Ooooooooweeeee... man, this place is awesome and delicious. Came here before all the Instagram and TikTok hype so there wasn't too much of a long line, but now the lines are too long!! However, I still recommend. Their chocolate croissants are sooooo good. For those who want savory, I recommend the Pesto? pastry. A little tip for the pastries at CAR, eat it right away. As time passes, the crunchiness of the pastry does decrease.
Sarai S.
Just took a bite of my turkey and cheese croissant and had to come write a review because it is THAT GOOD! I got one of each for my first visit. So glad they do turkey rather than ham because I don't eat Pork. Also thank you to Armen who was super helpful.
Grace C.
This is a $8 dollars drink, and if you don't want ice in it, you only get a half-cup of drink. If you want a full cup, you need to pay extra money for more milk!!! It's so ridiculous. Be aware, never come here again!
Ryan M.
Such quality all the way through from the service, coffee & baked goods, to the branding and vibes. Chocolate croissant and morning bun are consistency perfected. Price point is on the higher end as far as coffee shops go but CAR is not your average coffee shop. Def worth the investment.
Muoi H.
Finally got the chance to stop by to try their croissant from Sacramento ! Their chocolate chocolate is by far the best 'I've had- warm gooey crisp chewy all the quality of a damn perfect chocolate croissant ! They made their chocolate starting from bean to bar Coffee was enjoyed too and we got one of their chocolate bar too try ! Definetly a must in Pasadena
Michelle Y.
coffee is strong, the croissants are decadent and flaky, and there's plenty of seating during the week, but forget about weekends when the lines are out the door. I had a few hours to burn and some work to do, so I grabbed a seat, a few cups of coffee, and one of their chocolate croissants. The Americanos I had were consistently good, and the chocolate croissant was one of the best I've had. I can see the hype.
Felicia G.
This cafe is UNREAL!!! If you love croissants and chocolate then this is your place. The service is amazing and helpful. The staff is patient and willing to answer questions to help you find what you want. The ambiance is your quintessential but welcoming with good vibes. I found everything about the cafe to be dreamy ! The croissants are flaky, buttery, and perfect. I tried the turkey-ham gruyere croissant, plain, chocolate, almond, and the sipping chocolate . All 10/10 !!! Seriously one of the best cafés in Pasadena and my new personal fav !
Sean B.
I have driven by this place multiple times. I was excited to finally try this popular joint. The line was long and sloooowwww. However, I was hoping it was worth the wait. Was it? Kind of. The cashier was "bruh" friendly. So there was no actual greeting, not even a thank you. When I picked up my order I got a "yup" in response. I wasn't expecting them to lay down the read carpet. However, a thank you is not an unrealistic expectation. There were also employees with long hair that wasn't pulled back. I ordered the ham and cheese croissant, almond croissant, and a drinking chocolate. The drinking chocolate was chalky, bitter and acidic. It was more like a Swiss Miss hot chocolate than a drinking chocolate. I was expecting a Burdicks style drinking chocolate. I thought this was odd considering it is supposed to be known for chocolate making. However, the croissants were INCREDIBLE! I think they are some of the best in the LA area. The music was painful and didn't seem to fit the ambiance. It was loud and aggressive. lol. I do think I will revisit this place when it is less busy. However, I will lower my expectations when interacting with the employees. I would definitely recommend a visit.
Meilyn O.
The best croissants in Pasadena! I've tried a few different ones and they are all equally delicious!! Coffee is also very good, highly recommend. Keep up the great baking. All of us employees at the flower shop are hooked.
Beth T.
CAR has delicious freshly baked pastries. I had the chocolate croissant, and my husband had the almond croissant, and both were very good. We also had a drinking chocolate, which is amazingly rich and delicious. We highly recommend this small business. I saw people purchasing the CAR chocolate bars as well, I will try one next time.
OK WHERE DO I START?????? If you are even the slightest bit of a foodie this must go on your bucket list. I don't care where in the world you live.!! It was by pure chance that I found this place. I consider myself very much a foodie. I like clean pure ingredients I like trained professional chefs I like food prepared to perfection.this place covered all of those bases. There is something about croissant that went prepared properly is unbelievable. The pesto ricotta is to die for. I am kicking myself for only getting one. The chocolate almond croissant was the first thing I ate when I left. I immediately made a U-turn parked again in Pasadena, and if any of you are familiar with Pasadena that was some work, went in and got three more of the chocolate almond croissants because I don't know when I'll be back this way. I live in Ventura, and while that isn't that far from Ventura, it's far enough that I may not be back for a while. There are not many places that can even remotely compare that I can think of. In my younger years I worked for very upscale chefs. Michelle Richard had citrus on Melrose. Bruce smarter had Rebecca's on Main Street in Venice. Seventh heaven was quite the place on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. Needless to say I'm an old foodie. I'm happy I found this place and then the crown jewel would be the incredibly beautiful young lady that helped me.
Bonnie S.
If you ever had a croissant from San Francisco @arsicaultbakery , I can tell you the croissants from CAR are on the same level. The butteriness, layers of flakiness and the taste is absolutely magnificent. Each croissant is steeply-priced but after taking one bite, I can't help but spend over $50 at a time. I feel like I need to create my own personal buffet of CAR croissants every time I drop by. The price that you pay at CAR for a croissant is worth it because you can taste and feel it. My favorite croissants include the ricotta pesto and the almond croissant.
Stephen P.
They make a good chocolate croissant. Would love to see them make a kouign amman. Easily the best French pastry bakery in Pasadena.
Wasima K.
I have been to CAR Artisan a number of times. Without fail there is a long line and they often run out of croissants before closing time. It is a fun place to sit and people watch on weekends. The ambiance is lively. The croissants are worth the hype - multi-layered, impossibly buttery and decadent. I have used the paper bag as a "plate" and it gets soaked with butter before I can finish the croissant. The chocolate croissant is the most famous, but I particularly enjoy the almond. They even sometimes have a chocolate and almond in one. The savory croissants are delicious, especially the ones with pesto, ricotta or sundried tomatoes. What I like the most is the salted honey latte. Delicious. Service is very friendly and efficient.
Rachel L.
the croissants here are INCREDIBLE. my favorite was the chocolate croissant but it was my first time tasting an almond chocolate croissant which has both the chocolate and frangipane inside! that one was a bit too heavy for me but still yummy. only downside is it's hard find parking!
Ooooooooweeeee... man, this place is awesome and delicious. Came here before all the Instagram and TikTok hype so there wasn't too much of a long line, but now the lines are too long!! However, I still recommend. Their chocolate croissants are sooooo good. For those who want savory, I recommend the Pesto? pastry. A little tip for the pastries at CAR, eat it right away. As time passes, the crunchiness of the pastry does decrease.
Just took a bite of my turkey and cheese croissant and had to come write a review because it is THAT GOOD! I got one of each for my first visit. So glad they do turkey rather than ham because I don't eat Pork. Also thank you to Armen who was super helpful.
This is a $8 dollars drink, and if you don't want ice in it, you only get a half-cup of drink. If you want a full cup, you need to pay extra money for more milk!!! It's so ridiculous. Be aware, never come here again!
Such quality all the way through from the service, coffee & baked goods, to the branding and vibes. Chocolate croissant and morning bun are consistency perfected. Price point is on the higher end as far as coffee shops go but CAR is not your average coffee shop. Def worth the investment.
Finally got the chance to stop by to try their croissant from Sacramento ! Their chocolate chocolate is by far the best 'I've had- warm gooey crisp chewy all the quality of a damn perfect chocolate croissant ! They made their chocolate starting from bean to bar Coffee was enjoyed too and we got one of their chocolate bar too try ! Definetly a must in Pasadena
coffee is strong, the croissants are decadent and flaky, and there's plenty of seating during the week, but forget about weekends when the lines are out the door. I had a few hours to burn and some work to do, so I grabbed a seat, a few cups of coffee, and one of their chocolate croissants. The Americanos I had were consistently good, and the chocolate croissant was one of the best I've had. I can see the hype.
This cafe is UNREAL!!! If you love croissants and chocolate then this is your place. The service is amazing and helpful. The staff is patient and willing to answer questions to help you find what you want. The ambiance is your quintessential but welcoming with good vibes. I found everything about the cafe to be dreamy ! The croissants are flaky, buttery, and perfect. I tried the turkey-ham gruyere croissant, plain, chocolate, almond, and the sipping chocolate . All 10/10 !!! Seriously one of the best cafés in Pasadena and my new personal fav !
I have driven by this place multiple times. I was excited to finally try this popular joint. The line was long and sloooowwww. However, I was hoping it was worth the wait. Was it? Kind of. The cashier was "bruh" friendly. So there was no actual greeting, not even a thank you. When I picked up my order I got a "yup" in response. I wasn't expecting them to lay down the read carpet. However, a thank you is not an unrealistic expectation. There were also employees with long hair that wasn't pulled back. I ordered the ham and cheese croissant, almond croissant, and a drinking chocolate. The drinking chocolate was chalky, bitter and acidic. It was more like a Swiss Miss hot chocolate than a drinking chocolate. I was expecting a Burdicks style drinking chocolate. I thought this was odd considering it is supposed to be known for chocolate making. However, the croissants were INCREDIBLE! I think they are some of the best in the LA area. The music was painful and didn't seem to fit the ambiance. It was loud and aggressive. lol. I do think I will revisit this place when it is less busy. However, I will lower my expectations when interacting with the employees. I would definitely recommend a visit.
The best croissants in Pasadena! I've tried a few different ones and they are all equally delicious!! Coffee is also very good, highly recommend. Keep up the great baking. All of us employees at the flower shop are hooked.
CAR has delicious freshly baked pastries. I had the chocolate croissant, and my husband had the almond croissant, and both were very good. We also had a drinking chocolate, which is amazingly rich and delicious. We highly recommend this small business. I saw people purchasing the CAR chocolate bars as well, I will try one next time.
Restaurantji Recommends
OK WHERE DO I START?????? If you are even the slightest bit of a foodie this must go on your bucket list. I don't care where in the world you live.!! It was by pure chance that I found this place. I consider myself very much a foodie. I like clean pure ingredients I like trained professional chefs I like food prepared to perfection.this place covered all of those bases. There is something about croissant that went prepared properly is unbelievable. The pesto ricotta is to die for. I am kicking myself for only getting one. The chocolate almond croissant was the first thing I ate when I left. I immediately made a U-turn parked again in Pasadena, and if any of you are familiar with Pasadena that was some work, went in and got three more of the chocolate almond croissants because I don't know when I'll be back this way. I live in Ventura, and while that isn't that far from Ventura, it's far enough that I may not be back for a while. There are not many places that can even remotely compare that I can think of. In my younger years I worked for very upscale chefs. Michelle Richard had citrus on Melrose. Bruce smarter had Rebecca's on Main Street in Venice. Seventh heaven was quite the place on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. Needless to say I'm an old foodie. I'm happy I found this place and then the crown jewel would be the incredibly beautiful young lady that helped me.
If you ever had a croissant from San Francisco @arsicaultbakery , I can tell you the croissants from CAR are on the same level. The butteriness, layers of flakiness and the taste is absolutely magnificent. Each croissant is steeply-priced but after taking one bite, I can't help but spend over $50 at a time. I feel like I need to create my own personal buffet of CAR croissants every time I drop by. The price that you pay at CAR for a croissant is worth it because you can taste and feel it. My favorite croissants include the ricotta pesto and the almond croissant.
They make a good chocolate croissant. Would love to see them make a kouign amman. Easily the best French pastry bakery in Pasadena.
I have been to CAR Artisan a number of times. Without fail there is a long line and they often run out of croissants before closing time. It is a fun place to sit and people watch on weekends. The ambiance is lively. The croissants are worth the hype - multi-layered, impossibly buttery and decadent. I have used the paper bag as a "plate" and it gets soaked with butter before I can finish the croissant. The chocolate croissant is the most famous, but I particularly enjoy the almond. They even sometimes have a chocolate and almond in one. The savory croissants are delicious, especially the ones with pesto, ricotta or sundried tomatoes. What I like the most is the salted honey latte. Delicious. Service is very friendly and efficient.
the croissants here are INCREDIBLE. my favorite was the chocolate croissant but it was my first time tasting an almond chocolate croissant which has both the chocolate and frangipane inside! that one was a bit too heavy for me but still yummy. only downside is it's hard find parking!