Monika’s Macarons & Bakery Boutique

Absolutely fabulously delicious! I've had the lemon macarons, caramel pumpkin roll, ginger cookie and (my favorite) the carrot cake. All gluten free and all so incredibly yummy.

I’m a fellow celiac and this is a go to spot for sure!! The baked goods are so soft and full of flavor. So glad this place is around.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cupcake

What a treat! We have celiac, and this is the best gluten- free bakery we’ve ever found! Even my non-celiac husband adores the products. We’re so lucky to have this little gem here in SLO!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cookie

My wife is gluten free, but I am not. When she came home with bakery items from Monika's, I was hesitant. However, everything was amazing. I had a lemon bar, which you would NEVER know it's gluten free. My wife's carrot cake was also amazing. Highly recommended. Go try it!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Super delicious high-end cookies so good

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Best food ever ?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I can’t talk about Monika’s work without taking care of one quick thing first…

Macaron (MAK-ə-RON) — a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond meal, and often food colouring

Macaroon (MAK-ə-ROON) — small cake or cookie, originally made from ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar, but now often with coconut or other nuts. They may also include jam, chocolate, or other flavorings.

Macron — a French politician who has served as the 25th president of France since 2017 and ex officio one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra.

Macaroni — a type of pasta shaped like narrow, often curved, tubes, or an 18th century fashion trend notable for its description of Yankee Doodle’s cap. Or hat. Kinda depends who you ask and who’s singin’ it.

Monika only deals with the first, and boy howdy, does she know what’s up.

I myself did NOT know what was up until semi-recently. I thought macarons and macaroons were the same thing, and since I’m not the hugest fan of coconut, I never gave macarons OR macaroons much thought. After my wife started experimenting with baking macarons, though, the scales came off my eyes and I saw the light:

Macarons are great! Generally you get a little bit of crunch, a little bit of chewy, a (double!) little bit of cookie, and a little bit of filling combined into a (sort of) bite-sized treat.

Now, you can probably find macarons at your local grocery or warehouse store, and they’ll probably scratch an itch, but you REALLY owe it to yourself to check out a REAL macaron.

One of Monika’s.

Her bakery (macaronerie?) is easy to find, and it’s conveniently located close to Poly and Sierra Vista, next to Starbucks at Foothill and Chorro. She used to be in a different spot at Broad and Marsh, so don’t believe the address your friendly Search Engine Machine gives ya!

She has a standard line up including chocolate, vanilla, lemon, salted caramel and pistachio as well as seasonal varieties, too. Do yourself a favor and buy two of each, so you can figure out what your favorite is and have a whole second one! They’re big enough to easily split into halves (or maybe even quarters!) while you sample to figure out which ones you like best, but, after having the ‘Around the World/One of Everything Sampler Extravaganza’ (not a real or official menu item) multiple times, I can say that all of ‘em are great and the quality and consistency of these little bundles of joy are top notch.

While the flavor is super solid and consistently delicious, the appearance is outstanding, too. Her standard macarons pop with color, and some of her special holiday varieties are extra large and whimsically decorated (think snowmen and Easter bunnies). The pictures on her website give you a good idea of what you’re gonna get, but they’re truly little edible pieces of art.

Her boxes present the macarons really well, and don’t require any work on your part at all to make the perfect gift. Because they’re freshly made, you will want to refrigerate them if you don’t eat them or gift them right away (and that temptation will be STRONG!) and the gift is sure to delight any recipient. Also, the whole bakery is gluten free, so they’re the perfect treat or gift for anyone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity.

I’ve also tried a number of Monika’s other treats, and highly recommend the sea salt chocolate chip cookie, the quiches, and the corn flake treat (think Rice Krispies treats but with corn flakes instead!) She’s even got treats for your dog!

Whether you’re served by Monika herself or one of her employees, you’re gonna get service with a smile, as well as expert guidance and recommendations (especially for a first time visitor!) and even if you walk in expecting a macaroon or two, it’s gonna be tough to walk away disappointed!
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Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Single Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie, Salted Caramel Eclairs, Snowmen Macarons, Quiche

I recently had friends over for afternoon tea and macarons. My friends were blown away with how beautiful and delicious these macarons are. They couldn't believe they're gluten-free.It's a real challenge finding quality, delicious gluten-free treats, so I'm happy we have Monika's Macarons in SLO. I stop here regularly to pick up a couple to have with my afternoon coffee. They also have other delicious treats like carrot cake and creme brulee.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This listing should be updated so delivery is through a third party vendor.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 2

Oh my goodness! I stopped in on whim this week while picking up Jamba Juice. This shop is absolutely adorable . There are so many different macaroons to choose from and they are all beautifully decorated! It was hard to destroy them by eating them!The employee who’s name I did not get, was super attentive but not pushy and made the experience very pleasant.

Parking: The only issue with parking is that it’s in the same lot as several other businesses that are pretty busy, so it can be a challenge to find parking during breakfast and lunch rush-hours

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vanilla Bean

I was visiting another business in the area and noticed Monika's. The macarons are amazing and the place is super cute. I cannot wait to return for tea and pastries.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wow!! I just finished the quiche and I would be completely ok if this was the last meal I ever ate!! The crust is made of layers and layers of pastry and butter that create the most perfect texture. The warm gooey cheese and fluffy egg made me a VERY happy person. What made it even more wild is the fact that it was gluten free! I felt like I had to go back after every bite and make her promise me it was gf! My partner is not gf and he had a quiche for breakfast in Pismo Beach yesterday from a popular breakfast spot. He had his own quiche and he was shocked and speechless! The quiche from Monika’s put the other one to shame!The eclair!?!? The next level of heaven for sure! Monika, you are a true master of your craft!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We sought this bakery out as it is gluten free. The owner was super friendly and the baked goodies were amazing. We tried a few different things including the shortbread. So good! Also yummy dog treats. Even non-gluten free people will like it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pumpkin Roll Slice GF, Muffin

Everything is amazing. Pistachio is the

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It was a great deal for good coffee, we enjoyed a couple of americanos outside. The lemon poppyseed muffin had light lemon flavor perhaps because they are using fresh ingredients only, but was a good light snack.