Tartine Bakery

05/19/09

YUM

by ChrissieZ at Citysearch

I stumbled upon this bakery whilst holidaying in San Fran and was in heaven. The range of gourmet sandwiches, pastries and desserts. The cinnamon scrolls here were divine. However the service was really poor and not the usual friendly US service found every where else.

• Pros: The cinnammon scrolls
• Cons: The wait and service

03/03/09

burned croissant

by lulumo123 at Citysearch

I have been now to Tartine about 5 times. I am now hesitant to return. The almost $ 4 croissant with almond today was definitely burned and hard, the expensive croque monsieur really nothing special. Tartine is definitely overpriced and overall the experience not worth the money and time. I had very good morning buns there so I will go back to purchase them to go on occasion.

• Pros: Morning Buns
• Cons: Price, sitting, service

12/05/08

Delicious pastries, croque-monsieur, bread pudding

by Vicente at Citysearch

This is my favorite pastries place ever ... I recommend the bread pudding (I'm not a bread pudding person), croques and the almond croissant ....

• Pros: Best pastries, croissants, croques
• Cons: Hard to park, small place sometimes there is a line

11/18/08

Best Bakery in SF

by js1 at Citysearch

This is a great brunch spot. I especially like the goat cheese sandwich, which is enough to feed two people.

• Pros: baked anything, sandwiches
• Cons: long lines

09/23/08

What's this all about?

by methila at Citysearch

I've been to Tartine a few times and every time i go i want to try to understand what the fuss is all about. The long lines, the stuffy air inside, the idiotic method of serving customers by one person and then paying someone else, and of course last but not least the quality of their food. The tarts and cakes are way overpriced, and not half as delicious as they should be. In fact, I think it is one of the worst places for desserts. I have been to France many times, and this does not compare to the quality you get there in the least. Their Scharffenberg chocolate cake tasted of fish?!? Absolute waste of money or calories.

03/22/08

Delicious food, go early!

by foodielover at Citysearch

Finally got here early enough to find parking (9am) and walked 1 blk, lo & behold - no lines and an open table to boot. After purchasing a plain croissant (very crispy outside, flaky, moist inside), a chocolate croissant (it was ok), a cheese filled puff ball (delicious), a latte and regular coffee (free refills, self-serve), it came to a sticker shocking $16. A sm 4 in hazel nut tart costs $6. They have a sign stipulating that they've had to raise their prices by 30% in the past yr due to incurred costs. Can't see that regular folks in the neighborhood can afford to eat like this weekly, much less daily. Previous reviewers raved about the lemon curd bar. I thought it was way too tart & tasted as if made from bottled lemon juice. Should've listened to my spouse who told me not to buy it because my home made lemon bars taste better than this and I use fresh lemon juice. The cakes look delicious - coconut passion, chocolate, etc, in the display case. We bought 3 eclairs, a sm tart, lemon bar, 1 plain & 2 choc croissants to go & it came to $34 (that's almost $5 a piece). So, bring a lot of dough if you're paying by cash. The baked products are good, but prices are more reasonable at Noe Valley Bakery.

• Pros: Delicious baked good, good coffee
• Cons: More expensive than most bakeries, parking difficult, long lines

02/17/08

Not at all pretentious - marvelous lemon meringue cake

by KristinRozsa at Citysearch

Visiting Tartine for the first time, one would expect this well-known bakery to be quite easy to find when passing by. However, this isn't the case. When you "find" Tartine, you feel as iff you have found a treasure. The line may be long (at times), but the counter staff is well trained and keeps the line going at a quick, but not at all rushed pace. If you see a line, don't let that frighten you. It is well worth the short wait. Tartine has the most beautiful lemon meringue cake I have ever experienced. The four layers of cake are are very moist and the lemon curd filling has just the right amount of tartness. The meringue work is a delicious and rustic piece of work; it is pertectly browned and not overly sweet or dry. Besides the cake, we also had a buttermilk scone and a mozzarella tappenade pressed sandwich. All of which where wonderful. As a professional baker, I highly recommend Tartine.

• Pros: No complaints here - friendly service and marvelous food.
• Cons: Large tables are meant to be shared - some people don't "get it"

01/11/08

Great coffee shop

by johny_c at Citysearch

Everything is great except that it gets really busy sometimes. I guess you gotta do some work to get your treats.

• Cons: long lines

07/03/07

Great neighborhood cafe and bakery

by teekhe at Citysearch

We went for a late breakfast on a weekday and the line was around the corner. The selection of choices is limited, but excellent. Best cappuchino I've had in a while. The Brioche Bread Pudding and their croissants are to die for. This place is very popular and it's not always easy to get a seat. It is certainly not good for large groups due to this constraint. The service is efficient but friendly. If you have a question, they will answer it unlike some other places in town.

• Pros: Great pastries, excellent coffee
• Cons: Can be hard to get seating

06/23/07

Best Everything

by colerose2007 at Citysearch

It amazes me that Tartine gets any bad reviews. I have been going there for over 2 years and never had a complaint. Yes, the line is long sometimes but its worth it. The set up isn't confusing if you have a brain that works and the service is great in my opinion.

• Pros: food, service, coffee
• Cons: parking