La Farine Boulangerie Patisserie

Very pleasant bakery and the employees are always so kind and helpful. The baked goods are yummy too. They even have a few treats for us with gluten sensitivity.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Absolutely nothing in common with French pastries from Europe.
These are French-American pastries. They are dry, old, and bland.
I don’t understand the big fuss about them.

Amazing bakery!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Need to improve their pick-up system. I went to go pick up a birthday cake that my girlfriend ordered. I gave them the last name and the number, and they said they didn’t have anything that matched. Asked if I knew the type of cake, which I didn’t. Spent 20 minutes trying to figure out what type it was and calling other locations to see if the order was placed there. After not having any luck, I went back in and said “Do you really not have anything under the name Xxxxxxx, area code XXX” It was there. I guess who ever took the order decided a 10 letter last name was too long and shortened it to 4. Didn’t write it clearly so an ‘e’ looked like an ‘a.’ First person to help me couldn’t be bothered to look for a unique area code. There’s nothing wrong with doing things the analog way, but don’t be lazy. What should have been an easy errand turned into a stressful 20 minutes.

Service: 1

Stopped into La Farine today after lunch to evaluate their pastry display, and the lemon cheesecake immediately caught my eye.

Operational & Service Pacing
The shop interior is immaculate, showcasing an excellent variety of high-quality pastries, cakes, and artisanal breads. Front-of-house service was completely seamless—highly professional, very friendly, and ultra-quick with absolutely no wait time.

Product Evaluation: Lemon Cheesecake

Transit & Structure: The cake travels exceptionally well, maintaining perfect form and clean layer lines on the trip home without any structural melting or collapsing.

The Filling: The body of the cheesecake is top-tier—incredibly smooth, rich, and perfectly creamy.

The Flavor Balance: The top features an excellent, vibrant lemon glaze that cuts beautifully through the richness of the cake. It's all anchored by a great, rustic crust with a distinct nutty flavor.

Verdict
The entire cake tasted ultra-fresh, as if it had just been finished in the kitchen. La Farine continues to prove itself as a fantastic neighborhood bakery that executes classic pastry work at a highly reliable level.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Croissant

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Good amount of options. I think the breads are better than the pastry options. Some of the pastries tasted cold and stale even in the mornings

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Their fruit tart is AMAZING! Highly recommended!

Food: 5

A totally subpar croissant.

Food: 1

Despite the charm, the pastries are extremely mediocre. Croissants were very bad (just a touch better than the safeway across the street), tarts were disappointing, all around no good. I expected much more, but they seem to rely on their name to sell rather than quality.

Phenomenal experience at this La Farine this past Wednesday with a worker named Bianca.
La Farine has been a personal and family favorite for decades now, shoutout to their apricot soda bread which is *heavenly* toasted with butter.
My mom took me when I was younger, and now I love to take my own daughter there. She's 2 and has fully accepted her toddler state of angel/lunatic, and Bianca was so incredibly kind to her it made me smile all day. My daughter introduced herself and Bianca talked to directly to her asking her what she wanted, to which my daughter yelled 'Quiche!'. Bianca was so incredibly patient and kind to me and my daughter (there was no line so no one waiting) and it left me raving to any and all family and friends how wonderful she was.
Toddlers are no joke, and my daughter is picky about who she likes. It was just so wonderful and made my whole day better.

1000 stars for Bianca and all the La Farine workers.
I will absolutely be coming back and could not have been more satisfied. Also shoutout to the ham and cheese quiche which my daughter devoured and wouldn't let me touch. It even beat out all the chocolate offerings I said she could get.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

If this was located in Paris, I would give it two stars and never go back there again.

But this is Berkeley. Still mediocre, so three stars seems appropriate.

Still not going back, as I have by now tried most of the stuff on their menu, and it is pretty much all..... mediocre.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 4

So good. Are you kidding me. Too good.

Buy a rustic batard here then go buy one at Safeway or Berkeley Bowl or Whole Foods and compare. It’s just so much better here.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

As fresh as it gets! My go to morning buns from now on!!!

Food: 5

They're known for their fruit tarts and they absolutely live up to the hype - light, creamt custard and fresh, juicy fruits. The red velvet cupcake is a ljttle disappointing: too dry and too bright artificial red. I also got the sour batard when I came back and it was great, nice tangy flavor and chewy crust. They do use white flour so the interior is more soft and less chewy, so that comes down to personal preference.