They had amazing quick service and good $5 deal for an authentic indian chai tea! Cute, clean, and friendly. Their food looks amazing. I would recommend. read more

Fantastic Pastries, Phenomenal cappuccinos, and Top notch service. Highly recommend. read more

They had limited choices in the afternoon, and they'll heat plain croissants ("savory") but not chocolate croissants ("sweets"). Still a nice place to visit! But the warm plain croissant (good butter!) is excellent, even if I would have preferred a warm chocolate one! read more

Darshan Bakery - View from the comfy patio - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

Executive summary: good but not great croissant. If you like buttery, this is the spot. Flavor is very buttery with the right savory note. But texture needs improvement. Table is too clean after a bite with no flakes flying all over. And coffee is not to my taste profile - I think likely due to skill level of barista. Tempo pace, 18.35 mile bike ride to Darshan to make sure I deserve the croissant. Feels great to sit on the patio with a cool breeze, in the shade, and my bike sitting right in front of me. I wanted an almond croissant, but they ran out. Chocolate croissant (B): It's a good croissant. Pungent and buttery with just the right amount of savoriness. And the chocolate is good too although a little more would be better. But the texture needs improvement, and where Wayfarer is a significant step ahead while losing out a touch on flavor. Would I eat 4 of them if they were sitting in front of me? Of course. My latest top 3 croissant ranking (price agnostic, although I still wouldn't buy Izola): 1) Izola 2) Wayfarer 3) Darshan Cappuccino (C+): I'm definitely not a coffee expert and prefer chocolatey flavors. Not a very sophisticated palate profile according to coffee experts I know. But regardless, my thoughts are: too heavy with not enough microfoam and not enough milk in general, with a coffee too fruity for my liking. Not bad, not great. The barista looks really young so there's a good chance it's simply a lack of experience. read more

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Sad it took me so long to discover Darshan! I will definitely recommend it to others. The pear pastry for fall was incredible. Lovely bakery and cafe with a small parking lot and seating both indoors and outdoors. read more

Well it's a cute place. The food is somewhat good they don't heat the pastry. Service is sketchy. Ambience is wonderful.. read more

Darshan Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

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What a great way to spend the morning! I ordered: 1. cardamom latte- tasty but not 100% sold on the cardamom yet...lol! It can be a polarizing flavor but I am still on the fence. The caffeine was strong in this one. 2. Kouign-amann: delicious! It is one of my favorite pastries of all time and this one didn't disappoint. The egg-cream in the center was so decadent, and those buttery layers are irresistable. 3. Rosemary focaccia: what a deal! The entire loaf for under $10? I don't know if they had any more earlier but I got the last one. Ended up sharing it for lunch with a friend and we devoured almost the entire loaf. The rosemary and salt were divine. I will be coming back as often as I can to score more of the focaccia! The staff were incredibly sweet and informative! They also have their own parking lot which I love! read more

Darshan Bakery - Kouign-amann - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Cute little café that's perfect for a post-Torrey Pines hike pick-me-up! Food prices are definitely French (aka a bit high ;), but so is the quality so it's fair. Artisanal ingredients and fresh, daily preparations are the name of the game here. You can't go wrong with either sweet or savory, but do yourself a favor and just get both - you deserve it! The flaky pastries and flavor-packed quiches are fantastic, but Darshan could use an upgrade when it comes to serving utensils (e.g. actual silverware vs. the flimsy and wasteful plastic stuff currently on offer), and a better warming oven - our still-delicious quiches were hot on the outside but unfortunately cold in the center. read more

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On the beaten path into Del Mar. Great place to grab a deliciously authentic Indian Chai Tea and a buttery chocolate croissant. Their display of pastries and home made quiches looked decadent and delicious. Staff were great. We will be back again. read more

Every single time I come here with out fail, the girls at the front are the most unfriendly rude people working. never a hello, how are you, have you been here before. nothing. just a what do you want. no eye contact and walk away from you as they ask questions. as if the guest is bothering them. consistent bad customer service for 2 years now when I visit my sister in Del Mar. only reason to go back is because the there aren't many other options in Del Mar for Sweet treat or drink. if I owned that shop I'd make sure my employees treat the guests with common basic respect. Also just a smile or a hello would be nice. never any greeting or anything. maybe the next time I'm in town and decided to spend my hard working money there I'll get a hello. Hopes are low. read more

Yikes! This place is legit! I passed by a sign that said "French bakery" and immediately pulled a U-Turn to check it out. I walked in and noticed the make table and bakery glasses off near the dining room. How cool is it to see the bakers in action?! You know you're getting fresh baked goods when you see it being made. The coffee is robust and delicious, but not too acidic. I ordered the albacore sandwich on wheat focaccia and it was incredibly delicious. The arugula bitters were complimented by the sweet balsamic vinaigrette and thinly sliced cheese. The focaccia was cooked perfectly and had a rich olive oil flavour. This crew really knows how to make legitimately French pastries. Support your local businesses and check this place out. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Food was ungodly expensive. We got a sandwich that that was the size of a cigar for 18$, it was not made to order, just sitting out. The prices were not transparent as none of the food had their prices listed. Wasn't even a good sandwich. Definitely a rip off. If I could give 0 stars I would. read more

Nothing to brag about this place and nothing near close to French pastries / food. Super expensive for what they serve and unmotivated staff in the wrong profession. Whole Foods 1 mile away has stellar / much better croissant and pain au chocolat at 1/2 the price. The chai was way too sugary and warm (not even hot) Easy parking when we went and place felt clean. There is no ambience in this place. read more

A SPRING OCEAN BREEZE, PLEASE The bakery sits on a hill with ocean views you won't want to miss. We dropped by Darshan's for a quick bite with blue skies and scattered clouds complimenting a cool ocean breeze. We popped inside and grabbed a sandwich and pastries. After the shop keep smiled and adjusted her round glasses, the soft-spoken soul quietly asked and took our order. TUNA ARTICHOKE SANDWICH ON FOCCACIA The sandwich was gourmet befitting a French café. · Focaccia bread was pleasantly toasted with a rich buttery flavor. · Marinated artichokes hearts blended well with the fresh tuna and peppery arugula. · Manchego cheese unified flavors while adding a creamy texture to the entire experience. LEMON PASTRIES Imagine a bite-sized, double crust pie barely filling the palm of your hand. This pie is smaller in diameter than a cookie but stands about 1-2 inches tall. The pie has a hole in the upper crust, is filled with delicious lemon custard, and is topped with a tiny pie crust cookie! Stop in for a sun-filled, perfect breakfast, brunch, or lunch for adults seeking a refined, satisfying snack or meal with an ocean view. And the menu is a bit pricy and is justified by the amazing, consistent quality offerings and service. read more

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The location is wonderful but it was so dirty inside...it looks like they haven't cleaned that place in months...the food didn't taste good at all and my latte had so much form and barely any coffee in it... read more

Darshan Bakery - Nasty trash can next to utensils and water...they should really clean this place up - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

Bakery items were so delicious! The lady that cashed us out was very pleasant. Very small place that had indoor and outdoor seating. Would totally frequent this place if I lived in the neighborhood. Coffee drinks were really good also! read more

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Great pastries and chai from previous owner. Now all one can taste is greed. Store policy to not heat 7$ pastries. No exceptions. They used to have uplifting spiritual quotes and pictures, those are all gone along with decent napkins. 17$ for cold pasties and I get to pull my share of napkin off a commercial paper towel roll. Thanks for providing the French ambiance you greedy scoundrels. read more

When people say in their reviews the staff is rude and things are overpriced, it is the truth. I used to live in Del Mar and they had some really great sandwiches back in the day - pricey but good, so I would splurge because they were fresh and tasty. It has been a few months since I have been there but they only had one type of sandwich (tuna) and it looked more like half a sandwich. I asked them if they had any more in the back (hoping for salmon or egg salad) and they bluntly said "what you see in the case is what we have". Okay, nice. Then I asked them how long they would last if I bought more than one (since I had made the trip just for this place) and they said "just as long as if you made a sandwich yourself" Really? Okay nice customer service girly. I made the trip so I did buy the small half sandwich that was priced as a full sandwich (to go), and it was not good. The bread was so oily I had to wrap it in a napkin to eat it, and the seasoning salt that was used made it almost inedible. I had thought about going back to get something else, but they were so rude I opted not to. I won't be back because honestly, this is not the first time I have dealt with their rudeness. Don't even get me started on the look I got for not adding a tip when I paid with my credit card (the checkout terminal forces you to make a tip decision). Look, its a sandwich I picked up in a case like I would have done at 7-11. I am not going to tip for that. To the owner - I think the reason people leave reviews like the one I am leaving is not because the sandwich was not stellar or even that it was overpriced. It is how rude your staff is - especially the girl making the sandwiches. read more

Oh My God - talk about shrinkflation extreme! Combined with good old fashioned inflation, it produced this thing they sold as "almond croissant" - for $6.25!!! It was dry, hard, dark brown, almost seemed burned, light as a feather (when I picked up the bag, first I thought it was empty!). It was so small that it fit into the case of my iPhone with space left over. And did I mention Darshan charged $6.25 for it? What happened to this place? They used to have good croissants, luxurious sizes, big, soft, heavy almond croissants, never cheap but, hey, this is Del Mar - now this? Unbelievable! read more

Darshan Bakery - The croissant is smaller than my iPhone! - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

Food is very good but the coffee can be inconsistent sometimes it's very good other times there's so much foam it looks like I could take a bubble bath in it read more

The chocolate chip cookies were amazing!! Also the staff was so sweet and helpful when it came to recommending what to order especially the cute girl with pink hair. A little expensive but definitely worth it. #mynewfavoriteplace read more

The service was very good from the young man we ordered from. We did ask some questions and the woman in the back who answered was not so receptive. This is what we experienced this time. Coffee - Excellent as usual! Baked goods - all looked burnt so we didn't purchase. $15 Ham sandwich was good, bread was excellent. Quiche - Kinda gross due to the texture. It was gooey, like uncooked eggs but the crust was excellent. Serving a piece of quiche on a very small paper plate with plastic utensils is lazy IMO. Try cutting anything on that gracefully as your plate is sliding all around the table, it's a recipe for a mess and a bad experience. A small plate and real utensils are much preferred. Less waste is also a benefit. I have been here several times, primarily for the coffee and usually a sweet treat. Not up to par today. The location is great and it's a cute place. Usually able to get a parking space. read more

Darshan Bakery - gooey quiche ;( - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

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The best authentic French bakery around! Love their croissants and being able to see the bakers hard at work through the big glass window. The sandwiches are also delicious. The little corner spot on the 101 in del mar has cozy indoor and outdoor seating to enjoy a coffee and pastry! read more

Darshan Bakery - Cranberry challah! - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

Best cafe in North County San Diego. Croissants are always fresh and buttery. Espresso is top tier. So good.

This was our first time trying them out as we were wanting something new. We ordered a classic vanilla latte, it was not bad but the best. We also ordered two ham and cheese croissants as it was displayed in the case up front. When we were given the croissants we both realized they were plain ones. My husband had let the gal know mind you she did say she was new... another gal came out to let us know that they were out of the ham and cheese and that we could either toss the ones we were given or they could put ham inside of them and heat it up.... Not the best customer service we have experienced as we did get a refund for the fact that they did not have what we had originally ordered. We were pretty upset and don't feel that they went above and beyond as they could have. Mind you I do have plenty of years of experience in the food industry. We left feeling quite disappointed. read more

Omg. Obsessed with the tuna sandwiches here. Like insanely good. The bread is so delicious and tasty. Never disappoints.

I was shocked to see flies on the croissants and bread inside the glass case. Very unhygienic.

Pros: Authentic French bakery. You can see the pastry chefs prepare the quiche Lorraine from the large kitchen display/observation window. Patio seating and cozy cafe ambiance. Cons: sometimes understaffed. Dirty. Correct, filthy floors and windows. They could benefit from simply:____cleaning the floors__________Inside floors are disgusting. Some areas have the same pastry crumbs under the table for weeks (I come here frequently). It attracts flys, and surely more pests im not aware of. Patio has trash and overgrown weeds. *****I would like to invite the owners to play some French music or mellow tunes for bonus vibe. Please instill the same sanitary practices from the kitchen into the dining areas. Otherwise I recommend this delightful neighborhood bakery to all. read more

Darshan Bakery - Bring the kids so they can watch the chef bake - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

My husband loves this spot. He likes the pull apart and baquette It has the crunchy texture in their pastries. I like the ham and cheese croissants and my daughter likes the chocolate. ( she takes off the crunchy shell). The best thing is the prosciutto and Brie baguette sandwich. That will change your life. Also the fresh baked bread with the fresh herbs baked in to the bread is fabulous. Coffee is okay. The service is a bit lacking, no warm and fuzzies, maybe it's occurred once.... But the bread is great and the line is out the door from when they open at 7 AM. Also it's weird that they give you 5 little bags... we continuously have to asks for a box or a large handled bag for our deliciousness. Other wise you're juggling several bags of pastries. They do have a nice seating area outside but we are the early birds. The inside has a few seats and you can watch the bakery chefs throw the window. This is kind of cool. :) Note Brie and prosciutto baguettes are available later in the AM. read more

Our group enjoyed the Indian Chai, bread pudding and the almond croissant as well as a sandwich. Great service with staff who went above and beyond. read more

Darshan is always consistent with their pastries. Best scones I've ever had! Their cinnamon pull apart bread is like the inside of a cinnamon roll. super convenient to pop into and they have delicious loaves as well. read more

I came across this sweet bakery over the summer, when I was in Del Mar for a weekend. They offer a huge variety of baked goods, and all kinds of coffee drinks. The service was great, patio was airy, and I particularly liked the fliers and informational signs the cafe had posted on their walls. Neat little spot. Wish I lived closer. I'll visit when I make my next trip south. read more

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Cute French bakery. Plenty of sweets and sandwiches, but we took the last two chocolate almond croissants. The other guests behind us were disappointed there were no more coming out from the oven. We were lucky! With a small cappuccinos and our warm croissants we sat outside, the weather still cold from the ocean breath, enjoying our talk we finished our treat content and began our Saturday morning. read more

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This was our third place we tried to get to coffee and pastries on a Saturday morning without a line out the door, and it did not disappoint! Places like wayfarer bread had insane line down the block. We just weren't going to line up for a coffee and pastries, with little kids in tow. So we kept driving and lo and behold, an even better place because the pastries are baked fresh in house and there is parking on the premises! Standouts were the morning bun (exquisite chefs kiss with notes of warm spices and orange peel), the cheese croissant, and all the hot drinks made with love and attention. Will come back again. Thanks for being the experience we need - good and no lines, (just a manageable steady flow of considerate patrons). read more

This place caught my eye because there's a big sign that read "French bakery" on the front. It's also across the street from the Del Mar Civic Center. The pastries were really great, we tried the almond croissant, chocolate croissant, blueberry scone, and cheese croissant. The almond was by far my FAVORITE. Everything about it was perfect! The cheese croissant unfortunately tasted a little weird to me, a cross between sweet/savory, but I couldn't quite figure it out. I tried the iced coffee black, and in my opinion it was too watery. When I do come back, I'll definitely try a different coffee drink and snag another almond croissant, yum! read more

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The pastries and coffee are excellent! Nice to be able to have an authentic bakery that makes different items you don't normally see. The quality and execution of their offerings are second to none. read more

The pastries and breads are superb. The young people behind the counter work so hard to please.

Food 3 stars - baked goods are good but are sometimes a little over baked. For 7 bucks the stuff should be perfect. However minus 2 stars - for the last 2 months the coffee machine has been broke. So unless you're an Americano fan ur SOL. Also, because they have to make Americano's the wait staff have to play with the espresso machine for every coffee order. Service 2 stars -staff is hit and miss. Sometimes they ignore people at the counter to do things not related to other customers. Generally very nice once they get to you. Need to at least acknowledge you and let you know they'll be with you shortly. Not pretend they don't see you. Ambiance 4 stars- small but cute. read more

Almond croissant...cafe au lait, outside socially distanced seating A wonderful way to start a Sunday morning after a stroll along the Pacific ocean beach Absolutely Fabulous read more

Darshan Bakery - Almond and plain croissants - Bakeries Near Me - Del Mar, California

Was hoping for a few pastries to eat while walking the beach but the ones we ordered were disappointing. Although purchased in the am, they tasted and felt old by the time we got them. Mocha was also flavorless, watered down, and pieces of dried cocoa mix (?) floating in it. Ended up tossing it. The two staff who were helping us were very nice but the worst part of our visit was watching the tall male grab a bread bag for the next person's french bread. He then took his left index finger and rubbed under his nose, back and forth before holding the bag open to put the bread inside. I don't think this was done maliciously but it was disgusting still the same. read more