alexandra k.

Easy and plentiful street parking on at Sat morning at 10! As a first timer, it was a bit of a maze to find, but they have a lovely central communal outdoor space they share with the other shops that is dog friendly! There were so many pastries to choose from but I ordered the furikake croisaant since it came recommended by a friend and the tropical scone (coconut, passion fruit and papaya). The croissant was airy, although didn't have as distinct lamination as non-vegan croissant. I likes the umami savory flavor and the sesame is roasted which adds a fragrance and crunch. I did appreciate that the scone wasn't overly sweet, but its tropical-ness was super subtle and I don't think I wouldn't have guessed its flavor if I ate it blind. FYI, there is a 4% surcharge for paying with credit cards. And other reviews mentioned a rewards stamp card, but I wasn't offered one! :(

Cesar C.

Established over a year ago, Bakers Bench is a sweet treat for yourself or to take someone special too and enjoy their delectable selection of pastries, kind and attentive customer service, and the triple threat... an aesthetically pleasing outdoor space to take in all that wonderfulness! On my visit tried 3 pastries: apple turnover, croissant, and a scone -- results:

KK H.

The location is great to find a street parking. The store located in a small yard. Looks like a totally different ambiance in the neighborhood. Awesome selection for Vegan baked goods! Always friendly with the customers so keep going back :) I love the black sesame cookies since it's not that sweet but nutty. Generally their bakes goods are not too sweet or greasy. Perfect for small deserts or for simple meals. The croissant must be so fluffy and light. I didn't try it yet but I can tell by the other pastries. Texture is so nice.

Joseph A.

I doubt that I ever become vegan. But I'm am willing to try vegan pastries as long as they're good. Bakers Bench has been around for some time since the Covid days. I remember visiting Far East Plaza where they were selling their baked goods in a kiosk next to Howlin Rays. Great to see some growth and BB moving into a storefront located in an interesting venue amongst craftsman quadruplex property with an extensive patio courtyard and gardens between buildings. BB is located in the back entry of Cassell's Hamburgers. So, I've been to BB a few times and always wanting to get wow'd. The owner and bakers here have some high street cred having come from some Michelin star restaurants. I haven't been wow'd to this day and recent been more like... Blahhh. My recent experience here, one of the items I had is a pain suisse which is similar to that of a croissant but a bit flatter with pastry cream and chocolate chips. The version here was a bit lackluster looking that didn't have the typical cross lamination. It's dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. It was also missing maple cream and lacked chocolate chips. It's $7 and I'm expecting a product that's executed well (like at Republique or Friend's & Family). The one good thing I'd say here is that the pastry and cookies that I've had here are of very good quality. I could taste the good quality flour and butter they use. Not sure if I'll be back. I do have my go to bakeries I prefer. The service here is friendly and warm. Parking isn't too bad as the location is tucked within the West Chinatown area just south of Dodger Stadium on the west side of I-110 Fwy.

Amanda M.

Wow!!! I can't wait to go back to Bakers Bench and try more pastries. The two that we got were delicious. It's hard to believe they're vegan too. The furikake croissant is delicious and so different than I expected. I loved how it was salty but light. The banana black sesame pastry was also delicious too. They even had a gf option! The courtyard where bakers bench is located is so cute. There's parking on the nearby streets and it can get quite busy. Plenty of outdoor and indoor seating.

Maria A.

Such a hidden gem! Parking: I came on a Saturday around 10 AM and had no problem parking on alpine street. I can see why it might be harder on a weekday though. Yuzu Poppyseed Scone: this was solid. I do wish it was a bit softer though. Egg roll croissant: awesome. I would feet it again. The croissant itself was delicious. Focaccia sandwich: the bread was great and was balanced with the rest of the ingredients The staff was very helpful and patient with us as we had a lot of questions. Service was super speedy. There's no indoor seating, so it can get chilly outside. I'll be coming back to try their plain croissant!

Katie C.

Beware of parallel street parking, tolerable on the week days. Not too sure about weekend many parked cars might be residences near by. For reference; on Alpine St. 1 hour parking from 8am-6pm except Sundays. For Centennial St. Street sweeping (No Parking) is from 9-11am Thurs on one side and Friday on the other side. Cash preferred, when you pay with cash you pay the price tag of their pastries flat without additional tax. "CASH DISCOUNT- As an incentive to our customers we now offer a discount to pay with cash by providing a 4% immediate discount." Black Sesame Cookie -the texture wasn't my favorite. Outside did have a crisp and inside was chewy but overall it's pretty sticky almost like a cross of soft caramel and toffee.. Black sesame flavor shines through as there were whole sesame throughout the cookie. A little too sweet for my liking. Yuzu Poppy Seed Scone -perfect scone; crisp but not too dense, inside wasn't too dry. Yuzu flavor very prominent. Egg Roll Croissant -eggroll filling was just as you imagined it to taste like but inside a croissant. Furikake Croissant -fruikake flakes on the outside was great and you really taste it. But I'm not sure if fruikake should be baked in high temperatures it gave an aftertaste of burnt popcorn. Croissant texture was crispy outside and soft fluffy inside. Passion Fruit Danish -was my least favorite. Not enough passion fruit jam and danish was too crispy that it was crunchy.

Andres T.

Awesome bakery in an area with a few shops. They have good pastries and they had a unique tote bag with Hello Kitty on it. Staff was welcoming and made some good recommendations.

Hannah C.

I stopped by Baker's Bench and was so grateful for how helpful the employee was. She recommended the tomato danish and let me tell you--it was phenomenal. Flaky, buttery, and perfectly buttery with a savory tomato filling. You can tell everything here is baked with care and love. On top of the great pastry, the service made the experience stand out. It felt like they genuinely wanted me to enjoy the best of what they offer. I'll definitely be back to try more of their recommendations (and probably another tomato danish because...wow).

Haleh M.

Stopped by this cute spot for a quick pick me up for a long day at work. Located on a residential street it's easy to miss. I was able to find it because of Yelp. You have to enter through the courtyard behind Heavy Water coffee. Their drink choices are limited to coffee, iced coffee, and some other type of drink. But there's plenty of pastries to choose from. The sitting area outside is so cute and truly makes you feel like you're not in downtown.

Yuri J.

So cute and tasty! A small bakery in Echo Park, sharing a space with Heavy Water coffee shop. All the pastries looked divine , lots of option for sweet and savory lovers - the furikake croissants and black sesame cookie were recommended and I'm so glad I chose both. I loved that the pastries are vegan, the croissants were flaky and savory - it's not overwhelming or lathered with butter like most croissants. The black sesame cookie is not too sweet and so nutty! There's a cute outdoor space outside to enjoy your treats.

Jon T.

Baker's bench is such a gem. I've heard so much about it from my friend in LA that I had to check it out when I visited. If you come early, the case is stacked with all kinds of goodies. I could have easily bought one of everything and not regretted it, but I went with a blueberry streusel muffin and chocolate croissant (for later). My partner got a furikake(?!) croissant. The blueberry was really quite excellent--nice moist and substantial filling on the inside. Even though we had the croissants the next day, they too were very good. The person behind the counter seemed genuinely very grateful that we came by, which is a nice demeanor that you don't encounter at all places. While the space inside is quite small, there's plenty of room outside to enjoy your treats.

Harmonie T.

Big shoutout to Jin Y. for introducing me to Bakers Bench because OMG this place is SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!! And everything is vegan! Including the croissants! :) She brought me here on a Monday afternoon. Sadly they ran out of croissants which is the reason Jin wanted to bring me here in the first place. But I was happy just to buy a couple of cookies. I bought a Black Sesame Cookie for me and a Double Chocolate Espresso Cookie to bring home for Hubby. Both were good! Chewy texture, not too sweet, and great flavor! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bakers-bench-los-angeles-2?select=-ViaknbgKUmAWpNvgjSfxw Jin also gave me a Sesame Pineapple Muffin to take home. Again, great nutty flavor and just enough sweetness from the fruity taste. https://bit.ly/3Fla8Ri Five days later, Jin being the most awesome friend that she is, brings me a box full of croissants from Bakers Bench. Oh wow, I treated myself to eat so many delicious carbs that weekend! The box included: - Plain croissants https://bit.ly/4hmHE6T - Furikake croissant https://bit.ly/3R55rxr - Onion croissant https://bit.ly/3QWsn1Y - Chocolate croissants https://bit.ly/4ihy0Ur Every single item in that box had me doing a happy dance! Soft, flaky, "buttery", yum! The furikake one is a little on the salty side but it paired well with an "eggless" tofu salad that I made at home. The plain croissants also are great to use for sandwiches. This place is worth a stop if ever in the area. But go early before they run out of vegan croissants. But please leave some for me :)