I've been a 20+ year customer at Pastries by Randolph, and am very disappointed by this culturally correct language for a Christmas Yuletide log. For all practical purposes, the Yule Log should say, "Merry Christmas", not Happy Holiday. Further, the staff at Randolph's, including the Manager, is absolutely clueless about this. Normally, I wouldn't even bother to write this review, but Randolph's has decided to take and maintain a position, which must be noted. To all Randolph customers, if their position bothers, or even offends you, please look elsewhere for your Christmas bakeries. Paul's French Bakery, or any other delicious bakery, is an alternate business to support. Lately, Randolph's Manager and staff have become very arrogant! Shame on you! Thank you for listening, and a Very Merry Christmas to all! read more

Pastries By Randolph - Really? Happy Holiday? - Bakeries Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

We have been coming here since I was child. Parking isn't the greatest but man, the cakes are so worth it. They're definitely on the pricey side, but again, worth it! I love the fruit cake, white chocolate cake, and we have recently just tried their Napoleon cake, which was also surprise- amazing! You can order online but make sure to do it at least 3 days before. Their ordering system is super easy too. Would highly recommend to any dessert lovers! read more

Pastries By Randolph - Bakeries Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The owner knows how to produce excellent pastries but does not know how to run a business. Customer service always a shambolic experience and you have to pay close attention to what happens behind the counter because more often than not your 'server' will get your order wrong. Part of the problem is that the owner for whatever reason (possibly because he's too cheap) hires a lot of young kids who seem to be mentally deficient or out on work release from juvenile detention. There are a couple old timers behind the counter who know what they are doing but that's the exception. I used to go there all the time, now just for special occasions when I want a high quality pastry. Otherwise I really can't stand even setting foot in the store. I'd give them only a half star, if that were possible. read more

Beautiful pastries and cakes, but pricey. High quality. Staff can be nonchalant or surly at times, but that has improved markedly over the past year or so. read more

My dad loves coconut cake so we get him one for his birthday every year from here. They do a really good job! The cake is pillowy soft and moist, and you can taste the coconut through and through. The lemon curd at the bottom is a nice touch that subtly amplifies the coconut flavor. It's not too sweet and the 8" round is the perfect size for our small family of three as well. The only thing about the location is parking can be a little nerve wracking sometimes but I'm always able to find a spot. read more

I love Pastries by Randolph. To me, this is what a true patisserie should be--beautiful cakes, cookies, eclairs, etc., that are absolutely delicious. Plus, they offer breads, croissants, and the like. The strawberry shortcake is creamy and delicious, plus filled with plenty of strawberries. I also love the almond praline tart, which is super flavorful. And the almond-y, chocolate-y opera cake is perfection. The staff is friendly and you really cannot go wrong with any item purchased here. It's definitely a gem to have nearby. read more

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Excellent pastries! Professional bakery top quality! Great staff! Highly recommend this bakery if you need pastry products for any occasion! read more

This is my new favorite pastry shop AND they serve fantastic hot chocolate. I was ecstatic when I saw the "small hot chocolate for sale" sign. I'm not a coffee drinker, so this was the light at the end of the tunnel. This bakery knows who their target customer is: me. After much deliberation on their extensive menu I opted for an almond croissant. It was so flaky, so delicious, so crispy. I wish I had gotten two. They also had a lot of other treats that looked like they would be great for a birthday celebration or other special type of celebration. I cant wait to go back to this bakery. Do yourself a favor and try it out! read more

this is the best high quality pastry shop around 200 miles!! the show case are a real pleasure for your eyes and the variety is outstanding. Do you want do know how taste a real European pastry , from one of the greatest pastry chef? Make your trip to Randolph's Pastry shop and you go back again and again..... A taste of heaven in every bite. You find also original French Baguettes and different kind old world breads. read more

Loved this place! I work in ballston, about 7 minutes from here and have heard great things about this place so decided to stop in. Parking isn't bad, neither is finding this place. The girl that was helping me might have been new because she couldn't tell me what were in the cakes, but that's okay. I ended up leaving with a white chocolate mousse cake, a marbled mousse and something else. I liked them all. They were all really light and not too sweet which I really appreciated. My mom who doesn't really like sweets also liked their cakes. I would say that they don't accept Apple Pay so make sure you do bring a credit card physically with you! read more

Pastries By Randolph - Marble Mousse cake, white chocolate mousse cake - Bakeries Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Our friend got married and ordered the cake from here. It was fabulous. You can go inside the shop or order to go. They can tweak a recipe if needed. We had the Truffle cake. It was rich and fabulous. The cakes can be pricey but they are worth it. read more

There was an entire shaved white chocolate mousse cake at work, randomly, that I ignored. (In hindsight I think, what the heck? These cakes are $$$). I don't have a sweet tooth so as decadent as the cake looked, it wasn't enough to get me to eat. During lunch, my coworker forced a bite of her cake and WOW- it left me wanting the entire cake and regretting my decision to ignore because by then it was long gone! The bite was so good that it was enough to get me to ask people who brought the cake and ask where they got it from. Randolph, I'm coming for you! read more

My go to for pastries and cakes! We moved and are now only 10 minutes away, which is so dangerous. We drove over to pick up some pastries because our best friend was visiting our new home for the first time. Everyone agreed that the pastries were delicious and beautiful. Fast forward to the week before Valentine's Day. I decided to surprise my husband with an afternoon tea experience at home, as it's one of our favorite pastimes. I had bought a three-tier stand and matching cups and saucers from a store in New York, and I had planned to make the tea sandwiches myself. However, I knew I wanted to purchase scones and sweets from a local bakery due to my limited skills in those categories. Pastries by Randolph has an online ordering system, which made it very easy for me to select what I wanted and pay online. The morning of Valentine's Day, I drove over and picked up my selection. It was crowded, as I expected, but the line and process went quickly and smoothly. The woman who helped me at the store showed me all my selections before boxing them neatly. Here's what I chose: + blueberry scones + chocolate dipped strawberries + passionate romance rose (moist almond sponge cake with a dome of sweet strawberry mousse and a passion fruit center wrapped in white chocolate petals) + key lime tart + strawberry mousse cheesecake + opera (layers of moist almond cake soaked in strong coffee syrup, layered with mocha buttercream and chocolate ganache, glazed in chocolate topped with a touch of gold) The scones and sweets were fantastic - the perfect addition to our afternoon tea experience! We'll be back for more. read more

Every birthday or holiday I come here. I will only come here. Everything here tastes amazing!!! I have introduced multiple people to Pastries by Randolph. I love this place. The staff is very friendly and kind. read more

It was my favorite bakery and despite unwelcoming and poor services I was regular to this place. My sweet tooth get me to this place at least twice a week. However today I got food fly from strawberry mousse cake that my 3 years old was eating. My favorite bakery which charges pretty pennies from my had fruit fly in expensive piece of cake and the most importantly their level of food safety behind pretty decorated products frustrated my so bad and I took that item back to Pastry as I live next door! I was even shocked and frustrated by staff and manager! Staff frowned and took item to manager, manager didn't even look at me and arrogantly told staff to change it! Staff put another one in box and gave it to me with forced "sorry" ! As an customer who came back to place thinking it was honest mistake but concerned as good fly is serious issue in food safety, I thought I would get at least proper apology and reassurance that they would be careful next time. But arrogance and rudeness level was too much! Randolph fly coming out of food might be ok to you! It it's not okay for costumers who deserve safe and hygiene food! So... I visited Randolph again after almost 2 years... their pastries were delicious and lovely! But customer service was as horrible as it has been. Every Randolph staff was grumpy and angry. No one smiled. No thank you-s... why do they run this pastry when they seems to hate it? read more

Pastries By Randolph - Bakeries Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I changed my mind again! I love their Vanilla Buttercream Cake and Strawberry Shortcake! read more

5 stars for the triple chocolate mousse! The service is good!!! He gave us our baby boy a butter cookie. He is the new guy there (Indian). He is polite. The desserts are so good and a lot of choices. Want to come back again & again! read more

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We've been going to Randolph's for about 12 years and it is my go-to bakery for cakes. I love it because the cakes are less sweet than your typical cakes. The cakes almost taste more European/Swiss? My favorite cake is the chocolate ribbon mousse cake. It's beautiful and a crowd pleaser. The pastries can be a bit pricey but I think they are worth it. :) read more

This is a fantastic pastry shop in the European sense, the pastries are delicious the cakes are superb It can get a little crowded on the weekends sometimes the staff seems a little hurried but all in all it's a excellent place to get cakes for special occasions and pastries. They also have a nice selection of Italian pastries at it typically don't find the Washington area and they're exceptional read more

Pastries By Randolph - Napoleon cake. Delicious! - Bakeries Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Pastries by Randolph is the classic black dress of bakeries. It's not the hippest kid on the block (no crazy fondant, unicorn cakes here) but it is an old standby that will never, ever disappoint. Their signature marble ribbon mousse cake is legendary among our family members. It's white and dark chocolate mousse playing harmonious music with yellow and chocolate cake soaked in Grand Marnier rum. It's absolutely fantastic and the shaved chocolate ribbon on top is breathtaking. It's the perfect way to mark a special celebration! Since my family runs on CPT we almost never have the gumption to order a cake in advance. Luckily Pastries by Randolph usually has this cake in stock for easy pickup AND they have never minded when we asked them to personalize it on site. read more

Black forest cake, white chocolate mousse cake, all the individual pastries...omg just thinking about it is making me salivate. There's a reason why this place has been around forever. They're the best of the best for Northern VA. I'm sure if you grew up around here you already know about this place so this is for the out of towners or transplants. You can't go wrong with Randolph's. read more

Everything I have eaten at this place is delicious and you can tell they use high quality products (except for the chocolate covered strawberries, the choc didn't taste quite well to me). It is a little bit overpriced so be prepared to spend some additional bucks! The service could be better. We were ignored a couple of times while trying to make our order, however 2 different people asked if we were being helped before we were ready and after we were already being helped! Definitely going back. My fav so far: strawberry cheesecake, creme brûlée and the napoleon. read more

Randolph's pastries are a crowd pleaser! It's starts with their presentation, and proceeds to the first bit. Their cakes are my favorite for special occasions. They're always fresh and elegant. read more

I always thought things like hot cross buns and hammantaschen weren't really going to ever taste good, but you eat them once a year because of tradition. Like haggis on Burns Night. Until I had the hot cross buns and hammantaschen from PbR. Wow! They were pricey but definitely worth it. read more

I would come here for their raspberry macarons. They place a row of fresh raspberries along with a huge dollop of passion fruit cream. The mixture of flavors marry so well together. The cookie itself is moist and soft. They are able to develop a stable foot on their macarons. I would give these a 5/5 stars. These are definitely worth going out of your way to eat. However, as far as the other pastries go, I would say that they are not worth going out of your way to get. The key lime tart was a bit too tart for my taste buds. I would have liked them a bit sweeter. However, if you like tart deserts, the key lime tart is definitely the way to go. The service is a 5/5. The employees are so sweet and so friendly and so helpful. It's great to go into a bakery and feel at home. read more

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I would give this place 5 stars for their desserts/pastries and cakes but because of the customer service makes this place 3 stars. They sometimes ignore their customers, give attitude...I guess depending on who helps you. I have yet to hear them greet their customers when people walk into the store. Anyway, I definitely recommend the rose cakes, the dark Chocolate mouse rose cake is very rich. The pistachio white chocolate mouse rose cake is also very delicious. The chocolate dome is creamy sweet, heavenly! Their chocolate marble mouse cake is amazing. And the tres leches cake is sweet but not overly sweet, perfect dessert after any meal. read more

Pastries By Randolph - The Rose cakes are delish!! - Bakeries Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Lovely and helpful staff. Delicious baked goods and desserts. Consistently good and a great part of our local community.

cute little store with decent sweets. i like their cakes and tiny desserts. p.s. their butter croissants are sad - not buttery, not flaky. not worth $2.93 (tax included). harris teeter's $1.01 is much better valued read more

Great cake! Ordered for our son and it was exactly how we ordered online! On time and exactly per asked. Love it read more

This place is wonderful. Their cookies were beautiful and delicious. We had an anniversary cake as well and it was amazing. I recommend this place without hesitation. read more

The almond croissants are the only reason why I come here in the early morning. They are my reason for living. I used to live down the street, then had to drive in from Ashburn and now...I am sadly too far away to get there by opening and if you know how good the almond croissants are you know they are gone an hour after opening. So good. Best I have ever had. read more

After rants and raves from co-works about how amazing baked goodies are from here I finally found time to visit myself. Many coworkers have brought in various cakes by Randolph and they have tasted fresh and delicious. So..parking is a little bit of a stretch because the area is a bit small..but I guess its to be expected in such a small town. The bakery itself looks like it would be a hole in the wall type of place because the surrounding looks a little run down with your old school canapé type covers. The surprise is when you walk in and its full lit modern yet pristine. Because the first thing you see is the bright display cases full of delicious looking pastries that are bright and colorful. Above the display cases are chocolate showpieces..I guess showing that if you need a show piece they are able to make one? Or perhaps just showing their general crafts with handmade details. I decided on a lemon meringue.. partially because I love lemons and meringue. Review: Shell: shortbread. Buttery and with a nice crumb. Filling: 2 layers: lemon curd? and custard? Both give a bright lemon taste together with the meringue give a lightness to the mini pie.Meringue is light and almost marshmallow like as a soft meringue should be. My only gripe is that the gelatin layer on top of the meringue made it seem a bit artificial... I understand esthetics wise its for looks. But for me I could do with out it Overall:a bit pricey for a bakery but the quality and care goes into every pastry that goes out. So I'll give credit where credit is due..not everyone can pull off a refreshing balance for lemon meringue and to have 2 layers not just your typical curd layer for that the trip is well worth it. read more

Pastries By Randolph - Lemon Meringue - Bakeries Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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We ordered our wedding cake from here, and it was the perfect finishing touch to our Covid wedding dinner. Honestly, the best wedding cake I've ever had and three guests said the same! Ordering process was simple and friendly. Communication was great! read more

We ordered an assortment of pastries and also an apple strudel. Everything was exceptional!

The (really) good: ordered some cupcakes for a small family birthday lunch, and they were absolutely delicious! Moist, soft, delectable cupcakes with a glaze of icing rather than the giant dollops used at other bakeries (which, while pretty, are just too much frosting for me). I would certainly recommend these cupcakes, and the red velvet were on point! Areas of opportunity: I placed the order using Chownow as per their site. I called on arrival for curbside, as directed on the site, and was told to come in? So, I put on my mask, and headed inside, and then they couldn't find my order. Did I call in? Did I use Chownow? When did I place my order? Did my husband place the order? Are you sure you got a confirmation? All easily resolved, but a bit disorganized and a little off-putting. Sure, I can prove I placed the order, and I can prove when I did it, but it feels like the bakery could use a little more organization and planning. Overall: I'm a long-time fan of their offerings: cakes, cupcakes, fun and indulgent, individual treats, and I appreciate that they're doing their best in this challenging time. Always a fan of supporting a local business, so I'm glad to see them open and sharing a little sweetness in this crazy world. Go with a bit of patience, and enjoy a sweet treat when you need a pick-me-up! You won't regret it. read more

This place is amazing!!! They were super accommodating when I needed to change the size of my cake last minute. I showed up after-close to pick up my cake because I was running late, and they still let me in to pick it up! On top of all this, they're super affordable and their desserts taste incredible! read more

MUST GO EARLY IN THE MORNING! THE BEST ITEMS SELL OUT FAST! The caramelized sugar on the Creme brûlée maintains it's crunch even days after the purchase. The custard is super creamy, and you can really taste the freshness of the egg. The fruit on the Fruit Tart is the perfect amount of ripe and crispness. The ham in the ham&cheese croissants is of high quality (more like the type of ham that you have on Thanksgiving, rather than lunch meat) Pro Tip: Christmas cookies go on sale the day after Christmas! Disclaimer: not all items described above are displayed in the photos - VVP read more

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I have not had pastry this good since we went to Paris. Was getting tired of my old German Bakery and happened to discover this place on Valentines Day. The Service was excellent and they were very busy. These little pastries are an art form and to beautiful to eat. Bought an assortment and split them with my Family. We were blown away. I will come here from now on for all my special Birthday cakes and French or Italian deserts for other special occasions. Kings and Queens don't eat any better. Very nice. Bravo! read more

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Best pasteries in the area! If you're looking for the best cake in town for any celebration - this place is it. Their fruit cake is my favorite. It has the perfect balance of sweet, fruity, and this soft air like cream. Every bite is magical. :) Stopped by here for morning coffee & a cinnamon croissant. Literally eating it now and decided to post a review. Love all their pasteries! read more

Everything tastes so delicious!!!! The service is impeccable, super clean, and it is a disservice to yourself if you do not get pastries here!!!! read more