As a San Francisco Bay Area foodie who recently relocated to Charlotte, I keep a running list of bakeries to explore--especially anywhere that might carry a proper kouign-amann (that glorious Breton pastry that is basically my kryptonite). That search led me to Vicente in South End, and I'm happy to say it absolutely earned its spot on my list. The kouign-amann here was slightly lighter and a bit less dense and buttery than the ones I remember from the Bay Area, but it still hit all the right notes--caramelized edges, flaky layers, and just enough indulgence to satisfy the craving. When you find one in Charlotte, you take note. I also ordered a frangipane (marzipan) croissant, which is always one of my go-to pastries when it's done well. This one delivered--rich, nutty, and comforting without being overly sweet. I'm not much of a chocolate pastry person, so I tend to gravitate toward custard- or almond-filled items, and this bakery clearly understands how to execute those classics. The space itself is beautiful--clean glass storefront, modern aesthetic, and a welcoming feel from the moment you walk in. It's attached to a large apartment complex with underground parking, which makes it surprisingly easy to access. Very walkable, very convenient, and refreshingly low-stress compared to some of the trendier spots. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the prices felt reasonable for the quality. One small wish: I'd love to see a late-day pastry special or a loyalty program. I'm the kind of regular who will absolutely show up more often if there's an incentive--and let's be honest, pastries are hard to resist when there's a little nudge. I'll definitely be back, especially if they start experimenting with more creative flavors. A kouign-amann with poached fruit--nectarine, mango, or passionfruit--would have me running back through the door. And candidly, I'm grateful Charlotte's pastry scene is still growing. It means there's room for bakeries like this to shine and keep raising the bar. As someone who loves good food, I'm always rooting for local bakers and artisans to succeed. Bottom line: A beautiful neighborhood bakery with solid execution, friendly service, and a kouign-amann worth the trip. I'll be back--and I'm keeping an eye on that pastry case. read more

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Vicente is GOATed. I go there almost every Saturday for amazing pastries and breakfast sandwiches. I'm hesitant to leave a review because I don't want the line to get any longer. No better way to kick off your day than with a stop here. You are immediately hit with a heavenly aroma the second you walk in the door! read more

What a nice little spot!! Definitely not a hidden gem by any means, and the lines are often out the door, but it moved pretty quickly. The breakfast sandwich was piping hot, fresh from the oven/stove, and MASSIVE. The croissant, egg, bacon, and sauce were all perfect honestly- one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've had in Charlotte. The pistachio croissant was also pretty good, but a bit stiff. I went at 10am but maybe if I go back earlier in the morning the pastries will be fresher. The seating inside is limited, but there are some outdoor spots too. Cost was quite steep, at $40 for the croissant, breakfast sandwich, and two lattes. read more

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Our first visit to Vicente prior to daughters tennis match. We didn't check the closing time but we arrived in enough time to get some of their bake goods and a latte. My daughter said their artisan croissants are as delicious as the ones we had in Paris. To our surprise as we placed our last order they gifted us a croissant which later on after the match she couldn't wait to have another bite. We will come back to try more things in the menu. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

Vicente - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Went here after searching on Yelp for bakeries in Charlotte. WOW is all I can say. The smell when you open the door is insane. Service was attentive and quick. From the coffees to the baked goods, no words. The croissants were the best croissants I've ever had in my life. If you are in the area do yourself a favor and check them out. read more

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Yes, the best bakery in Charlotte; no need to fly to Paris for a croissant when you have these buttery & delicious pastry locally. I visited Charleston for 5 days & visited Vicente twice. This is a reason to fly back to Charlotte from Las Vegas!! read more

Vicente - Owner in the background with his masterpiece pastries - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Cinnamon rolls for Mother's Day!!! Heavenly! Absolute best bakery in the area and definitely the best cinnamon rolls we've had. It's true they sell out early but it's absolutely worth it to get in early! read more

Vicente - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Wow wow wow amazinggg!! I don't even know what else to say! I got a breakfast croissant- it was so flaky, wasn't hard, and was huge for the price! What a great bang for your buck! There was a pretty long line but was worth it especially when you bite into the croissant. I would go early as they run out of pastries pretty fast and once it's gone you won't get it until the following day! Parking can be a struggle so I would recommend you park in the stable hand parking lot and walk over- it's about a block away! read more

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We visited Vicente on a Sunday morning for breakfast. I didn't get to try a lot of stuff since we got there pretty late, but what I tried they excelled at. I got a dulce de leche croissant which took me right back to street vendors in Cuzco, Peru, but with more impressive lamination. We also got a cheesecake which was delicious. I can see why people love this place! read more

Vicente - Dulce de leche croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Great pastries, unique and worth the early morning wake up to get in line- handmade, beautifully crafted and delicious

The best pastry shop for a consistent supply and beautiful variety of croissants in Charlotte! I love their spinach feta croissant! Order it heated up as its crust is extra flakey and enjoyable to eat when hot. read more

Vicente - Spinach and Feta Danish - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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South end French Bakery. This is one of the best French bakeries in the city lord everything looked AMAZING! I wanted to buy it all but had to stop my self ! The inside was nice and cozy grab a quick pastry, breakfast sandwich, coffee. It's great, some of the employees do speak Spanish for everyone that's interested. Definitely give them a try you won't regret it I mean look at the pictures they speak for there self. read more

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Hubby saw them on TT and we had to add this to our Saturday morning. When you walk in there is a counter with a half-glass wall with lots of treats behind it. We got in line and someone quickly started bagging our items. You choose your items and pay at that glass counter. They did have another side with coffee orders. We got a Classic Croissant, a Dulce De Leche and Crownie (recommended by an employee). We thought they would've warmed them up but they didn't. Our favorite was absolutely the Dulce De Leche. It has great texture and flavor. The croissant also had a good texture and flakiness. Hubby wants to try their breakfast sandwiches next time. Lastly, the Crownie wasn't our favorite; the thick brownie inside the croissant would've been better warmed. 6/21 read more

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Absolutely my favorite spot in Charlotte. This family owned, small local business lives up to the hype and deserves all the love it gets.

The concept is really cute, my only issue is the fact that because it's an open air bakery, I saw a few flies and gnats on the pastries. The service wasn't stellar or particularly friendly, they were fast and the pastry is really good, I would give it another try. Bottom line- $6-10 for a pastry is a little pricey but if you are okay with that price point, by all means, give it a try. read more

Vicente - Berry Crumble - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Vicente has easily become my new favorite bakery in Charlotte! It is a fast casual spot with a variety of bakery items, sandwiches, and coffee selections. I have loved every item I've tried here including the spinach and feta pastry, tomato and goat cheese pastry, and of course, the chocolate croissant. All of their baked goods are decently large with a crunchy/flaky texture. Vicente is in walking distance to many other South End favorites and is easily accessible from the light rail. There are only a few tables inside so I'd recommend taking some bakery items and a coffee to go. The staff is great and very helpful with sharing their fav items as well! 10/10 recommend! read more

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Croissant was buttery, flaky and yummy. We arrived at the establishment late, almost their closing time. So I don't expect them to have everything. Beside whatever they had left were all delicious read more

Vicente - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Everything is delicious! Service is friendly. Environment is nice- I like high ceiling. read more

Vicente - Oh my. So good! - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Vivacious atmosphere & courteous wait staff. Order was correct & prepared sooner than expected. The apple pecan croissant & spinach/bacon quiche were most palatable. The quiche was some of the best I've ever had. The crust was flaky, but not too doughy. The combination of cheeses gave off an appetizing yet enticing aroma. The ingredients were ample with nice density. It was absolutely perfect! 10 out of 10. The apple pecan croissant was scrumptious once bitten into. The blueberry crumble had a strudel like consistency. Although appears as it'd be hard and crusty, it's actually the opposite, delicate and flaky. Truly an artisan type of pastry. read more

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I did not know somewhere so delicious existed in Charlotte. Wow! Vicente's is a fast-casual bakery and coffee shop. Food: Pastries are A+ and quiche is also delicious when they have it. The menu is a little different every day, but there seem to be a few recurring items. I'm obsessed with their Kouign Aman (sp?). Honestly, though, everything they make is amazing. Some items run out, so if you're particular, go early. Logistics: There is a parking garage right next to the shop, and just be careful the specific space is not reserved. The inside of Vicente is pretty small. I don't remember exactly but there are ~4 tables in there, so don't bank on dining-in. There are 2 separate lines for drinks and food, and you cannot order them together from the other line. They do offer online order-ahead, but there is no designated pickup line, so I ended up waiting in the same line for pickup as ordering. read more

Vicente - 1.Cherry crumble, 2.Kouign Aman, 3.Almond Croissant, 4.Ham & Cheese, 5.Hazelnut Cruffin, 6.Spinach Ricotta, 7.Tomato goat Cheese - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This spot opened shortly after we moved from Charlotte. After watching all of my friends rave about it, I knew I needed to try it when my husband I came back to visit. We had such a hard time deciding what to get. We ended up getting a breakfast sandwich, three savory croissants, and three sweet croissants. It was way too much food for two people, but it was all fantastic. Whatever you get, you can't go wrong here. read more

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Run.... Do not walk. This place is worth the wait if you see a line out the door. They are a beautifully run operation and holy cow are those pastries beauties. But no worries, they're not just beautiful, the quality and deliciousness is there! We've all had those pretty baked goods that lack taste or "oomph" but this is NOT that place. They have samples out occasionally and those alone are worth visiting. We wish we went sooner. The croissants are flakey, fresh and well stuffed (if that's what you ordered) the croissant crumbles are so good - the spinach and feta is probably the best I've ever tasted. Pumpkin anything is top-notch..... you get my drift, this place makes adults feel like they've entered their childhood candy shop. No one has a scowl on their face because they know they're about to be in food heaven for at least a few moments. The staff are friendly and attentive and the coffee being tasty is icing on the cake! read more

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Vicente is by far my favorite food establishment in Charlotte. My husband and I go there almost every week and we are people who typically like to try new places instead of always going to the same places. Vicente's pastries are the best I've had in the country!! I'd say these rival the croissants I've had in France, but what I especially love is the international flare of Vicente's pastries. Vicente's genius pastry chef/owner is always coming up with new products/flavors and they never miss the mark! Every product I've tried from the croissants to the cakes, tarts, breakfast sandwiches and lattes consistently exceed my expectations. The staff are so friendly and I love how they make an effort to remember their customers. The texture of Vicente's pastries are perfection. The croissants have just the right amount of sweetness and moistness inside with an incredibly light, flaky and crisp exterior. Their desserts in general are not too sweet, which if you are an Asian like me you know that is the highest form of praise for a dessert. Vicente has become very popular very quickly (for good reason) so get there early if you'd like to see their full selection of baked good, but you can't go wrong with any of them. There's truly no better bakery in Charlotte, so if you have not tried it yet, you are missing out! Some of my favs: Cheddar chili monkey bread, pistachio croissant, any cruffin, cheesecake, breakfast sandwich made with a croissant, and cardamom bun. read more

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Looked forward to trying this highly recommended location and it did NOT disappoint! Super fast service, fabulous pastry and coffee. Only recommendation, a simpler WiFi password :) read more

This bakery was a small industrial space. You could eat in and there were restrooms, but clearly the focus was on the baking (as well it should be). Though I came towards the end of their hours, they still had a decent selection, certainly more scrumptious-looking items than I needed. They do have non-dairy milks but it wasn't the kind of place for special requests it seemed. They also had a menu of breakfast sandwiches that was only offered in the morning. The Boston Cream Pie, which was really a flavor combination delivered as a cake and not a pie, was quite pure and enjoyable. My matcha provided a usefully bitter contrast. It was a bit on the pricey side, but if I'd had room they had a savory mushroom pastry that looked mouthwatering as well. read more

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The line was long when we got there at 10:30am. We ordered several of their pastries and savory beef empanada. They were all sumptuous and will be back again soon read more

Been hearing people rave about Vicente and finally tried it out on a Saturday morning. It did NOT disappoint! The breakfast sandwich on a croissant was incredible. Truly the best croissant I've had !! Would recommend getting there early as lines get long, but it is definitely worth the wait regardless. Cannot wait to come back and try more! read more

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I've been wanting to try this place out for quite some time, and I'm glad I did. It's a very small space, with just a few seating options if you decide to eat in. But it is very clean and minimalistic. The menus are short and simple. They have quite a few options for coffee, and you can watch them make your coffee, I did not order anything to drink, so I can't speak on that. I was greeted immediately and got my son and I a bacon egg and cheese crossaint sandwich. Honestly, we could have just split one. They were pretty big. 10/10 - The breafast sandwich was so good, fresh, hot, and tasty. Perfect crunch from the flaky crossaint, the cheese was melted, and the bacon was cooked perfectly. So good! I also got a blueberry Danish, a Dulce de Leche crossaint, and I asked about the strawberry shortcake crossaint, but decided not to get it. However, when I mentioned we just celebrated my sons birthday, the gentleman gave us the strawberry shortcake crossaint for free and included a little candle, which was really nice of him. It's little gestures like that that'll keep me coming back. My total came up to about 30+ so not cheap at all, but a nice treat! Easy parking, clean establishment, friendly staff, and yummy pastries. I'll def be back when in the area! read more

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Great service from behind the counter. We ordered a breakfast sandwich and two empanadas (one chicken, one beef). The bacon/egg/cheese croissant sandwich was huge and delicious!. The empanadas were fantastic. The empanada fillings were exceptionally flavorful with the appropriate amount of filling to pastry ratio.The empanada pastry was essentially croissant pastry which elevated the experience. I was so impressed with the empanadas, I returned back to the store to meet the chef who prepared them and gave her my personal complements. As a native Colombian/Dominican I have had my fair share of empanadas in my life, and these were the best.......ever! read more

Just discovered this spot and it's artisanal baked goods -check out the layering in the dough of your croissant ! read more

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The pastries are overall delicious!! The spinach feta is my favorite, the layering is unreal and it's packed with enough spinach/feta mixture to cover every bite!! 2 downfalls of this spot... they are often out of a lot of stock and will close up early. They have been in business for a while now, so would hope they would have gotten that figured out. My biggest gripe, the ham and cheese croissant. The layering and dough itself is great, the amount of ham in the croissant is laughable. It's the smallest bit possible and you may get 2 small bites out of the very large pastry that actually have ham in it. This is my favorite style of croissant, and it's disappointing here every time. Spinach and feta, I come here. Ham and cheese, I go to Copain (they actually use prosciutto at Copain, even better!) read more

Vicente - Spinach & Feta - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This is one of my favorite spots for pastries in Charlotte! Their croissants are next level and the best you'll find in town. I love all of the unique flavor combinations they have as well. There can be a line, especially on the weekends, but it always moves quickly and they're restocking items throughout the day as they tend to sell out. read more

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Stopped in and ordered the ham and cheese croissant along with a dulce de leche latte. The croissant alone was bomb. As a sandwich, it was good overall, but I do wish it had a bit more ham. The latte was okay--not bad, just didn't blow me away. They had a bunch of other croissant options that looked really good, so I'd definitely come back to try more. Solid spot with good vibes and fresh pastries! read more

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I'm definitely in love with Vincente. Their breakfast sandwiches are awesome. I have brought about 4/5 of them for my friends to try. But I have to admit. It is frustrating to try to order in advance. Such as 15 to 20 mins in advance. Paid for it. And when you get there for pickup, Half of your order have been refunded because they ran out. Honestly I haven't been able to try much since they're alway sold out a lot of times that I have been there. But it's a must try bakery when you're in the area around 8am and want to try great goodies. read more

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Without a doubt, best bakery in Charlotte. Their pastries are to die for, I have to limit myself to just one trip per week otherwise I'd be there everyday!! I love their savory pastries with goat cheese and tomato, as well as their sweet ones (chocolate croissant, monkey bread, almond croissant are some of my favorites). Their coffee is great too, I always get a cold brew with Dulce de leche syrup or a cortado! The staff is always very quick to greet you and helps me narrow down my choices when I can't decide (which is often). There are some tables inside and outside on their patio, and you can see right into their bakery which is always fun when they're making something fresh. Go early because they sell only until they're sold out for the day, which can be quick! read more

Vicente - Fresh pastry display - Bakeries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Incredible. I had the cinnamon roll and the cruffin and they both were absolute perfection. The staff was great too. Breakfast stops at 11 so we didn't get to try the breakfast sandwich but will definitely be back. read more

Craving a croissant? Vicente is the best I've had in CLT! I came in around 7:45am on a Thursday, and it wasn't busy at all. I've heard they can run out of their more popular items, so definitely recommend coming early on a weekday for your choice of their delish offerings. I was greeted warmly, perused the pastry counter, and order with the nice staff member there. To drink, I got a dulce de leche latte, which was comforting and well-balanced. The feta & spinach pastry is an incredible, savory option. Perfectly flaky with a great amount of filling. Absolutely loved it and highly recommend. My favorite sweet pastry was definitely the chocolate chip cookie croissant. The buttery, flaky croissant is filled with cookie dough and topped with a baked cookie and powdered sugar. Textures like woah!! It's so unique, rich, and indulgent. I was only able to eat about half in one go, which means a great snack for later! I also got an almond croissant, which had lots of almond paste filling. The monkey bread was very buttery and sticky with nuts on top. This was my least favorite of the bunch since it was simpler than the others, but it was still made very well. The space has lots of natural light and some seating options. Parking was available at visitor spots in the garage right next door. I'll definitely be waking up early on a weekday to come back and try more! read more

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I passed by Vicente and was intrigued by the sign and decided to stop in on a whim. Oh I am so glad I did! It was just after noon and there weren't many goodies left -- just some financiers, cookies, and a few other items. I didn't know if it was worth getting anything since they were out of all my go-tos, but decided to get a chocolate chunk cookie ($4). I not expect much, but WOW it was one of the best cookies I've ever had...cripsy on the outside, soft on the inside, a perfect blend of chocolate, and just the right amount of sea salt. I have been talking about the cookie nonstop since my first bite. Next time I'm in Charlotte, I am coming straight here & can't wait to get more cookies and to try other items as well! read more

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This one of the best spot for bakery items, menu changes weekly, owner on site, and you can see them actually make everything. Always a line but it's much deserved. read more

I was spoiled with an abundance of French bakeries where I moved from and was disappointed with Charlotte's offerings until I found this place. Their croissants are the perfect combination of flaky and buttery. Their breakfast sandwiches are also delicious; we usually get the egg, bacon and dijonnaise sauce on focaccia. Look forward to trying everything else they have. read more

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