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Cafe Besalu

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5909 24th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107

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(206) 789-1463
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Cafe Besalu - Seattle, WA
Cafe Besalu - Seattle, WA
Cafe Besalu - Seattle, WA
Cafe Besalu - Seattle, WA
Cafe Besalu - Seattle, WA
Cafe Besalu - Seattle, WA
Cafe Besalu - Seattle, WA
Cafe Besalu - Seattle, WA
Reviews
( 41 )
( 7 )
( 0 )
( 0 )
( 4 )

Best
Yum

Love their Pain au chocolate and fruity pastries.

Worst

This morning I went and ordered an americano and a pastry ($6). Normally this buys you the food and drink AND a place to relax or read or work or whatever. I brought my laptop. ...

wow 2/2/2009

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 more
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OMG The best pastries I have ever eaten. 11/26/2008

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. more
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the Best French Pastries EVER! 5/21/2008

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!!! more
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Believe the Hype! 7/8/2007

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!) more
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Fantastic crossaints 7/6/2007

The food is fantastic. Pros: Superb quality pastries for $2-$4 each Cons: Small indoor seating area more
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You won't go anywhere else after this 6/20/2007

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. Pros: Croissants, pain au chocolat, chai Cons: Open every day! Need another bakery! more
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Best pastries and best staff!! 6/18/2007

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!) more
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Absolutely delightful!! 6/7/2007

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. more
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Excellent pastries 3/3/2007

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. 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 more
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YOU MUST GO! 9/1/2006

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. .. Pros: food, atmosphere, reasonably priced. Cons: parking more
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No Laptops here, please. 8/30/2006

I agree about the laptops. There are plenty of bigger coffee shops around who want laptop users: Java Bean, Caffe Fiore, Herkimer's. Besalu is not big enough for every customer to hang out for an hour hogging the table. The only problem with Besalu is everyone knows about it now and the lines are incredible. I've never seen children and babies anything but fully welcomed. Sometimes if babies are crying the parents, who are doing their best to survive, don't realize how it's affecting others. Usually Besalu is a nice lively mix of younger and older people from all neighborhoods. That one dude who got stared at probably didn't realize he had a large marmot on his head. Pros: All puff pastry made from scratch. Cons: Long lines unless you go before 8 or after noon (or on a week day). more
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Pain au chocolat from heaven 8/8/2006

I have been going to Besalu for the past six years. I have never once felt like the staff were inconsiderate or rude. The person who thinks that the food is QFC quality obviously has no taste whatsoever. Seriously - you're a moron. Do you know how long it takes to make an authentic croissant? DAYS! And you can't part with 2 bucks? I'm pleased that you're no longer coming because that will make the line that much shorter. Pros: Delectible pastries and strong coffee Cons: becoming so popular that the line can be out the door more
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Must Eat Here! 3/24/2006

Ever since I found the place I can't stay away. My favorites are Quiche Lorraine, Gruyere and onion torte, ginger bisquit... I also agree that the place is very welcoming to kids and the staff is friendly, always! My Saturday mornings ritual is a walk to Cafe Besalu, don't know what I would do without it! more
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Well worth the trek by bus (#18) from downtown! 3/21/2006

Cafe Besalu is an absolute gem. The pain au chocolat make life worth living. In fact, everything I have had from their bakery is delicious. I have never been disappointed. I go whenever I get the chance! My only complaint is that no business downtown sells such quality pastries! I'll pay any price for baked goods that taste high quality and homemade. But I can't find any downtown without going to a restaurant. Open a shop downtown, Please! :) Pros: GREAT pastries!, Not a long wait, Family owned feeling Cons: Close at 3pm, In Ballard :), Closed Mondays more
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THANK YOU for respecting others 3/17/2006

Cafe' Besalu is a wonderful cafe and bakery I wish were more common in Seattle. And if the staff do in fact make the very difficult decision to ask rude customers with screaming children to have some manners, be neighborly, and stop selfishly tyrannizing other patrons with their kids' bad behaviour, then I like the place even more. Hooray for a place that respects quiet conversation! Pros: pastries, ambience more
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Best Croissants Outside of Paris... 3/16/2006

The croissants and pastries are simply superlative, and I'd compare them favorably with any that I've had in Paris. The quiches are also good (although not always ready when we visit, which is usually early), and Lighthouse coffee is there to round-out a great coffee-and-pastry experience. more
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I love this place 2/9/2006

This place is Mecca for pastry lovers. I especially love the danishes. I've always found the service to be fantastic. I live nearby and have been there many, many of times, with my squirmy toddler (and earlier, when she was a SCREAMING BABY) -- nothing but smiles and helpfulness from the staff. The only downside is it's become so popular that the line sometimes goes out the door. I strongly disagree with the reviews that claim it's not a kid-friendly place. more
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From a regular: reviews unfair 12/15/2005

The pastries at Besalu are the best in Seattle and the chocolate croissant is the best I've ever had (incl. Paris, London, NY, SF). Given the craftmanship the food is a great value! There is no attitude. The staff are great. I'm shocked by the accusation that Besalu isn't kid-friendly. To the contrary it's full of kids and I often see the staff interact warmly with children and their parents. Once they made a special drink for my visiting nephew who has many allergies and can't eat much of what others enjoy. I have never seen anyone asked to leave (although sometimes I wish they would clear out those who camp out for long periods as seats are at a premium). I suspect the negative posts are from those who know that they were in the wrong and are mad that their lack of consideration was highlighted. Pros: Best pastries, Great espresso, Vibrant more
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Very accomodating to kids with allergies 12/15/2005

We were so impressed when we went there with our adult children and 2 grandchildren, one of whom has peanut and dairy allergies. They actually made hot chocolate for him with rice milk! What a treat for him to be able to order like anyone else! The owner and staff were all considerate and tried to make him feel included. more
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Not for the totally self-absorbed, no 11/22/2005

I was shocked to find snarky comments about my favorite coffee/pastry spot in Seattle. I have *never* seen the staff be rude to anyone. I have seen parents with young children spend a good long time enjoying themselves there. It is not an ideal place to settle with one's laptop because yes, it is small and it is a popular place to visit with friends. I have always felt welcome there, but then I also try to be aware of whether other people might want my table. I suggest that those who have felt unwelcome reconsider whether their own behaviors are to blame. The pastry at Besalu is always excellent and made fresh on the premises throughout the day. If you get there at the right time, your ham and swiss pastry or pain au chocolat will still be warm and melty. Pros: excellent baked goods, good coffee, nice people! Cons: short hours more
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Menu for Cafe Besalu


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Editorial

  • In Short
    North End residents, newspaper in hand, park themselves at this friendly bakery's shabby-chic assortment of tables on weekend mornings, taking in the aroma of fresh pastries and...

  • 7/20/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Payments: Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Ballard, Adams
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