I am not sure what's going on, lots of new people and the quality is just not the same - the biscotti are soft - not hard and it seems like they're not fresh or they're not keeping things in tight containers so the cookies don't crumble they bend. In all these 20 years or so I have never seen them run out of so many things on non-holidays so frequently. A lot of times the bread looks like it's too well done. I had one counter person be rude to me. A couple days ago two young ladies working, line was out the door. One was slowly carefully filling a cookie jar and the other was struggling to figure out change. The other girl finally went and helped. Whoever the new manager is isn't doing a good job. read more

Saw the 4.5 stars review and got excited; unfortunately, the excitement stops there. Made 2 visits hoping that the time of day made a difference... well, it didn't. I get it's kind of like a novelty store - it's unique, cute, etc. However, most things I tried were subpar. Cookies (Jezebel, Chocolate Chunk Espresso, Chocolate Pecan): None of the cookies were chewy or soft; it was hard and dry - and some might say... taste stale. I did not enjoy them; the Chocolate Chunk Espresso was the best of the three in terms of texture but still fell short. Better cookies can be found at your local coffee shops. I will give them credit for creativity in terms of flavor; however the execution just wasn't there. I will not be purchasing these in the future. Swiss Twinkie: These were good. It's like a mini croissant with a sweet filling. It could've been flakier and softer because it was a little hard to bite into. Overall, my friends and I enjoyed these. Morning Bun: Again, could've been flakier and softer - it wasn't easy to bite into. It doesn't outshine other morning buns or cinnamon rolls I've had. Red Velvet Cupcake: For $2/cupcake (or $1.95), it's not worth it. It's extremely small, the flavors aren't unique, and you can honestly make them yourself at home with cake mix from the grocery store. Brownie: The brownie was okay, but I wasn't reaching for my next bite and I've definitely had better. I had high hopes for this establishment. Comparing this to the many bakeries I've tried in the U.S. and Europe, my experience fell short and I don't think it's worth your time or money. Maybe I didn't order the right thing (most review I've read seems to be raving about their breads). read more

La Farine - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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Such a cute bakery! The sourdough baguette was really fresh and great, just the right amount of sour flavoring. The fruit tarts were beautiful and delicious. Each fruit tart is unique with different fruit on top and they are so pretty! Note: Only 4 people can be inside the bakery at a time, because it's pretty small, so there was a long line when we went. read more

There are SO many options for bread and pastries! I really like that they have mini options for the fruit tarts and morning buns, because I like to try lots of things. I recommend the Swiss Twinkie! Pricing is very reasonable, I got 3 pastries for under $10! A plus is that there are usually samples on the table, who doesn't love free things? read more

La Farine - (Slightly squashed) mini fruit tart, blueberry coffee cake - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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I have been going to here for almost 15 years . A former co-worker had introduced me. I love their fruit tarts and their morning bread. Their fruit tarts are always a hit during gatherings. read more

The breads are better than most of the bread places. I ordered Ciabatta and Chestnut Levain, both are $4.5 and both are good. The Chestnut Levain is noticeably better than the same bread sold in Whole Foods for $6-7. Their croissant is also pretty good, though not as stand out as their breads. There was a line in front of the shop on a Saturday morning, but it moved pretty fast. read more

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Favorite bakery in the east bay. Always amazing and especially their holiday and other specialties like bush de Noel.

La Farine has the best fruit tart in town--always fresh, not too sweet, always comes out beautiful.

A really cute bakery right on College Ave. Their bread selection looked great! I was only visiting so I settled for a chocolatine and a savory morning bun. The savory morning bun was packed full of ham and quite tasty, although it may have been a tad underdone in the middle. The chocolatine wasn't particularly special or flaky--it was totally fine but not reminiscent of a high-end french bakery and more like a grocery-store croissant. The prices aren't too bad here though, but I do think Fournee has higher quality pastries. It does sound like the fruit tarts are the thing to get so maybe that's worth a try! read more

Best bakery in the East Bay. Best quality, Variety and service. I love their Madelines, Mocha cake and fruit tarts.

La Farine . . . what's happened to the QC? While years ago, when we first started sampling your wares, you were consistently excellent with most all of your products, it seems that in the last few years your pastry consistency has slipped. Like this recent Frangipane that I got (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-farine-oakland-2?select=515wlCn6udWzJzaX6jBuFQ), which we understand is your twist on an almond croissant with frangipane (an almond pastry cream) layered into a spiral of croissant dough, but this example had the frangipane completely baked out of it . . . these ones I saw in the case another day looked much better (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-farine-oakland-2?select=szV805PofFoAYGuYtNqhnw) . . . and while baked / browned frangipane is delicious, it left the croissant pastry that remained almost devoid of almond paste flavor . . . and to add to the shortcomings, the pastry as a whole was more bready vs. flaky like a croissant should be. Similar story with this recent savory morning bun (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-farine-oakland-2?select=mGiSL2bCTY7cmxlTAJMp9g) which, again, was more like a bread roll stuffed with ham and cheese (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-farine-oakland-2?select=7Sk5UKTYnoDknNin9usLUw) vs. a flaky pastry spiral with layers of savoriness. In sum, your breads / baguettes and cakes (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-farine-oakland-2?select=fkjLxllImm77DEfjB3RSSA) are still very good, but please work on the pastries. Thanks! -Concerned Neighbor read more

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Awesome bakery! I tried their almond and raspberry croissants. The almond one was perfect: not too sweet and just the right amount so you don't feel guilt afterward. The raspberry one though... it was huge and extremely sweet! Definitely a must if you have a sweet tooth, but a little too much for my taste. read more

La Farine - Front counter. - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

I love lafarine they have really good pastries i like their fruit tarts and there bread and they are very friendly

Delicious! Laminated doughs (croissant style) are amazing. I also love their large selection of cookies.

Morning... buns... Do you hear me?! I said MORNING BUNS damnit! La Farine has a fatty... I mean, La Farine got cake... wait, I mean they have buns! Hold up, I mean baked goods! La Farine has some great baked GOODS! Whew, ok so... now that I've got THAT out of the way, let's continue on with the review, shall we? La Farine is not just a bakery... it's a "boulangerie"... which means bakery in French. So basically, it's a French based bakery, and everyone knows that French bakeries are the absolute BEST! I kid, I kid. La Farine has been an Oakland staple since 1977. When coming here, you will notice their difference in quality compared to the other bakeries in the area. Everything that I have tried here has been fresh and delicious! Their breads and their cakes are phenomenal. I ordered a king cake from here for Mardi Gras a few months back. Although it really can't be compared to the actual king cakes made in Louisiana, I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed! The cake was rich, moist, and decorated in those lovely Mardi Gras colors! The only minor issue I had was the fact that they didn't bake the baby into the cake... but this is California. We don't quite follow Southern tradition out here. What ultimately keeps me coming back here is their flippin' morning buns! Dear Lord Holy Jesus CHRIST! They ARE... the BEST that I have found thus far. And I'm surrounded by bakeries and coffee shops. Neither Starbuck's nor Peet's could ever produce a morning bun as wonderful as La Farine's! The texture... perfect. The cinnamon and sugar coating... spot on. And the inside filling... that right there is what does it for me. I don't even know what the hell they fill this thing with. But, whatever it is... it's spelled addiction with a capital A. LOVE it! I have to admit... with so many different options around the area, I don't come to La Farine nearly as much as I used to. They're a bit pricey, there's always some type of line, and the service can be spotty. However, when I get those morning bun cravings... La Farine is usually the first to get my $2.50! read more

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The best bakery in the Bay Area hands down. And the closest I can get to being back in Paris where the bread and pastries are to die for! Definitely get the olive bread. So delicious. read more

The product is pretty tasty. Just not sure why this company expects its customers to subsidize the salaries of its employees. Why doesn't La Farine pay its workers a living wage? An employee handed me a pastry from the shelf, and then offered up a screen for me to add a tip. Why? I've always been a very generous tipper since restaurant workers are paid such disgustingly low wages -- and for sure that sea change will be a long time coming. But La Farine is a thriving, successful business. Hey! If it's a choice between enjoying a treat, and feeling strong-armed, I'll easily forgo the treat. Pay your workers a living wage, and then I will give you my business. read more

Love La Farine. Fruit tarts, eclairs, lemon bars the best. Been going to this location for over 15yrs. Quality is still the same.

My daughter loves to get their chocolatin there. Really good quality overall. Happy that they are in the neighborhood

"Next Level Bakery". Everything looked awesome. We got a sourdough loaf, French baguette, and some pastries. Loved all of them. Would come out of our way to visit again. read more

Wonderful little place that I'm glad I stumbled into today. Employees were helpful and morning bun excellent. Fairly reasonably priced at $3. Really really hit the spot as I ate it while walking down college. Would recommend and I'll definitely be back! read more

Stopped by on a holiday weekend so many things were sold out. However, what we did try was excellent! The lemon shortbread was delicious and so buttery. The slice of almond tart was also really mind blowing. Caramelized almond slivers were the main ingredient. Highly recommend! read more

BEST BAKERY IN BERKELEY! Discovered this place after Tartine closed on Durant and am so happy I found this place. Prices here are so cheap - I think I got this rustic bread for $3 or $4. All the breads are within that range. Their focaccia is changing all the time but it's definitely to die for. I had the goat cheese and garlic one and I always finish it before I get home. Service is really quick and so glad I found this place! read more

La Farine - Rustic bread - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Best bakery ever with best fruit tarts ever!! The lady working the counter was super friendly, so service is definitely an A+. I also got the rustic baguette, and it was a very fine baguette indeed. Crispy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. Will try the morning bun when I come here next time, but everything looks so good here! So much variety! read more

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The very best patisserie in the World, everything is great , the staff are helpful and friendly the pastries and breads are the best ever.

The fruit tarts -- and especially the almond tart -- have me returning to La Farine on Fruitvale any time I need a splendid dessert. The selection is always quite good, the cute little bakery is popping with delicious breads and desserts, and the service is quick and efficient. I've never gone wrong with a La Farine tart. read more

Ordered a selection of croissants and morning buns to go at 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday in June. All of the options were noticeably dry in the manner of improperly stored day-old pastries (yet being sold for $4 apiece). Service was pleasant but won't be back. read more

La Farine is so cute and so delicious! Love coming here if I'm ever in the area. I only discovered this bakery because I was grabbing bagels down the street and ran into this place aka more carbs! Grabbed the chocolate croissant, bread and the lemon bar. Everything was so good! I'm a sucker for chocolate croissants and this place has amazing ones. They still follow covid protocol which is awesome, only few people at a time inside and its small. Staff is always friendly and helpful. read more

As a French person who can be very judgy about baked goods in America... I give it to baguettes up! So many options to choose from, reasonable prices, friendly staff, beautiful desserts, tasty savory treats, it's a gluten fest every time I stop by there! read more

I love this place!! My friend's mom always brings home baked goods from here when I visit since she knows I'm a foodie and love pastries lol. This time I got to try their mini pumpkin cakes. Sooooooooo good!! I've had so many other pastries and tarts from here and everything is always super fresh and delicious. Definitely recommend if you have a sweet tooth or are craving pastries! read more

La Farine - Mini pumpkin cakes - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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Tried their almond croissant yesterday and it was delicious! Tried their peanut butter and chocolate chunk espresso cookie which were just ok. The cookies were of the crispy kind, and I like cookies that are chewy in the middle. read more

La Farine - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Excellent service! The Raspberry Croissants and iced lemon cookies are delicious and my favorites! However, you can't go wrong with anything there. Beware, going there will be habit-forming. read more

One of my foodie friends told me to come here! It's a few blocks past the Elmwood main drag down College. I just took the bus (51B)! I came around 10:45 and they still had pretty much everything, phew! It's always a bummer when bakeries sell out really early. There were so many options, I couldn't decide. From croissants, to scones, to cookies-everything carbs, you name it! In addition, there's a whole wall of breads, a case of fruit tarts, cupcakes, and eclairs! I wanted to eat everything but I had to limit myself to just three items. mini chocolatine: the chocolate inside was very good, and the croissant was soft, airy, and a bit crunchy. There was a whole lot of egg wash on top which made it even better. It was the perfect size to get my croissant fix and still have room for more pastries! Lemon Oatmeal Cookie: Yum! There's so many jars of cookies taunting you; I decided to go with this unique flavor. There's also chocolate pecan, molasses, madelines. Brownie: I never get desserts in the dining hall because it's not worth the calories for such a mediocre dessert. SO, I caved and got a brownie here-I was expecting it to be fudgey and gooey, but it was a tad crumbly and dry. Still decent, though. If you have a nut allergy, be extra careful with what you order, as many of the things I asked for tended to have nuts in them (luckily, I'm not allergic). I love fresh baked goods and will only eat baked goods that look as such! And these are amazing! The service was attentive and fast! As for seating, there's a large, shared dining table I was talking to the lady at the store a few doors down and she told me they are known for their morning buns! read more

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Came by for desserts the other day and the experience was mediocre despite a 4.5 star rating on Yelp... Located in the hipster Rockridge/Berkeley border and across the street from Philz/Safeway the baked goods were merely mediocre. Ordered the ham & cheese Yelpers raved about and it was okay.... Didn't really taste the bechemel sauce and the pastry was rather dry... Service was friendly and they take credit cards! read more

La Farine - Fruit Tart - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

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A community institution. La Farine is a staple of our holiday gatherings. They make the best baked goods. Fruit Tarts are the BEST.

Came here to pick up a baguette, and ended up also needing a cookie (thank you Type 1 Diabetes), and I'm so glad I did! The bakery is a tiny little shop with a very french riviera feel, with all wooden cases with actual cakes and pies, glass jars with cookies and biscottis, and bread behind the counter. Staff is friendly, and service is quick (which is good because at 3 in the afternoon, there was still a line). There are a couple of seats in the bakery, but it's such a nice area, that it might be just as fund to walk with your delicacy! The baguette was tasty and fresh, with a good chew (though not a super crispy outside...thought outside of Europe I've been hard pressed to find crispy bread). The orange-lemon cookie was delicious, not overly sweet, with nice lemon and orange zest, and a beautiful tart glaze! If I lived closer, I would definitely become the cookie monster here... read more

La Farine - Adorable - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

I bought a couple cakes and also pastries a few times. I like that their pastries aren't too sweet like most bakeries. Fresh and great customer service. With decent prices and really tasty desserts. If you want a great pastry without being too sweet and just the right hint of sweetness, La farine is the place to go. read more

My sister kept bringing home these amazing fruit tarts for family gatherings/birthdays, and I never thought once to question where it might have come from. When the shiny gold sticker finally caught my eye, I thought to myself - WHY have I not stopped by on my own? Hence the trip to La Farine and an incredibly homey atmosphere. While the customer service was lacking, my friend and I picked up the frangipane, chocolate chunk espresso cookie, and some baguettes to munch on in the evening. Carb haters, stop hating - this is what good bread, pastries, (melodramatically - LIFE!) is all about. read more

La Farine - That fruit tart mmmmmm - Bakeries Near Me - Oakland, California

Can I teleport here? Actually, that may be a bad idea. I'd be there way too much... Great assortment of baked goods at reasonable prices. From loafs of bread to cake to cookies. YUM! There is such a wide variety, you honestly can't go wrong with anything you get. I say that having been there only once lol. We took our goodies to a coffee shop close by and had a great snack! We were in the area for a different event and parked farther away but this area can be tough to get parking as its all metered street parking or crowded residential streets. read more

Love their fruit tarts and breads. Haven't found another bakery in the bay with better fruit tarts.