My first time trying Forma and I'm hooked! I ordered a cappuccino and the cranberry croissant and both were delicious! They have so many croissant choices, as well as different breads. Service was excellent and fortunately for me there wasn't a line. Parking was easy (this time, but it is Telegraph Ave), I lucked out and got a spot right out front. I can't wait to go back, I want to try the Mexican Hot Chocolate. Highly recommend! read more

Forma Bakery - Cranberry croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Finally made in after a hike in the area ! Love the varieties of pastries /bread and coffee so had to pickup couples of baked goods to try! Prices was quite affordable! The chocolate concha was more not as dense as a traditional one we had before it's more of a milk bun which we enjoyed the twist! My fav was the pistachio chocolate croissant and so happy to find a bakery that bake up this option ! Will stop by again if I was in the area craving it ! Staff was friendly and service was quick , we did swing by on a Tuesday read more

See all

So many intriguing flavors and amazing lamination. You can't even tell the vegan treats (many of) don't have butter! We loved all of the flavors we got and can't wait to come back to try more. read more

Forma Bakery - Baked Goods Lineup - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Came here on a Monday right when they open. There was plenty of street parking in the morning. I got the almond croissant and the ham and cheese croissant. They are both delicious and flaky. This almond croissant is in my top 3. The almond filling is creamy, nutty, and flavorful. The croissant is light and perfectly baked. The latte is really good as well pairing with the pastries. Took me awhile to decide what I want since there are so many displayed pastries. Service was fast and the place is well decorated for the holidays. read more

See all

This past Sunday, we went to the Temescal Farmers Market. Afterwards, we walked down to Forma Bakery to buy some of their baked goods. I tried their butter croissant. Here's my review on their croissant: Nice size and proportion to their croissant. The outer layer crunch is good. The inner layer was soft and chewy. The taste had a hint of butter. The bottom was not burnt. DJ's rating 4.40/5.00 Would I come back? Maybe. I have to compare other bakeries in the East Bay. read more

Forma Bakery - Butter Croissant. - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

The pastries are all so good. There's a line on the weekends for good reason. Small place, easy to see what you want, order it and head on your way. Pick some up when you're going to a friend's and they will be super impressed. read more

Fabulous, for several reasons. Friendly counter staff. Cute bakery either great bakery smells and some small tables outside. The food! Had to have a plain croissant to see how well they can do a bakery basic. It was perfect! Also had an apricot jam kouign-amman. Holy cow! That thing was perfectly crispy with lots of great layers, no butter there! lol! The apricot rosquillas was very tasty as well. We bought 3 loaves of bread to take home to eat later that day. The original loaf was very good. The blue corn sourdough (?) was also very good. I was less impressed with the olive loaf. It had olive flavor but seemed to be more from olive oil. Was disappointed there were more olives in it. Nevertheless, all 3 breads were thick and chewy, yum! read more

See all

Forma Bakery opened where Extra Butter/Between the Buns once was. Interior basically a long display counter. A few stands and 2 tables outside for seating. Quick service upon entering. Small display area makes choices difficult. Brew & pastry came quick. Associate promp in pointing out where lids were. Offerings: breads, pastries, coffee.. Sips: 12 oz Highwire coffee drip (3.25) -double cupped. Covfefe not hot per touch. Easy sipping, mellow medium roast very smooth. Bites: seasonal vegetable croissant (5) -flaky open faced croissant with fresh summer squash, pineapple, & cayote pieces submerged with poblano cream. -lightly buttered, the crispy croissant, problano cream & veggie mixture created an unami delicacy. 4.5 stars probable repeat when i decide what to order. read more

Forma Bakery - Seasonal vegetable croissant (5) l. Covfefe (3.25) R. - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

This place hits! Everything I've had from here is a winner - especially their loaves, rolls & cookies. It's my go to bakery when I need a host or house warming gift. read more

Forma Bakery - Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (at home) - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Really one of the best pastries I've had in town. So glad I got to finally try! I will definitely be back. The crossaint is a must and the apricot filled pastry is sooo yummy read more

Wow. A friend told me about the bakery and I saw all the hype and figured it would be fine, but man did it exceed expectations! I've been twice and this is what I've tried: *Rosquilla w apricot - so yummy, just wish there was a bit more apricot, but man was it good! *Flan croissant - holy crap! The croissant dough was perfection! *Corn pudding croissant - so, this wasn't exactly my cup of tea (the corn part of it, or maybe there wasn't enough of it), but again, the croissant and flakiness was perfection! I also tried the olla latte and that was delicious! I would highly recommend and can't wait to try more things here! read more

Forma Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

There is a headline from an article about Forma Bakery framed inside that says "Tastes Like France" but after sampling the treats that I recently purchased here, I can honestly say that it tastes like France and so much more. For the owners of Forma Bakery, the Schnetz family proves you can go home again and also share memories of home with others. Located on a busy stretch of Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland, Forma Bakery comes from father and son duo of Thomas and Jackson Schnetz, who have continued on with their success of both Xolo and La Esquinita Mexican restaurants, which are both located in nearby Oakland neighborhoods, and late lamented Doña Tomás, which operated on this very block for twenty years before closing six years ago. Now, baked goods are on their agenda, thanks to their creations of serving traditional Mexican pastries made with French baking techniques. Before opening Forma Bakery, Jackson Schnetz spent three formative years running the viennoiserie program at Fournée Bakery in Berkeley. The fact that they serve Mexican conchas alongside croissants was all I needed in terms of inspiration to make my way to Forma Bakery one day. And that day was a recent weekend afternoon of walking around the Temescal neighborhood, which had a lively Farmer's Market going on nearby, and a simple walk down Telegraph Avenue and I was taken aback by the sapphire blue exterior that greets visitors when they stand outside. Upon entry there was a line inside, but what really took me aback was the fact that it was quite warm inside their bakery, as no doubt they were baking up a storm on this weekend day, despite the fact that we were closest to their closing hour when I made it inside. What I like about Forma Bakery is that they have examples of every pastry that they have available on any given day so customers can see what they are getting and with a little card below the pastry example, it also shows the pastry's name, what the main ingredients are, and whether it's vegan or not. Although there were a number of tempting offers staring me right in the face including their signature Conchas, which were in both vanilla and chocolate flavors; a wide variety of croissants, which included the requisite almond, chocolate, and plain flavors; and their own versions of kouign amanns. What drew my attention was two of their pastries in particular, mainly based on their looks, as their Peach Croissant and their Rosquilla with apricot jam, both gave the appearance of something truly special, so I ordered both items. To go with my pastry order, I also decided to order a Horchata Latte from their drink menu. My total bill was $17.07 before gratuity was added in, which of course is on the pricier side, but considering the cost of going out these days, and the amount of effort that the team at Forma Bakery clearly puts into their product, would turn out to be well worth it. I was able to sip on my Latte as I left for my car, and it was a lush treat. I saved my two pastries to be reheated upon my return home, and both were special in their own way, as the Peach Croissant has little morsels on the top that served as oat streusel, but all sugary goodness. The same went for their Rosquilla, which had apricot jam oozing out of all sides and resembled an old-school Danish but elevated beyond belief. I am so glad that I got to finally try the pastries at Forma Bakery, as they certainly have something truly unique going on here. They have already made their mark in the local Temescal community, and judging by the loyal crowds, they are here to stay, and just proves that for the Schnetz family, you never really can leave home. read more

See all

Absolutely incredible baked goods! I got a large assortment of items to share, and I'm super happy I did. Earl grey sugar with passion fruit? What an insanely awesome combination. Lemon curd with poppy seeds? Unreal. Hard to overstate how delicious everything was. The only thing I wish was that I showed up earlier so I could get it a bit more freshly made. Will for sure be back! read more

I honestly don't understand the hype about this place. The pastries were below average. The customer service was abysmal. There are so many other great bakeries in the area with far superior quality and service! read more

I've been coming here an unhealthy amount of times for their pistachio croissants. It was so flaky and the pistachio filling tastes so good. This is a great bakery for some delicious sweet treats. read more

There's a snappy jingle from my childhood for Campbell's soup: mmmmm mmmm good, mmmmm good. Campbell's soup is mmmm good! Take a casual spin down Telegraph some fine morning and drop by Forma Bakery. (preferably before the lines start) You will be amazed at the selection of pastries simply displayed calling out your name. For my first trip I tried a Chocolate and Ham and Cheese croissant. And a cappuccino. Both croissants were flakey, buttery crusty on the outside, soft and delicious on the inside. The cappuccino - the perfect accompaniment. My take? It was a righteous experience! The Chocolate croissant was the best I've had. And the Ham and Cheese croissant rivaled the Acme Bakery Ham and Cheese Turnover. Matt says if you find yourself near Temescal some morning, drop by and have a croissant or two. They are mmmmm mmmmmm good! read more

See all

I've gone here at least a handful of times at this point! Everything I've tried here has been delicious and they have a good amount of unique and seasonal items! P.S. they have eggless crossaints jic you are allergic Pros: flan crossaint is MUST if you like something sweet, the focaccia is very fresh and love the veggie crossaints Cons: they ran out of stuff fast :( and they don't have the option to warm your pastries Taste: 5/5 Value: 4.5/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 read more

Really good croissant . It's on par with other top bakery in the Bay . Concha is a little bit dry for me . read more

Forma Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

While I personally haven't popped in, a friend brought goodies to Christmas and I was thoroughly impressed. I ate the following: some olive oil covered bread, the softest most chewy sprinkle cookies and some herby rolls, and everything was absolutely incredible. A little research shows they have a whole array of pastries, sweets and breads, many come in a plant based option, as well. They sell coffees as well, so a perfect place to grab a coffee and a nosh. They also state no upcharge for plant based milks - which I'm gonna call out, since charging people $.50+ for almond milk is highway robbery, if you ask me. Overall, this taste was an impactful one as I can't wait to return to check out other goodies. read more

Cute take-out place with some outdoor seating. Interesting creative fillings on the pastries. Liked the "brookie" best - we love soft cookies, which are hard to find. This is a true cross between a good brownie and a soft cookie. We give it 5 stars. Only 1 size for coffee/espresso et.al. drinks. Okay mocha, cappuccino was a latte as usual (what we not-so-politely call 'the Starbucks effect'). Tried chocolate croissant, plain croissant, pistachio-choc croissant, and ham&cheese croissant. Very sweet fillings on the chocolate and the pistachio; not much filling in the ham&cheese. Croissant appearance is glossy brown, crust is crisp, and size is medium. Good for sandwiches but lacks the rich butter flavor of top level French bakeries such as Rotha/Albany, Maison Benoit/Danville, and our gold standard, Parker-Lusseau/Monterey with its Master Patissier Yann Lussseau. Service was a bit curt with our questions and not especially friendly or welcoming, which surprised us. Our order was large, but not difficult to fill (we got 6 of the plain croissants, one each of the others listed). read more

Loved it when it first opened. But my favorites, Almond & Chocolate/Almond (or Pistachio) croissants are now way too sweet, especially with the thick layer of powdered sugar. It's hard for me not to like an Almond Croissant, but these are unnecessarily sweet. I also agree on what others mention about the service. A lot of attitude, impatience and eye rolling. read more

Tried Forma Bakery over the weekend and was disappointed. The croissant and sliced bread loaf were overbaked to the point of tasting burnt, and neither had much flavor. For the price, I think Acme's sourdough offers far better quality and taste, and even Costco's croissants are a better value. Unfortunately, this felt like a waste of both time and money. read more

I held a blind taste test at work using plain and chocolate almond croissants from Forma going head to head against Arsicault bakery, one of the most celebrated croissants in SF, and Forma came out on top. The croissants and pastries are so good, it's insane. More people need to be eating these!! read more

Forma Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

i love this bakery and as a mexican, the mexican inspired pastries have always made my tastebuds quite happy - especially the mexican hot chocolate pastry *INSANE MUST TRY* my only reservation with this bakery is the uncertainty of how much knowledge or enthusiasm the staff has on the parts of mexican culture that largely inspire their pastries. otherwise, amazing incorporation of mexican flavors read more

Forma Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Expensive but hands down the best pastries in the area. Try the vegan and savory pastries

Everything at the bakery is delicious. I highly recommend the passion fruit items and the flan :) they are the best. The service and the place itself are incredible. read more

Bad vibes. The lady at the counter had an attitude. Like so sorry for spending money in your business. She put the sandwich in the larger bag upside down so when I went to grab it the sandwich fell out. The veggie sandwich only tasted like arugula there was no vinaigrette on it. The pastries were over baked. And the one with lemon rice was so gross I spit it out. All the food things are fixable like I think yall just need some quality control but you should definitely talk to the front of house about not being rude af. I probably wouldn't have left a review if the woman we dealt with wasn't in such a mood. Like the sandwich thing felt intentional because of how she was acting read more

Sooo cutie, service was nice! Drinks yummy, vanilla corn concha YUM, also super cute inside! read more

Forma Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

I got the cafe de olla latte with oat milk and it was delish! We also shared a ham and cheese croissant and were obsessed with the all flakey layers.. 10/10 experience. Will def come back to get a loaf of their fresh sourdough read more

See all

If I am up early enough, I think about going to Forma. I love their take on beautiful laminated pastry and breads with amazing flavor combinations that remind me of pan dulce I ate growing up. I always get their concha - soft and fluffy, not too sweet topping. It's a small shop and does get busy even during their early hours, but their front of house is calm and patient with taking orders. Feels like a neighborhood staple in the temescal district. read more

Forma Bakery - chocolate concha, mole chayote pastry, meyer lemon pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Had my first ever Kouign Amann and it was delicious! Theirs is smaller than others i've seen with a raspberry topping and it was so sweet and crunchy (it's weekends only). Cashier was also lovely. All their sweets looked so yummy! Service is fast and there's small tables outside as well. read more

Forma Bakery - kouign amann - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

The best croissants I've ever had. So buttery and flaky even after being in the fridge for two days. The blue corn masa sourdough is nothing like I've ever had before; so fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside; just tastes like a bread version of a masa tortilla. Service is also really nice and fast. Busier towards the weekend, expect lines. read more

BEST VEGAN CROISSANTS EVER! They really got their formula down because they tasted so good and authentic. Im not a crazy chocolate croissant girlie but that one blew my mind. The chocolate was so rich and tasty. I hope to try their vegan kouign Amans next! Outstanding job Forma you have a customer in me now. read more

flaky yum jam brioche. Witnessed the veggie seasonal bun corn sell out a bit past 11am. Wondering if the vegan stuff is still there if I come by before 2 read more

Forma Bakery - Pistachio croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

The horchata latte was delicious. The also had an arroz con apricot croissant that was bright and light. The blue exterior was welcoming and inviting with nice seating area right in front. Great spot to start my day! read more

Forma Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

I highly recommend coming to Forma! The sweet croissant pastries have a delicious caramelized sugar coating on the bottom which gives them a great crunch. I swear the first time I had their almond croissant, it was the best one I ever had that I had to go again a few days later! The mexican chocolate croissant and the flan strawberry jam croissant were also incredible! Best bakery in the Bay Area! read more

See all

We had a pastry with flan and strawberry jam that was super tasty. Also a couple of lattes that were very good. The gal who helped us from behind the counter was delightful...professional, but with a good sense of humor! We will be back for sure! read more

One of my favorite bakeries around. Forms not only delivers on excellent pastries and breads, but the coffee is amazing. The baristas know what they are doing, and I love the horchata latte is my favorite. Just like other local bakeries, you have to get there early to be sure the full Menu is available but it's worth it. Also the vegan options are just as tasty, flaky and buttery as non vegan options. Great little spot to grab something special. read more

Forma Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Wow. We were walking through Oakland, and decided to stop by Forma. The line was kinda long, but no more than a 5 minute wait. Tons of vegan versions of the pastries, which I was impressed by, but they honestly did not look good in comparison to the normal pastries. I got the berry kouign amann, and this was absolutely amazing. The best kouign amann I've ever had, and that's including B Patissierie among many others. Just the perfect crisp, flakiness, and sticky sugariness. The berry jam inside was barely sweet, but added a lovely tartness to the pastry. Just amazing. Please stop by and try their kouign amann. I'll be back to try a bunch more other stuff! read more

Great place! I got a chocolate croissant, chocolate almond croissant, flan+strawberry pastry, and bread with blue corn. All the pastries were crisp and delicious! I can see the resemblance to Fournée (but I do prefer Fournee's chocolate almond). Crust of the bread was so good but sadly I felt the bread was underbaked. Still would recommend and return to this bakery! Staff were friendly and efficient read more