This was recommended by another vendor down the street. Terrific. We had the Mediterranean plate and it was so so fresh and tasty. The green tea is made in house and bursting with flavor. After the lunch plate, we gobbles up some delicious macaroons along with a sample of the sweets. Highly recommend for those searching for a good organic restaurant to enjoy. read more

I'm surprised by some of the bad reviews on here, as I've only had only good experiences at Essence. The service has always been friendly and efficient, and everything I've tried has been delicious. They have daily specials which I usually order that have always turned out to be a good choice. The portions are generous for the price, and they use high quality ingredients. At an average price of $10 for lunch, I think this is a great value compared to a lot of other restaurants in the neighborhood. After dining here several times I finally decided to try a mini caramel macaron. They forgot to bring it out with my meal, so to make up for it they brought me an extra vanilla one complimentary. Totally unnecessary, but a very nice gesture! The macarons were as good as the ones I've had in Paris. I highly recommend the caramel one, so rich and amazing, I can't wait to try more. read more

So much yes! Their coffee is some of my favorite in all of Phoenix! Then their macaroons & pastries are to die for. Honestly could eat everything they make and be happy. You can their special ingredient is love! read more

Quiche Lorraine- 5/5 Very moist yet firm. Fruit bowl was very fresh and amazingly delicious. Wife had Signature Sausage Turnover and said she couldn't get enough. Tres Yummy! Daughter had fresh Peach Pie. She downed it sooo quickly! As for the Macarons... Lemon is 5/5 Raspberry has rose oil in it and to me it is overpowering. I give it 3/5 but wife and daughter says 4.5/5 stars. Chocolate... Wife says 5/5 stars. We made a special trip here bc this was in the AZCentral.com's 10 Best French Restaurants. Food wise- 100% agree! Decor is too modern for my liking. I don't feel like I'm in France, but inside a college campus cafe. read more

Essence Bakery Cafe - Quiche Lorraine is fabulous! I'm back in Paris! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This place is WAY overpriced. And the food is definitely not worth it. Only reason why I put two stars, is because the staff was super friendly. You pay $2.75 for ONE piece of sausage. The food was SO simple, so bland, and there was just nothing to it. And I paid over $20.00 for one meal. They need to re adjust their prices, and maybe get more creative.... Not good spot. read more

Essence is a quaint cafe with a French twist. Fresh coffee and straight from the kitchen bakery items!! Yummmm! You should definitely make this a breakfast stop. read more

This place is unreal. The breakfast was amazing from the Eggs to the potatoes to the jam. It's 100% on my list to come back to.

Soooo expensive. One cashier for 10 people in queue going out the door. You have to bother a kitchen person to simply get a spoon or cup or anything. I've always wanted to try it and now I have! Need not return. read more

Came in here for breakfast on a Sunday morning and the first thing that caught my eye was the super cool decor of this restaurant. I was really diggin it. Got their breakfast sandwich with Dubliner cheese on a fresh baked brioche bun which was really good. My wife got somewhat of an omelette/egg dish which was very unique but flavorful. Great coffee and overall just really cool place. I would love to come back and try some of their other pastries and sweet items as well. read more

I adore this bakery. I googled best croissant in PHX and that search led me here. I parked in back in what must be the most beautiful parking lot ever, and got a chocolate croissant, and a chocolate almond croissant. They were both simply Devine. I also got a lemon macaroon that was the best I've had hands down. Try this place and love it like I did! read more

See all

What a great find! I have eaten there a few times now and it always is amazing. Breakfasts are great, chocolate croissants are perfect in every way, and her Spanakopita is amazing right down to the presentation and layered effect! read more

Such a cozy and welcoming environment. I usually dip in and get my bakery goodies to go, but I really love taking the time to sit and eat brunch here when I have time. If you're going to order a sandwich somewhere, you ought to at a place that makes their own fresh bread! Their original breakfast sandwich is so simple yet has a lot of flavor; their brioche is what makes it. But really, everything I've had here is good. I think the macarons are a little over priced at $3 each, BUT they are larger than normal. This will be my favorite brunch spot for many weekends to come. read more

Essence Bakery Cafe - Pumpkin and Carmel! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

See all

Whenever I go here, I can't leave without buying a french macaron. This place has a myriad of flavors, my favorite is raspberry. Then there are their buttery chocolate croissants, which are the best I've ever had. I believe these get sold out daily as I don't always see them on the counter, so come early if you want one. I normally go to the Tempe location, but finally got a chance to visit their Arcadia location, I have to admit I like this location more because its seems to be bigger and more open, but parking can be an issue since the place gets extremely busy during lunch. read more

Essence Bakery Cafe - Yummy egg salad sandwich on a buttery toasted bun - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Managed to pop in a couple minutes before they closed and didn't get any attitude from the cashier, which was appreciated. That said, 3pm is an awfully early closing time. I bought a large mint chocolate macaron ($3.42 after tax before tip). It had a lovely moist texture inside. The outer creme center was crusted with solid chocolate chips but I feel like a chocolate dip/shell/coat on the bottom half would have made for a better flavor. My complaint is that it didn't really taste like mint. The dominant flavors were vanilla and chocolate. The very dark green dyed color has me wondering how much food coloring they use, and if it's natural or not. Still, the gooey center was fantastic. The pricing here is quite high, though the quality seems good. I probably won't be back often as it's not very convenient for me compared to bakeries like Urban Cookies or AJ's/Whole Foods, and the fact that I really don't like driving down Indian School Road (the traffic situation on the street with so many street lights is awful, the right lane of the two lane side of the road is always stopping due to heavy pedestrian traffic and people pulling into the businesses that don't have turn lanes). They're also closing the bakery for two weeks of the summer. I do appreciate the bakery not imposing a minimum or fee on credit card purchases, as that's a major pet peeve of mine that has me avoid places. Overall, my mint chocolate macaron wasn't minty, so I cannot give more than 3 stars. It was a delightful dessert, but it was not what was promised. read more

NOT IMPRESSED! We came to have a pastry with a coffee. I picked the pecan sticky bun, I said yes to have it warmed up. We sat down and my friend are his strawberry croissant and I was still waiting 5 mins later for my sticky bun. Latte still MIA! I finally asked at the counter and the girl had to check on it. I went to wash my hands (sticky bun) and came back and coffee still wasn't at the table. Finally the guy came and said he had many orders...OKAY...so 20 mins waiting for a latte! What makes it worse we drove awhile to get here cause of reviews! NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE...they totally blew the pastry with coffee experience I was looking forward to and never get to do! Pastries not good enough to get me back! WILL NOT BE GOING BACK! read more

I got a recommendation to try this place from a foody friend who has been to their other location in Tempe. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves French-style breakfast and pastries! They serve breakfast all day on Saturday and Sunday so even if you get a late start you can still get breakfast. As soon as we walked in and started looking at the menu the owner approached us and explained every item on their menu. She was very friendly and helpful. The food came out quickly and was to die for. I ordered the French scramble- the eggs are light, fluffy, and packed with flavor! It also comes with fantastic peppered bacon! As a thank you for trying out her restaurant the owner sent us two complimentary croissants, one chocolate and one almond, which were also mind-numbingly delicious. Will definitely be going there for breakfast again! read more

Essence is one of my favorite weekend brunch spots. My husband often orders the French Toast, and I often get the Vegetarian Big Breakfast. The potato croquette in my breakfast is so flavorful and tasty, I could eat that all day. Their macarons are quite good, though a bit sweet for my taste. But they have other excellent dessert options to choose from. Sometimes the wait for food can be a bit long, but no big deal. It gets a bit busy. Twice we've had to wait a while, and both times we were offered a free chocolate croissant--so good :) read more

We are regular visitors for years at the Essence in Tempe and we love it! We love their Chocolate Croissants! Fluffy light with soft chocolate inside. They are usually in a basket on top of the counter or fresh and warm inside right off the rack. We are in Phoenix so we were happy to have one closer to us. The place is cute inside. We ordered our Chocolate Croissants, and well, they were cold part way in, we typically love to pull off the flaky crust and go to the layers underneath, it was cold, and the chocolate was stiff, Are they refrigerated? Ive just never had one like this at the other place. So it really didnt have the same experience as thats what we go there for. Hope they get things ironed out, otherwise stick with the Tempe one! Theirs are delicious! read more

That's right FIVE STARS! The food here is amazing... even if they do use Mc Lendon's... Do yourself a favor and try the eggplant special. Aside from the amazing salads (arugula bacon is best in Arizona) you can check out all the rich Arcadia broads... read more

Breakfast at Essence is a good way to start the day. I had the quiche and my friend had an egg dish with a Mexican twist. The portions are average. I had to have an almond croissant to go. The place is not as quiet, as I recalled. Chair legs should be capped, to lessen the noise. read more

Almond claw bar is the BEST I've had in Phoenix. Great friendly environment to have some coffee and relax.

Came here for a meeting breakfast and ordered the Huevos Frenchs -- French Style Scrambled Organic Eggs Topped with Avocado and Fresh Tomato Salsa, Served with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and added Bacon. Really satisfying combination! read more

I'm giving it 5 stars because compared to everything else the 4 star average for this place seems a bit low. We basically ate and drank our way around Phoenix for 3 days (priorities, am I right?) based on recommendations from Yelp, Eater, and people who lived in Phoenix. We were recommended Essence specifically for croissants and stopped by (I am serious about my bakeries and coffee shops). We did try a croissant, and it was a very good one. It was well made and flaky. We also tried a breakfast sandwich, which was very simple, but surprisingly tasty. When we re-capped our favorite foods of the 3 days we were there, we both ended up putting this place near the top. read more

Really enjoyed the ambiance of the new location! Food was great except that we found a piece of bacon in the fruit bowl. They apologized and gave us a new bowl, but the damage was done. We shared the french scrambled eggs, baguette, almond chocolate croissant, and fruit bowl. Everything tasted delicious but the portion of the baguette was really small for $3.50. Service was a bit slow but food was worth the wait. read more

See all

Went in for a baguette and after waiting in line was told they wouldn't have any Friday, Saturday or Sunday. WTH! A French bakery with no baguettes! read more

This is a clean little place with very friendly customer service people. We had a lovely breakfast there and the pastries are hard to resist they look so good. It is close to all that is Arcadia and is a great addition to the hood we enjoyed the chow and it's close enough for a nice bike ride even better. If you are not into that they have someone to valet your ride but it's worth checking out no matter how you get there. read more

Essence Bakery Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

See all

The pastries are pretty good, but the prices are actually high when compared to some of the local options in the area. The covid requirements are over the top and the employees all have attitudes for some reason. Do not feel like this is a place for the solo visitor or someone looking for a simple pastry. Things have changed and for the worse. read more

Essence has really, really good French-style pastries and good coffee/espressos. It would be 5 stars for these things. Their chocolate croissant (my litmus test for a good bakery) is the best I've found in the area. I also enjoy the light and airy ambiance. Unfortunately, I have been disappointed with the two breakfasts I have tried. The French eggs were so full of mustard seed they were difficult to eat, and the caramel sauce for the French toast was just not very good (though the brioche bread it was made out of was). I might try something for lunch soon, but when I am here for breakfast again I will stick with a chocolate croissant and latte. read more

We live close by and have passed this place 100x! My partner and I decided to try Essence. All we can say is "wow"! We had the quiche and split one the incredible pastries. The quiche was perfect, the pastry buttery flakes with just the perfect amount chocolate.....They have a "pastry" special. This will be one of our special "take out of town visitors" to eating places.... Wonderful customer service. We we arrived early on Sat morning by the time we were leaving the line to order had grown....so the early bird catches the worm or in this case the wonderful pastry and quiche!! 6 Stars! read more

I love this place. I got a burger and side of tater salad. The food is really good. I like to get the chocolate cookie here too. The only thing that can prevent me from coming to this place is time. Sometimes they can take a tad long to make the food. That is fine because it is good. I am on time restraints at times when in the area. This place is worth a visit. They have a good menu and lots of delicious treats too. read more

3 words - Chocolate Almond Croissant. Not just chocolate, not just almond but BOTH! Together in an unholy, delicious union! This made my morning a delight. I went back for lunch the same day and had a wonderful chicken pot pie. It's not the usual huge pot pie you might find in the freezer section; instead it's a smaller, lighter, flakier, tastier version. It's served with a very simple salad of greens lightly dressed with vinaigrette in the French manner. I liked it because you don't leave feeling like you have a lead brick in your stomach. The best way I could describe it is - elegant comfort food. Now go get one of those croissants! Note - they are closed on Mondays. Those days I have to make do with a cardboard protein bar. Sigh. read more

After living in France for 5 months, I don't hesitate to say that these are truly the best macarons (not macaroons!) I've ever had. It'd be easy to boast about Parisian macarons that my friends here will never try, but I'll admit it: Essence does it best. The staff is also extremely friendly here. Got a free cup of their delicious organic coffee :-) read more

Best almond croissant I have ever had. They are serious about breads and croissants. The breakfast sandwich is at once light and filling, the dining area is spaced well, everything is clean and orderly and the atmosphere is modern without being cold. Love the hum of refrigeration under some light music and poured concrete floors. read more

Yum! An out of town friend told me about this place so I made the drive just for breakfast. Was it ever worth it. The chocolate croissants were to die for (like we got in Europe) and the French Toast with banana caramel sauce was very good too. The place has a great vide to it and the decor is very comfortable. What a great experience, I can't wait to go back. read more

Updated Review: based on my experience of the weekend where I was missing items from my takeout order, I was very pleased with the outcome of my conversation with management. It was sincere and apologetic. Based on that, I will give this place the five star it deserves. The quality of food is amazing and it's nice to see ownership out in the lobby talking to the customer. Something that more local businesses should do in the Valley. I can only think of two other places where ownership goes out of their way to welcome customers. The sausage turnover and croissants are amazing! read more

The French scrambled eggs are to die for. And so is everything else, basically. Best scrambled eggs I have ever had in my life, and best macaroons in town! I love the atmosphere, and Eugenia is always so friendly. Great for breakfast or a low key brunch with your boo on the weekend. read more

Essence Bakery Cafe - French scrambled eggs with side salad. Divine. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The BEST French pastries! They do special orders for the holidays and of course daily lunch and breakfast. But the main reason you need to stop in is their croissants, tarts, pain au chocolat, macaroons, and cookies! Worth the drive!! read more

Essence Bakery Cafe - Pain au chocolat! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I've driven by Essence Bakery Cafe so many times, but finally decided to stop in for some coffee and a pastry. I got a pistachio croissant and it was delicious. The coffee was also better than average and certainly better than the chain coffee stores. The service was excellent and the staff courteously and professional. I highly recommend checking it out and I'll be returning soon to try more of their various pastries. read more

Best French bakery in the valley, bar none. Authentic and delicious croissants (that impossible combination of flaky, tender, and buttery!), real baguettes, and so much more. Their Parisian style hot chocolate is swoon-worthy, pure dark chocolate goodness, no milk, no cream, whipped cream on the side if you need it -personally I don't think it's necessary at all. Tip, take it home, make your regular coffee, mix with some of the hot chocolate, perfect mocha. You're welcome. If they have their coffee cake, grab it! It's not coffee cake as you know it, not at all, but it's always fabulous. Made with croissant dough, fresh fruit, a layer of pastry cream below the fruit, and a streusel topping. Oh. My. God. Seriously, so good! Savory items are also wonderful, from the huevos frenchos, to the chicken pot pies. It's all good, enjoy! read more

Heavenly scent of fresh-baked croissants and goodies await as you enter this darling establishment. The food here is every bit as good (and seems better) than the Tempe location. How can that be?? I love the uniquely oversized lime green mixer as you enter Essence. I had a delicious arugula salad with dates and crispy pepper bacon and a luscious cheese croissant. My friend had the homestyle ham and bean soup with grilled cheese sammie. The macarons - what else is there to say? Delish! Please never leave us Essence!! read more