times (it's OK), a variety of pastries (they're OK), and the coffee (it's good). Not worth a special trip, but if you're stuck in the strip mall, it's probably one of the best places there.
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Review from Albie M.
San Diego, CA
6/18/2011 10 Check-ins Here
Fresh pastries, breakfast and coffee! I love this place!
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Review from Phoebe H.
Frisco, TX
6/9/2011
My family of five just ordered some sandwiches (brie and turkey, ham and swiss on croissant, etc) for lunch here. We opted out of dessert after the sandwiches. It was all just extremely average. Costco has better lunch and better looking desserts.
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Review from shoe w.
San Diego, CA
4/14/2010
I've had better.
Arely's is ok, I found the almond croissant to be overly buttery- don't get me wrong I like my butter but this one was basically soaked/drenched in butter that I felt sick after eating half of it. Also the fruit tart was mediocre, nothing to rave about. A bit too generic for my taste. Lastly, the creme brulee was an absolute mess. Undercooked in the inside completely, it was like I was eating pancake batter. I don't know if I went on an off day but I'm pretty scared to try it out again. Service wasn't that great either- no one seemed to want to acknowledge me.. no Hi, Hello, What would you like?, Thanks.. nothing! -
Review from Gary Y.
San Diego, CA
5/23/2011
We usually eat breakfast here and it is always amazing! Try the blueberry almond pancakes and the eggs Benedict.
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Review from steven m.
San Diego, CA
2/2/2011
had a Bday cake made for ma hubby here a couple weeks ago and it was Quite Good! It was very last minute, and I felt the pricing was VERY reasonable - 3 layer cake with chocolate covered strawberries on top for $27, pretty good for a custom cake @ a cute privately owned french bakery. My only criticism would be that the actual cake layers could have been thicker, the icing was a little too thick. However, the icing was VERY light and airy, and the cake was extremely moist, so it was quite good, I just like my cake a little thicker, but that's just being picky. Overall, I'd definitely order a cake or other type of baked good here again
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Review from Tomas H.
San Diego, CA
10/17/2007
We were in Clairemont. Kim said to me, "It doesn't feel like home anymore does it?"
And, no it doesn't. One thing that's definitely better is the bakery occupying space A in the Clairemont Square, excuse me, Clairemont Town Square. This site has hosted a string of bakeries from the citron loving Viking Bakery to the current Arely French Bakery Cafe. We were feeling a bit peccish after browsing architectural salvage on India street and picking up repair parts in Kearney Mesa. I pulled into the Square and didn't feel like JIB or the other fast fooderies clumped near the theaters. I saw SewPro from across the parking lot and headed in that direction fully intending to get some Krispy Kreme after purchasing an ankle shank for the Singer. But, Arely was next to the SewPro and croissant et cafe was too much to resist.
I love croissant. I LOVE coffee. And chocolate is very, very good for everyone, but especially for me in particular. I had a Chocolate Almond Croissant and Coffee. Kim copied me after hemming and hawwing a few seconds. She knew *I* wasn't going to share chocolate.
Delicious, filled with chocolate and almond ganaches. Coffee, a tad weak, but still palatable once the scorching heat ha died down. And the coffee cup sleeves were imprinted with advert for the "Bodies" exhibit. Mmmmm, appetizing.
Cute, cheerful girl served us. I'll be back and I might go for some lunch. Sandwiches, Panini, Salads and soups; really cheap. Their fruit tarts looked beautiful and luscious. The bakery case was fairly picked over by 1:15 pm. There are a few bistro tables with chairs and a bench outside and a couple table sets inside. Mom and Pop-y feeling
Surfer Toxico says "COORS LIGHT. dame mi dinero, pinche Golden, Colorado mariposos." -
Review from jennifer t.
San Diego, CA
9/20/2010
they have a great assortment of desserts, and some very delicious sandwiches! i see plenty of people frequent this place on the weekends to enjoy a nice breakfast. i haven't ever tried their breakfast.
i usually come here for a cup of coffee and a morning pastry. they've never disappointed. for some reason, i am quite in love with their moto brew coffee. it's great with a splash of half and half and a sweet danish. mmmmmm...
one of the drawbacks to this place is... it's location. it almost feel like a waste to have such a nice bakery like this one in the middle of a dingy plaza with no view. the view is of a large parking lot. boo. other then that... i'm a fan!
