La Farine

6/29/2016

This is probably one of my FAVORITE bakeries!! It's absolutely delicious - exquisite - tasty! The service is quick and everyone is so friendly.

The fruit tarts are always my go-to, small or large. There's a variety to choose from - decorated all so pretty and are just perfect. It's hard to come across a tart where the crust is the right texture and filling is not too sweet, but La Farine nails it! Come early or they'll be all gone by the mid to end of the day!

The red velvet cupcakes and morning pastries are also yummy! I'll have to come back for the fresh bread.

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  Mini fruit tarts!

  Mini fruit tarts!

9/4/2016

• 1 check-in

Came here on a Saturday around 11:30am.  I was excited to try their pastries because it smells so good here! This cute French bakery was small and had cute decor.  It wasn't crowded and it had one large communal table to sit.  This is more of a buy and go kind of bakery.  I ordered my pastries on the go.  Here's what I had:

CROISSANT - $2.25
This honestly tastes store bought, but at least it has a clingy crunchy outer shell. It wasn't bad. It was just ok.  I more expectations on this.

SWISS TWINKIE - $2.95
This was a puff pastry that looks like a croissant  filled with a roasted nut puree, shaped like a croissant and topped with cinnamon sugar.  Everything about this pastry tasted hard.  It was sweet, and I wanted to try it because it sounded unique.  Overall it was ok.  Maybe if I had it fresh right out of the oven it would have been yummier.

CHOCOLATE PECAN COOKIE - $1.50
This all around hard cookie didn't not have the taste of fresh baked.  I didn't care for it.  

Wow, I'm not sure if I should bother coming back again to give it another shot.  I was pretty disappointed, and its mostly my fault for having such high hopes and expectation.  Oh darn.  My search for yummy french pastries in the east bay continues.

8/8/2016

• 1 check-in

I've been eyeing this bakery for a while now, but I've always had the misfortune of having recently stuffed myself silly from something else. Today was actually no different (having just inhaled a large salad AND an ice cream cone), but with the help of my friend, our stomachs combined were able to eek out some space to try out a few delicious selections!

Swiss twinkies- Man, LF does not mess around with their puff pastry! Contrary to the super soft, sponge-like cakes of "American" twinkies, these swiss pastries are all crispy, flaky goodness. In the center, instead of the marshmallowy based crème, there is a delightful concoction of course nuts. I particularly like the cinnamon and large sugar crystal sprinkle on top of the pastry...just to add that little extra crunch!

Savory morning bun- The bottoms of these babies might barely fit into your standard regular cupcake sized tin, but the "muffin tops" are absolutely spilling out their beautifully layered swirl of croissant-ish pastry and tastefully salted ham. I think it's the dill in here that makes the overall taste of the bun remind me of one of my favorite quiches...certainly a great memory to evoke!

Savory focaccia- There are at least two different flavors, but the one my friend and I shared was a dried tomato based one with plenty of herbs in the bread itself... which was supppperrr well done! My gal pal said it was probably one of the best focaccias she's ever had!

Cannot wait to swing by here another time to try out some of their other goodies!

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  Savory morning bun.

  Savory morning bun.
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  Swiss twinkie- so crispy!

  Swiss twinkie- so crispy!

5/29/2016

• 3 check-ins

When I think of La Farine, I think of well-made French pastries that satisfy my sweet tooth! They have a wide selection of breads, croissants, tarts, and cakes, and since even my stomach has some limits, I can only comment on the few items that I've tried.  Most recently, I had their frangipane, which has a brown sugar and almond filling.  Since I'm a big fan of almond croissants, I was hoping to be blown away by this treat, but I thought it was great if not overly memorable.  On the other hand, the morning bun was a flaky, airy, sugary concoction that I quickly devoured after the first bite!  The slice of their lemon shortbread was also a delight and not too tart.  Speaking of tarts, their fruit tarts look delectable (with various combinations of fruit on top) and attracted quite a bit of attention from other customers while I was in the shop.

Staff are helpful and efficient, although at times I wish they were a bit warmer/friendly.  However, La Farine is definitely a place worth visiting if you are looking for a snack or need a treat for a special celebration.

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  Lemon shortbread

  Lemon shortbread

5/31/2016

Stopped off at La Farine to pick up a tart for a birthday. There were a lot of beautiful fruit tarts to choose from. Two different mixed berry fruit tarts, a nectarine tart, baked apple tart, and a few other tarts that looked great. We decided on the baked apple tart since it's a crowd favorite. The crust for the fruit tarts are not too buttery and it's the perfect texture too. Some fruit tarts don't have a proper crust to hold the contents. It's sometimes brittle or doughy and this one is just perfect.

Just a word of precaution: the crust isn't AS good the following day.. so eat it all the day you get it!! :)

Another note: try their other goodies like a morning bun, a breakfast type pastry roll, Jezebel cookies, chocolate macaroons, biscotti, and their fresh breads. All are excellent!

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  Baked Apple Tart.. two slices in

  Baked Apple Tart.. two slices in

9/25/2016

My favorite place to go for all my baked goods! They have excellent customer service! Ashley is awesome! She is very personable.  La Farine makes phenomenal creations. I recommend the morning bun. You will not be disappointed! I will be returning...this weekend. :p

9/23/2016

Ordered a rustic baguette and a savory morning bun at 10:30AM and both tasted day old. Very disappointed

2/15/2016

• 1 check-in

Came by for desserts the other day and the experience was mediocre despite a 4.5 star rating on Yelp... Located in the hipster Rockridge/Berkeley border and across the street from Philz/Safeway the baked goods were merely mediocre.

Ordered the ham & cheese Yelpers raved about and it was okay.... Didn't really taste the bechemel sauce and the pastry was rather dry...

Service was friendly and they take credit cards!

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  Ham & Cheese

  Ham & Cheese
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  Fruit Tart

  Fruit Tart

3/7/2016

• 1 check-in

After almost four years of living in Berkeley, I can't believe I just tried La Farine for the first time.  The experience was amazing and I'll be sure to be back in the future.  

I dropped by one morning to try the morning bun that so many reviews rave about.  I also grabbed the savory morning bun and almond cookie.  

The savory morning bun proved to be a great breakfast with my Philz coffee from just across the street.  I literally had to keep myself from devouring the entire thing.  The morning bun tasted good too, but the savory morning bun had a better flavor and texture.    

I ate my almond cookie the next day knowing that it might be a little old, but it was absolutely delicious.  I loved the almost spongey and yet hard texture and how each bite had little crumbs of almond.  

Each pastry ranged from $2-3, which is a bit pricey for a starving college student.  However, I fell so much in love that I will definitely be dragging myself onto the 51B for another visit.

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  Peanut butter cookie

  Peanut butter cookie
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  Almond tea cookie

  Almond tea cookie

5/9/2016

• 3 check-ins

• Listed in Sweeter Side

Let's be clearer than a windshield after a hand wash (by a dedicated washer): This review and rating is based solely upon the loveliness of the frangipane croissant. Everything else at La Farine does little to hold my interest. That Morning Bun? Meh. Could be softer, more delicate, flakier, just a wee bit smaller for better maneuvering a gobbling up and breaking apart. That berry coffee cake? Dense like an untrimmed hedge. Those cakes? But when it comes to that frangipane, in the words of Sonny and Cher, "I got you babe". It just works. Perfectly flaky, infinitely delicate, luscious almond flavor with all of that well-made almond paste spilling out of the sides and forming a sort of rudimentary crust that is probably the most delicious part of the whole extravaganza.

As I said, La Farine is by no means my favorite bakery. But I would be a fool and a liar to say that their frangipane croissant is anything less than my favorite almond croissant ever. And for a commitment-phobe like myself, that's saying a lot.

4/19/2016

• 1 check-in

WOW ugh can't believe I didn't step into this place until today! I've been missing out for the past four years. Bought their morning bun, chocolate croissant and frangipane for about $8 which is insanely cheap compared to places like Tartine in SF where they charge 2x the price like $5 for 1 frangipane that tastes only marginally better.

La Farine's price to quality ratio is just amazing. Their pastries are unbelieveably flaky, so delicious and not too sweet! Their service is so great as well! I noticed the ladies up front were super patient with every customer including me, answering all their questions and letting them take their time to decide what they wanted.

Can't wait to be back to try more of their stuff!

10/23/2015

• 2 check-ins

The first time I came here was because I was on a mission to try La Farine's famous fruit tarts. However, even though it was only 10 am they ran out. Instead I got a Swiss Twinkie which was a flaky pastry filled with a nut paste. It was so fresh when I bit into it, the flakes crumbled instantly. I also got a mini morning bun and it's also a flaky pastry but filled with cinnamon and sugar. It was so good!

The second time I came, I fulfilled my mission and got to get the fruit tart! I got the one with mango, raspberries, and blueberries. When I took a bite, my trek was all worth it. The crust was buttery, flaky but not flimsy, it was solid enough to hold the light custard filling which was perfect and not too sweet. The fresh fruit topped it off to make is refreshing and balanced. I also like how the crust was not at all soggy and was in equal proportion to the filling!

Also if you just wanna try some of the pastries, they have mini sizes such as mini morning buns, mini chocalatines, so you can try more to your heart's desire! I'm coming back to try everything

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  Fruit tart

  Fruit tart
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  Swiss Twinkie, Morning buns, almond tea cake

  Swiss Twinkie, Morning buns, almond tea cake

1/29/2016

I cannot say enough good things about this adorable bakery! I've had their breads, croissants, and fruit tarts - all of which were amazing.

When you order a fruit tart, they ask if you'd like pick the exact tart you'd like, which is cool because they're all made with a different combination of fruit. However, be sure to get there early because the tarts understandably sell out quickly, sometimes before the afternoon.

Seating is limited, with just a few tables in this small space. You can usually find a nearby bench though on a nice day.

6/19/2015

• Listed in Yelp San Diego 100 Challenge, Bay Area Bucketlist

A cute place to stop by for Pastries in Desserts if youre in the Oakland College Area! They have delicious cookies and bread. Must try if youre craving something sweet.

Must try: Cheese Knots or Croissants

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• See all photos from Michelle M. for La Farine

5/24/2016

I've only ever dropped by this location! I'll probably come back soon when I take my friends on an Oakland day. :) I did hear that they don't cut the bread for you at this location. It's a pretty small shop compared to the other two locations which I have actually made purchases at! I like that this location is in the heart of North Oakland on College Ave. There are soooo many fun things around to do.

6/27/2016

I have a hard time finding a good bakery but this is one of the best ones so far,the sad part is my coworker had found a hair in his pie that was gross, but hopefully they will where  a hair net when baking

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  Soo yummy!

  Soo yummy!

4/25/2016

• 1 check-in

My partner ordered me a cake for my birthday.  Usually, we would order a cake from Montclair bakery, but I wanted something different this year.  He surprised me with a cake from La Farine.  I  was truly pleased with the cake! Here is the description from their website:
BRANDIED CHERRY TRUFFLE TORTE
A rich, flourless chocolate torte studded with brandied cherries and finished with a bittersweet chocolate glaze.
It was delicious.  I couldn't stop eating.  I'm still craving for it.  Enlighten said...

10/23/2015

• 1 check-in

While this is a small, rustic-feeling storefront with only about half a dozen seats inside, the bakery smell is like an intoxicating siren song as you walk by and are lured in. Indeed, there are exquisite fruit tarts and pastries inside, not to mention solid bread and other baked items. Everything just feels, looks, and smells so fresh and delectable just like you'd think a neighborhood boulangerie and patisserie in France would, and you just can't resist going home with a whole box of goods that you'll likely polish off by the end of the day. Highly recommended.

5/22/2016

• 1 check-in

Bakery is small but quaint, and smells scrumptious with open view to the work going on in the kitchen. Picked up some morning buns, red velvet mini-cupcakes, a Swiss Twinkie, fruit tart, and apple filled morning bun. What a find.

10/2/2015

• 4 check-ins

I came here on a Saturday morning at 10am to have breakfast with a friend and unfortunately, they were out of the small size fruit tarts already, so I got the morning bun and almond tea cookie. The morning bun is similar to a croissant but even better! It's crispy with a layer of sugar and cinnamon on the outside and has a flakey outer layer. The inside of the morning bun was soft, buttery goodness. It wasn't overly heavy and had the perfect amount the sweetness, and would have went really well with a cup of tea. The almond tea cookie was also delicious! It also had a sugar coating, and once you bit into the cookie, you can immediately smell the burst of almond. We also got to try a sample of the brandied cherry truffle torte, and boy, was it full of flavor! The chocolate wasn't too sweet and the cherries complemented it very well; the chocolate was smooth. However, I probably could not eat a whole slice of that just because it was super rich.

The food here is delectable, but one of the downsides is that there's only one communal table for seating, so it's not really a sit down place. My friend and I were lucky enough to find seats, and we watched the workers bring out pans of fresh morning buns. The atmosphere of this place is really homey and the workers were really friendly. I definitely want to come back next time to try the fruit tart and savory morning buns!

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  FRUIT TART HEAVEN

  FRUIT TART HEAVEN
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  Top: Almond tea cookie, morning bun, and brandied cherry truffle torte Bottom: Morning bun, swiss twinkie, and brandied cherry truffle tort

  Top: Almond tea cookie, morning bun, and brandied cherry truffle torte Bottom: Morning bun, swiss twinkie, and brandied cherry truffle tort