Brioche Bakery & Cafe

Updating my review 4.5 years later!
Quaint café in the Broadway area borderlining Chinatown/​North Beach. It’s one of my favorite places to chill and people watch. It’s a hidden gem as it’s right across from the Coppolla building (what a beautiful view! :) I’ve ventured out here for lunch on weekdays as it’s a slight getaway from the hustle & bustle of the FIDI. On the weekdays, it’s fairly quiet and seating is easy to find. Kinda feels like a mini Parisian getaway.
Pretty sweet deal at $ 8 – 9 for a sandwich + side salad. My go-​to is the poached pear salad — the greens are fresh and the candied pecans + cheese + dried blackcurrants with the pear is just. perfection all around. They don’t skimp on ingredients and it’s fresh so I don’t feel ripped off! I haven’t tried their other lunch options since about 4 years ago when I last came so I can’t fairly review those.
As for take-​away/​baked items, I tried a couple loaves of their bread, the sugar brioche, and tiramisu. All fairly priced and delicious! So many other sinful delights in the glass case I must try. seems promising! Might just order catering for the office soon! The quiche looks freakin BOMB since it’s baked in a puff pastry tart. :0
The icing on the cake is the staff here is always super friendly and always readily available. I’ve taken some time ordering and they’re always patient and non-​judgmental :)

One of my favorite lunch spots in my neighborhood. Have to be careful with the praises, because it’s already too popular for its own good. Love their salade nicoise, chicken pot pie, sandwiches. The kitchen is not always consistent, e.g., skimping on veggies or chicken in their pot pies, too much nutmeg in lasagna, and my main complaint, the overly sweet balsamic dressing they tend to put on every salad. Overall, though, love this little café.

Excellent breakfast… Great service. Hard to wring with this. Go in early to get a good table.

Macaron review! And thats all im reviewing. Chewy, dense, good but not like the airy light and slightly chewy macarons im looking for. The gals were nice and the macarons were good but not amazing.

Everything looks so delicious, their bread, sandwiches, sweets, brioches, quiche, just to name a few. If I could I would eat here every morning and/​or lunch time. Very European atmosphere ads coziness to this place. In addition to great look, taste, they are very nice to their customers. Next time I’m in SF I’ll be back here.

Very authentic French bakery. We tried breakfast Croissant and French breakfast. Sour cream matches perfectly with baguette. Not easy to be competitive close to china town. They are doing well.

I love this little restaurant. Friendly staff and yummy food. My company loves the beet salad, grilled chicken panini, and the granola parfait.

Came here for lunch today with a friend who recommended this place. Prior to coming, I looked at their website online and was excited because of all the cakes they offered! But when I walked into the store, they only had a few options for desserts on the bottom of the display case. Luckily they had the one that I wanted which was the opera cake!
Food took a while to come because of what I assume was the lunch rush and they only had a few people working in the back with a small kitchen. Service was very friendly. My friend and I both told the person it was our first time and she recommended a few of their popular menu items. I ended up going with the mozzarella sandwich which is freshly sliced mozzarella, roma tomatoes, and pesto on ciabatta bread! Glad I took her recommendation because it tasted very good. The slices of mozzarella were SO big and the bread was definitely fresh.
After finishing my sandwich, I tried the opera cake! It was tasty as well. Moist layers of cake with a kick of coffee taste as well to give me that taste of coffee that I needed without getting a cup of coffee. They also have brunch here! The eggs Benedict is next on my list to try here.
All of their menu items are written on a chalkboard placed outside of the entrance as well as one menu inside that lists drinks located above the display case. There’s also outdoor seating which I would definitely recommend if it’s a nice day out and you enjoy people watching because it’s located on a busy street and plenty of people walk by.

I loved the avocado scramble here! It could use a little extra flavor, but it a great brunch to enjoy outside on the patio, on a gorgeous and balmy San Francisco day. The fresh squeezed orange juice was delicious. It took just a little long for us to get our food, and I ended up being double charged (which I think my credit card caught and resolved without me having to do anything — yay Capital One!), so I can’t give it 5 stars. But this is a delightful little spot to enjoy a cup of coffee, pastry, or light brunch.

Came here to pick up some breakfast on our way to a tour for my boyfriend and I. The cashier was extremely nice and put up with my constant changing decisions of what to get. I finally decided to get the spinach and mushroom quiche, brioche muffin and a chocolate croissant as well as some fresh squeezed orange juice.
The mushroom quiche was amazing! It was cooling and had just come out of the oven when I decided to purchase it. It wasn’t too salty, nice and eggy with plenty of fresh mushrooms. It also came with a side salad. So good!
The brioche muffin was a tad bit dry. I should’ve stayed with the apple crumble muffin that I first chose but what can I say? I thought they were known for brioche so I decided to give it a try. Eh.
The chocolate croissant was good but just a typical chocolate croissant.
I didn’t get to try their other breakfast items because we were in a hurry but if I had the chance I would! You should definitely get the quiche and try their fresh squeezed orange juice! You won’t regret it!

Honestly, while I didn’t think it was amazing, I did have a good experience.
We stumbled in, after finding out the other restaurant we were heading to was closed, the menu is honestly confusing because they say that certain things aren’t served except on the weekend but the lady at the front said we could order anything.
I ordered the spinach omelet and I was pretty satisfied with the food. The eggs were very fluffy and everything tasted and was seasoned well. The potatoes they came with was delicious and the fruit was nice but there were a couple of sketchy looking pieces. I also ordered the fruit tart were was lovely but the custard that was located directly next to the tart shells looked like they solidified, which is kinda weird.
Other then that they food was decent and so were the prices.
The service was pretty good as well, the lady at the front was very helpful and polite. While I don’t think it’s a true 4 stars, it wouldn’t be fair to give them 3 stars. They were more like a 3.5 stars.

The setting of this place is perfect, almost out of a movie. It’s conveniently located near an intersection with a great view, the staff here is awesome, they let us stay for a long period of time while chatting about current events and old times.
From a distance you can see Coppola’s old movie studio (not certain if it’s still operating). The ambiance is perfect for any occasion. Most of all are the selections of items available. Although I was not fortunate to try their pastries or bread… was still full from the previous spot.
But as you gaze behind the counter, the staff is busy making the brioche. Quite entertaining for the non baker person. Drinks were good and reasonably priced. If you are in the area, this is a great little spot to hit up while exploring this side of town.

I always check to see if Brioche has any of their house made tiramisu (I feel like it’s one of the best of north beach) Its so relaxing to sit down inside with my dessert and a cup of tea next to the window and watch all the people go by on columbus. I’ve been here too many times to count!

Ordered the herb scramble and the avacado scramble. Food tasted alright but the portions were small for the price. There are many other better options in north beach and the city.

Brioche Bakery felt like a poor mans version of La Boulange (/​La Boulangerie… Or whatever they decided to call it). They have a fading and unreadable menu, and unappetizing looking sandwiches and quiches on display. I was disappointed after reading rave reviews — neither the baked goods nor the food was any good.
* Chocolate Croissant — 3 stars: Mediocre, like La Boulange.
* Breakfast Croissant Sandwich — 3 stars: chicken sausage and eggs on a croissant. I would rather have a BK croissanwich.
* Avocado Scramble — 3 stars: again, mediocre and worse yet — the avocado wasn’t ripe yet.
* Fresh Squeezed OJ — 4.5 stars: exactly what it sounds like. The only good part of the meal!
It kind of reminded me of Crêpe House /​Squat and Gobble, except more expensive, smaller, and with fewer menu options.

The pastries at Brioche are AMAZING! When I first walked in, I had no idea what I wanted. When I saw the selection of pastries in the window, I REALLY had no idea what I wanted. I was impressed by the size and variety. I finally narrowed my desired pastries to the fruit danish and the fruit tart, both of which looked irresistible… I picked the fruit tart.
I settled with my fruit tart and laptop at a small table by the door and got a few hours of work done. There were no electrical outlets (so thank goodness my laptop was near full charge) but the WiFi was fast and free so it worked out. There are restrooms here, and the service is wonderful. But the tart… oh man, the tart. I’m daydreaming about that tart. Next time I’ll definitely try the croissant and fruit danish with a cup of their coffee. Love this place!

Just the best damn croissant I’ve ever had in San Francisco, no big deal.
Seriously, go here before 11am and order your self a croissant. Ask them to heat it a little for you and experience what a real croissant taste like. The other pastry is legit as are the egg plates for brunch and the sandwiches. Very well done when it comes to getting french and north african cuisine right. The owner is also the sweetest woman and absolutely rocks with passionate about her food and business. I come here a few times per week to start my day right.

Well, I should start off that I am a brunch fanatic, who loves bakeries so obviously this was going to start off good for me. Especially if I can have brunch on a weekday, while I get some work done — Yes, please!
I was in the area for work and was looking to grab a quick breakfast and coffee before my meeting started. I came across Brioche Bakery on Unilocal and remembered I had seen this cute little place before, and wanted to try it.
The staff was courteous (though not overly friendly). I had a soy latte (good) and the spinach and tomato quiche. The quiche was AMAZING! It isa personal quiche, in a to die for pastry, with onions and the pErFeCt texture!!! It came with a small side salad. DELICIOUS :)
The bakery is small, with about 10 two person tables, and has free wifi.
Highly recommend you check it out!

2.5−3 stars for what I purchased but rounding down for the grumpy servers. I’m always up for checking out new bakeries, so when I saw Brioche was nearby and you get a freebie for checking in, I decided to check it out. The freebie that particular month was a cup of coffee (not much more can be expected, I guess), and I also decided to give their Brioche (
) a try since they were sold out of a lot of other baked goods by 1pm on a Saturday. The brioche was pretty good but not amazing, but the worst part about stopping by here was the unfriendly staff. I felt like they gave me the evil eye for asking them about what my freebie was for checking in on Unilocal,even though I ended up purchasing something after, and other people that I brought in ended up purchasing items too.
This café is on the smaller side, so not that many tables and you’ll be cozy with your neighbors. After this experience, I don’t think I would return. Parking in this area can be tough since it always seems to be difficult to find a spot, even with a decent amount of street parking spots technically available.

I came in here on a Sunday morning for coffee and croissant. The croissant was like you get at Safeway or Costco. Nothing special at all. Pretty mediocre. This isn’t a serious bakery like a Thorough, Tartine, Arizmendi, etc. The croissant probably came from a food service delivery truck.
What I hated most was the LOUD Mexican music playing from the radio in the kitchen. It was like a damned taqueria. It destroyed the ambiance.
The place *looks* like a nice café. That is what brings in the tourists. That’s all you need to succeed in the tourist part of town, unfortunately.
The cooked breakfast may be fine. I don’t know.

Any self respecting person who values his time should go here for breakfast. The food is good, the price is reasonable and the wait is short. The service is good as well and the place is reasonably clean considering that it is a high tourist area. There are other places nearby with slightly better food and ambiance but the lines are long and the food is pricey.
If you could only order one item, get yourself the brioche french toast. It is very good.

Came here after we checked out of hotel but needed a place to hang out before we head to the airport. So walking around North Beach we found this little bakery/​café. We weren’t really hungry so it’s caffeine time.
They have their menu on a chalk board and you basically order at the counter and then they bring your food to your table. I’m into iced coffee now so I just ordered a Iced Mocha. Took a little while for the mocha to come out, but the lady apologized to us. They just got so busy and only a few people working in the back. That’s okay cause we weren’t in a hurry today.
Really good iced mocha. Not too bitter and they give you a nice big cup. Very satisfying overlooking Columbus street and watching the traffic go by.
After awhile my wife got hungry and ordered their Grilled Chicken Salad. Hugh and looked really good. The salad had some Chinese noodles with so many vegetables. The dressing seemed like a homemade dressing which wasn’t to sweet and had a tiny kick to it. Only downside to this salad was the chicken. Seemed like they slices the chicken and then put is in the grill to make it into grilled chicken. Not a problem with that but it made the chicken really dry. Had to drink something to down the dry chicken.
Nice little place with hot and cold sandwiches, pastries, and of course coffee. They have a very tiny kitchen in the back when making their food. Really enjoyed it and love checking out these little café in North Beach. Another great find.

Encontré este lugar por accidente. Este delicioso bistro se encuentra en Pacific y Columbus, desde la calle se nota es un lugar pintoresco ya que tienen unas pequeñas mesitas rosas por si gustas comer afuera y justo al lado de las mesas u a pequeña pizarra con los platillos del día pintados con gis a mano. Al ver el menú me sorprendió ver que tenían platillos que no esperaba encontrar en un lugar tan pequeño, ordenamos un brioche: Delicioso pan brioche hecho en casa con crema pastelera de vainilla, coulis de berries y miel de maple y también ordenamos unos deliciosos huevos benedictinos: huevos estrellados con jamon y crema holandesa sobre un pan casero acompañados de papas horneadas y fruta fresca. Ambas elecciones deliciosas, el sabor en cada bocado es indescriptible de lo bueno que era todo además de que la fruta era totalmente fresca. Sin duda si visitan San Francisco les recomiendo hacer una parada en este lugar ya que se encuentra muy cerca de la estación embarcadero y no los desvía tanto de las principales rutas turísticas.

Une solution correcte le dimanche pour éviter la queue des lieux les plus réputés du quartier. Les oeufs bénédictes étaient bons mais pas exceptionnels. Une note assez positive pour le cappuccino.

I would not eat here again and neither should you.
First of all, before I go any further into explaining my terrible meal, let me explain how the two staples of any bakery and café, the bread and coffee, utterly failed.
Stale bread. Yes, the baguette that held my sandwich was stale. No place that purports to be a bakery should serve stale bread. Fresh bread is not just a hope I have when I order something at a bakery, it’s an expectation. And they failed to meet it.
Next is the coffee. My latte was bland. No bueno at all.
Now that I’ve established how this place fails at what it purports to be, I’ll move on to tell you about my meal. That sucked too.
I ordered the prosciutto sandwich. They put clumps of brie cheese on it, so that when I ate it I would either bite into a huge chunk of brie that overpowered the whole sandwich, or just bite a portion of sandwich with no cheese on it at all. They should have cut the cheese thinner and spread it more.
And the meat was old too. I ate a piece of the prosciutto on its own, because I can just eat that meat itself since it’s so good, and I realized the meat was old and going bad. Its coloration had browned and it was very off in flavor. So they basically served me rotting meat that could have gotten me sick.
Do yourself a favor and don’t eat here.

Located in the little Italy area. Reviews of this place convinced us to give this place a try. Staff was quick to greet us.
We elected to try the blueberry raspberry apricot pastry and a quiche. The quiche had to be warmed up, but worth the wait. Tomato, cheese, vegetables. The eggs mixture was soft. Crust was crisp. The pastry was large with a fair balance of sweetness from the fresh fruit topped upon. A good amount of fruit to the pastry. Not too much that it would fall off.
Good delicious and filling pastry, quick delivery and great execution.
Bad nothing to date.
Likely to visit again.

Short Story:
We came here on a Saturday afternoon in search for coffee. It was pretty good!
Long Story:
We got to the city early before our reservations at The House and were a bit tired. So, we came here for a Latte and was fairly impressed. The place was pretty quiet with lots of windows. The price was fair for what you pay in SF too. They also had a good selection of pastries to choose from.
Verdict:
I’ll remember this place and come back if I’m in the same area.

En un país como USA tener sitios como este donde comer cosas ricas y saludables es algo increíble. Por lo tanto pongo 5 estrellas. No es lo mejor de lo mejor, pero para mi está cerca de casa y es un sitio donde te atienden genial y puedes estar tranquilo, lo prefiero antes que cualquier Starbucks.

There are two things which set Brioche apart from any other run of the mill bakery. The first is that this is one of the few places in the city that you can actually buy those mini brioche buns which are perfect for making sliders. The second is their almond croissant. It doesn’t look like much on the outside but once you have them heat it up and take a bite into it, it is amazing. It is completely filled with a sweet gooey almond filling which will start oozing out if you’re not careful. Paired with a hot coffee this is a great way to start the day.
Overall, I appreciate Brioche bakery for both the quality croissant and the various brioche breads they offer. «I’m a fan.»

The location of this place is fantastic in Little Italy. Their coffee is good. Their croissants can be better though.

I was craving for macarons, I Unilocaled and found this spot. I tried the coffee, pistachio, french vanilla, crème brûlée, raspberry and earl grey flavored macarons.
I loved the pistachio, earl grey, raspberry and crème brûlée one the best! I’ll definitely come back to try the rest of the macaron flavors!
$ 1.75 for one macaron.
I also ordered the strawberry lemonade and loved it too!
Extra friendly staff working here!

Y’know, I just need to have a real meal here. That’s the bottom line. I mean sit down like a civilized person and have an herb omelet, a smoked salmon tartine, an endive salad or even a tuna sandwich. Perhaps all at the same time. Maybe wear a beret and an ascot and cradle my pet chihuahua Señor Wences in one hand and my fork at the ready in the other. But no, I often find myself walking down Columbus after satiating myself in North Beach likely with pasta or some other unnecessary carb, and that would be the very moment I find myself pondering a need to satisfy a sweet tooth.
A stop at the chaotic Stella Pastry didn’t feel quite right nor waiting in the queue at Golden Gate Bakery. Nope, based on my last two visits, I have to say Brioche deserves to be more than an afterthought. The first time I came here was in the evening as the place was half-​full with laptoppers and others having light bites for dinner. I was looking for something more decadent and had the $ 5 slice of the Lemon Pound Cake (photo:
) with a $ 3.25 Latte (photo:
). The cake was spongy-​good and none too sweet, just the indulgence I wanted to end the day.
I returned months later with Jamie W. after a day out to see the Ai Weiwei art installation on Alcatraz. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the place was buzzing with customers. We decided to try their $ 1.75 house made Macarons, and sure enough, they are more substantive than the ones at Chantal Guillon and frankly much tastier, too with Salted Caramel and Chocolate particularly hitting the spot (photo:
). I took a gander at the Avocado Scramble on the next table and decided it was time to go savory next time. My only quibble? Space the tables out a bit more to avoid butt grazing, mine especially.
SWEETS — 4 stars… clearly house made goodies well turned
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… cute spot though I wish the tables weren’t so crowded together
SERVICE — 4 stars… quite welcoming
TOTAL — 4 stars… graduating from sweet to savory in my bookmarks

Kleine Bäckerei in Chinatown. Es gibt wenige Sitzplätze innen und bei gutem Wetter auch draußen welche. Die Bedienung ist durchschnittlich freundlich.
Was mich hier (nicht nur in dieser Lokalität in San Francisco) störte, war, dass die Preise meistens nicht ausgeschildert waren.
Wir haben hier versucht zu frühstücken aber bei de für relativ viel Geld wenig erhalten. Das Essen (Kuchen, Croissant, Muffin) waren zwar okay, aber auch nicht der Burner.
Die Toilette wird von mehreren Cafés geteilt, man kann unter Umständen also schon etwas warten müssen.
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Little backery in Chinatown. There are some seats and tables inside as well as outside if there’s good weather. The service is okay.
For us it was curious to have no pricing and to always asking for prices, maybe it’s common in SF.
We tried to eat breakfast here. It was okay (cheesecake, croissant, muffin) but not that good we thought to get here after have seen the other ratings here.
The restroom is used by several cafes.

Hier habe ich den besten Milchkaffee jemals getrunken. Die Bäckerei bietet eine Vielzahl an herrlichen vor Ort gebackenen, süßen und herzhaften Backwaren, Salaten, Sandwichs und wechselnden Suppen an. Die Besitzer stammen aus Frankreich, was das Flair und die hohe Qualität der Speisen und Backwaren vielleicht erklärt. Ein Besuch lohnt sich hier auf jeden Fall. Bezahlen kann bequem bar oder per Kreditkarte.