02/02/09

wow

by daquietmofo

they have THE BEST croissants EVER. the outside i think they glaze it a little so its really crisp, and once you bite in its moist and chewy on the inside with the classic croissant flavor... but theres something else there... have to try it to know. also bought a bunch of other stuff from here. we're from out of town so we just blindly picked anythign that looked good... and we were not disappointed. one of our other favorites was this sweet onion pastry... sorry dont know the name... but it was to die for. if i was a millionaire... i would come to seattle often JUST FOR THE CROISSANTS!!

• Pros: croissants

11/26/08

OMG The best pastries I have ever eaten.

by pinciocity

I have no idea what kind of magic they put into the food here but EVRYTHING is amazing, including the coffee. You will wait in line (that is the only draw back) but there is a reason 20 people wait in line for pastries.

05/21/08

the Best French Pastries EVER!

by mountbaker

Look no more if you dig french pastries! I feel like I've died and gone to Heaven after having breakfast here! The pastries are so light and minimally sweet I feel like I'm floating on air. The coffee's ok, but definately check this place out for the best french treats I've EVER tried this side of the world!!! Great job, Cafe Besalu! I"m forever yours!!!

07/08/07

Believe the Hype!

by rgeorgi

Every reviewer but a few grudge-bearers have given this five stars; believe the hype! This is the Emerald City's best place for a breakfast sweet with coffee, bar none. The first thing you'll notice on a morning visit is the constant bustle behind the cheery counter help. The display case is constantly being replenished with small, fresh-from-the-oven batches. As for their pastries, their puffed pastries (croissants, etc) have the best flaky consistency in town and the Pain au Chocolat has just the right amount of chocolate. As others have mentioned, the Danishes and Ginger Biscuit are wonderful; we'd mention more but we just haven't tried everything yet (it's a one-piece, once a week treat for us, keeps it special!) Finally, the ambiance is unassuming and cheery, and our usual Sunday barista is surreally friendly; it really is the ideal neighborhood bakery.

• Pros: Freshest In Town, Good Coffee, Friendly Service
• Cons: Small Seating Area, Parking may be a block or more (walk it off, fatty!)

07/07/07

Fantastic crossaints

by franciscomontalvo

The food is fantastic.

My personal favorites are almond schneckens, strawberry crossaints and ham/cheese crossaints. Also noteworthy are the checkered shortbread cookies.

I also found their coffee beverages to be very good. Their standard coffee is above average and their espresso drinks are fantastic - I recommend the capuccino.

Parking can be a challenge at certain times but there is enough residential parking in Ballard that you can get within 200 yards at any time.

• Pros: Superb quality pastries for $2-$4 each
• Cons: Small indoor seating area

06/20/07

You won't go anywhere else after this

by allilang

Cafe Besalu offers the freshest and most tastiest breakfast treats. My family and I enjoy the plain croissants with their homemade jam. Sometimes they run out of them later in the morning because of their popularity. The croissants are very flakey and delicious. I can't have croissants anywhere else because I've been spoiled by these.

The baristas are very nice and friendly. If you go on a weekend--expect to a long line. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and during some long weekends.

• Pros: Croissants, pain au chocolat, chai
• Cons: Open every day! Need another bakery!

06/18/07

Best pastries and best staff!!

by littlerabbit

I live right around the corner from Besalu (which, I think, increases the value of my apartment immensely!) It is my favorite place, both for pastries and for coffee. Delicious espresso and the most amazing pastries (danishes to die for, brilliant ginger biscuits, crumbly and buttery croissants.) And, the staff are some of the nicest people; they are incredibly patient with EVERYONE who comes in the door (and loyal to loyal customers too.) Though Besalu has been "discovered" and is difficult on weekends, think of how much patience and skill it takes to deal with groggy patrons and turn out delicious, home made pastries fast enough for the hungry kids who flock to this place! The Besalu staff (and the husband and wife team who make the pastries) are amazing!!!

• Pros: Best pastries this side of the Seine; patient, kind service
• Cons: None (except for people who reserve seats before they've ordered on the weekends!)

06/07/07

Absolutely delightful!!

by yakiya_no_yatchan

What delightful food!! When I arrived at the place, there already was a 5-person-line at the counter. So I got to have enough time to difficult decision, i.e. what to order. Given the place was fully seated (It is a small place), I ordered to go Strawberry Danish, which was just brought out to the case and my favorite, and Quiche Lorraine, which many of the other patrons seemed had been enjoying). I brought them home and had them with my home brewed mediocre cup of coffee. What delight, the food was!! The Danish was warm, the sweetness of strawberry was just right, and crust crispy & flaky. As I sink my teeth into it, I hear the light crumpling sound of the crust and felt the perfect resistance on my teeth. 4 minutes of bliss. Then, I moved onto Quiche. Another delight!! The flavor of the bacon perfectly matched scallion. I only regretted getting just one of each.

03/03/07

Excellent pastries

by dodgethis

Went to Cafe Besalu to pick up coffee and pastries to go. The line was out the door on a Saturday morning at 9AM. Took about 10 minutes to make it to the front, which was a bit annoying because it seemed like no one knew what they wanted when they were up to order.

The pain au chocolat was the best I've had outside of Paris. Warm, buttery, flakey with slightly melted cholocate and a melt in your mouth consistancy with every bite. A bit on the smaller side for the slightly inflated price. I also tried a ham and swiss pastry which had a great texture with just the right amount of topping. The price was reasonable. The drip coffee was standard and nothing special.

The store front was very loud and had a cramped feeling with all the people standing in the center erratically waiting in line. Trying to find a place to sit here on a crowded weekend morning seems like a heroic task. The staff was appropriate and courteous.

• Pros: Delicious sweet and savory pastries rival even those in France; courteous service
• Cons: A bit over-priced for some items; relatively long wait and very cramped when busy; street parking only

09/02/06

YOU MUST GO!

by sconey_mccheese

i have read the reviews of Cafe Besalu and was sort of weary to go ..... WHY did i wait so long?!? this is one of the best bakeries i have ever been to! if you are looking for a PERFECT CROISSANT, or a delicious ginger biscuit... GO TO BESALU! the ginger biscuits make me want to have a child so i can pack a lunch and include one. ..

the mochas are fabulous, but the HAM and swiss pastries are my favorite savory item.! i cant wait to make the trip from renton to ballard again!!!!!!!

this is one talented baker.

• Pros: food, atmosphere, reasonably priced.
• Cons: parking