This is our favorite bakery in the area for several reasons. There is a wide variety of baked goods…read moreto choose from and nothing is too sweet. They make cookies, pastries, breads (pan loaf and hand-formed ones), soups, hand pies, and sandwiches. The variety is amazing. During the holiday season, they offer larger pies and have various seasonal goods to offer. But what's also wonderful is this bakery gives back to the community in many ways. During the height of the pandemic, they offered free bagged lunch to anyone who needed one. They also were (are?) part of the pilot project for Durham's guaranteed income. It looks to me that the owners/company are concerned about being good citizens of the community and that's a great thing. These days, so many companies get bought out by private equity companies. I hope this bakery continues to be locally owned and operated! (Also, generally this bakery isn't offering the very fancy European/European-ish style pastries which is fine by me. The prices are very reasonable, possibly in part because they aren't trying to make their baked goods a "high end" item. There are other good local bakeries that offer "high end" pastries, but they are also much less affordable and for my taste, too rich.)

Today I went to the Durham farmers market, and I had a blueberry cream danish. I really enjoyed the…read moredanish. It was very delicious, but the customer service that I received was very poor and honestly rude. And honestly, I was surprised that she was acting like that, especially with her own kind of people. (Me being a black woman) , my friend also picked up a weird rude vibe. I hope that she's not at the next farmers market. I should've just asked the other gentleman to get the danish for me instead of her, but overall I did enjoy my danish.

Called in on a tuesday to get a last minute bday cake but they had a private event and wernt open…read more They still answered the phone and told me to come in the next morning and pick up a cake. The lady in front was super friendly and accommodating. Could definitely see the hard work in the product they make. I tried the yuzu lemon and lavender fog truffle. After trying it i knew the decadent chocolate cake was going to be delicious. Ended up getting a 10" cake which was plenty for 13 people with leftovers. Really good cake and decorated really nicely. Did not dissapoint. I would stop by and get another cake just to try it.

Miel Bon Bons is a cute little artisanal chocolate shop and bakery nestled within Brightleaf…read moreDistrict! We got a pack of 8 chocolates (admittedly they did cost a pretty penny haha), which ranked from my most to least favorite are: 1. Horchata: So good, the horchata essence hit me as soon as I took a bite. Very cinnamony, very milky & creamy. 2. Passionfruit: I'm a sucker for anything passionfruit. The curd-like filling did not taste artificial at all. 3. Almond cardamom: Topped with a real almond, but more cardamom forward, reminded me of chai. 4. Hazelnut sassy monkey: Distinguished more coffee than banana, but it was there. Also liked the layer of crunch. 5. Raspberry lychee: The raspberry jam was strong and tasty, the floral essence from lychee was subtle. 6. Sesame matcha: Surprisingly citrusy? I did taste some bitterness from the matcha and appreciated the earthy sesame crust. 7. Ube: Sadly did not detect much ube flavor. 8. Earl grey lavender: Definitely the prettiest, but tasted like what I imagine soap would taste like. In terms of whether the chocolate is worth the price: I've never had this experience of trying such diverse and interesting chocolate flavors before so it was for me. Ambiance is nice, I think there was only outside seating. There's good parking nearby in the Brightleaf lots or on W Pettigrew St. Service was fast and friendly. 8/10 would recommend!

Got a loaf of sourdough bread, a cherry danish, an apple turnover and an eclair. They were pretty…read moregood, except for the eclair. It didn't really have any flavor to it. It's located in a strip mall next to a strip mall with bars on the doors and windows which looks sketchy but the inside was nice and clean. I wish they had a bigger selection of pastries and desserts. Probably won't be back. :/

This place is a complete disappointment…read more They call themselves a French bakery, but that's nothing more than a marketing trick. The lady greeted me " Bonjour", I replied "Comment allez-vous?" no answer!!! I should say " Cómo estás?" In reality, it's a Latino bakery pretending to be something it's not. The breads are awful and overpriced, to be honest, I think the croissants come right from the Sam's club, the sourdough is nothing but a cheap grocery quanlity French bread. The pastries are even worse, with none of the craft, technique, or taste you expect from anything French. It's misleading and deceptive to lure customers in under the "French bakery" label when there is nothing French about it. I left feeling cheated. If you are looking for true French baking, avoid this place. I am sure the original owners, the retired French couple is heart broken!

Absolute 10/10 experience…read more Not one team member seemed rushed, even with a crowd, and genuinely looked like they enjoyed being there. That set the tone and made this place stand out from other establishments. It's clear this restaurant is run with real care and integrity, and that attitude flows from the top down. Well done. The food was exceptional, truly not an exaggeration. Our group is notoriously picky, and not a single plate was pushed aside. You can tell there's real attention to detail in both the food and bakery items. Thank you, Sean and the entire team, for your above‑and‑beyond service, delicious food, and warm, welcoming ambiance. We can't wait to come back on our next visit.

The line is always long and it moves relatively quickly. Love sitting outside. Great ambiance. This…read moreplace runs like a well-oiled machine. This was my third time there. I always want the fish sandwich but they don't have the fish I want (picky! ). My son got the chicken sandwich which was really great. The bun was so fresh. My FIL got the Benedict. It was huge. Fruit cups all around. Huge chunks of pineapple. My son and I got the lemonade spritz. It was too sweet me but my son enjoyed both of ours.

Loaf is tucked away on a not so popular street but thanks to their yummy treats, they are known all…read moreover Durham as the place to grab a sweet or savory when you need it. What I also love about Loaf is that if I am unable to go downtown, Loaf items are all over Durham, namely at the Coop and so many other businesses. It makes it easier to access and grab when you are on the go. Staff are always so friendly and welcoming. We always appreciate their warmly decorated business that is cozy but also smells of fresh, newly baked bread (or cookies!) We always look forward to stopping by to see what they have for the day!

Loaf is an excellent bakery! I walked down the Durham streets to Loaf this morning. I had a…read moredelicious pistachio roll - sweet, nutty, crispy. I then devoured a cranberry frangipane torte with a rich creamy almond center. I washed it down with hot coffee. Delicious!

The desserts were absolutely delightful & tasty. We look forward to returning & trying something…read moredifferent. The owner was very nice and welcoming. There was also a refreshing corner nook to sit, eat and enjoy coffee

We recall this shop and owner when it was in the Durham Food Hall. We had read he had relocated and…read morepopped in while we were wandering around Brightleaf Square. It was mid-day and we weren't starving so we only got the cookie cake bites and ate it at the counter in the shop. It looks like another customer was there picking up a larger order (catering maybe?). They have various -- I would call -- artisan baked goods and limited coffee options. It is branded as a dessert cafe after all, so you're not going to get breads, bagels, etc., here. I'm glad we popped in.

I am not normally a croissant person but these were excellent! I had the chocolate and almond -…read moreneither was dry which is hard to ever find and the flavor profile was well balanced - both were topped with almond slivers and powdered sugar which brought it all together. The almond was my favorite of the two but no complaints for either, I just loved the filling with the dough. Definitely a place I'd go back to!

Our coffee and desserts were amazing!! We had a box of 12 macaroons and our favorite had to be the…read morecotton candy, which was a tough choice. I could tell everything was homemade and super light!

"VERY hole-in-the-wall Middle Eastern patisserie"…read more This gives hole-in-the-wall new meaning. The location is in a strip-mall that's set back a ways from 55, so it's not really visible from the street at all. However, it's weirder than that-- you have to drive AROUND the strip mall to the back, past the various loading docks for other stores, and they you see this place is open just from the BACK of the strip mall. I heard the owner is Algerian, but there are many Palestinian references and flags around the shop, so if that's triggering, then know this in advance before coming in. Still, the place is brightly lit and airy, with tables to eat. They do custom cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts, but we just wanted to sample some sweets. Hours are funny-- just midday Friday through Sunday. We ordered a pecan brownie and a pistachio chocolate dish with kunafa (shredded Middle Eastern pastry), as well as a mocha coffee. The mocha coffee was rich and delicious, as expected. The pistachio chocolate dish with kunafa was to-die-for... SO delicious. Super thick and messy, as you'd hope it would be. And of course the pecan brownie was amazing. I will say the pastries are not "cheap". I got a single tahini chocolate chip cookie to go for a friend, and that was $4.50 for a modest sized cookie. The other dishes above were in the $6 range. But these are unusual custom-made dishes, so it's fair.

I don't speak French, but trying to find this place left me wondering if the name means "receded"…read moreor something like that, because it is hidden away. in the back of a shopping center. Both the atmosphere and the menu are a mix of French and Arabic, so I got a cherry-infused chocolate cake and some sort of cheese and za'atar savory bun, along with a cardamom chai. The chai flavor was interesting, but not altogether strong, while the cake was as delicious as it looked. My cheese pastry was strongly salty, for better or for worse. The price reflects the quality of the food more than the location, let's say, but I was glad I went.