Unfortunately I don't have any pictures here since I ate the yummy baked goods before I can snap a pic. The place itself is a little small and can get very busy. But you can tell everything made here is made fresh. I ordered salted pretzel, lobster tail, and mini dog cupcake. The salted pretzel was very good - different than a normal pretzel. Not as dense a normal pretzel dough it was almost like bread dough salted and shaped like a pretzel. Still very yummy and would get again. The lobster tail is something I have heard to get if I ever go to Carmel Bakery. And oh my goodness it was delicious. It's a flaky pastry with cream in the middle. The cream was a little too much for me, I had to scrape some of it off. But the pastry itself was delicious, would also get this again. read more

Cute historic spot but not worth eating at. The coffee tasted burnt. The cappuccinos were just a machine that spit out a bad product. They don't even have ceramic mugs and actual plates when you eat there. Everything is served in plastic. The center of the food was lava hot while the outsides were average meaning that the food is likely microwaved. Hard to recommend this place when they clearly don't have pride in what they're producing. read more

Lots of delicious choices. Pretzels with many toppings and luscious blueberry scones. They will heat it but you have to ask. I had the "everything pretzel" and it taste plain ...like dough with poppy seeds/nuts on it. It did not taste anything like a pretzel. I do not suggest that one. The blueberry scone was Round like a pie and tasted delicious. I do recommend that. read more

Carmel Bakery - Looks delicious but no pretzel flavor. Blahhh. - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

Sad to see such a low rating because the pretzels were phenomenal! The store was quite busy but the line moved fast and the pretzels were both enjoyable fresh and reheated later. Highly recommend for the pretzel at least! read more

Carmel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

On our long drive to San Francisco, the one stop my wife planned for us to rest for the evening was Carmel before continuing our final stretch to The City. After visiting other fun cities, we got into Carmel before 6:30pm with the goal of watching the sunset overlooking the ocean, which is within close proximity to where we were staying. Before we walked down towards the sea, we decided to look for a coffee house, so that we can drink something warm as the sun descended. We found Carmel Bakery and the White Mocha Hazelnut coffee they made me was tasty and hit the spot as we strolled towards the beach. While we were walking through the main drag of Carmel, many of the shops were closed, but fortunately for us, Carmel Bakery was opened. The bakery is a few shops down from The Xocolatl Garden, next door to B&G Jewelers, and a few shops east from the popular Dametra Cafe Greek restaurant. It's a cute coffee shop with its pretzel logo signage hanging above their glass window showing off their baked goodies. We walked to the bakery, but there is street parking. Inside the cafe, it's cozy with several tables/chairs settings. On one of the walls hangs a pic of Carmel Bakery when it was first established in 1899 and it's amazing that the bakery is still in its original building 127 years later. There are old school pics of families enjoying birthday cakes, hanging baking tools and propped up glassware, and a quote from John Steinbeck arched on one of their walls. The focal point of Carmel Bakery is their central glass display case showing their pastries, cookies, and pretzels. They also have a display case featuring Gelato Artigianale, which is house-made artisanal Italian gelato. Besides espresso drinks, coffee, and tea, they also serve iced drinks, gelato, an acai bowl, and breakfast items. If we're ever in Carmel again, I'd love to try their savory items, but we visited solely to purchase coffee. I decided to order a White Mocha with Hazelnut flavoring. After taking my first sip, I remarked to my wife that Carmel Bakery's coffee was delicious and flavorful. The coffee was hot and provided that necessary warmth as the sun was starting to go down. Drinking a tasty coffee as we watched the sunset in beautiful Carmel was the proverbial icing on the Carmel Bakery cake. Glad we came upon one of the few businesses still open and glad we were able to drink coffee as we experienced the breathtaking environment we were vacationing in. read more

See all

I was in Carmel celebrating a friend's birthday and it is such a cute little town! We stopped by here one morning to grab breakfast. You order any of the bakery items displayed while waiting in line and then when you get to the register you can place your drink and order for any items they need to make. I ordered an iced vanilla latte, cinnamon roll and the Petit Dejeuner. Everything was soo delicious!! Cinnamon rolls are my favorite and oh my this one hit the spot!! I would also highly recommend getting the "Petit Dejeuner", which is a ham/egg/cheese croissant. The herb aioli with the arugula made it so flavorful, I enjoyed EVERY bite!! read more

Carmel Bakery - Cinnamon Roll - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

A lot of pastries and coffee/tea/not caffeinated options. Everything looked delicious. The service was quick and line moved quickly. Small place not a lot of sitting options inside. read more

See all

Yummy pistachio cannoli. This place is Carmel classic. Quick service on weekday evening. read more

Carmel Bakery - Pistachio cannoli - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

Right on ocean ave, this is a very popular spot. I would think it is more popular for its pastries and ice cream than its coffee. The place always has long lines on the weekend, we went on a Monday and we still had a few people in front of us. It's a nice cozy place, with a lot of staff so the lines definitely aren't due to lack of staff. I got a caramel macchiato, it wasn't the best coffee, but it wasn't the worst either. It had a lot of milk for a macchiato, that was a little disappointing. read more

See all

Honestly, I'm a bit torn on this one. Carmel Bakery is clearly a local popular bc the line was wrapped out the door and we waited almost 30 minutes just to get to the counter (line moved slow though I know the staff was trying hard) I really wanted to love the food, but it was a bit sugar overloading. We ordered eclairs and the thing was absolutely big, which is great for the price, but it was just way too sweet. Even with two people sharing, we couldn't actually finish it. If you're into super sugary, heavy American dessert style, you may love it, but I personally prefer something not sweet so this was not my type. The drinks were just okay too. I tried iced latte and Italian soda and both didn't really feel like anything special. It's a cute place still, but I don't think I'd rush back. read more

See all

This cookie was so soft, moist, and HUGEEE. Love the salt they add on there. It definitely balances the sweetness. Service was good, line is long but worth waiting in. Easy to find while walking thru carmel! Super clean, kinda hard to find street parking though. read more

Carmel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

The line was out the door so that tells ya something about this cute location. Yet, the chaos of it all was a bit much. Their display and options were beautiful and looked delicious. Gelato was on the menu for my daughter and she tried the cookies and cream one. She loved it! Please note - cashless location. read more

Carmel Bakery - Cookies & cream gelato. Yummy! Large portion. - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

YOOO!!! We were spending some time in Carmel-by-the-Sea and had just finished lunch and needed something sweet. Carmel Bakery did not disappoint and definitely came in clutch. It's got the old candy shop/soda fountain vibe with touches of rich town history, including quotes by area author, John Steinbeck. Now you'll see tons of pictures of cannolis which I'm sure are great, but I cannot speak to that, what I can is their salted chocolate chip cookie(banging!) I will tell you this is how a cookie should be done. But the crème de la creme is their lobster tail. The pastry is so perfectly flaky and crispy and filled with a pastry cream so smooth and delicious! We both audibly enjoyed this one, and our only regret was not buying a second one! If you're in Carmel, stop here and get the lobster tail. read more

Carmel Bakery - Lobster Tail - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

This place was recommended by my daughter! She said the croissant is amazing but need to get there super early to grab one. I didn't get a croissant but I did grab two cookies and ice coffee. Well the ice coffee was a thumbs down too sweet and not caffeine punch! But the sea salt Chocolate Chip OMG was delicious. Was thinking would be super sweet with all the chip but it was not! Wish I had gotten two. I also got the shortbread dip cookie that too was good. Son enjoyed that one better! read more

See all

Amazing place! The window display got our attention from across the street, the amount of people in the place made me know we made a great choice. We ordered a couple cookies and a custard filled croissant shaped pastry they call "lobster tail", it was all fantastic! They also have many coffee choices, can't go wrong with this place. read more

Was exploring Carmel by the Sea and came across this hidden gem. The bake goods display got my attention for sure. Went in and had to make some of the hardest choices on what dessert do I choose. What I ordered: -hostess like cupcake (very decadent and delicious.) - pumpkin iced coffee good Customer service was excellent and is a must go place. read more

Carmel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See a long line, join the party. Lol. Walking around Carmel and the line for this bakery was down the block, so obviously we wanted to see what's up. Unfortunately, as soon as we got in, most of the items were sold out EXCEPT for the pretzels which we really wanted in the first place. So this review is soley for the 2 fresh baked pretzels we got and the 2 eclairs that came home with me. The pretzels were served warm and came with a really good mustard dip that I keep dreaming about to this day. I should have gotten more pretzels. Lol. The eclairs were so messy to eat, it was so good. read more

Carmel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

Carmel by the Sea is a beautiful and dreamlike area to explore. The whole time there feels cozy and contained in the best way. We were ambling around when we saw this bakery and I am so happy we stopped by. The fun and eye catching sign drew us in and the beautiful window display made us have to try the pastries. The cannolis were delicious! The outer pastry shell Was flaky with a creamy and rich filling. An absolutely needed detour! read more

Carmel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

We stopped for a bite to eat during our visit to Carmel. Attracted by the beautiful window display of fresh pastries as well as the long line out the door, we knew we could not go wrong. And although long, the line actually moved relatively fast as they had multiple staff working behind the counters to take orders and push food out. They have a very large selection of pastries, which is what you see first at the window before you come inside. As well as gelato, hot foods and drink options. The pastries were large and delicious, and we were thankfully able to snag a table to sit at despite the heavy crowd. We were fortuitously situated next to the window, which put us right next to the plethora of delicious pastries they have up on display. And surprisingly, were not behind any glass case. I'm genuinely surprised there aren't kids who just reach over and grab one when the parents aren't looking as they are all within arm's reach of the table. read more

See all

A visit to Carmel isn't complete without stopping at this wonderful bakery. Expect a line, but trust me, the wait is worth it. The lobster-shaped pastry with cream filling is deeeeeeeeeViiiine! Divine, I tell ya!!! Just the right balance of sweetness, creamy filling, and a satisfying crunch with every bite. It is everything!!! Grab more than one... I wish I had! The pistachio and chocolate cannoli? Absolutely yes. Skip the round lemon pastry, though. It's missing that tangy punch. Overall, stopping by was such a treat! read more

Best pretzel ever--- KNOT!! First, the big chocolate pretzel you see on Instagram. It's not good. Why? It's not a pretzel. It's a Danish shaped like a pretzel. Next time I'll look for the pretzels shaped like danishes. But, the crunchy, flaky custard-filled lobster tail was really good, and the macaroon was insane, like eight almond joys fused together. Selection looked good. Service was fast and friendly. Prices weren't insane. By the way, I asked my wife who the girl in the photo looked like and she nailed it: Kathy Griffin. (Half points for saying the middle Bee Gee, also acceptable). read more

See all

A trip to Carmel is not complete unless you stop at the Carmel bakery. You have to get the lobster tail or a cannoli or both. First off ,ever time I'm here there's a line. I don't worry because they make more throughout the day. There was a line today. Everything is good. When I was younger, my favorite was the ginger bread men. read more

See all

The spot is beautiful and very well themed. The customer service was excellent. Everyone was so kind. I came here with my girlfriend and we got a chocolate chip cookie and pretzel. We split them and they were so good. The pretzel was excellent. The cookie was near perfection. Great value and unforgettable taste. read more

Carmel Bakery - Salted Pretzel - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

Tourist trap. Don't let the line fool you. Bad gelato... they don't offer samples. We also had a Caesar wrap and a ham and cheese croissant. Both were very bland. Would not go back. Go elsewhere. Starting to wonder if there's any good gelato in Carmel... The staff was also rude. read more

Carmel classic finally gave it a try! Every time I've been to Carmel (even way back when I was a teen!), there's always a line outside Carmel Bakery. So this trip, we finally decided to see what the hype was about. The display case looked tasty. Giant pretzels, colorful macarons, tons of pastries, and gelato that totally grabs your attention. I'm a pistachio lover, so I went straight for the pistachio gelato affogato and a pistachio cannoli. Both looked exciting, but the flavor was a little more artificial than I expected. I was hoping for that fresh, nutty, homemade pistachio vibe. Still, I appreciated how nicely presented everything was and how many options they had. I'd definitely come back to try something different next time. Maybe one of their famous everything pretzels or an eclair. The spot itself is iconic, and the staff were friendly even with the line out the door. Overall worth another stop on. read more

See all

Carmel Bakery is located off the main street in downtown of Carmel By the Sea. It was hard to resist given the beautiful arrangement bakery goods in the exterior window for passerbys. It was a perfect little spot for us to pick up some breakfast sandwiches to go along with drinks for our picnic at the beach nearby. Staff was friendly, sandwich and bakery selections were plentiful and prices were reasonable. We came away with two breakfast sandwiches, one standard egg and one lox on croissants, plus a latte and iced tea. If it wasn't for our intention to go to the beach, we would have dined in the cute dining spaces inside. Overall, the food was decent and our drinks were good and location is convenient. Can't wait to come back again! read more

See all

Carmel Bakery has been around for many years and if you grew up in the area, you will most likely have favorites from here. On my recent visit, I picked up some of mine - chocolate chip cookies, shortbread cookies, brownies, blondies, and almond croissants. (I stuffed my containers and put them in my cooler for my trip back to Vegas). People complain about lines, well, it is Carmel-By-The-Sea, and tourists are aplenty. Small, you say? Almost everything in Carmel-By-The-Sea is small. That's how it stays cute and storybook-like. Not sure about service being an issue. I have never had bad service there. It is a bakery/coffee shop. We're not having sit down dinner so people need to calm down. Prices? They're pretty normal for the area. Anyhow, rant over. I love this place and it will always have a special spot in my heart and belly. If you love sweets and pastries, it's worth a visit. read more

See all

This place is crowded! Oh my! People love whatever they are selling here. We got macaroons and a peach mango gelato. The macaroons were large and and delicious with chocolates bits. The peach mango gelato also had big peaches of frozen fruits mixed in. It's not my thing but the gelato itself was quite delicious! Would come back to try more things next time. read more

Carmel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

Stopped by this bakery on our first day arriving in Monterey!!!! We were taking a walk checking out all the shops after we walked by the ocean.... Line was out the door, so we wanted to give it a try! From the large window, u can see a ton of pastries on display that you can select one you get inside! Inside, the line takes up most of the space, they do have some tables where u can dine in, but most customers take it to go! Also, customer service, needs a little improvement, they do not seem too friendly, they didn't want to explain what was in the pastries or explain the differences between one and another..... they didn't seem to friendly to tourists when we are spending our money to support your bakery, money is green so please display better customer service. We purchased the last chocolate cupcake and 1 chocolate chip cookie.... And the cupcake was dry in the middle. The cookie, honestly was way too salty and I'm not sure if they make it like that on purpose but the cookie was too salty, texture was decent but the chocolate chips were too chunky.... Honestly, I was very disappointed....overrated read more

Carmel Bakery - Overrated chocolate chip cookie and dry cupcake - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

I came here on a Monday around 10 a.m., and the line was already out the door, although it did move pretty quickly. I would still recommend arriving as early as possible to avoid the lines. As for the food, we ordered the chocolate chip cannoli, the chocolate pretzel, and an iced matcha. I thought everything was pretty good and tasted really fresh! The inside of the bakery was also nice with seating options along the side. read more

See all

The best time to shop here is after you have lunch. Otherwise, you might go home with one of everything. Yes, pretty tempting. There was a short line as I walked in which gave me some time to think about what to get. With friends joining me the next morning from the Bay Area, I decided to share my guilt with them in getting a few items got them too. I called out items to the young gal who gathered my pastries. She brought them to the cashier, reciting what was in my bags. I didn't start on my items until the next morning as I had a dinner reservation a few hours later back in Monterey. I started with the pistachio canoli (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=NrRYleJK4xo2Bh5uJewiRQ), something not commonly found in bakeries. It was okay as the pistachio filling didn't particularly shine. I enjoyed the blueberry (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=v5uZCMySBssw48ll8S3R8Q) and Iemon (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=SKmM0KOLwEVwpYNtS7soJQ) thumb print cookies for breakfast; I enjoyed these light bites though I wished the fruit jam flavors were more pronounced. Later that evening, after an enjoyable dinner, I tried the salted chocolate chip cookie (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=hNSjOTXZ8Rccukzlval3TA); being mid evening, I intended to save half for breakfast; watching TV as I broke off pieces, I didn't stop until it was gone. I would get this again. My final item waited until I got home as my stomach space was limited while there. I had the double chip chocolate brownie (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=0&select=vAqiT8ulVmF1fllBbAULRw) for breakfast. I really enjoyed this too as I haven't eaten decadent chocolate fudge like this in a while. I enjoyed the crunch from the chips to the smooth buttery fudge. I would also get this again. The line was about three deep but it moved relatively quickly. Thank you,Toni, for your patience as I read off items for you to pack. Kudos to you and your memory in reciting it to the cashier. Thank you, Brody, for also being patient and friendly in ringing up my purchase. Great breakfast stop if you're in the area early or to stock up on goodies to go. I'm glad I came after lunch or my sugar level would be off the charts. *** Oh, the gelato is tempting too (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=48&select=NKMBiY-Tjgumsq1fnTd5Eg). read more

See all

We walked by this bakery a couple of times, admiring the vast display of delicious baked goods in the window. Finally we were enticed and went in to obtain our coffee and pastry. (I had my heart set on one of those luscious chocolate croissants.) Sadly, after waiting in line to be served about 10 minutes, we learned that nearly all the items in the window display were not available, (Including the croissant) leading to an unpleasant feeling of "bait and switch." The cappuccino and the biscotti I did have were delicious, though they probably tasted a little worse due to the disappointment I felt about not getting one of the chocolatey pastries displayed in the window, which I now recognize are just very realistic but inedible displays designed to pull you in off the street. I can imagine it must be lovely when they actually have those pastries - and to that end, I recommend that if you're intrigued by the window display, pop in and see what's in the case for actual purchase before you wait 10 minutes in line to learn what's actually in stock. read more

Edited: Had to try this place out because line was out the door. Had already had lunch so just wanted a desert. Got one of their popular items this lemon ball thing. It was good about 4/5. Wife got coffee gelato. She said it was good by the actual cone tasted nasty. So for me personally nothing special. But was worth a try. HOWEVER, the service is TERRIBLE. Young woman at cash register looks like she hates her life. A French couple with their kids next to me asked which Sandwhich was which because they were unmarked, and they don't know. The girl snapped "I DONT know either" and turned away. We asked which pastry was which because nothing is marked and she got annoyed like we made her day worse. I'm like it's your JOB. Do your effing job. Quit if you don't like it you PoS. We're nothing the medical field. Should we act like you to patients? Just disgraceful. Other reviews say this is a repeat thing with staff. Will not go here again. Says they've been open since 1899. If you don't change staff you won't make it to 2029, see ya! read more

See all

The coffee gelato for 7$ a scoop in a cone was just okay, I had better ones for a cheaper price. There would be a long line so you have to be patient and make sure you tell them what you like before they ring you up because they didn't gave us my mom's pretzel and had to ring us up twice, the lady at the cashier should be more friendlier and should smile too, she was just smirking and very robotic, even with the attitude and missing items in my order I placed a cash tip inside their jar but the cashier lady made sure she stared on how much the tip was instead of getting my order right the first time. read more

Carmel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

SOLID. This bakery is great for morning pretzels and pastries, which my family loved. They have a gorgeous little display window, but careful--not all items are sold (because they are seasonal, decorative, or possibly time-of-day dependent like the pretzels). My uncle had recommended this place for cannolis, which were also fairly solid. But, we fell in love with the pretzels. I think those became available between 8-9am. They also have a selection of ice creams later in the day that we did not partake in. The coffee line was hopping and was my dad's first choice ("good coffee... much better than the hotel..."). NOTE: Very limited seating indoors, and during summer, kind of impossible to find around 8am. read more

Such a fun place to get your baked goodies, so many selections, we try n get their lobster roll filled with cream n it's so flakey it falls all over your mouth. We tried a new item the soft pretzel with all kind of grains, so soft and tasty the next day. The prices are great compared to other bakeries, definitely a local bargain especially in Carmel. read more

See all

I always go here every year with my family or partner and we enjoy trying a variety of pastries from here. I really love their fresh cheese bread, cannolis, and the pastry with walnuts inside. I always forget the names of the pastries but I love that they have a display inside so you just point to which one's you'd like. They offer peppermint mocha during the winter for their seasonal drink menu and it is soooo good and comforting! Keep in mind that no dogs are allowed, including service dogs. read more

Carmel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Carmel-By-The-Sea, California

See all

Not the same bakery anymore. They used to have good pastries, but now they don't have much good options. We tried going early to see if they had a wider selection, but nothing. Don't recommend. read more

One of my favorite stops everytime I stop in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The storefront window always draws me in as it looks so delicious! Usually the line can get quite long, but during my last visit I was quite lucky as we could walk right in and order. We were in and out in under 5 minutes since all the baked goods were readily available. We ordered the pistachio cannoli, bear paw, and chocolate croissant. The pistachio cannoli was hands down the best! The pistachio flavoring was perfect, the cannoli shell was crisp, and the filling was fluffy. My husband loved his chocolate croissant as it was fluffy with just the right amount of chocolate in each bite. It definitely was fresh in my opinion. We split the bear paw and it was top tier too. Definitely fresh and fluffy with just the right hint of sweetness. I honestly get different baked goods each time I go and they have all been fantastic. You can't do wrong with anything you want to try! read more

See all

We got here early afternoon and the staff had no energy and weren't engaging to their customers at all. Every customer that was in line in front of us asked what they had available because they have seen to be out of a lot of inventory on the menu. Maybe a one off, will give them another try next time I'm in Carmel. Hopefully they will liven up and have a full menu. read more