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I am a sad panda. Inspired by a compliment recieved from my previous review here, I decided that yes, a chocolate croissant sounded like a good way to end my lunchtime.
Bon-Bon is Gone-Gone. I will miss you, your fantastic grilled cheese, amazing caesar salad, decadent creme brulee, and luscious croissants.
The search for croissants that can be purchased with AMEX begins anew.
Well, there goes my waistline.
As if Leonida's hot chocolate wasn't enough, Yelp helped me discover…
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stopped in for some dessert. i'm not really a desserter but i took a peek around at what they got.
the place is small and sorta cute..
After 12.5 years of hardcore addiction, I decided to quit drinking Diet Coke. I went completely cold turkey and it has been 31 rough days. To remind myself just how bad delicious D Coke is for me, I made a rule that I have to eat something healthy every time I am craving one. This morning I contemplated getting one as I passed the vending machine, so I ate a pear instead. This afternoon, I wanted that aspartame so badly that one piece of fruit would not do...I needed an entire plate full of health.
Yes, I am aware that Bon Bon is a patisserie and not the first choice of health food for most, but the salads and sandwiches are surprisingly good. Fresh, reasonably priced, and delicious! I had a green salad and grilled veggie sandwich (the Provence) for my afternoon nutrition boost. I have also had the Marseille -- goat cheese and smoked salmon with capers. The salmon was a bit salty, but overall very good. Next time, I'm going to try the Brest - chicken with pesto.
I'm far from a health freak, so my main appreciation of Bon Bon does lie in their pastries. The vanilla and strawberry cream puffs are delightful, though I'm not huge on the grand marnier. The chocolate eclair is amazing and the fresh fruit mini tart I had today was pretty close to perfect. I love that they have mini pastries so I can stock up on afternoon treats to help me pass the time at work.
While waiting for your order, you can peruse the adorable section of French snack foods, cook books, cake plates, candles, etc etc. Oh and on top of all of the this, the woman who works behind the counter is helpful and friendly. Bon Bon, I love you!!
A slice of adorable at this junction of the FiDi + Union Square. Walking into Bon Bon, I breathed a sigh of awww....a lovely display of cakes + mini eclairs, cheerful ambiance of tasteful candy colors. The space is efficiently set up with seating along the sandwich counter, window and even a ledge outside.
They also have a mouthwatering assortment of sandwiches (both open face + hot pressed), salads, soup of the day, pizza, and quiches. If you go there between 3-5pm, it's 1/2 price off the quiche and flammenkuche (pizza squares).
A nice haven of sweetness.
My section/group at work always get one of their fruit tarts or other delicious pastries from here for birthdays. The fruit is always delicious, the tart not too sweet, and it's always just the right size. The first time I called to order a tart, I actually got to speak with the pastry chef himself!!
The bottom of the fruit tarts have this deliciously caramelized crunchy sugar which everybody raves about. if you want a good french dessert, this is the place to go!
The croque monsieur and chicken sandwiches are also tasty, as are their light and refreshing salad dressings.
The lady who works there is also nice. I look forward to birthdays so we can eat more Bonbon!
Cozy French food shop on Kearny and Bush. I walked into it by chance while surveying the landscape for a new place to have lunch at. The staff was polite and friendly. I like this place already!
I love that they don't have a menu with a million things but what they have they do extremely well. For instance I had a hot pressed grilled chicken sandwich that was mouthwatering. For starters the bread was divine, very soft and doughy without being heavy. The breast meat was thoroughly cooked yet it was also tender and moist, the pesto was not overpowering, the tomatoes made it refreshing, and the arugula gave it a little kick. It was light but fulfilling and it came with a lovely salad of green, cucumbers and tomatoes in a lemon dressing. All this for less than $10 in the financial district. Gasp!
They also have soups, salads, pizza squares, and quiches. And of course they have pastries and lovely cakes, which admittedly I didn't try this time, in an amazing display of self-control and restraint but which I will no doubt dig into the next time I'm here. Note to self: perhaps as a lovely complement to a cup of coffee.
We came in March for dessert after having curry across the street. My sister was drawn in by the delicious looking cakes on display. I tried the mango mousse cake, which I loved--it had great mango flavor and the mousse was soft and decadent.
Sandwiches are not bad and the desserts are divine. I like! $6.95 for sandwich + salad and ~$4-5 for dessert. Don't expect top-of-the-line sandwiches, but expect your money's worth for $6.95. Now, if only the desserts didn't cost so much I'd come back more often.
JONASAPPROVED!
Date & Time: Friday December 26, 2008 @ 2:30pm
Company: Michael & Jack
Crowd: Just Us Being it A Day After the X'mas & They Closed @ 3pm
Vibe: Chill
Decor: Pastry Counter. Counter Seating & Contemporary Wooden Cocktail Tables for Deux Along The Mirrored Walls
Service: Nice
Imbibe: Hot Chocolate
Devour: Chesnut Cake
Total: $8.43
Boo hoo. They're gone!
Tried their chicken sandwich yesterday. It came with a side of either salad or chips. I took the… Read more »
This is a real French pastry shop. A French friend of mine isn't a crazy fan, but she is a regular customer, which I think counts for something. The place is clean and cute - I like the orange tabletops. You could sit there and drink coffee and read comfortably, which is pretty good considering it's Kearny Street.
I had the chocolate cream puffs - delicious. Good espresso, too. The cabinet of pastries is killer, I'm going to have to try everything.
They did not offer the traditional "galette des rois" in December, which was disappointing to my French friend. They do offer an assortment of imported French products for sale - mustards, etc.
Ode to the Flammenkuche
Alas pizza, I do not generally like you.
But YOU flammenkuche, darling savory tart sister,
YOU are the sparkle in my eye, the dazzle in my heart;
The flaky, tart-like crust and creamy fromage blanc sit like royalty in my belly.
O flammenkuche, savory bacon pieces and onion slivers that adorn your thin, fragile frame
YOU give me hope for savory tarts everywhere.
I came here a couple weeks ago . I had the ham & cheese sandwich which was okay .. except that the cream in it made it taste a little weird . The creme brulee was okay except that it was too mushy . Oh wells , a mushy creme brulee is always better than a burnt one haha !! It was fun watching the lady make the burnt layer of the creme brulee . Btw , they stop making sandwiches at 3 so everything you see in the glass case is probably leftover ..
Finally got over to Bonbon to try out their sandwiches & all I can say is yummilicious!!
3-Cheese Sandwich on a crunchy-on-the-outside-but-soft-on-the-inside Cibatta roll, w/ splurty tomatoes & this spicy Aioli that wasn't hot-spicy but flavorful-spicy...no skimping on the cheese here & it was all melty & stringy-pully when breaking it apart. Deeeeelish!
Cooked up fresh while I waited & it took all of 5 min
Paired w/ either Salad or Chips but who are we fooling, it's the holidays & I'm going for the chips b/c it's all about packing in as many calories before Jan 1 when the "Lose Weight" resolution sets in....annnnnnd then also after Jan 1 when the "No Will Power" realization sets in
They also had this Veggie offering that looked all kinds of good w/ Broccoli, Artichokes & Sun-Dried Tomatoes....will *have* to try that next time!
Also indulged in their Gateau Basque - supposed to be this dense, custardy-almond-pasty thing & while it was good, it was super-bland. Not sure what it was supposed to taste like so really have nothing to compare.....but maybe a fruity reduction on top would be good?
Dunno, just a suggestion
But w/ so many other tarts & sugary treats from which to choose, I'll be happily diverted
This review is for their cookies only (as that's all I've tried so far)
My office has Cookie…
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I have to agree with Stephy, the food was disappointing here.
Especially considering how good it looked while being made.
I recruited a crew of hungry staff to check out this new place, having read such glowing reviews.
The desserts do look incredible, and the apricot dessert samples were a nice touch due to our chaotic wait, but that is probably the only redeeming grace of my experience here.
My veggie open sandwich was meh. I kept on eating it, hoping I'd get to the good part - but it never happened. The half melted cheese was already cold when I got it. The veggies were so-so, and I kept on thinking that Boulange's Croque Monsieur, or Croque Madame could have kicked Bonbon's weak sandwich's butt anyday.
Like Stephy said - I'm hoping it was just opening kinks that need to be worked out, but I won't be in a hurry to come back anytime soon (especially since you have to pass classics like Boxed Foods -etc - to get here).
Not to mention I wasn't a huge fan of their strange tip jar.
I got the hot veggie sandwich, and it was crazy good. Quality bread, a blend of melty cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, and some other stuff. Mmmmmmmmmm. And it came with a tasty little salad!
I have to ding them a star because I was hungry a short while later and wondered if it was a ploy to lure me back for another sandwich or one of their little pastries.... Not so fast, bonbon!
Hrm? I'm surprised with all the hype going on. I had an open face sandwich which wasn't too hot despite waiting for the machine to make it so. There was too much pesto on the sandwich, or I wasn't in the mood. I came here mostly because it was empty and I really didn't feel like being around other people at all.
I should have taken it as a sign of the food. The service was nice enough and the pastries might be worth a another trip. It's clean as well. But I am not extremely impressed.
Tried their sandwich and it was not bad. Didnt get a chance to try their desserts though. Perhaps next time.
I wanted to like (no, love!) Bonbon Patisserie. Another affordable French lunch option near Yelp HQ that's not La Boulange? Um, yes!
I ordered the basic croque monsieur, an open-faced hot ham and cheese on grilled bread. Now -- if I'm going to indulge and take in more than the daily recommended levels of fat, cholesterol and salt all in one sitting, it better be a damn good sammich. It was good, but not damn good. Minus the gobs of mayonnaise, it would have been great!
Bonbon Patisserie's saving grace is its owner, who makes me want to very soon to see if the place has worked out its kinks. He was just so adorable, with his sweet "bonjour"s and "bon apetite"s, looking slightly overwhelmed but courteous and genuine. A real champ.
He was even so kind as to offer a sample of the apricot chouchou, which made me look twice at their gorgeous display case of desserts. Hmmm... you say it's your birthday? Let me take you out. I know of a great little place.
Pretty mediocre for a FiDi lunch spot. For starters, the decor is just down right tacky. It's a bad mash-up of a candy store and French patisserie. We entered with a large group of 7-8, the place was empty, and the staff didn't know what the hell to do with us. Ordering was slow and the food was even slower. Many of us opted for the chicken pesto sandwich, hot pressed. Edible but not memorable. Veggie sandwich was the same. To round out my experience, I figured I should try a pastry. Recommended by Yelpers, I got the basque gateau. Eh, it tasted fine but didn't have any new or exciting flavors to it. Just kind of almond-y. I think BonBon's only value is their obscure French candies and chocolates sitting on the top of the counter, but try at your own risk. God knows how long those have been sitting there.
Hmm, well the fact that half of my lunch is still sitting in the plastic box that it came in on my desk and I am still a bit famished should tell you something. I am not afraid of food. I actually quite enjoy partaking in platefuls or it, but today's lunch was disappointing.
It started with the set up of the place. Just seemed like total chaos and half the line was 4 across and the other people in line didn't know where to stand. Maybe it's the layout of the space, but it is just really cluttered and unorganized. Once it finally was my turn to step up to the counter, I ordered the pressed chicken, mozzarella and pesto sammich and asked for it without tomatoes. They didn't catch that apparently, even though i saw the guy write it down, because it came with, you guessed it...tomatoes.
As for the taste of the thing. Well, it was pretty bland. I heard pesto and thought flavor! But it wasn't really anything memorable. The salad that came with it was dressed with balsamic and it was also on the blah side. When I think of French food, I usually think of rich food, but this was anything but rich and flavorful.
The only thing this place had going for it was the nice guy manning the counter, but even he seemed a bit overwhelmed. I guess that place is new so hopefully they are working out the kinks, so maybe in a few weeks i will give it another go, but at this point, meh, nothing to go out of your way for.
I really enjoyed my lunch here for the past two days~
Something different and Im so glad its only about half block away!
Its a small place with small tables for two along the wall and a small dining area around the big window they have there. Very neat and clean place, and I enjoy their decor quite so. The only downside about it? well the seats are a bit difficult to sit on. But I only sit at the empty tables when Im just waiting for my food.
I really like their sandwiches~ Ive tried the Pastrami and the Turkey and I have to say I prefer the Pastrami more. Not taht the Turkey is bad but Im just more of a Pastrami person. They also have quiche which I love oh so much....With the sandwiches you get a salad or chips, the salads is a basic mixed green with cucumber slices and halved cherry tomatoes with a choice of Balsamic, Lemon, or Honey vinegarette.(i think i spelled that wrong but o well). The sandwiches also come open face or pressed. Im more of a pressed sandwich type of person..nice and crunchy~
They also have a selection of pastries and tarts..Im usually too full from eating my sandwich to have one but it seems like a big hit cause people are always coming in to buy em. The gentleman manning the front is very very nice and helpful.
Prices are very reasonable, sandwich with salad is 6.95...I havent really tried the rest of what they have to offer yet but hey, Im going to be in downtown for a while so I got time~
Tried a cake from here. Reallllly rich and truffle like. Heavenly drool drool drool. Will Update review when I visit the store!
This review is based solely on their chocolate croissant.
I was craving for chocolate croissant one day and really wanted one for a snack after lunch. After perusing YELP, I found reviews for Bonbon Patiserrie, and the review that inspired me to take a chance was JT's (so, thanks JT!). I walked the three blocks from my office to Bonbon and was not disappointed at all. The croissant was buttery and flaky, and the chocolate oozed out like a lava volcano, and needless to say, that had satisfied my chocolate croissant craving. Best tasting is when you microwave it for 20 seconds, just a little tip here.
Next time I have a craving for chocolate croissant, I will be making the three block walk to Bonbon!
When I want something, I need to get it immediately. Like.right.now.
It's quite an adventure I must say. My cravings often take me to random spots.
So that's what I did this 20 minutes ago. I seriously needed a chocolate croissant. So, with the assistance of yelp, I found Bonbon!
There it is! The sign on the counter: CHOCOLATE CROISSANT. $2.50. But no pastries to be found :(
But no worries! The nice lady said there are more in the oven!
The verdict:
OMG... m-MM very flakey, extremely buttery, and just oooooozing with chocolate. Just absolutely to die for!
I've never had a croissant quite like this! Because of this, I've decided to embark on a journey.. to try every chocolate croissant in the fidi out there!!
Stay tuned! :)
This new place is my new favorite place -- French lunch happy time! Soups, hot sandwiches, pizzas, all redonkulously yummy. Also, my new French boyfriends* call me Mademoiselle here and give me free macaroons.
*New French boyfriends do not interfere with actual boyfriend
I wandered in today to look at the beautiful pastries. I didn't realize that they make lunch-like things as well. I ordered a chicken sandwich. It's hot, pressed, and has tomatoes, arugula and some cheese. The handsome Frenchman at the grill who took my order asked if I would like salade or cheeps to accompany it. (I chose the salade.) I got a lovely lemon macaron for dessert.
I'm delighted! It's real, beautifully-prepared, tasty and healthy food. The folks behind the counter are smiling and efficient. They had samples of a flat, crisp almond cookie by the cash register. I had to exercise a certain amount of self-control to take only one.
Did I mention the handsome Frenchman and his yummy accent?
I will visit Bonbon Patisserie often.
Update, apres consumption of lemon macaron: mon dieu! Why did I order only one?? I will be dreaming of this delight.
I finally checked out this place since it opened a while ago after one of my coworkers recommended it and I'd have to say I was quite surprised. I was always reluctant to try it as it never seemed to be too busy so I probably thought it sucked. Boy was I wrong. I had the pesto pannini and it was yummiieiie. Fo sho I'll go there again!
Despite working just a block away, I've never really noticed Bonbon before. And the only reason I tried it today was because a) I was thinking of going to the newly reopened L&L and b) I had a major craving for croque monsieur.
The sandwich was pretty good, not the best in the world, but decent for the price, location, and its ability to quickly quell my craving. It came with a salad that was nice and light, though there was nothing too unique about it. All in all, a solid lunch spot, though I have yet to try the other sandwiches.
My minor beef with Bonbon is the seating. I appreciate the visual chicness they are able to achieve with their "tables", but it was just really uncomfortable to sit, though fortunately a seat of normal height opened right before i started dining.
When my friend La Nina takes me to a new place for lunch, I'm always excited because she finds these amazing little places. Great turkish, check. Vietnamese, double check, Chinese, check. You name it.
Once again, she did not disappoint. We walked in and we were greeted by Apricot little snacky things while we waited for the food. I could have eaten the whole plate of them, but I don't think they would have liked that.
Bon Bon was really really a great lunch in a great place with the owner right there making the open faced sammiches. This is a place to go to over and over and over again!
I give this place two big, loud snaps.
Yum!
Recommended by a co-worker and it did not disappoint.
My friend and I ordered the 3 Cheese sandwich and the pastrami sandwich and split them. I got salad and he got chips.
Both sandwiches were melty and warm and garlicy. Both had lovely flavor and made me want to run away to France.
The salad was standard, the chips were crunchy.
Too bad they don't have more space to eat! We sat outside on their bench, which was nice but kinda noisy.
I'll go back for sure!
***The only reason it gets four stars is because the food was so rich.***
If the food wasn't so rich, it would get five.
Small place. Small menu. Small prices. Big portions.
Incredibly nice people and as one other post commented, the owner is down there talking, taking plates, helping out, which makes the place very humble.
Overall: good tasty sandwiches and perhaps the only place to get flammkuchen in the financial district. Pleasant casual interior, and run by a friendly owner who cares about his business.
Food: I like their salad-sandwich meal--good value, tasty AND--big plus for this--when you order it to eat *there*, you get real plates, knives and forks. None of this plastic crap. Environmentally, a big plus. I wish more places downtown would follow their lead.
I do think the flammkuche is a bit small for the price--probably the only thing that isn't a great value there. Then again, I usually eat a *lot*, and I'm also used to paying $2.50-$3 for a slice of the same in Germany.
Pastries are good--everything is house-made and their croissants are one of the better I've had recently. Not gigantic, like that fake Costco wanna-be croissant, but smaller, tasty and buttery. Tarts were tasty, again, freshly made.
Coffee--OK (a good start but needs some work). I always judge by the espresso, and while the beans may be good the actual espressos I've had were a bit disappointing (though no worse than most other places in town, sadly). Keep 'em short, make sure there's crema and don't pull for longer than 25-30 seconds, everyone! Nice job having real cups tho. When/if they start making them properly they'll have all the foundations ready.
Atmosphere: small, bright, colorful interior; a few seats looking out the window, and a few seats outside looking, well, in the window.
I can't wait for this place to open tomorrow! I've always loved french bread pizza!
Will update!!
This place still rocks my boat! What I get here is really good food and VALUE. They shake things up, so the offerings change from time to time. I am loving the Pastrami sandwich with the Saint Nectaire cheese.....OMG and the onion and bacon flammenkuche when they have it....TDF. The almond croissants and the Basque cake are some of my other favorites. What they do, they do very well. It's a shame they don't have more customers, but it makes it special when i am there!
Flammenkuche & Basque Cake......... What more can you ask for? Divine!
Yeck! I just bought an Almond croissant $2.98 - looks really nice with an almond paste crust. I took it back to the office and with my coffee in hand took a bite. OMG the bottom was soaking wet with something - butter or oil. I guess when they took it out of the oven they did not bother to let it cool on a rack. It tasted like an almond pudding in a form of a croissant. I guess I expected an almond croissant to be crunchy outside and moist and flaky inside - not a sodden piece. It was so funky tasting that I just dumped it in the trash. First and last time going there.
I stumbled across this Patisserie once and stared at the delicious desserts. I finally decided to go in and buy the Gateau Basque today and boy was it was delicious. It was perfect, not too sweet and melted in my mouth. I am big on textures and this cake was perfect...light and creamy. I want to try the other desserts, but I think I will be severely obese if I did. Also, the owner was sweet and welcomed you with a sweet bonjour!
oh.my.yum!
coworkers were going to head to this new joint and I am so glad I hopped on. Had the chicken rotisserie hot pressed and it was SO YUMMY! One of the best sandwiches in that area.
i also indulged and ordered the Strawberry Apricot tart (i couldn't resist! it's the first thing you see) mmmmmmmmmmmm. it was so good. guilty pleasure for sure.
Definitely definitely recommend ordering from here
BonBon makes great hot pressed sandwiches, soups and desserts. The sandwiches are huge and the soups are creamy and rich. The fruit tarts are delish, but not too overtly sweet. The place is on the small side, so it's not good for large groups. If you have an office bday, buy some pastries or a cake from there and your office mates will be pleased. They've also changed their pricing slightly. For $10, one can get a sandwich with soup or salad or chips, with a soda and a dessert of the day
This place ROCK's....... I special ordered a birthday cake with chocolate and strawberryy's, my co-workers favourite combination and did Bonbon come through......it was FANTASTIC, not a speck of frosting left.
No Corkage Fee
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Student Discounts
Neighborhood: Union Square
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Coffee & Tea
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