Athan's Bakery
- Nearest Transit:
Washington Square (Green)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Wi-Fi: Free
75 Reviews for Athan's Bakery
Athan's is super charming with a European vibe. Enjoyed a coffee date there recently. The pastry was very good, but I am denying that 4th star due to the baristas overwhelmedness at the line of people he had waiting for their bevs. They probably should have been working 2 machines at once. Gotta love a place that has amazing pastry, chocolate, gelato and coffee in one.
Truth be told, the bevvies and pastry are equally good at Danish Pastry House in Meffa and I don't have to drive over to Washington Sq.
Athan's was the most recent stop on my weekly "ice cream date" with my good friend who, like me, will go to the ends of the earth to enjoy all the chilly goodness that can be fit into one of those small cups. We visited Athan's with uncontrollable excitement: I had passed it every day for a month and finally had a reason to go in. We were greeted with display after display of breathtaking gourmet desserts and other goodies. It was almost like walking into a dessert museum: so beautiful to look at, but not to be touched. Or in our case, eaten. As much as I would love to have a miniature strawberry shortcake with extra fresh fruit glaze, I can't see where I would ever be able to rationalize actually purchasing one...
We both sampled some of the gelato and settled on some amazing flavors and I was happy with my choice of black currant gelato - though by no means was I blown away or did I find it to live up to the hype, and so I left with a bit of confusion. Did I really not love the supposed best dessert place in town? There must be something wrong with me....
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Wow. Talk about a fall from grace.
Stopped by here last night in the hopes of getting some work done and enjoying a fine pastry or two. When I walked in the door, messenger bag in tow, I got the, "Oh crap, he's going to want to sit down after I just cleared off the tables" look from the woman behind the register. Looking to head off any potential attitude, I made my order short and sweet: a Napoleon pastry and an iced latte.
What happened next was not a typical example of the service I've received here in the past. The aforementioned Negative Nancy pounded the order into the touch screen register, swiped my credit card, and then promptly walked away, leaving me alone with neither pastry nor coffee to speak of. Eventually, after reading the receipt she left dangling from the printer, another employee retrived the Napoleon from a nearby case and told me the coffee would be up shortly.
The Napoleon looked so unbelievably delicious that I couldn't wait to tear it apart and devour it (I never really learned to sit and savor). In truth, the eye-catching sweet cream perfectly positioned between two delicate pieces of puff pastry was more like eating a pile of tile grout squeezed between two used Brillo pads.
The milk in the iced latte had that too-long-in-the-fridge-but-technically-not-expired flavor that always kept me from eating cereal at friends' houses when I was a kid, and Negative Nancy pretty much looked like she was having teeth pulled when she had the unfortunate luck of having to serve customers.
Plus, since all work requires the internet nowadays, they really should get their own wireless network. The only open network within reach is the well-intentioned but underpowered Brookline Free network, which I suppose was tired from a long day and just kept timing out whenever I would connect.
I'll be sticking with the Brighton location from now on.
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Amazing cakes, homemade bakalva and gelato. Always a great spot to meet up for dessert. The honey walnut cookies and baklava are my particular weaknesses.
Gelato, delicious. Baked goods, delicious. Sandwiches, wait, they serve sandwiches?! Verifying... also delicious.
Athan's is a cozy little place to indulge in some sweets or to catch up with friends... or even possibly that pre-date coffee. During the week, it's easy to plant yourself there for a few hours and not notice, but during the weekend be prepared for the brunch crowd.
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Awesome coffee, awesome munchies and nice open environment to talk about Tolstoy or that guy walking up the street with, wait, what's he wearing??
Mmm...I'm in love with the Turkish Delight here...
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Wonderful confection shop.
Few in this area having more European style delights.
They also have Greek pastries!
Terrific sweets. Great atmosphere for a post-movie or post-dinner desert. Nice pastries and gelato, great atmosphere. They added a cafe room to the bakery area which serves sandwiches, which they don't make on site so there isn't other types of meals.
This is a place I have to stay away from. Not that it's bad, quite on the contrary.
All of their desserts are rich, lavish, or just plain evil. Some are expensive, but you can immediately tell why they cost so much. They put a lot of effort into finishing touches and presentation. Once you pick your dessert, they have a little cafe on the other half of the place where you can relax and endulge.
So far, I can only just their vanilla gelati. It was superb, really. The price was fair to.
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Extremely detrimental to my running through Brookline. I had to actually change my route around so I wouldn't run past this place. Everything looks SO GOOD.
Their coffee is so delicious and their handmade chocolates are a gift from god. I've purchased many gifts from here and as soon as people see the box, their eyes light up.
An amazing dessert spot for a first date-casual, reasonably priced, and quite. Seal the deal here!!!!
This is exactly what I have been looking for in terms of a quiet, but not dead, place to study while drinking some great coffee and eating some super tasty food!
The people who work here are super friendly, and I can't wait to go back and spend hours reading at one of the many tables!
The bread is great, and the loaves are a great size for those individuals who want to buy fresh bread but do not want an insanely huge loaf that will go bad before you can finish it.
The spanikopita is not in its traditional form as it comes in a much thicker, more bready and less flaky dough, but it is still delicious in its own right and has a great tang to it.
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No bashing this place!
First off, I've never had bad service coming here.
Nor have I ever once felt that the people who work here do not care.
Baklava here is absolutely delightful
Sure, maybe you think that anything dipped in honey and nuts is probably tasty... but if you compare to other baklavas, this place not only has a totally good selection, but they're just so tasty!
All the right finishing touches on these desserts. Absolutely delicious.
First of all, the dude who works here deserves 5 stars because when he saw that we were toting Phase 10, he said, "I love that game!" and for a split-second, contemplated joining us for a game.
Unfortunately, he had to make us the delightful latte and mocha we ordered. First of all, I LOVE that the drinks come in huge oversized mugs. Aside from cracking me up, it makes the experience feel so much more decadent when you can grab your coffee by two hands and feel the warmth. That being said, the drinks themselves were pretty standard. The mocha was a smidge less chocolately than I would have liked, but they were still good and priced well.
The ambience gets the thumbs up from me. We played our game right by the floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing me to people watch at the same time (love it!). The music was good for the most part, until they put on some awful, unfitting, showtunes-esque song toward the end of our visit.
Another highlight was the grilled cheese + tomato panini, which was (smartly) made of a combo of cheddar and swiss. I do wish the tomatoes were sliced a lot thicker, but the bread was scrumptious and I generally enjoyed it.
I'm reserving the last star for after I've tried one of their desserts. They look incredible - particularly the baclava!
Ok. . .I don't blame them for the oriental groc closing. That was a while ago, and they made good use of the space when they expanded into their old area and put in the extra seating and bar.
The desserts are really amazing. Almost too amazing. . . but they are really good. I've never had tiramisu here that was the same way twice and I've been coming for *finds calculator* eight years.
The decor is wonderful, the staff is usually pretty good, the food is always excellent (though, as a baker I never buy their pre-made pies and desserts because I can do better).
The wild honey is/was really wonderful, the baklava is great, and all in all. I love this place!!
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This place is wonderful. I can always count on them to satisfy my cookie craving. My favorite are the wedding cookie and Greek honey-walnut cookie which disappointingly isn't always available. I also love the baklava here.
The tiramisu is to die for and the hand-made chocolates are decadent and delicious. Universally-agreed-upon excellence.
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Holy buttery baklava! The mere mention of Athan's makes my knees weak and my lower lip quiver. . . but Athan's is more than just baklava. Other sweets with honey and nuts include finger rolls, shredded kataif, birds nests, giannotiko cylinders, and custard filled galaktoboureko. Their cookies also make me swoon- chocolate thumb-print cookies, apricot, and pralines.
I've got to hand it to our recent house guests who know my weakness for Athan's for sending us a care package (T, K, M & J - I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!) . We had a crappy flight back from LA and came home to find this outrageous goodness. I'm homesick for the gang and Athan's all at once. *sniff*
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I haven't tried anything other than the hot chocolate here. And thats enough for me to give it five stars.
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After so many years here..I can't believe I havent been here..finally tried it and hav much to try...but so far the Gelato, Coffee and the Bolero...were great !!! I like the wooded floorings..classic lights..and the way its all spread out forcing you to take a quick walk around and choose your selection from behind glass ...the seating section seperated with the long wide espresso bar is very slick and cozy too...yep..new coffee spot for me in Brookline !
i'm so glad athan's is in washington square! over the years there have been a few small coffee/tea houses near by. of late, starbucks was pretty much the only show in town. now there's a lovely, roomy, sunshin-y space in which to enjoy a pot-o-tea or cuppa coffee either alone, with a friend, book, or laptop. there is a sign posted stating that tables are reserved for groups with food, but i've never had trouble sitting at a window seat, either alone or with a friend and enjoying a lovely pastry. athan's is a terrific addition to the neighborhood!
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there is nothing like waking up on a sunday morning after a good nights sleep, getting dressed and heading to Athan's for morning croissants - plain or you can be indulgent and splurge for the chocolate one. then i head back home, put on a pot of coffee, turn on npr and flip through the paper.
then i realize that its sunday and have to go to work the next day....bleh.
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Truth or dare. Dare? You sure?
Okay, I dare you to go to Athan's and eat honey walnut cookies until you pass out. It's the best dare EVER.
You can thank me later.
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I SO want to like this place, and I've given it many tries. It's in a great location, looks nice from the outside and appears very inviting. But this place is terribly overrated. The desserts always look better than they taste and have undertones of freezer burn. I have never had a friendly person help me there. The ONLY good thing is the baklava bar, but that may because anything dripping in honey and nuts tastes good. The new sandwich shop is extremely crowded and not worth it. It took them 15-20 minutes to make a panini on tooth-craking hard bread with dry, overcooked meat. I would not be so negative but I have given this places many chances, hoping that it will improve the next time.
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For me, this bakery is all about the sweets. I've never actually sat here, or eaten here, or drank anything. I basically come in and pick out all the treats I want and take it to go. This is no way diminishes the flavor or deliciousness of the goodies.
My favorites are all the different kinds of baklava. Wow. Talk about gooey super-sweet goodness. They have a great selection and more varieties then I knew existed. I think that the baklava is really the highlight for me although I have eaten many of their delicious cookies as well. I noticed that a lot of the cookies feature nuts (lots of almonds!) so be warned nut-haters (I personally love them).
The service was a bit slow, even for take-out, but the people were friendly and helpful and they wrap up everything all pretty, including a special box for the baklava so it doesn't leak all over you. I also appreciate that they take credit cards there, even for small amounts.
Great place. Everyone should try it out.
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BEST of Boston. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......
My mother discovered Athans a couple of years ago and brought home a lemon honey loaf and some baklava. Immediately, my family was obsessed which has led to many visits for their honey cakes, cookies, Greek pastries, rich desserts and gelato. Now, they have expanded and you can sit down and enjoy your treats with coffee or hot cocoa instead of just hovering outside the door and stuffing your face like a naughty child.
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Update: So I have to change this review up a bit because the last two times I made it to Athan's I did have a pleasant experience. It is a wonderful place to sit and read (watching cars whiz by) especially in the early afternoon when the sun has warmed up the cold marble tables. I still have qualms with their food selection. The sandwiches are still premade and the huge assortment of treats are hugely overpriced. I am not a fan of decadent desserts anyway. But I would gladly bring friends for a yummy gelato.
The girl who served us was not a nice person. She acted like we weren't meant to be standing before her. The strange part is that we got the feeling she was the daughter of the owner yet she gave the worst service of everyone there. It is supposed to be a bakery and they only serve premade sandwiches. I could get a premade sandwich for half the price at Store 24.
It could be a really cute place to meet a coffee date. The tables are big and smooth, the windows large and the cafe feels very European. Oh, and not to mention gelato! It is like a stroll in Italy. Just don't buy any food and don't pay any attention to the staff.
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I really don't understand why people like this place so much. I used to live down the street from here and we tried it so many times WANTING it to be better. The pretty little cake desserts are tasteless fluff. I had panna cotta there that had a skin so thick on the top it was difficult to bite through! The baklava is OK. Their coffee drinks are not very good because they are very different from time to time. It may depend on who is making them for you. And now that they have a sandwich shop we decided to try them again. The sandwiches are really awful. It takes a really long time for the "panini" to come out and when they do they aren't even warmed all the way through. The place is so cute that it really should be better than it is. Unfortunately the quality of the food it just very poor.
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Athans is very sweet. I love the big windows which let the sunshine into the lofty, bright white room. The tables have marble tops, and the butter cookies are dry and crumbly and divine. Perfect for dipping into my tea. They will give you free hot water refills on your teapot. I have been here many times, and as much as i love the atmosphere, i feel i must be critical of some aspects of this place. They always have the same cookies and same tea list. And last time i was there, they were out of stock of 4 of the 10 teas. I mean, really! (I dint drink coffee, so I cant be critical of their joe.) The wait staff are very casual for such a cute place. It is not a divey coffee shop at all, but they often act like it is. There are dirty dishes on the tables for longer than there should be, and there is the general vibe that the people who work there don't give a crap. But they will let you sit forever, which is cool. I will come back often, but i do wish they cared a little more.
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UPDATE: I have seriously been here about 3 times in the past 5 days. So, I'm up-ing my rating to 5 stars. The croissants here are perfection-- buttery and light and melt in your mouth. Their Red Eye (coffee with a shot of espresso) is the perfect perk-up drink once my eyes beginning glazing over after reading about hieroglyphic decipherment. And the coffee is great as are the almond butter cookies. Perfect place to sit and study and watch the general activity going on in Washington Square.
As the majority of reviews will tell you, Athan's is perhaps one of the best pastry cafes in Boston. One of my roommates and I walked up to Washington Square (after a klassy-with-a-k dinner at Anna's) to treat ourselves to a decadent dessert. I ordered the Figo (fig mousse, some sort of soaked pound cake, all topped with a bit of INCREDIBLE chocolate) and she ordered the tiramisu (instead of lady fingers they used the same pound-cakey concoction and encrusted the tiramisu in a dusting of cocoa powder and chocolate). Both were incredibly rich but each and every bite was delicious.
A coffee and dessert will set you back $6.25. Not bad considering you'd definitely pay that much at Starbucks-- at least here you'll get top quality and aren't subjected to the musical stylings of Kenny G.
Obviously, this place is (successfully) positing itself as a European bakery/cafe. It has a certain charm to its light, wide open dining room with beautiful wood floors and slightly oversized tables. I imagine myself plunking down with a coffee and a chocolate croissant, reading Camus or Tolstoy, and transcribing passages from my "Theories of Decipherment" text. Hmmm... In fact, I may spend my Saturday doing just that!
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This is a great European-style bakery; I especially like their Napoleons and a pear pastry. They have the best gelato in town. Some of their cookies I'm not such a huge fan of, and the pastries tend to get very pricey. I think it was a good idea for them to add the cafe area.
As soon as I stepped in, the scent of fresh pastries and steaming coffee danced beneath my nostrils. I looked left and right and to see every baked good I could ask for-- muffins, croissants, rolls, a fridge for chocolate cakes, a gelato ice cream stand, etc...
The only reason it gets 4 stars is because I've only been once and don't want to jump to conclusions. I'm fully expecting the pastries to taste as good as they look in which I will bump it up to 5 stars, and if Yelp ever adds a 6th star I'm sure I could bump it up to that too. Spending most of last summer in Europe, I was probably munching on a croissant a day, and the almond one I had here is right up there with the best Paris itself had to offer.
The atmosphere is perfect for meeting up with a quick date or friend, although I don't know how crowded it can get. I can't wait to go back.
Absolutely amazing baked goods. How can you go wrong with chocolate?
I think I have found heaven.
And it is Athan's.
Going to a party or gathering and not sure if you should bring something? Head to Athan's to pick up some gourmet treats that actually won't put you back too far (I mean, a $10 loaf of dessert-y bread is way better than a $10 bottle of bad wine...not that I have anything against bad wine). You'll look really sophisticated, without overdoing it. Looking for a great date spot? Or a place to lounge over coffee/dessert/gelatto/panini? Look no more!
I'm especially fond of the fact that they offer single-sized portions of most of their cakes for a very do-able price. Amazing. I'm getting cavities just thinking about them...
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Great sandwiches... The bread really really makes the difference... of course the fresh ingredient also... Nice coffee and a great selection of tea also.
Need to try their dessert next time.
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It was close! I almost had to eat lunch at the creepy looking takeout Chinese place across the street. My dad was making a bee-line for lo-mien, I glanced across the intersection "how about the bakery, I think they have sandwiches..." (I didn't know if they did, but my stomach couldn't handle greasy crap today) Luckily when we walked in, we were surrounded by pretty cakes, yummy looking gelato (the real stuff?!)
They do indeed have paninis and wraps for lunch. My dad and I both got the grilled chicken, spinach and cheese panini, water and sat for a few minutes until our lunch was called out by the guy standing dangerously close to a pretty espresso machine.
The cafe is a nice size, newly done over, it looks... Several students were sitting around with their coffees, laptops and iPods. I would come here all the time for coffee if it wasn't out of the way for me. The coffee is damn cheap! The service is nice, and they have bathrooms, plural - this was key, cause we were working somewhere without a bathroom today.
I want to bring my sweet tooth with me next time.
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Booooo. I thought this place was a complete let down. There was almost no one else in the store, and the three women working there were cranky or too tired to be helpful. I got a sandwich and it was terrible. How does a bakery have awful bread? They burnt the panini, and the turkey and bacon on it were nasty. I bought a croissant and a spanakopita, too, and they definitely weren't worth the cost - you're better off at Stop and Shop.
Points for lots of space and lots of options, but you should probably stick to the baked goods and tea - so should they.
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very good pastries. The chocolate ones are very rich but soo good. It's a very cute bakery/cafe place to go and hang out and chill.
Thanks to Yelp I just spent my Saturday morning hanging out at Athan's and it was the best few hours of this crumby week without a doubt. I'd been feeling a little homesick so the allure of a European-style cafe and many chocolate-containing goodies had me heading down to Washington Sq.
Coffee was good and cheap at 1.45, tea was just as cheap and very very excellent (I had Athan's own personal blend). The pain au chocolate was very sinful (sugar and chocolate overdose) and a freshly baked cheese pasty was sumptuous. All round great food. I also wanted to try EVERYTHING else - especially the Tiramisu and all the yummy looking ice creams.
And on top of great food - great decor, friendly atmosphere and wonderful staff who really seemed to be loving working there. Long opening hours and a perfect place to buy someone a gift from (they even sell cards). Very inviting with nice light-coloured wood fixtures, lots of natural light and a real feel like Europe. The staff conversed with people in fluent French, Spanish and Greek whilst I was there. The mix of customers made it feel like a revolving Euro-go-round.
So this is now one of my new favourite places in Boston. I'll come here over Finale and Truly Jorg's any day - cheaper, better, much less pretentious. My only suggestion for an improvement... at my local french patisserie in London all the female staff wore the complete French maid outfits - stocking, high heels, the lot. That would be nice wouldn't it?
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Ok, how badly did we need a place like this now that it's expanded? Great coffee, tasty desserts, paninis (a revived tradition for my husband and me is to eat paninis for a Sunday brunch. We used to do that in Philadelphia at a place called La Colombe, but haven't found an equivalent since we moved - until now), and really really good coffee, including a properly made cappucchino. Factor in a bright and airy atmosphere in the expanded seating area, an eclectic crowd of coffee and dessert lovers... Perfect!
Also recommed it for a low key date place. Now, you can seduce your valentine with a chocolate mousse creation right in the comfort of Washington Square.
Be forwarned, though, the sandwiches take FOREVER... And the gelatto is not so good.
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Being a regular for the last 3 years, I think I owe my having to work out a lot harder to this place :) I love their fruit tarts, napoleon, clairs, hazelnut chocolate dome and various chocolate pastries. They are always super-fresh, even right before they close for the night.
In addition to a huge variety of pastries, home made chocolates and cakes, they now have a new section where you can get a panini. With this new addition, you always have a place to sit.
In my opinion, Athan's is a lot better than Finale. The choices are plenty, the people are super-friendly and everything is delicious. Oh and the music is great too.
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