Wanted to give it at least two stars only because it's (soon to be "was") probably one of the best bakeries in the city, and certainly in Hyde Park, but, eh. The neighbourhood tends to favour overly sweet ... things ... that it calls "pastries" but Bonjour was just fantastic: nothing cloyingly sweet, every morsel just perfection (the coffee,though, was always just meh). Next weekend will be its last, and while it is a huge loss -- and will probably be replaced by some ghastly business we don't need, foisted upon us by the University of Chicago -- I'm also glad to see the end of an era where the manager's (co-owner's) persistent rude behaviour was excused as "European." I went in today, to treat myself to a meal of their Lobster Bisque soup (delicious!) that's only sold on the weekend, a cucumber sandwich, and a ginger molasses cookie. They've clearly had mostly new staff AND the place is jampacked as Hyde Parkers come in for their nex-to-last weekend of treats from their beloved baker. All of which is to say: I get the high stress level and I suspect it's made worse by the fact they seem to have mostly new workers who need to trained, with the manager who's been there forever handling the register. But, still, it was disconcerting to watch her loudly chew out the very young and perhaps inexperienced worker for not placing an item in a box. And then, despite the rush, go on and on about how awful this was when she returned to the register. To be fair: one never knows what's going on behind the scenes when one is a customer, and this may have been a last-straw-camel's-back-thing, who knows? Retail is hard on everyone behind the scenes. I just didn't care for the barrage of criticism hurled at someone in that way, so publicly (she's often blunt with them, which can be necessary in a fast-paced environment, but this was too much) And then when I asked for a handled bag for my items, the manager refused even as she put stuff into a large brown bag for someone else. I stood there and insisted, pointing out that I had three items, upon which she stuffed -- a delicate sandwich and the soup -- into a small bag with much muttering in French (fortunately, both survived). She's never been the embodiment of warmth and is often curt, but this was a bit much (and others here have noted her rudeness to all). Hyde Park, like Chicago, is terrible in terms of race -- and the fact that the manager is herself a woman of colour (as far as I can tell -- she may be angry about being identified as such) doesn't excuse the fact that she behaved the way she did with a young Black woman (the worker) and me (also a person of colour). I seriously doubt she'd have behaved the way she did, with white women. And anyway, whatever: frankly, fine, I get that this kind of rudeness (which may or may not be racialised, sure) may be how they do things *elsewhere* as some cosmopolitans will no doubt tell me, but some "cultural" traditions ought to end. I'm done with this whole fetishising of people who act like Seinfeld's Soup N***. Goodbye, Bonjour: you were incredible and your pastries were perfect, and I have no idea how you lasted as long as you did in Hyde Park, but I'm also glad to see the end of your ridiculousness. Driss Bekkouche, I hope you enjoy your retirement: you deserve it. It's a pity that your lasting legacy will be: excellent baker who stood by and let his manager treat people like crap. As for your manager: maybe tell her, in preparation for your last week, that a lot of people who don't speak French that well do understand it pretty well.
Princess E.
Normally I would give them 5 stars but I am not sure what was going on last month when I went to their store in December, but I always order the same thing which is usually croissants, round raisin croissants, coffee and butter and a knife. They have always had for years a large silver multi level cafeteria like tray right by the counter. On this tray are items that have just come out the oven. All these years, I have never been treated bad when I asked the wait staff to give me all my items from this silver multi level tray. For some reason the wait staff female felt the need to tell me that although I asked for all my items to come from the silver tray by the counter, the items in the display case were just as good and had been taken from the same try prior to me entering the store. I could not believe it. We both just stood there looking at each other and because I never spoke or responded and gave her the silent treatment, she finally gave up....went to the tray with the pastry taken from the oven, gave me all my items from the tray as I had originally asked and then wrapped it all up....I paid for all my items and even left her a tip and that pretty much was it. But that was some nerve. I was still trying to figure out why she felt it necessary to send me through all of that about pastry that just came out the oven. I spent about 25 dollars on fun food but what if I had said "that is ok.....you keep you pastry and I don't want anything? The owners would never have know, but they do now. Do me a favor....when you guys go in to the store in the future, trust me when I tell you that the items in the display case are not fresh. After years of going to this coffee shop, I know this because I buy the same pastries all the time. Ask for your items from the silver tray by the counter. Sometimes they are even still warm. Have a nice day!
Lydia Chew
I ordered a slice of the spinach quiche because I saw positive reviews of it on here, but to put it bluntly, the food was not good. We honestly didn't even finish it. On top of that, for such a simple order, it took quite a while to get our food.
Mister Zee
When I saw the "Black Lives Matter" sign out front, I thought I would be welcomed. Unfortunately, I was not. The cashier was rude and gave off racist vibes. I will not return and I'm filing a BBB complaint.
CHESWAYO MPHANZA
I went in as a first time customer today. I was unsure of how they structured their ordering process. The woman at the counter, a South Asian woman, asked if I needed help. When I asked a question pertaining to the food options and combinations, she facetiously told me to read the signs. I asked her if she was okay and was there something the matter because how she was handling my questions as a first time customer was incredibly rude. She replied to me that it was not me, but a previous customer who she was taking out her frustrations on. Calmly, I replied to the woman that I was not that previous customer and as a first time customer, all I was asking for was a bit of help in understanding the process. It was a terrible, rude, and I would even go as far to say a racist experience.
SamuraiAriane
Absolutely AWFUL!!! Me and 2 other nurses who work at the University of Chicago hospital went here after our 12 shift for breakfast. They sell a sandwich for $9.50but when we went to order the lady told us it’s $15 because they only sell the sandwich with a cookie and coffee. We told her we just wanted the sandwich and it was advertised for $9.50, the owner came around to the front and yelled at us saying the sandwich is $15 whether we wanted the coffee or not. He told us if we didn’t like it to just leave and he started slamming things around. We were shocked to see such rude and aggressive behavior. We just walked out. When I told other people at work about what happened, 2 other coworkers said they had bad experiences too and no longer go there.If you want to be treated horribly and pay an exorbitant amount of money for a sandwich, then go here. Otherwise, avoid this place.
Whitney Bush
Everything I've gotten here has been decadent and delicious, and the outdoor covered cafe seating is fantastic. I recommend trying any of the many flavors of croissant, a croque monsieur, or an eclair (chocolate, coffee, and rose are rotating flavors).
The pastry is out of this world...True French pastry in Chicago.UN JOYAU POUR LA VILLE DE CHICAGO.
Jose Villalobos G
I was charged 14 dollars for a sandwich that was delivered cold and in a ziploc bag. It didn’t taste bad, but it couldn’t have cost more than 3 dollars to make. The employee at the cash register was trying to push these pre-made sandwiches, saying the staff in the back was super busy and anything else was gojng to take a really long time to make. I accepted it supposing it would at least be warmed up and definitely that it would cost at most half of that (the price for it wasn’t displayed anywhere). They just took it out of the display fridge and rang me up.
Great neighborhood bakery and coffee shop. Good options for everyone in the group. Counter service and some seating outside.Vegetarian options: Some great options for vegetarians
Frank Gillett
June 3, 2022I ordered a latte. There was a mixup about the size, but the latte itself tasted great, a traditional espresso drink.Note: they have aligned with the American standard of 12 ounce minimum size for lattes and cappuccinos, and I didn’t see signs of any 8 ounce cups. I also didn’t see a flat white on the menu, which is sometimes a backdoor way of creating an 8 ounce option.They ask had a tasty full of tasty looking baked goods as you would expect of a French themed bakery. And the people behind the counter even speak French-accented English!
Dave N.
I like to support local businesses but I had a really unpleasant experience here today. After having us wait 10 minutes before acknowledging us, with nobody else in line, the man at the register was incredibly rude and unnecessarily unpleasant. I won't be returning.
T Miller
when I came to the bakery I wanted some fresh croissants, after all, they are priced at $4.10 a piece. For a piece of bread. I asked the cashier when they were made just to know if they were freshly out of the oven. He got upset at me and said everything there is fresh and good. I ended up paying and getting one. I took myself to the park to enjoy it. I was disappointed. It was stale. I couldn’t even eat it and had to throw it away like my money. This isn’t worth it for the croissants. It’s better to go to Trader Joe’s and buy 4 of them frozen and bake them yourself.
Ryan Appleton
We came here before the MOSAI as it was close by. Had two great breakfast sandwiches, made fresh by a lovely Frenchman. Polite service and great food. Highly recommend if you're looking for a relatively quick but tasty meal at a good price.
Wanted to give it at least two stars only because it's (soon to be "was") probably one of the best bakeries in the city, and certainly in Hyde Park, but, eh. The neighbourhood tends to favour overly sweet ... things ... that it calls "pastries" but Bonjour was just fantastic: nothing cloyingly sweet, every morsel just perfection (the coffee,though, was always just meh). Next weekend will be its last, and while it is a huge loss -- and will probably be replaced by some ghastly business we don't need, foisted upon us by the University of Chicago -- I'm also glad to see the end of an era where the manager's (co-owner's) persistent rude behaviour was excused as "European." I went in today, to treat myself to a meal of their Lobster Bisque soup (delicious!) that's only sold on the weekend, a cucumber sandwich, and a ginger molasses cookie. They've clearly had mostly new staff AND the place is jampacked as Hyde Parkers come in for their nex-to-last weekend of treats from their beloved baker. All of which is to say: I get the high stress level and I suspect it's made worse by the fact they seem to have mostly new workers who need to trained, with the manager who's been there forever handling the register. But, still, it was disconcerting to watch her loudly chew out the very young and perhaps inexperienced worker for not placing an item in a box. And then, despite the rush, go on and on about how awful this was when she returned to the register. To be fair: one never knows what's going on behind the scenes when one is a customer, and this may have been a last-straw-camel's-back-thing, who knows? Retail is hard on everyone behind the scenes. I just didn't care for the barrage of criticism hurled at someone in that way, so publicly (she's often blunt with them, which can be necessary in a fast-paced environment, but this was too much) And then when I asked for a handled bag for my items, the manager refused even as she put stuff into a large brown bag for someone else. I stood there and insisted, pointing out that I had three items, upon which she stuffed -- a delicate sandwich and the soup -- into a small bag with much muttering in French (fortunately, both survived). She's never been the embodiment of warmth and is often curt, but this was a bit much (and others here have noted her rudeness to all). Hyde Park, like Chicago, is terrible in terms of race -- and the fact that the manager is herself a woman of colour (as far as I can tell -- she may be angry about being identified as such) doesn't excuse the fact that she behaved the way she did with a young Black woman (the worker) and me (also a person of colour). I seriously doubt she'd have behaved the way she did, with white women. And anyway, whatever: frankly, fine, I get that this kind of rudeness (which may or may not be racialised, sure) may be how they do things *elsewhere* as some cosmopolitans will no doubt tell me, but some "cultural" traditions ought to end. I'm done with this whole fetishising of people who act like Seinfeld's Soup N***. Goodbye, Bonjour: you were incredible and your pastries were perfect, and I have no idea how you lasted as long as you did in Hyde Park, but I'm also glad to see the end of your ridiculousness. Driss Bekkouche, I hope you enjoy your retirement: you deserve it. It's a pity that your lasting legacy will be: excellent baker who stood by and let his manager treat people like crap. As for your manager: maybe tell her, in preparation for your last week, that a lot of people who don't speak French that well do understand it pretty well.
Normally I would give them 5 stars but I am not sure what was going on last month when I went to their store in December, but I always order the same thing which is usually croissants, round raisin croissants, coffee and butter and a knife. They have always had for years a large silver multi level cafeteria like tray right by the counter. On this tray are items that have just come out the oven. All these years, I have never been treated bad when I asked the wait staff to give me all my items from this silver multi level tray. For some reason the wait staff female felt the need to tell me that although I asked for all my items to come from the silver tray by the counter, the items in the display case were just as good and had been taken from the same try prior to me entering the store. I could not believe it. We both just stood there looking at each other and because I never spoke or responded and gave her the silent treatment, she finally gave up....went to the tray with the pastry taken from the oven, gave me all my items from the tray as I had originally asked and then wrapped it all up....I paid for all my items and even left her a tip and that pretty much was it. But that was some nerve. I was still trying to figure out why she felt it necessary to send me through all of that about pastry that just came out the oven. I spent about 25 dollars on fun food but what if I had said "that is ok.....you keep you pastry and I don't want anything? The owners would never have know, but they do now. Do me a favor....when you guys go in to the store in the future, trust me when I tell you that the items in the display case are not fresh. After years of going to this coffee shop, I know this because I buy the same pastries all the time. Ask for your items from the silver tray by the counter. Sometimes they are even still warm. Have a nice day!
I ordered a slice of the spinach quiche because I saw positive reviews of it on here, but to put it bluntly, the food was not good. We honestly didn't even finish it. On top of that, for such a simple order, it took quite a while to get our food.
When I saw the "Black Lives Matter" sign out front, I thought I would be welcomed. Unfortunately, I was not. The cashier was rude and gave off racist vibes. I will not return and I'm filing a BBB complaint.
I went in as a first time customer today. I was unsure of how they structured their ordering process. The woman at the counter, a South Asian woman, asked if I needed help. When I asked a question pertaining to the food options and combinations, she facetiously told me to read the signs. I asked her if she was okay and was there something the matter because how she was handling my questions as a first time customer was incredibly rude. She replied to me that it was not me, but a previous customer who she was taking out her frustrations on. Calmly, I replied to the woman that I was not that previous customer and as a first time customer, all I was asking for was a bit of help in understanding the process. It was a terrible, rude, and I would even go as far to say a racist experience.
Absolutely AWFUL!!! Me and 2 other nurses who work at the University of Chicago hospital went here after our 12 shift for breakfast. They sell a sandwich for $9.50but when we went to order the lady told us it’s $15 because they only sell the sandwich with a cookie and coffee. We told her we just wanted the sandwich and it was advertised for $9.50, the owner came around to the front and yelled at us saying the sandwich is $15 whether we wanted the coffee or not. He told us if we didn’t like it to just leave and he started slamming things around. We were shocked to see such rude and aggressive behavior. We just walked out. When I told other people at work about what happened, 2 other coworkers said they had bad experiences too and no longer go there.If you want to be treated horribly and pay an exorbitant amount of money for a sandwich, then go here. Otherwise, avoid this place.
Everything I've gotten here has been decadent and delicious, and the outdoor covered cafe seating is fantastic. I recommend trying any of the many flavors of croissant, a croque monsieur, or an eclair (chocolate, coffee, and rose are rotating flavors).
Wonderful, yummy baked goods! Delicious coffee quick!
The pastry is out of this world...True French pastry in Chicago.UN JOYAU POUR LA VILLE DE CHICAGO.
I was charged 14 dollars for a sandwich that was delivered cold and in a ziploc bag. It didn’t taste bad, but it couldn’t have cost more than 3 dollars to make. The employee at the cash register was trying to push these pre-made sandwiches, saying the staff in the back was super busy and anything else was gojng to take a really long time to make. I accepted it supposing it would at least be warmed up and definitely that it would cost at most half of that (the price for it wasn’t displayed anywhere). They just took it out of the display fridge and rang me up.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great neighborhood bakery and coffee shop. Good options for everyone in the group. Counter service and some seating outside.Vegetarian options: Some great options for vegetarians
June 3, 2022I ordered a latte. There was a mixup about the size, but the latte itself tasted great, a traditional espresso drink.Note: they have aligned with the American standard of 12 ounce minimum size for lattes and cappuccinos, and I didn’t see signs of any 8 ounce cups. I also didn’t see a flat white on the menu, which is sometimes a backdoor way of creating an 8 ounce option.They ask had a tasty full of tasty looking baked goods as you would expect of a French themed bakery. And the people behind the counter even speak French-accented English!
I like to support local businesses but I had a really unpleasant experience here today. After having us wait 10 minutes before acknowledging us, with nobody else in line, the man at the register was incredibly rude and unnecessarily unpleasant. I won't be returning.
when I came to the bakery I wanted some fresh croissants, after all, they are priced at $4.10 a piece. For a piece of bread. I asked the cashier when they were made just to know if they were freshly out of the oven. He got upset at me and said everything there is fresh and good. I ended up paying and getting one. I took myself to the park to enjoy it. I was disappointed. It was stale. I couldn’t even eat it and had to throw it away like my money. This isn’t worth it for the croissants. It’s better to go to Trader Joe’s and buy 4 of them frozen and bake them yourself.
We came here before the MOSAI as it was close by. Had two great breakfast sandwiches, made fresh by a lovely Frenchman. Polite service and great food. Highly recommend if you're looking for a relatively quick but tasty meal at a good price.