Pluma by Bluebird Bakery

Lovely bakery with outstanding pastries and great coffee. Located just a few blocks from Union Market, Pluma faces stiff competition from the dozens of coffee shops, bakeries, and eateries within a 5-minute walking radius, but this humble little cafe holds its own. I first visited Pluma on a misty Saturday afternoon in July. I was initially hoping to meet a friend there, but, after about 30 minutes of waiting outside, I concluded that they probably weren't going to make it and decided to step inside to treat myself to a little beverage and pastry. The space was super cute, with a ton of natural light streaming in from the giant floor-to-ceiling windows, and plenty of seating at the giant communal table in the center of the restaurant or along the bar at the window.

I decided to get a matcha latte with almond milk and, at the barista's recommendation, also added in a morning bun. As I moved along the line to pay, the barista surprised me by saying my order would be on the house; apparently he had seen me waiting outside and offered me my drink and pastry for free to make up for it. It was SUPER sweet, and I'm still so incredibly grateful to that barista :).

The matcha was solid, and I loved the little heart latte art the barista added. The morning bun was also delightful -- it was super flaky and buttery, and it had an almost impossible number of layers. It wasn't super sweet, but it was rolled in delightful orange-scented cinnamon sugar, giving it a lovely hint of citrus and spice.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Their pistachio chocolate croissants are the reason why I could never be a Victoria Secret Model.

The morning bun is delicious and so are the danishes which come with seasonal ingredients and flavors. Also highly recommend the Basque cheesecake and the pistachio cookies. The atmosphere is lovely, both to sit inside or out. While the savory sandwiches are pricey, the salmon on rye is spectacular.

Vegetarian options: Most options are vegetarian as there are lots of sweet pastries.
Not a good option for vegan food though.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Morning Buns, Basque Cheesecake, Breakfast Sammy

Croissants were delicious! Make sure to ask for them warmed. Also London fog 🤌🏻

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Croissant

Another great bakery and coffee shop at NoMa. Great vibe and lovely atmosphere. It is definitely my favorite coffee place in the area.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Love the scrambled egg inside the butter croissant and the chocolate croissant

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Croissant, Chocolate Croissant, Bread Pudding

This is THE place to go for decadent pastries! The croissants take me back to Paris, the Danishes are seasonal and delicious and their larger plates like the sandwiches are exquisite. Omg and let's not forget about the chocolate chip cookie, best cookie in DC by far. Definitely a DC staple.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I honestly thought the pastries were subpar. The monkey bread was hard, the croissant was nothing special. But the service was really kind and helpful

Good food but ROUGH service today. Drinks were so beyond backed up today. My food is cold now ❄️ should have got a refund and left rather than wait fifteen minutes for a simple latte

Useless manager helping serve the well stocked pastries vs assisting the Overwhelmed barista.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 4

Service: 1

Victoria and the whole Pluma team are amazing. They worked with me to cater breakfast and lunch for the groomsmen and bridesmaids at my brother's wedding in DC over the weekend. I could not be happier with how everything turned out!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great local coffee shop, great pastries & even better coffee. Your barista (male) is fantastic, remembers regulars orders and names!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I have enjoyed this bakery since we moved to the area in 2021. I will make the drive out on Sunday mornings 2 to 3x a month, they were that good. Recently the pastry selection has been extremely limited, quality has dropped, and the customer service is damn near abysmal. I feel like if you pay $40 for 4 crossiants and a loaf of bread, at least one of these attributes have to be excellent. Today, was the last time for me. Open to alternatives.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 1

I’ve been a customer off and on for about three years. I enjoy all of the pastries, and I used to buy bread occasionally. Today I bought a whole grain loaf, which had gone up to $14. I cut up some slices at home and noticed that there was no salt in this loaf. It was my first time ever having bread without salt, and it is almost inedible. For the prices being charged, this is a sad surprise.

Food: 2

I went in with a friend to study, and was greeted by not only a great and cozy atmosphere, but also incredible smells. I am not a coffee drinker, but my friend got a latte that they really enjoyed. Also, shout out to Ishmael for keeping a great playlist, and for gifting us to a few treats near closing time! I'll definitely be back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It’s been a while since I’ve had it but they make an awesome pistachio chocolate chip cookie! My most recent visit I just got their Spanish latte which is made with sweet and condensed milk and had some spices to it. I liked it! We also got the matcha which was very nice and not bitter. I would try it out!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5