Costeaux French Bakery & Cafe

Three surrounding tables came in after us, we’re served before us. Ran out of «normal» tea. Gave us another table’s bill… Not a good experience.

I love Costeaux. My favorite breakfast is… every one of their dishes! This is the best breakfast place in Healdsburg. I like to sit at the community table and people watch as the place is always hopping. My favorite dessert items are the Princess cake and the cookies. The Seppi family not only operates a great business but their commitment to the community of Healdsburg is unprecedented. Sometimes the noise can be too much inside so I’ll request a table on the patio.

Every year we return to Healdsburg and every year have at least one lunch here.
Their sport tea is good. All sandwiches are excellent. Service is usually attentive.
The pastry case is always a temptation.
If weather is good, eat outside.

Cutest bakery in Healdsburg. I ordered a sandwich and even though they were out of tomatoes (who runs out of those??) the sandwich was delicious– the sourdough bread makes it taste amazing. My only complaint is that they made it really thin– I ordered an avocado with Swiss cheese and they put only one slice of cheese and a small amount of Avocado. It would have been nice if they plumped it up a little more especially since they didn’t have tomatoes. Oh well– this is why I gave only three stars. not to mention the sandwich was not cheap. I think it’s way too much to pay that much if the sandwich isn’t worth the money, dessert was really good– I tried their Princess Cake and it was worth every calorie! So, at least that was a plus. So, the bread and the cake A-​ok!
Btw:
Update: when I ordered the sandwich, the person who took my order Specifically told me they were out of tomatoes– so, I think the management should tell their employees to let customers know that: «They only have tomatoes during those certain months.»

I was in town to do the Healdsburg Walking Tour. (Super fun, BTW) Saw the good reviews on Unilocal and decided on having breakfast there.
I got a café au lait… Felt so french ordering a coffee and milk. :) I also got a quiche with a side of fruit. Literally the best quiche I have ever had. It had bits of ham and veggies in it. So yum. My b/​f got a standard omelette dish that was also very good.
We left and headed on the tour… Guess where the first stop was? At Costeaux! Deservedly so as they had tons of other goodies to offer. We were given a delicious piece of lemon tart to jump start our palettes. We were later given some very delicious sourdough bread from here to help soak up the alcohol swirling around my belly. I am told the princess cake is very good and it’s every bit as pretty as it sounds. :)

Busy and crowded every time we walk by so we keep walking. When we have eaten here, food and service have been good.
***Not for people with gluten intolerance.

In writing this review, it is not in any relationship towards the food quality, it is for the service.
The food quality was a 3.5, it was good, but not the best.
My wife and I came here for breakfast, as we arrived, an elderly couple was sat at the table across from us. They ordered their food before us as well, two omelettes, and so do myself and my wife.
After about 20 minutes, our food arrived but their food still has not. We are now finishing up our food and recieved a check and they still have not recieved food or been acknowledged. The man at their table had to flag down a waiter and explain to them that they’ve been waiting for an hour for their food. I hope someone reads this review at the restaurant before they leave and their meal is comped.
You can get this quality of food from most diners, but, they have speedier and more attentive service.

My fiancé and I decided to come here for the first time the other day. We decided to get a couple sandwiches and take them to Lake Sonoma.
We arrived around 1pm on a Tuesday & there were a lot of empty tables. I was surprised by this because the square was packed and I had always heard great reviews about this place. The restaurant area is both indoor and outdoor and both areas are pretty large. There is a simplistic «French» vibe to the décor which is appealing. Off to the left is a long case of desserts with 2 cash registers on either side.
We walked over to the dessert case and started drooling over the gorgeous display. Several other people were standing here so we figured this was the line for take-​out. Their system is slightly unorganized especially if you’re first-​timers like we were. It would be helpful if they had a to-​go menu posted and some sort of signage guiding you through the order process.
We waited for awhile before we were helped, which was fine because we weren’t in a hurry, but if you are short on time I would suggest calling an order in. Angela greeted us warmly and gave us the «build-​your-​own» sandwich menu as well as the restaurant menu, by this time we had already looked online and knew what we wanted, so we ordered promptly.
We both built our own sandwiches. I ordered a veggie sandwich and he ordered a turkey sandwich. They were both $ 8 with kettle chips. Pretty steep for what they consisted of but comparable to other delis in the area. We also bought a package of focaccia bread for $ 4. We waited forever for the sandwiches to arrive. Angela went to the kitchen to check on the status and apologized for the delay. She also gave us two scrumptious chocolate cookies because the wait was so long. Great customer service Angela!
We got to our destination and unwrapped our sandwiches. They were decent but definitely not something we would come back for (we prefer Oliver’s Market or Mr. Pickles). The cookie was marvelous! It tasted like a moist brownie.
I would like to dine in and order off of the «real menu» next time. They have some pretty delicious looking items on the menu that we would like to try! Angela was the star of the show. She handled the situation with grace and was a genuinely kind person.

The food here is absolutely amazing and their breads are some of the best ever. Would definitely go back for the duck sandwich and french toast.

Took a trip to wine country with the family and had the bad luck to get a nasty head cold two days before we left. This meant I couldn’t taste wine or food. Finally on day three my nose cleared up and we had a lovely brunch at costeaux. We visited on a Sunday and it was a 30 minute wait. Not too bad considering the plethora of cute shops nearby to check out while you wait.
Once we got inside we found a bustling restaurant with the aroma of bread and pastries. I split an omelet and the french toast with my mama. The french toast was loaded with berries. It was sweet with a slight tart flavor. To be honest, I can’t remember much about the omelet other than I generally enjoyed it. The star of the meal was definitely the french toast. Service was friendly and quick. It was a perfect meal after nearly a week of not being able to taste anything.

The bread, oh my the bread! It greats you as you walk in the door. Irresistible!
During our trip to Healdsburg we had breakfast here twice and stopped in to take pastries to go. The figure 8 pastry half filled with cream filling was insanely delicious. I am dreaming of it as I type this. Why oh why does it have to be so far from my home? The quiche was also divine. Flaky, flaky crust!
Great breakfast place and also a great place to pick up pastries when you are in Healdsburg!

The food served and sold @ this bakery is outstanding — I make the journey twice a month to stock up and enjoy. But the service in the restaurant AND @ the bakery counter is positively confusing and deplorable.
Arrived @ 12:50 pm for lunch — immediately we were sat simultaneously with ⁶⁄₇ other tables — acknowledged by the sever @ 1:16 pm AND ordered immediately — 2 mimosas, eggs benedict, citrus salad and charcuterie platter — NEVER NEVER NEVER saw (or ever acknowledged by the server for the delay) until 1:55 pm AFTER all the other tables we sat with @ the same time received their food first. Most importantly, while eating our meal, we ordered 2 additional mimosas and were offered bread for the charcuterie plate 3 separate times — never happened.
Then on to the bakery to purchase a birthday cake $ 40 — «and would you please write happy birthday John» on the cake for me?”
«Oh — I’m sorry — the person who does the writing on the cakes is gone for the day.»
Mediocrity always wins.

Always great !
Been going here for 5 yrs now.
Food — 5 star
Service — 5 star
Love the grilled cheese and garden panini. Try their cinnamon walnut bread toast with butter — so yum!

My wife and I looked at their web site and saw one of their «Signature Specialty Breads» is a sourdough kalamata olive bread. We decided we would make a special trip to Healdsburg to get one of these loaves but we were quite disappointed when we got there and asked for one, that they didn’t have it. In fact, the clerk told us they made it for about 1 day. Hey folks, time to update your website rather than misleading people who drive about 20 miles out of their way just to get the loaf of bread you advertise on your website.
We decided to make the best of it, however, and purchased a challah and a sour french loaf. These breads were quite tasty and we enjoyed them, but frankly we wouldn’t go out of our way for them. We were going to stay for brunch/​lunch but the place was too packed and noisy for our liking so we opted to grab a bite elsewhere. It looked like people were enjoying themselves, though.

March 30, 2016 Wednesday — 8:15 AM for breakfast
4 adults
Atmosphere — 4 stars
Food — 5 stars
Service — 4 stars
Background — Time for breakfast.
Atmosphere — On the main street in Healdsburg. The inside has the feel of barn that has been upgrade. The bread slicing machine is a loud enough to be distracting.
Food
Drink –Mocha. There was a lot of chocolate on the bottom of the mug when I finished up.
Breakfast — We came in a couple days earlier for pastries. They had several loafs of cinnamon walnut bread. I looked at the menu when we were getting pastries and I found out they use the cinnamon walnut bread in their Pain Perdu, fancy term for French toast. It was little coated and moist inside. The fruit on top was perfect.
Service — Just there.
Future — I could see going there for breakfast again.

While visiting Healdsburg, there are three must do’s along with wine tasting. You must go to Bear Republic Brewery, followed by a visit to The Flying Goat coffee shop and last but not least a visit to Costeaux French bakery.
Costeaux bakery is located on healdsburg ave just off the square. They are open for breakfast and lunch. They cook and bake everything from scratch, from danishes, to cakes, pies, cookies, and croissants.
Costeaux has morphed from just a bakery, to a bakery restaurant now.
There is ample seating inside and a patio where you can sit outside. If it is cool there are heaters on the ceiling.
I ordered a latte with a slice of quiche.
Both were wonderful, full of flavor.
Costeaux was voted best independent bakery in California. There sour dough french bread is so light and full of that sour dough flavor, but with a crunchy crust.
If you want a taste of true Healdsburg,
Try Costeaux bakery.

This place has some pretty darn good food. I came here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch in party of 6. First off, the duck sandwich! I’m telling you, the duck sandwich is bomb. I got to sample that along with the Monte Cristo, Breakfast Croissant and Eggs Benedict special; but none of those compared to the duck sandwich. Everything else paled in comparison. Alrighty, enough about the duck sandwich.

Coming from SF, I’m all too accustomed to popular hipster brunch places where real food costs $ 15+ (unless you get the sad eggs/​toast/​bacon that «only» costs $ 10). Costeaux’s delicious, satisfying, and photogenic brunch is the perfect start of the day, especially since it has reasonable, non-​hipster-​brunch prices and will fill you up to fuel a long day of wine tasting and vineyard adventures.
Costeaux is the closest I’ve seen to an authentic French bakery café in California – La Boulange has European elements, but still feels (and tastes) gentrified… maybe that’s what Starbucks in France are like.
The ambiance at Costeaux is simple but elegant: a gable roof high ceiling with exposed wooden beams, plenty of natural light, and French paraphenelia like La Boulangerie in large cursive across a wall and Fleur de Lis flags. Each table is even adorned with fresh flowers. It’s these finishing touches in which Costeaux excels, perfecting the entire dining experience as a whole.
The bakery has an enticing selection of breads, pastries (dat morning bun…) and cakes, and there’s a large table of interesting (but overpriced) Healdsburg goods like an in-​house gift store. There’s so much stuff to look at that the boo and I took turns to walk around the bakery section while we were waiting for the food instead of talking to each other :3
The brunch menu is solid – all classics with no gimicks, because the classics are made so well there is no need for frill and flourishes. Voici notre noms:
(+++) Pain Perdu, $ 12: This French toast omg… 4 thick slices of cinnamon walnut bread with seasonal fruite compote and Vermont maple syrup. The bread itself was excellent with a generous amount of walnuts and an interesting ridged pattern (like paninis). The cinnamon addition and berry compote were on point.
(+++) Costeaux Omelet, $ 11: Omelettes are more or less similar, but it would not be inaccurate to say that the Costeaux Omelet was the best I’ve ever had. It had an airy texture, and each ingredient added a new dimension – savory applewood smoked bacon, earthy spinach, tart sun dried tomato, and creamy brie (in just the right amount, unlike most American omelettes that swim in cheese).
(+++) Costeaux Bread Basket (came with the omelette): We were stuffed from just the entrees and took this to go. Even though we had this the next morning, it was definitely quality bakery bread. The rye was flavorful, the mystery cake bread was indulgent (reminded me of a cinnamon roll in bread form), and the baguette was hardened beyond hope by then but still had a good taste (you could tell it was toasted on a grill with light butter).
(+) Princess Cake: This is one of the more popular items here, but if you’ve never had princess cake before and dislike extremely sweet cakes, proceed with caution. We were not a fan of the über sugary, rubbery, thick green outer layer that’s definitely more for looks than culinary purposes. The cake itself was light vanilla with berry jam and whipped cream – good but unbearably sweet with the green sugar coating, so I think I would suggest stripping it. Costeaux bakery definitely does a much better job than Ikea, but in my opinion the other cakes may be a more worthwhile expenditure of your dessert calorie allowances.
The problem? After the heavenly pain perdu, Costeaux omelet, and bread basket, I’m not sure I can go back to overpriced hipster gimicky SF brunches.

First off, about their cakes: AMAZING. They did my wedding cake, as well as several dozen matching cupcakes, and everyone raved. For the record, he wedding cake was white chiffon with fudge filling and buttercream frosting. Actually the filling may have been chocolate mousse– I’ve had both. I’ve also asked for, and received, a Costeaux cake for my birthday on at least three occasions. I’ve had their princess cake a few times at various occasions, also outstanding. And they’ll be making my parents’ retirement party cake next week. Truly, you can’t go wrong in this department.
The restaurant is also very good, with a couple caveats. It is difficult to find anything on the menu that is not soaked in butter and/​or salt. I suppose that’s a reflection of the French style of cuisine, but I’ve been at the restaurant with health-​conscious people who’ve found it hard to find anything they feel comfortable ordering. The food is, as a rule, very rich and very fattening. My favorite, which they don’t offer all the time, is the BLT on a croissant. It’s heaven, but not the kind of thing you can eat on a regular basis without a defibrillator. Also, it’s just a tad too pricey, even for the area, which means that even though we are locals, we only get in a few times a year (not counting the cakes we order!)

Solid place to get brunch. We got the private room because we had a toddler on board. Thank goodness. Cute rustic table, small chandelier, cozy. Loved it. Service was good. Food was definitely fresh, but head over to the bakery display while you wait for the table and pick out which pastry you want for dessert.
1. Garden omelette: very light, good portions. comes with potatoes or fresh fruit.
2. Costeau omelette: this was large and very satisfying, but I did wish that it had slightly more flavor. The organic ketchup just wasn’t doing it for me.
3. Princess cake: My favorite type of cake. This was just delicious with the marzipan.

Delicious
Had the quiche and pain au chocolat.
Beautiful French flair.