TLDR: A beloved neighborhood Korean bakery that excels at both the classics and modern dessert trends. Their 3D mousse desserts are some of the best I have ever had, and the loaded bingsu makes Shilla a must-visit in Annandale. Shilla has been a neighborhood staple for years, offering everything from cakes and breads to bing-su and beverages. I have had many of their cakes for celebrations and birthdays, they always hit. While they nail the classics, they also continue to impress with creative desserts that feel fresh and refined. The interior has plenty of seating, clean, and cute paintings on the walls to set the mood. Despite the busy crowds, service was quick and welcoming. We came specifically for the 3D mousse desserts, and they exceeded expectations. My favorites were the Sleeping Bear, Avocado, and Banana. The avocado mousse was surprisingly nutty and paired perfectly with the banana jam filling, creating a balanced dessert that wasn't overly sweet. The Chocolate Bear was equally smooth and creamy, and even the buttery cookie base was delicious. The strawberry bingsu was generously topped with condensed milk and large, chewy pieces of rice cake, making it the perfect dessert to share. Shilla remains Annandale's staple bakery and a gem. read more

See all

The lemon has nice flavor,but that is a lot of mousse. Def not something you can eat in 1 go at once, even for 2 ppl. I don't like what they call banana mousse, to me it tastes a bit like alcoholic sour banana ish? The avocado shape is super cute though. I tried to get these cute fruit shaped fancy dessert before at Layered,lined up for close to an hour and all those are gone quickly .. read more

See all

I've been coming to Shilla Bakery since I was in middle school, and it's still one of my favorite spots. No matter what, I always try to leave with madeleines and bingsoo. Over the years my order has changed, but right now I'm completely obsessed with the Hawaiian bingsoo. Honestly, in all this time, I've never had anything here that tasted bad. Their large variety of fresh bakery items is consistently delicious -- whether you're craving something sweet or savory, something cold or something warm. But no matter what you choose... always get the madeleines. Always. read more

See all

Love their seafood baguettes and their walnut bread. The sweet potato latte is actually pretty good too--just a heads up, it doesn't have any coffee in it lol. The shop is cute and has undergone renovations over the years; they have new tables/chairs and their shop looks brighter and fresher. Their parking situation isn't great, so I'd definitely recommend parking on the side or in the back instead of near the front entrance. The lot is pretty tight, and it's easy to get stuck if you're not super confident with tight parking. read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

See all

I really enjoy the experience here. Highly recommend to try their crispy almond cookies, definitely my fave. read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Crispy almond cookies - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

Excited for another bakery to have these fruit pastries. The price range is a little less than a few other bakeries: $5.95 for the strawberry and $9.95 for the mango. read more

See all

Shilla bakery is very quiet and they have good selection of Korean bbangs. Each associates are kind and helpful when I need help. And it's not very noisy and people can enjoy chatting in the bakery cafe. read more

Shilla Bakery is a staple of my childhood. One of the first Korean bakeries in the area decades ago and I'm still happy with their products. I saw that they have an Instagram ad and a sign outside advertising Tissue bread and I was super excited to try it. Unfortunately, they did not have any tissue bread in the bakery and the employee I asked behind the counter looked confused when I asked...so I got the Biscoff croissant and the strawberry cream croffle instead. I loved both desserts. The biscoff cookie bits in the croissant were caramelized and I couldn't stop eating the strawberry cream. Please let me know, do you sell tissue bread at this location? read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Biscoff croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

See all

I am beyond frustrated with the service at Shilla Bakery in Annandale, VA. I pre-ordered a mango cake yesterday for my grandma's birthday today. My scheduled pickup was for 6:15 PM, but I didn't receive a cancellation email until 6:07 PM--literally 8 minutes before I was supposed to pick it up and while I was already almost at the store. To make it worse, when I went inside, the cashier told me they had been out of stock since this morning. They knew they didn't have the cake for over eight hours but waited until minutes before my arrival to let me know. This is incredibly unprofessional and left me scrambling to find a replacement for a family celebration at the last second. A refund doesn't make up for this kind of total disregard for a customer's time and special occasion. Avoid this place if you actually want your order to be there when you arrive. read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

See all

Looks like they added new items to the menu and updated the shelves. Loved the croffle and tanghulu! Everything still so good with such great prices. A must stop every time we're in town! Nice friendly staff and are constantly restocking shelves with items so you get a vast variety of pastries and more. read more

See all

I absolutely cannot stand this Korean bakery chain - besides being owned by gross, shady, and extremely questionable individuals, their offerings are not fresh nor worth a visit. Some of their breads are laid out in the open, and, not because they're cooling off, but maybe to showcase how they look? The pathway around the bakery items is narrow, so people hover and brush against these items, ending up being purchased by oblivious patrons. All their beverages, especially their smoothies, are to be avoided - not sure if they use some type of a powder or something, but they're always watered down and taste like a combination of being artificial and burnt ice. The staff are also awful - they are rude, dismissive, and seem to be miserable, as they just project negativity onto anyone who comes in, trying their best to give you a bad day. In addition, don't think about trying to enjoy your purchase(s) inside, as their seating area is never wiped down nor tended to. There are much better bakeries in the area - don't fall for them! +awful staff +unhygienic +pastries are not fresh +rude service read more

I love love love Shilla Bakery!! The drinks are delicious, the food and bakery options are limitless, and everything is baked to perfection! It has a very cozy ambiance with a fantastic staff. We go almost once a week to get their Korean Iced Coffee, Nutella Donuts, and Castellas. We have also ordered their cakes for birthdays in the past and they are so good! Highly highly recommend Shilla :) read more

See all

JAPANESE BREAD: Is it just me or does anyone else notice their bread slices are THICKER? I see what they're doing...thicker slices, faster consumption which in turn makes us come back to buy another loaf! That loaf won't last a week! That 's messed up and they're robbing us blind. I see what y'all are doing!!! Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out! Sad, so sad! read more

This place and I have a very bipolar relationship. When I start to like it again it pleases me, then we go through a bad break up and don't talk for months or years... I liked that they had tanghulu for a but and was coming here just to purchase them for like 3 weeks straight cause I was too lazy to make my own. When they first started making it was wonderful and the texture ratio from fruit to harden sugar was pure bliss. As they started to get known through word or mouth the product itself started to decline. Their bread? Also a slow fail as I used to be OBSESSED. what i do enjoy is that they are on trend with what social media has brought to light, but it doesn't always necessarily mean they were all great i did however love their smash dipped croissants. Yummmmy and so perfectly crispy. Now BIINGSSOOOO used to to be my favorite here along side their yogurt boba. Now? I barely even taste the tart in it. Just a smoothie full of diabetes. The bingsoos were always too much for me to eat alone and I didn't like to share that dish with others...awkward desserts to share unless you're a couple. Anywho they started offering it to you in a cup size and I was in awe...what came crashing down? I love breezes bingsoo down the street now, but their machine was dead and brought me to go to shila cause they offer mixed fruit bingsoo and I added yogurt...downfall? Their was no MOCHI in my cuo bingsoo that I paid $11 for. I just got fruit ice condensed milk and yogurt... the mochi is always like a hidden treasure, I had NONE. The yogurt was off tasting again no yogurt or tartness taste to it... This may be an end of an era for me with them. Sigh... read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

Pretty good spot. Plenty of good options for food and drinks. Service is good, no complaints. The vibe is cool, not too hectic the times I've been which is always nice. I'd go again. read more

I live down the road from this bakery and I love their breakfast sandwiches for a quick weekend breakfast. I also like to go when we have friends visiting because I can get a variety of fun sweet treats for my guests. I appreciate their food being individually wrapped for cleanliness. Prices are reasonable and I never feel like it's too busy where I can't browse the goodies. read more

So many thanks to shilla bakery for the beautiful squid game cakes. They looks so great. Thanks again for beautiful job. read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Squid game cake - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

Very nice Korean Bakery that serves unique and creative desserts, teas, coffee, and bubble tea concoctions. I tried the croissant-cookie and it was soooooo good. Absolutely addictive. Each time I go, I try new sweet breads, rolls, and other treats. I usually pick up a few items for the weekend. The atmosphere is welcoming, wide open and not cluttered. Plenty of tables to sit, eat, meet with friends, study, relax. Highly recommend. read more

See all

First of all their selection is huge. They have several individually wrapped items for sale from breads to croissants to brownies. They also sell coffee, ice cream and full size cakes. We decided to try things from their bakery case, which seemed to be the wrong thing to do. We ordered an Oreo monster, strawberry cake slice and a mocha cake slice. All the cakes look delicious and are presented nicely, but the taste was not good. Oreo monster tasted stale with only the cookie crumbs on the outside giving a slight Oreo flavor. The mocha cake also tasted very plain. The strawberry was probably the best out of the 3, but still only ok. After we bought our stuff we noticed most people buying their pre packaged items, so if we come back it might be best to do that. read more

See all

Shilla is my favorite K bakery/cafe. They make excellent coffee and tea drinks and the baked goods are great. They almost always have mocha buns and my favorite little walnut shaped pastries. Service is fast and efficient, bathrooms are clean and it is a nice place to hang out with friends or family. read more

So many bingsoo options! Also they make their goods locally whereas the chains like tous Les jours or Paris baguette freeze the baked goods before selling it to you read more

Always a good spot. Lots of options and good things to enjoy. Shilla has some really great variety to choose from. The space to pick items from can get a little crowded but there are plenty of seats on the other side of the restaurant. read more

great bakery - lots of goodness - prices have risen like every other place but still reasonable- parking is a bit tough at times

This is the first of 4 reviews for the Korean bakeries in the Annandale area: Shilla, Breeze, Manoa, and Tous Les Jours bakeries. Each has its strengths and weaknesses in food taste, food texture, ambiance, service, and value. I'll be listing them. Started in 1999, there are 5 locations: Ellicott City, Annandale, Centerville, Chantilly, and McLean. The Annandale store was the first. So, my wife and I went there to see where they started. We walked in and started looking at items on the shelves. We picked some items, and we looked at items in the glass display cases. An employee came to help. Nothing in the cases interested us, so we walked to the end of the displays where the cash register was located and paid. We visited twice and tried 6 items in total. 1) Cinnamon Twist Doughnut      It was soft with a texture between cake and bread. It tasted similar to Hawaiian bread. It had a sugar and cinnamon coating that was very light on cinnamon. A stronger cinnamon flavor would make this great. 2) Red Bean Bread      A bun with lots of red bean filling. Mildly sweet with moderate red bean flavor. The bread tasted exactly the same as the one in Chinese baked pork bun. It was soft with a hint of sweetness and a nice toasted flavor. Nicely made with great flavor. It's one of the best that I've tasted. 3) Shilla Chicken Panini      It had chicken, cheddar cheese, baby spinach, basil, and boiled red peppers in flatbread. It came with a side of chips. The chips were Miss Vickie's sea salt kettle chips. They were crispy and not too salty. The chicken filet was tender and moist. The cheese was sharp cheddar and the greens were fresh. The bread wasn't crispy and lacked a buttered toasted flavor that is found in pressed panini. The red peppers were very overcooked. This was a decent sandwich that needed condiments. 4) White Bean Bread     Soft with a flavor like a white roll. The white bean paste was mild in sweetness and bean flavor. It was edible and forgettable. 5) Shilla Lemon Sheet Cake      It was a 2 layer yellow cake with lemon frosting on top and between the layers. The cake was mildly sweet with a hint of vanilla. It was soft and moist. The frosting was sweet, citrusy, and very zesty. Way too much lemon zest! The flavor was sharp with a touch of bitterness. If they tamp down on the zest, it's a winner. There were slices of real lemons on top. This cake didn't need more lemon juice!! 6) Cream Cheese Pound Cake      It was moist, soft, and sweet with a light vanilla flavor. No cream cheese or butter flavor. It's called pound cake because a pound of butter is used with a pound of flour, eggs, and sugar to make the cakes. In other words, equal parts of each. The butter flavor should be prominent. The traditional recipe was rich and incredibly moist. Today, places like this take cost cutting steps. So, their cake wasn't as rich, dense, or moist as a traditional pound cake. It was okay tasting, but the missing flavors don't encourage me to buy their cakes. The service was polite and quick. The dining room and restrooms were clean. The store had modern decor with an emphasis on wood. They're more than a bakery. They sell breakfast food, panini, sandwiches, salads, wraps, ice cream, bingsoo, boba tea, tea, and coffee drinks. Coffee fixings are limited to sugar, Splenda, Equal, half & half, and a flavored creamer. Nothing else. The store is stand-alone in a small shopping center with a free parking lot. They are located across the road from Tous les Jours, another Korean bakery. So, there's another nearby choice for Asian pastries. The prices are higher here for most items, so this is not the place for good value. Although most of the items we got were disappointing, we'd be willing to come back to try other things. read more

See all

Shilla has the worst boba you will find in northern Virginia if not the entire country. The boba balls are hard and undercooked inside, and sticky on the outside so they're all clumped together. The inside is so hard you can't even eat some of them. They're not in a circular shape they are all in different random shapes. this is the worst boba I've had ever. please do not come here or you'll waste your money. within the same plaza there is TeaDo and it is a thousand times better and even costs a little less and across the street is Ben Gong, which is much much better. Stay away from Shilla. Never coming here again. read more

See all

We regularly frequent this bakery for the pastries, which are always delicious. Today we got to try one of their new menu items called 'honeytoast'. Let me say that the presentation and aesthetics of this item are amazing; very IG-worthy. The flavors and contrasting textures of the ice cream, cream puffs, toasted bread combine to create an amazing dessert. I highly recommend this dessert to 2+ people that enjoy delicious and beautiful shareable desserts. read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - New Honeytoast! - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

See all

This place used to be pretty descent, but how terrible the taste and quality got is disrespectful. I am a fat boy and I know good quality from bad and this is just on a different level. Not that it's a big deal but presence of no Koreans in this establishment should've been a give away. I got the cheese tart and 찹쌀 donut. You can taste immediately the oil they use is extremely old and you can taste it in your first bite. Is it new ownership? You can tell the don't swap out or donate their product if it's not sold how a real Korean bakery is supposed to. I am worried as I am writing this my stomach will turn. Change your oil or sell your establishment. That's just greed selling crappy product to your customers. I will never ever come back to this establishment. I am sure people are going to get sick. Change your damn oil and swap out old products. If you don't believe me buy the exact same product from tous Le jous difference is night and day. I got the walnut pastry for my parents if it's baked in same oil it's all going to trash. Haven't been this upset in a while. Shame on you guys. Disgraceful. read more

See all

My son had their frozen yogurt this afternoon and experienced serious food poisoning later in the evening. He mentioned to a staff member that the yogurt tasted off, and she responded that it might be expired--then offered a refund. If they already knew the product was spoiled, why was it still being served? This is completely unacceptable!!! read more

Everything is good here, just don't the mango smoothie. It tastes extremely artificial. As a lover of all things mango I would highly advise against consuming Shilla's mango smoothie. That being said, the strawberry smoothie is excellent. It tastes like real strawberries. read more

I'm actually kind of surprised by the low reviews. It's a bakery that sells popular Korean pastries and from other Asian counties. What's not to love? I bought like three croissants with egg, cheese, and ham for breakfast. I also bought macaroons, some Japanese fish like pastries filled with custard cream, and what seems to be a chocolate Swiss roll. I ate everything like in 2 days. It was super busy like very very busy. There are so many options and even more options at the registers. There are a few tables, but I guess there are not enough, if it is extremely busy. I did like the bakery, 4 stars. read more

See all

My granddaughter asked for a mango cake for her birthday. I had no idea where to get one. I checked my local bakery and they no longer make mango cakes, so I did an online search and found Shilla, which is 35 miles away from me, and I placed an online order because that is what baby girl wanted. Although the reviews were decent, I had no idea what to expect. When I pulled up to the bakery on Saturday morning, the smell of fresh bread greeted me in the parking lot, but I was skeptical because it wasn't crowded. Once I entered and saw the vast array of fresh breads, other products, and the staff working in the kitchen, I was impressed. The cake was just as pretty as the one online. My granddaughter was so excited to see her cake and was pleased with how it looked. The Mango Cream Cake exceeded our expectations. It was light, the mango flavor was not overpowering, the fruit was tasty, and the cream icing was perfect, not super sweet like buttercream. The bonus surprise was they included candles and a plastic cake knife. Shilla has a new customer in me. read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Mango Cream Cake - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

Though we miss the days of all the yummy free samples gracing the shelves at Shilla, it is still a family favorite.  We enjoy the slices of roll cakes, especially the mango as well as the Nutella donuts.  All the castellas are tasty and nothing is more adorable than their animal cakes.  Another treat we enjoy is the green tea ice cream with frosted flakes.  Don't knock it till you try it.  The sweet crunchy addition is great.  Shilla has comfortable seating and plenty of parking, especially behind the store. read more

See all

Recommended to me by a friend for a family member's birthday. I've not a big fan of cakes.....more of a savory person. But everyone needs a birthday cake! It was easy for me to order online and the cake was light and fluffy yet flavorful. These cakes are known for their their light and airy taste without being overly sweet and rich. read more

My gf and I have consistently come here as regulars, and this bakery has what others don't. There's a much more calm and relaxed environment here, and they're never short of some of the best cakes and treats in the area. I always get the black milk latte, it is my version of heaven on earth, and no other bakery makes these. My gf loves the bright and spicy ginger tea, and it's always made perfectly here. They get busy, and with good reason, the quality of their baked goods is consistent and delicious. The mocha cookies, the croissants and the yummy cakes will have you coming back for more read more

Before I go on with this review, let me be clear. I have been going here for years and the food is delicious and it has never disappointed me. But a recent experience has disappointed me. I've been trying to order a cake last week for a birthday girl who is in love with the strawberry shortcake, and I've been told on several occasions to call at certain times but due to my hectic schedule, it's been difficult. Thursday I tried explaining this to the employees there and asked if they could write down the order and pass it along to the baker if they caught them. I doubled check: can I place the order of the phone? They said yes. Can I pay the day of pick up which was this past Saturday? They said that was fine. I doubled checked before placing the order. The gentleman took my order, repeated my order and my name and number. The day of getting the cake, they said they had no order no cake for me and I was distraught. I did explain to the birthday girl the situation who was upset, but tried being reasonable. We chose a different cake, which was vanilla buttercream and took it to the party. Appearance it looked delicious but it wasn't to her liking. I paid full price for the cake, they did not apologize for the miscommunication or offered any type of discount. I understand that these things do happen, but they have to have better attention to these things. Please have better communication with customers and staff with future orders because this stuff is important for future customers who want to try your cakes and other pastries. read more

Came here after dinner with some friends to stock up on pastries. Sadly, there weren't much variety available since we came during closing time, which was understandable. I just got some fish bread, which was super delicious. I would give this place at least a 4/5, but the cashier was kind of rude to me when I asked her a question about the pricing, so I am docking another point off. This place seems to have a wide variety of Castella cakes during the day, so I'm down to come back to check it out another time! read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Fish bread! - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

Very busy pastry shop and rightfully so consider their wide assortment of treats! If you want anything sweet, this is definitely your spot! I choose the feta egg white spinach wrap and though I was disappointed, I wouldn't rule them completely out. There was a sauce on it I wasn't expecting and their were a few pieces of egg shells in the sandwich. Things happen!! But I tried the strawberry boba tea which to my surprise was frozen. It was delicious nonetheless! I went on a Saturday and it seems like that is a very busy day. Service moves pretty quickly! Check It out for yourself!!! read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Feta egg white with spinach - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

such cozy vibes! i was surprised to see that they had dalgona cookies. it's a very small cafe, but they have good-sized tables for groups to sit. they open till 9, so it's not a bad place for dessert or 2cha read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - six jars of honey - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

I always go back to this Korean Bakery I love their pastry! It's fluffy creamy and just right sweetness! read more

Shilla Bakery & Cafe - Annandale - Bakeries Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

I love this bakery. They make delicious baked goods. I usually buy their roll cakes, anything with corn or melon, bubble teas, and donuts. I've never been disappointed with them. They also make dalgona, those candies you see in the Netflix show "Squid Games". I've ordered a few of them for myself and friends. Those were okay. The only things I didn't like were one of their cartoon-ish cakes and their service a few of the times I went. The cake's icing did not taste good to me. It had a weird taste I'm not used to. It's not typical icing/fondant. The service is usually decent, but I can count on one hand the number of times the customer service could have been warmer. Regardless, their food is what keeps me coming back. They're one of my favorite bakeries in this area. read more

See all