Saint Michel Bakery

Why does this caption read — CLOSED. IT is not. Actually I have witnessed them going from limited days Thurs – Fri-​Sat to Mon-​Sat and they goods are for sale at the Bethesda Women’s Market. They are fabulous. And don’t get me started on their tarts ($ 12). The best is plum but they didn’t sell enough so they stopped making that one. They regularly have Almond Pear and Apple and Apricot. The crust is paper thin and fabulous. Great «I’ll bring dessert» item even for those watching their weight.

I’ve been wanting to check this bakery out for months but never made the long journey across the street. I vowed to start venturing beyond my neighboring Starbucks for coffee and snacks.
I was disappointed with the pastries and the coffee. The pastry selection was ok but nothing looked appetizing. It was all dry and dark brown. One reviewer said that this bakery rivals her neighborhood bakery in Paris. I find that hard to believe. I didn’t have one average pastry in Paris. I ordered a mini chocolate croissant, a mini raisin swirl, and a mini apple turnover. They were all bite sized pastries. The standout was the apple turnover. It’s filing was delicious. The pastry was light and flaky.
That’s where the good news ends. I wanted to pick up something special for dessert tonight but they didn’t «get any tarts or cakes in» today. I thought that they baked their own so I’m not sure what that meant.
Finally, the coffee was warm not hot with a slightly burnt raspberry flavor. Not good.
So, I will try them once for a sandwich and see how that goes…

I’d like to know what form of crack cocaine everyone is smoking prior to eating at Saint Michel that is playing CRUEL CRUEL tricks on their taste buds and telling them this crap they sell is any good. Seriously, did Chernobyl affect your taste buds particularly aggressively?
I came to this «bakery» on a Thursday morning, when they had JUST opened their doors. We were the first customers. I had this vision in my head of the fresh croissants having just gotten out of the kitchen, all moist and flaky. I was picturing myself sitting somewhere in a Paris café, sipping on a macchiato and having a delicious chocolate pastry.
This experience was more the opposite. The canneles that everyone had been raving about were hard, stale, tasteless, chewy, and entirely indigestible by the mammalian stomach. Even my dog didn’t go near it and shes developed quite the penchant for overpriced pastries. The chocolate croissant was a rock hard piece of crap. It is the worst croissant that I have ever tasted. I’m confident in that. The almond croissant was the second worst. Biting into it was like biting into a cracker that had been laying out on the counter for two weeks. Simply put, they tried to sell yesterday’s pastries and charge us $ 16. And they succeeded, damnit!
If you’re a French café that prides itself on pastries, the least you can do is have some fresh ones ready at 8AM. Total garbage.

Just got a fantastic latte, piping hot and strong. Guess I could have walked across the street and paid $ 1 more at Starbuck’s … nah.
Have bought lunch from SMB once (the roast beef sandwich), and enjoyed that, too.
The entire place gives off a friendly-​and-​functional vibe. Nothing fancy, but the baked goods are pretty amazing.

I used to work next to this little bakery and have since moved out of DC, but I miss this place dearly. Their fresh bread, croissants, caneles, tarts, bread pudding, sandwiches are all delicious. I’m a big fan of their dry sausage sandwich; it’s simplicity really shows off the quality of all the ingredients. Service was always friendly and pretty fast.
By far the best lunch option in the area. Sure, the décor isn’t much. But just take your lunch to go and sit in Lafayette Square instead.

OMG — its a real boulangerie in DC!
Went here this morning and was at first skeptical based on the extremes in reviews, but then took one bite and was hooked. We tried the raisin croissant and the apple turnover — both were just as good as any you would find in a good bakery in France.(I lived there for 2 years, so I know a good flaky pastry when I taste it!) I get the complaints on the look of the pastries — stateside, people like croissants glossy and shiny. And if you want a greasy, over processed croissant that looks perfect but will leave you completely unsatisfied, you have au bon pain.
Prices are super reasonable. Coffee is also good.
There is no ambiance — its basic, but who cares? The pastries are fantastic and authentic down to the paper bag you get them in. RECOMMEND.

I had been craving bread all morning, so, naturally, I turned to Unilocal to help me find some. After reading the reviews of Saint Michel Bakery, I knew this would be where I’d find relief.
As other reviews have mentioned, since my friend and I went in the afternoon many of the baked goods were gone, but I managed to get a loaf of the multi-​cereal (multigrain) bread. They sliced it and offered me a container of butter since I told the guy I would probably eat it while I walked back to the office.
However, I thought I should eat more than just bread so I ordered the Cobb salad. I don’t like Cobb salads that much but I love avocado so I gave it a try. First of all, it was a huge salad for less than $ 7. Secondly, it was so good that I ate half of it in 15 minutes then spent the next hour going back and eating the rest of it bite by bite. With my loaf of bread, of course.
My friend got the apricot tart and said it was divine. I can’t wait to go back and try the pastries.

I sort of just stumbled upon this place. I have a weakness for any kind of bakery, so of course i was going to check it out after getting my watch battery replaced at the jewelry store next door. I’m so glad I did.
They sell mini-​canneles for just 50 cents each. Coming from NYC, where one of these goes for several dollars, I was skeptical. For those who don’t know what a cannele is, it is a french pastry that is made in this special mold. The really great ones are soft and moist on the inside and crunchy and caramelized on the outside. I think it’s made in a special pan and the outside is rippled to maximize the amount of caramelized exterior surface area.
These mini-​canneles were exactly how they should be: moist on the inside and exceptionally caramelized on the outside. In fact, I think these are better than the canneles at Dominique Ansel (of cronut fame) in NYC. And at 50 cents and short lines, this is an item you should horde now – before they come to their senses.
A few more tips:
1. Warning — they will sell out of items later in the afternoon. I have, on more than one occasion, single-​handedly purchased the rest of the stock of mini-​canneles (in my defense, lest you all think I am a glutton, there were only 2 – 4 left).
2. The canneles stay good for several days and maybe even a week, so it’s totally OK to buy five for dessert for the rest of the week.
3. Also, I think the mini ones are the way to go. They’re the perfect size and I think the mini size makes it a higher quality pastry. I’ve never gotten the regular-​sized ones.
For the lunch crowd, they also do some authentic Parisian sandwiches on their homemade baguette.

Walked in about 11:00a.m. and first thing I was hit with was the heat inside the bakery. It was hotter and more humid in there than outside (84 degrees). I understand they use ovens to make their breads and pastries, but c’mon, at least put on the air conditioning. Or even have ceiling fans installed or those portable industrial fans to keep the customers from melting.
So before I ordered, I commented to the girl behind the counter that all of the pastries looked a little overdone, i.e., they almost looked burnt. She shook her head disapprovingly on my comment and said they weren’t too dark. I proceeded to tell her it looked too dark to me when compared to other pastries I’ve had. She then said it was «double baked.» I’ve never heard of such a term. I asked her why. She responded by saying so the filling inside cooks thoroughly. Not really buying her explanation, I ended up selecting an almost croissant for me and a chocolate filled pastry for my kiddo. Total cost $ 4.95. After making my purchase, the girl said «try it.» I was thinking «how about letting me try it first before I bought it?» If I had taken a bite right there in front of her and told her I didn’t like it, would she have refunded my $? Anyways, I finally got back to the office and took a picture before taking a bite of the croissant. Yup, it tasted almost burnt. You know when you overtoast your bread slightly and it is a bit too crispy and tastes a bit burnt? That’s my experience here. So now to add insult to injury, where was the almond paste? Did it disintegrate into the croissant from sitting in the display case from the excessive heat of the bakery or from the double baking process? It was dry, dry, dry on the inside. There was no chewiness, no flakiness, no buttery goodness to be had. Felt like I was eating a cracker. On the upside, I think it would have been a very good croissant sans being double baked.

Yep, best croissants in town so far. Get the plu gras ones – they are worth every calorie for a true experience. Reasonably priced apple or pear tartes were quite enjoyable. Quite excellent dark chocolate in the pain au chocolat.
Coffees are pretty good, just wish the atmosphere was a bit swankier.
Makes for a terrific day to start here, make a quick stroll to people watch in front of the White House. The souvenir place in between is perfect for out of town guests.

It doesn’t look like much, but this place is the real deal. The pâté-​on-​baguette sandwich, raisin boule, and the croissant all exceeded my expectations, with just the right balance of flaky and chewy. The pâté was balanced with an ample amount of tartness from mustard and cornichons. Plus, prices are fantastic by local standards, e.g., not-​tiny sandwiches for $ 6, espresso for $ 1.60, and the staff were all smiles even late on a Friday.
I’m so happy to find a local bakery that’s worthwhile!

I got the tuna sandwich, because I wanted the anchovies. They forgot to put those on. I really wanted those anchovies. The tuna was crap, but the baguette was great. And, by DC standards, lunch was cheap — I walked away paying $ 6.33 for this sandwich. Not bad. I’ll try something different next time.

Wow… I tried 2 croissants, 4 canales, 1 pâté sandwich, 1 bread pudding and loved them all. The baguette is amazing with crusty exterior and chewy middle. Unfortunately, they are closed on Saturday and Sunday because my son wanted to take this stuff home with us on Saturday. I highly recommend this bakery if you love French baked goods. The prices were very reasonable.

For those who have spent any time in France, there’s a lot to remind you of home: find a beautiful smattering of pastry in the front window; sandwich bread is not an afterthought; you hear customers and employees speaking French; the coffee is really bad. Pretty wonderful.
It’s a huge relief to be able to get lunch downtown for less than $ 6, and from a small business, no less. But more important for me is the baguette itself. I’ve been constantly frustrated that even the baguettes made by French people that I buy around DC tend to taste like grocery store knockoffs (for four bucks). I guess this guy imports his flour. Whatever the cause, the smell and la mie are right. And they cost less than $ 2. C’est une vraie tradi ça. I’m hard pressed to make one last until the next morning.
Not sure I would call the place cozy, though. And, while it’s not their fault that nobody is downtown on Saturday morning, I would love weekend hours.
Vive la boulangerie Saint Michel !

I’ve been eating here for a couple of months now, but the pâté sandwich I had (for $ 6!) today compels me to leave a review. All the acclaim on here is true. This place serves up very authentic French baked goods. Your wallet will also appreciate the break from paying $ 9-​$ 12 for overhyped and underperforming sandwiches from area restaurants.
This is a great break from all the boring and expensive lunch places around. Just go next time you want some lunch and you’ll see…

Lovely croissants and apple turnovers, like the real deal in France. Why the 4 stars? The café looks drab, really. What’s with the cafeteria look and outdated furniture? Also, bought a sliced bread and there was no paper bag that was big enough to hold it. The employees just kind of threw the slices into a plastic bag. Ce n’ est pas une maniere de faire, voyons!

I love this pleasant little café! Their almond croissant is as flaky, airy and perfect as everyone says it is. The café is lovely and spacious, and never overcrowded during lunch time, even though they deserve a line out the door every day.
They also have mini canneles for $ 0.50 each — wonderful little custardy pastries which are chewy and toasty on the outside, and sweet and soft on the inside. My boyfriend’s face lights up every time I bring some home. The only problem is having to stop myself from eating them all before I make it home!

I am loving my new 9 – 5 in DC, and this is one of many reasons why. Reviewers who love this place and praise it for its authentic taste and feel are spot-​on. Such wonderful crispy baguettes. Great personal service. But back to the sandwiches – OMG, this is how it should be. The ancestors of and inspiration for banh mi – the Vietnamese staples that have taken America by storm – are done justice here. I wouldn’t have it any other way. For $ 4.95, this is probably one of the best deals in the district. You can go to a chain and get a so-​so sandwich, or you can go to Saint Michel for a truly transporting experience. Your choice.

I’m a really big fan of Saint Michel Bakery. It’s the closest thing to quick French food I’ve had since I went to Paris about six years ago. That’s not so surprising when you consider the credentials of this place: the head honcho is a Frenchman with a passion for cooking and they even import flour from France to make their bread with. I don’t think a small business owner would be spending that much extra on something like flour unless they think it’ll improve the quality of the food (or if they think folks will pay extra for «authentic» French bread).
The store sells an assortment of fresh bread that’s baked in the area, but I think the real attraction here is the sandwich selection. I’ve had the Paname which comes with your choice of meat (French ham or turkey), brie, mustard and butter on their baguette. The bread comes in white, wheat, and multigrain varieties. My most recent visit found them totally out of white bread, but I suspect they’ve just had an unexpected increase in business. I’ve also tried the dry sausage sandwich which comes with salami and butter, another winner. The Paname is definitely my favorite though, you can’t beat the combination of chewy bread with savory ham, creamy brie and spicy mustard.
The pastry selection should satisfy any inklings you may have for something sweet. I’ve tried the croissant and chocolate croissant, although they were not the regular kind. I can’t remember what they were called, but they had a difficult-​to-​pronounce French word in front of ‘croissant.’ Pick those, they’re super buttery and pair well with the lattes.
The best part? A decent meal (sandwich and a soda, or sandwich and a pastry) is gonna cost you less than $ 10. Bön appetit!

I’m so happy this place opened up right next to my work. The prices are great: espresso drinks for dollars less than Starbucks and lunch entrees for below market prices.
I get the prosciutto, walnut and blue cheese salad almost everyday for only $ 6.95. It’s delicious with the vinaigrette dressing.
Also, I highly recommend the mini canele, a small and decadent lunch dessert. Yum!