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Wed-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Wonderful neighborhood bakery space with warm greetings and yummy things to buy.
When I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon, I was only joined by one other patron in the bakery. The display case offered pastries, scones, and delicacies based in fruit flavors and extract flavors + macaroons. I selected an almond croissant and pistachio macaroon to-go.
My croissant was buttery and layered- a little more dense then I was use too- but The almond filling was one of the best I have had in Seattle. It was flavored expertly (not overwhelming) and was not as paste-like compared to what other high quality bakeries produce. The croissant itself was a more hard on the exterior then I desire, but was delicious and a perfect morning treat.
My macaroon was little and mouth melting wonderful. The pistachio flavor added the right about of taste and made me a fan of the variety.
FYI's~
* This is a must try bakery destination in Seattle
* Located off Aurora in a little strip of neighborhood eat & drink places- very picturesque
* Outdoor seating is available
Every time I visit Seattle I search for a new great pastry spot. This happens because I am actually looking for new coffee hot spots and places that would provide nibbles to accompany great coffee. We are in Seattle after all!
Three years ago, it was Besalu. This time it is Honore Artisan Bakery, also in Ballard but tucked away in a quieter, more residential area. My friend and I arrived a little late Saturday morning and did not suffer a long line thankfully. But it also meant that many obviously popular items were no longer available. It didn't matter because I had a very difficult time choosing as it was. Being greedy pastry hoards we both were, we each got a pear tartlette and macarons.
The pear tartlette was delicious, with flaky buttery crust, although the almond paste at the bottom was just a tad bit coarser than I am used to. Well, my life changing discovery was their macarons.
I have seen macarons in San Francisco pastry shops, or at least in pictures posted on yelp. They seem to be springing up everywhere, and I think they are the new cupcakes. They look cute, but they don't look particularly tasty to me. The first reason is because I generally distrust anything with artificial colors (All the bright colors-they HAVE to be artificial). The second reason is they look like dry brittle cookies, which are not appetizing. Thirdly, macarons sounds like macaroons, which are heavy chewy almond/coconut based cookies, which I appreciate under certain situations. However, I was somehow not able to conceptually reconcile the difference between the macarons and the macaroons.
First bite of the pistachio macaron made me stop in my track. It was light and crispy on the outer edges, but moist in the inner core, and the cream that held the two halves together were just slightly sweet and packed with pistachio flavor. The whole thing was delicate and perfectly balanced. We also had coffee, chocolate, and raspberry flavored macarons, all of which were delicious and true to the flavor each represented.
Now when I see the picture of macarons, my mouth waters with the memory of little bites of delight I experienced during my most recent visit to Seattle. I never had macarons before so I cannot compare or say they are authentic. But from now on, every macaron I taste will have to measure up to the ones I had from Honore Artisan Bakery. I just hope I don't get too many disappointments.
I feel the need to shout from the roof tops about this place... but I won't, instead I will yelp as loud as I can :) This place is one of if not the best bakery in Seattle. I can tell you I have had the Macarons the Paris, these are up there with Laduree's. They are THAT good here. By far the best flavor is the Coconut with Salted Caramel and I do want to say, the shelf life on these are 1/2 a day at best. The outer layer dries out quickly by the end of the day. Still great, but ideally eaten right away. So I finally found the my beloved Macarons in Seattle that are done right! About time!
Now on to the Kouign Amann... I took one bite and I swear I felt a tear forming... Beyond comprehension on how good this ugly little pastry is. Had it straight out of the oven and it was sweet, crisp, rich, salty, pillowy all-in-one. SO simple but you can tell SO hard to make. This place doesnt skimp on 2 things: 1) Warm service and 2) Butter. The Almond Croissant is divine however I do have to give 1st place to Bakery Nouveau on this one. Now the Chocolate Almond Croissant a even tie :) I asked the server what her fave was and she mentioned the Quiches... Will be back for those...
The owner I applaud you, you are a friggen GENIUS! BALLARD! You are one lucky B to have Honore as your home town gem...
Wow, this is all I have to say after trying a pain au chocolat this morning. What is striking is the weight or rather the lack of. It's amazing how feathery and light the croissant is, yet so rich and buttery. The chocolate was also well integrated and wasn't in a large chunk that inferior croissants have. There is limited seating at two counters and a table outside, so it's not a place you can hang out for hours. Seattle is definitely becoming a hotbed for fine bakeries and Honore is leading the pack for now.
God. I am SUCH an idiot!
I waited waaaaay too long to check out Honore. I cannot believe I've been going without for so many months.
Honore is like Besalu, only much more sleek and sophisticated. It's got all the butter and class of it's Ballard counterpart, but with half the line.
I had a gruyere, onion, thyme pastry here today, and I can safely say that it was one of the best butter pastries I've ever had. I am not supposed to consume things like butter and cheese because they don't agree with me.
Too bad, stomach. Today was MY day.
I will be back to Honore. Great space, delicious coffee & pastries, friendly service, and it's got a great neighborhood vibe.
Oh my, the macarons. They're amazing. Once you bite into that beautiful crisp outer crust your met with the most amazing chewy core. I tried chocolate, berry and lemon. Each was an epiphany of flavor.
The other stuff at this bakery looks wonderful too. I'll have to report back when I've tried other items. That is if I can resist filling up on more macarons first.
guidelines be damned: I'll just disclose my connection first and y'all can flag me if you decide its unfair. HAD TO REVIEW cause I'm all smitten with this place.
FULL DISCOSURE: I'm on contract (NOT AN EMPLOYEE) to clean the windows here each month. (well, verbal agreement contract anyways) They don't have a lot of windows, so I get coffee and pastries in trade (bartering is so "in" right now, don't you love me now?) . Does the food taste better now that they're "free"? nah. service change at all? same smiles and attention. Would my deal there be broken if I criticized them? no. Did I recieve anything for this review? hell no. So that's that. KEY WORD: barter.
Anyways (phew!) if anyone used to go to Coffee Animals (RIP) and loved the scones... (c'mon you remember those scones) you have here, in Ballard== THE CREATOR of the animals scone recipe!!==AND HE SAW THAT IT WAS GOOOOOOD. His name is Franz. He's here to PUMP you up. full of buttery pastries!
cwasaaaaahhh! with jam. queenamaaaaaaah! salty and sweet. cheddah and scaaaaaaaahlion! scones. and look at that sexy guy cleaning the windows! ooh la laaaaah! tres francais!
The macarons (alone) are worth the trip to this bakery - they are flaky, airy, soft, chewy and ooooooh so good on your taste buds.
The assortment of flavors are amazing. If you're not sure what you're in the mood for, then I recommend your selection should be based on favorite color(s). We had their pistachio (green), coconut caramel sea salt (light brown) and raspberry buttercreme (pink).
They were THE BEST macarons I've ever had the pleasure of consuming.
Also, I didn't know this, but:
MACAROON - sweet, dense, coconut confection
MACARON - traditional french pastry consisting a ganache/cream sandwiched between 2 thin cookies
Yay, I learned something new today!
I couldn't wait to try this bakery after reading all the great reviews and hearing that they have macarons. I arrived about 10 min after they opened on a Sunday and as I would expect they were still filling the case as pastries finished baking. I pulled up a stool and waited for the baker to continue to unload fresh goodies into the case and also it was the perfect chance to see what the regulars were ordering.
I decided I had to try the pain au chocolat and the kouign amann. Both were great! The pain au chocolat had great texture and flakiness to it I just wish there was a bit more chocolate. The kouign amann was layered goodness with a hint of sweet and salty to it. I also ordered 2 macarons (they weren't out yet so just ask if you don't see them) coconut with salt caramel and the pistachio. Macarons are one of my favorite food items. When I was in Paris a couple of months ago I did a bit of a taste test between Laduree and Pierre Herme just cause I had to find the best in the city. (Pierre Herme won :) ) These were the best macarons I have had in Seattle. Although I love Bakery Nouveau, Honore has better macarons. Good balance of crunchy and chewy and the flavor in both, especially the coconut one, was so good. I can't wait to go back to try more flavors!
What a great neighborhood bakery with quality pastries that will get you out of bed on the weekend!
Let me start by saying I'm a very loyal person and Cafe Besalu holds my heart. That being said, after reading such stellar reviews of a Cafe B counterpart I had to give it a try.
I had a cup of drip coffee and a delicious pear/butter thing. It was pretty damn tasty! The coffee shook me right out of my morning fog and the crispy, buttery pastry made my mouth water for more.
I'm glad I got it to go as I'm pretty sure I would have been back for seconds (and thirds...maybe more). The shop is small (I can see how a line could get long) and clean with a good amount of street parking. There's also a few chairs out front if you're lucky enough to snag one & if the weather permits.
I'll definitely be back, but so far I have to give the nod to Besalu. I look forward to completing a more thorough, well-rounded, taste-off. Its tough work, but someone has got to do it.
You KNOW you can be optimistic about America's future, simply by observing the eating habits of the kids.
As a macaronophile, everywhere I go I take note of the demographics of the customers eating this delectable cookie, taking hope from the fact that America may in a decade or so convert from a cupcake nation to a macaron nation (which might lead some politicos to rant about France's last stand against us). Increasingly I note little girls gush excitedly about the macaron they want to eat: "I want to eat Raspberry!" or "I like the green one!"
It's not just about vivid colors or symmetrical shapes - it's also about appreciating contrasts and complexities (of flavor and texture), and the imperative to pull these distinctive virtues together cohesively. It reflects well of a nation that can see beyond black or white - I refer obviously to Oreos, but you can read whatever you want into that :)
At Honore, I was thrilled to see a steady stream of kids (and adults) pick a favorite flavor and defend it enthusiastically. Having visited my fair share of Seattle bakeries serving macarons, I was thankful that I made the trip to Ballard. {Even if on route Knotty Bodies provided an interim high - caffeine, that is :)}
Honore, in my books, has the best macarons in Seattle. I will go further in their praise to add that Honore's macarons are the BEST value for money I've had across the U.S! You can NOT get a better deal. Period.
Are you kidding me? At $1.90 a piece for a macaron the size that La Maison Du Chocolat sells for $5 in NYC, there is simply no comparison. And, even excluding price, in terms of quality itself, these macarons are exceptional!
"Give me one of each", is my staple order at a bakery that carries macarons. At Honore, this request resulted in the consumption of intriguing flavors like Coconut Caramel Sea Salt, Lavender Chocolate, Passion fruit chocolate, Raspberry Buttercream, Lemon, Coffee, and Chocolate. Not only were the flavors unique, but one could tell the difference from one macaron to the other (unlike those at Le Panier), with the almond meringue not overpowering any. The shapes were symmetrical (creditable achievement for the size they serve) and the texture was flawless. The teeth sink effortless through the outer shell through the meringue to the filling. The macarons were neither crumbly, nor were they chewy. Good ratio between cookie and filling. In short: Perfectly done! I only wish they would add to their flavor options.
Another item that I loved was the Kouign Amann, or "Butter Cake" which is a popular pastry in Brittany, and is prepared in a way similar to flaky pastries. The sugar/butter coating on the top is crunchy and sweet (having caramelized) while the layers inside are soft and tender. I haven't had this pastry in a long time, and Honore made me realize what I had been missing out on. Honore's version was both sweet and salty and thus saltier than the 1000 calorie versions (with jam) that I may have tried in France.
Honore is a charming bakery, in a lovely residential location (and thus far from the madding crowds), serving exquisite macarons. It should be no surprise that this is one of my favorite bakeries in the country. Honore: J'adore!
I'm from Canada and have grown up with good French cuisine. I moved to Seattle in 2008 and have been repeatedly disappointed by the French-style bakeries here. And then I went to Honore.
Quite simply the best croissant the city has to offer. Crispy, flaky, and full of butter.
Holy crap I love this place. Kouign Amann!?! Queen of mom?!?! I don't what the heck that means, but it's amazing. Warm, one of the bestest things ever.
Stuff can be a little bit dark sometimes, but who cares. I can just not buy what is a little bit too brown.
Who would have thought that my quest for freaking bomb pastry might end on a quaint little strip off 14th & 70th?
This place has EVERYTHING. Cute, trendy (but unpretentious) decor, the friendliest counter service, but most of all, fantastic pastries. I ordered the fennel+bacon+goat cheese quiche, onion & gruyere croissant, and a strawberry danish to share with my husband. I haven't tried the strawberry danish yet (it's sitting on my desk, waiting to be devoured!) but the savories were scrumptious!
I also ordered an iced soy mocha for myself and an iced mocha breve for my husband. My coffee was good (Lighthouse Roasters, YAY!), but my husband complained that his coffee tasted "sour," then he started panicking that the half & half was bad. He tossed it. And, they do not have white mocha. So minus 1 star for that-- but this was a very minor blight on an otherwise stellar experience.
After reading all the reviews on Honore and reading an article in the S Times last week I was excited to go and get some macarons here. We got a late start and did not make it until noon. This must be the place to go first thing in the morning because by noon it is a bit sad. This place is REALLY SMALL. 6 seats inside and 2 outside. There were 7 things to choose from in the case and 3 were cookies. We tried the pistachio macarons because that is all they had. They were ok. Guess you also have to get these just out of the oven or not at all. The almond croissant and chocolate au pain were ok but I had better at Cafe Nouveau.
#1. I love this place. #2. I love that I live extremely close to it and can gorge myself on their delicious pastry pretty much anytime I want (except Monday, on which I believe they are closed).
Honore is the best bakery/pastry shop I've yet to find in Seattle. It's always full of neighborhood Ballardites who know a good thing when they find it.
I love their onion & gruyere tart. It's sooo flaky & yummy. A nice savory choice instead of the usual sweet pastry. Don't get me wrong though, their sweeter options like the berry tart is fantabulous as well.
Do yourself a favor if you find yourself in north Ballard some lovely morning: stop by Honore and just see if you aren't highly satisfied with the artisan pastries the baker is whipping up there as your latte is made.
Keep doin your thing, Honore. It kicks ass. I like that.
Honore will now forever be known as where I was introduced to baby Betsey S. Between delicious bites of cauliflower, bacon and goat cheese quiche and a yummy pastry that's like sweet and salty heaven, I was able to hold the sweetest baby in the world.
A sweet little baby in a sweet little bakery. What could be better? Not much, I say.
I had a delicious lavender and chocolate treat that was a perfect dessert after having lunch across… Read more »
This is the best bakery in Seattle. They sure nailed the croissant, pain au chocolat, Canneles (by the way, canneles are supposed to be NOT that sweet!) and pretty much anything they do.
The service is great and always with a smile.
My discovery was the Anis coffee cake, wow, what a delight. I recommend it!
my only critique would be the almond croissant, I found the almond butter too burned and not fluffy enough. But other than, I recommend everything.
Some people don't know it but you can order cakes from this bakery in advance, and the cakes are delicious...
Lovely bakery within reasonable walking distance of my abode. The buttery pastries are delish -- both the sweet and savory varieties. I have yet to try the cookies because I get sidetracked by all the other good stuff. I will make a point to try them next time.
The staff is always friendly and never flustered, even when the line snakes out the door. They have a wonderful patio out back. Coffee is very good.
This past weekend I saw a couple people walking around with plates piled high with croissants, tartes and danishes. I was so jealous, but I know I can't handle more than one pastry at a time because they are so rich.
Luckily, Honore doesn't seem to be going anywhere, so I'll be able to try everything in due time.
I live halfway between Honore and Besalu. I love Besalu. Their pastry is perfectly flaky, and I love that they serve a graduated variety of food throughout the day. I finally went to Honore and found their pastry to be too dense, their variety totally lacking (almost empty cabinet at 10am on Sunday, with croissants 15 mins out!), and most of the delights a shade too dark to feel confident they weren't burned. I ended up with an onion, gruyere and thyme tart where I couldn't taste the gruyere or the thyme, but enjoyed enough the butter-flaked pastry and caramelized onions to give this a 3.
Sweet, sweet staff.
Sweet, sweet macaroons.
Sweet, sweet caffeine.
One star off because they take days off. What, you have personal lives? Oh, right, you do. One star back on again for a full fiver.
I will call them macaroons if I want to, so neener.
Also, is the baker a hot treat or what? Obviously happily married with a kid. But still. Not bad to think of him making your food.
I just went for my 2nd trip to this delightful bakery..I like the vibe they have going here, like i have been transferred to a small bakery in Paris. The two ladies up front I'd have to agree with the other yelpers, are the epitome of sweet.
Now, to the pastries..I was afraid that they would fall short of the neighboring "king" Cafe Besalu as many others have but they hold their own! I may have to say that Besalu still has the edge on the pain au chocolats but theirs is a pretty close 2nd. The other pastries I have tried, i don't know the names but they are the ones that are large, round and have fruit in the middle, pears, strawberries...are yummy! I had the bacon quiche today and it was fluffy, savory, thick goodness!
I am at limbo with my soy lattes there..they are just allright.
Anyways, this is a great find in my mind..excellent pastries in a charming place, nice locals with no shortage of pregnant moms or kiddos, lots of street parking, good KEXP type music and lots of parking available.
Put them on your list of a great bakeries in Seattle.
In my grand culinary ignorance, I'd pretty much assumed all pastries are French.....except aren't waffles Belgian? Or they're not really a pastry, I suppose.
Regardless, Honore is a French-styled bakery in the north east end of Ballard. Like some of the other places on the 70th street strip (e.g. A Caprice Kitchen), they're closed on Monday and Tuesday. But on the other days of the week it's good for a pastry drive-by.
I've been by a few times for coffee and pastries. The coffee is serviceable, but not amazing. In Seattle, the bar is pretty high for this; I'd call it middle-of-the-road. I've also had the coffeecake, which I didn't like actually. I found it rather dry and surprisingly flavorless. That being said, the reason to drop by is for the macarons. These have a light, fluffy outer texture with a delightful creamy inside. They have a wide variety of flavors and colors: it's almost like a Benetton ad in the display case. Personally, I recommend the chocolate.
It's not really a hang-out type of place. On the inside are a few seats next to the windows, but with the lines that can form here, it can be a bit crowded. However, there are some seats on the sidewalk that are probably nice in the summer sunshine.
I had heard good things about Honore and had been meaning to stop by for some time. And oh my god. The good things I heard about this place are SO true. The macaroons here are AMAZING. Absolutely amazing. I highly recommend the coconut and pistachio ones - to die for.
Prices are reasonable and the staff was super friendly and helpful. I can't wait to go back here to get more! This place is awesome!
I could actually pitch my tent and live on the patio at Honore. It's the best coffee shop I've been in from here to...well...eternity. Shots are perfectly pulled and just the right temperature. My bellweather is the Americano. It must have a nice crema and never ever be watery. Ever. Honore hits the highest mark. The quiches are my favorite. The pain au chocolat is outstanding...and usually gone when I arrive. Thank you, Honore.
Sometimes the coffee is not up to par for whatever reason, but this place is awesome. Tasty and beautiful pastries, good service, and sustainable practices. My partner and I like to go on weekend mornings. :)
Question of the day: sweet or savory? I live half a block away from this amazing bakery. Everytime I approach the counter, I am beside myself on whether to get something sweet or savory. Honore does both well.
Their corn cheddar scallion scone is a wonderful combination of salt and texture. The onion gruyere pastry is very satisfying - the puff pastry melts in your mouth and the sweet, caramelized onion mixes well with the cheese. The quiches are very tasty too.
Lately, the sweet pastries have been winning over the savory for me. There are the regular items. Cannelles (baked custard - sweet and light with a crispy burnt sugar crust). Macarons are sublime. I didn't like macaons until I tried Honore's. The flavors are not overpowering, but distinct. Crispy, chewy, then melt in your mouth. Hazelnut. Chocolate. Coffee. And my favorite - coconut with salted caramel filling. My favorites have to be the rotating pastries and tarts - the fillings vary with whatever fruit is in season. Strawberry, peach, blueberry, plum, blackberry, apple, pear. What really impressed me was the huckleberry marscarpone pastry. Huckleberries are found in the alpine regions of the Pacific Northwest. They are tiny and flavorful - but hard to find. You can't buy these in a supermarket. I will hike miles to pick these tart little gems. I have not seen a huckleberry pastry in Seattle until now.
The two women behind the counter are the best. They are sweet (but not saccharin). They remember how I like my latte (tall soy). They never act flustered or annoyed by the morning crowd. They think my dogs are cute.
I am soooooo happy to have a neighborhood bakery that I can walk to in my sweats on a Sat morning for my latte and pastry.
Before last Sunday, had you said: "there is another place in Seattle as good as Café Besalu."
I would have replied: "BLASPHEMER! A POX ON YOU!" Then I would have thrown a rock at you and poured an espresso on your bleeding head.
But today, I say to you, wow, we have another one. Another bakery than can pack a whole stick of butter into a pastry. And wonderfully so. I don't have a beer gut, rather I have a pain au chocolate tummy. And Honore shall help me grow.
To settle the dispute (which I shall start now) over who is better, I offer that they throw down at my house any time they so please. I will be the decider.
The croissant at Honore is the bronzed, crusty little pillow of my dreams--by far the best I've ever had in Seattle. It wants for nothing -- no butter, no jam, no additions at all.
I can also recommend the macarons, melty little circles in a spectrum flavors and hues to match.
Everything is so good that it's hard to share.
I stop short of five stars only because the prices seem a wee bit steep, and I'd love for them to have more seating (perhaps impossible by the place's very construction, but hey, wishful thinking never hurt anyone). For now, however, I'm more than content to carry my wax-papered delights home.
Too late for brunch at A Caprice Kitchen and too early for dinner at Delancey, we happily ventured half way in between and had one sweet - and one savory - tart at Honore to stave off our midday hunger.
Serviceable inside - you'll find limited seating as the bakery's focus is not on a full service, sit down experience but rather on its pastry - and their focused approach has paid off! We grabbed a couple of chairs on the sidewalk and shared a leisurely onion & Gruyere tart -- followed by the strawberry tart. Both had their high notes - but the touch of thyme in the onion & Gruyere made it the winner.
That little strip of NW 70th has come a long way in the past 10 years when the only place for sustenance on the street was Tarasco (thankfully still serving up good Mexican fare). Honore has found a nice niche on that fast growing food strip.
The service and environment are excellent, the coffee is great, but the pastries and baked goods are ridiculously good. Sweet or savory I have never been disappointed. Great outdoor seating in front or back, as good as it gets for a neighborhood bakery/ coffee shop! Worth waiting in line.
I am almost reluctant to put a review up for Honoré in fear that there will be a long line out the door, as with Besalú. But they definitely deserve it. I had the Kouign Amann, which was was so delicious... crumbly croissant-like layers with caramelized sugar on the outside, and a sprinkling of sea salt on top. It's amazing how the salt complements the pastry so well.
I also got a Canelé, which was eggy-tasting, but good. Very crunchy on the outside. Not too sweet. I couldn't believe it, some guy walked in there after I got mine and bought all of the Canelés in the case! Must be in high demand.
I could never understand the love of macaroons. They are just way too sweet. I couldn't even eat one at Ladurée in Paris. For whatever ridiculous reason I thought getting one here would change my mind. I think it was because the coconut caramel sea salt sounded good - It must've been the sea salt that threw me off. I thought it would make the sweetness not so bad. I was wrong. Still too sweet. Anyway, if you love macaroons, this is the place to go, since they have many enticing flavors. I guess I'll never like them.
All-in-all, great pastries, good coffee. I got a few pastries to take home and try. Definitely will go back when I have a craving for Kouign Amann.
Note: Interesting culutural history of Bretagne, where the Kouign Amann originated: http://en.wikipedia.or...
Had no idea this place was here! How did I not know- thank God for Yelp! Tried the onion gruyere tart. Very tasty and just the right combo of sweet carmelized onion and salt. I also tried this delicious pastry that had salt and sugar carmelized together to create a symphony of heaven on my tongue. Literally.
We tried over half the pastries in the case and they all rocked. Quality croissants are hard to find, but these guys nailed the flaky/tender/crisp/buttery combination that is so elusive.
The lattes were served in beer glasses, which I thought was unusual and fun.
The girls running minding the place were really friendly and helpful, and were happy to rattle off what every non-obvious pastry was.
The light but not "smooth" jazz playing in the background made us want to hop a plane to Paris to see how this authentic-feeling bakery would compare. I suspect it would hold its own....
It's all about the caneles. Get your own. I'm not sharing (next time).
Mostly a light touch with sugar, which makes me happy. Sweet doesn't need to be cloying.
Hiromi digs the style of croissants here compared to those served at Besalu, and I can see what she's saying, but Besalu and Bakery Nouveau reliably have right-out-of-the-oven croissants of similar quality, and their right-from-the-oven texture trumps the slightly better flavor of Honore's for me. When Honore has the lines out the door they deserve, I suspect theirs will beat everyone else.
I'm not a huge, huge fan of kouign aman, but if I were, this is the place I'd go.
Nice place, cozy if small. Very nice servers.
I had a medicore experience with my order here (the Canelé and Kouign Aman).
In terms of texture these guys nailed it; The Canelé had a crisp exterior with an almost custard-like inside, like a french cruller taken to 11. The Kouign Aman was a superb display of fitting as many layers as possible into a small pastry and the caramelized outside contrasted nicely with the tender flakes of pastry in each bite.
Taste-wise, I was disappointed. The Canelé had an eggy vanilla flavor that wasn't sweet and was even drifting towards savory, while the Kouign Aman had so much salt that I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a sweet pastry (maybe it isn't), a salted caramel with too much emphasis on the former.
I'd definitely be back to try the delicious looking macaroons and fruit-based pastries, but I'd only warrant these two pastries a second chance because of the rave reviews they've been getting. Hopefully, I just got a bad batch.
First of all, people, it's called a MACARON. It's a delicate little French pastry. A macaroon - what most of us Americans are used to - is that classic, dense little cookie we've all had at Grandma's one time or another. However, macaroons are not what I came to write about. (In fact, I hate them.) I came to tell everyone that this place is utterly charming, in a lovely location (though only seconds away from nasty traffic, it's on a quiet residential road) and serves the most delicious array of macarons. The staff was super polite and helpful with suggestions when I asked for advice on which macarons to pick out. I failed to select only one or two and went home with a box and some bags of each and every flavor. The lavender and the coconut are positively heavenly... the coconut in particular is truly to-die-for. The meringue is oh-so light and airy with just the right eggshell consistency on the outside, and the inside - moist, chewy, and immensely flavorful. I could even taste the texture of coconut in the filling and I am quite sure I was making some "happy noises" while devouring it.
And so that other pastries aren't entirely ignored... I also picked up a Strawberry Danish which was super buttery, flakey, and not too rich. I am quite certain that Honore is going to be my summertime hot spot.
...and yeah, I'll be hitting up the elliptical for the next few days.
I'm not proud. The Kouign Aman made me cry a little and I almost mauled my friend for his cornbread cookie with lime frosting. I still can't pronounce the first thing, but it was flakey, salty, and sweet goodness. The second was like firm cornbread with a tangy sugary lime frosting. Weirdly good together!
I haven't been impressed with bakeries such as Macrina, but the items I tried at Honore aren't sickeningly sweet, and have great texture and flavor. Would definitely go again!
I'm so excited that Honore is now always sporting patrons when I cruise by! The neighborhood approves, that much is certain. And I will stand firmly by this statement:
Honore has the best croissants I have ever had, including the many I sampled all across France.
...that's "Honore" - accent aigu on the e, to you!
I have been waiting and waiting for a coffee and…
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I went to Honore after reading good reviews on Yelp (and the place is fairly close from my place). So one weekday afternoon, I stopped by there to maybe get a cup of latte and a pastry. I ended up buying 7 baked items.... They all looked so good, I couldn't help it!!! (good thing they accept credit careds).
My favorite among what I'd purchased was the canele - crunchy caramelized outside, and moist and tender inside. I regretted sharing it with my husband (but I'm glad he enjoyed it too). Macaroons were good and colorful. Croissants were good too. Now, I've never been to France, so don't ask me if they are truly authentic, but I can tell you that they were pretty good.
The store itself is small, simple and modern. There aren't really any tables inside where you can sit down. But who cares. Pastries are priced reasonably. Easy street parking. Can't wait to go back there for more.
Homemade Veggie Burgers!…
Seattle, WA
Say It With Cheese!
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: American (Traditional)
Edmonds, WA
Category: Coffee & Tea
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