DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA – I don’t like to be hyperbolic, especially when it comes to something as important as pastries. But I just found some of the best French pastries outside of Paris. And they’re right here in Danville, California.
The Bay Area has a lot of bakeries, and the 925 has its fair share of French places. There’s La Châtaigne in Lafayette, Brioche de Paris, and even places like Model Bakery that serve plenty of French-inspired fare.
And they’re great. But a new bakery in Danville, Maison Benoit, has pastries, croissants and coffee that feel exactly like what you’d get at some moody boulangerie on the Left Bank.
You don’t have to rely on my taste, though–following a big contest in San Francisco, humble burb-by Danville beat out bakeries from the Bay Area’s largest cities, with Maison Benoit taking home the title of Best Croissant in the Bay Area.
My Visit
I visited Maison Benoit to try it out. As the time, I was unaware of the bakery’s big win, which happened on June 1–I just wanted some yummy treats for breakfast.
Maison Benoit is located at 402 Railroad Avenue, right in the middle of downtown Danville. There’s a small lot with dedicated spaces behind the building, and a much bigger municipal lot a few blocks away.
Inside, the store is decked out in a classy blue and gold color scheme. There are tables, comfy leather chairs, and a big communal bar table under the window for people with laptops in tow.
In this respect, Maison Benoit departs from Parisian Boulangers, which often have cramped interiors or no indoor space at all.
Where it doesn’t differ, though, is in the giant display cases packed with amazing pastries, breads and sweets.
Maison Benoit covers a range of classic French items. You’ve got your dainty offerings like Tarte Fruits Rouges and Eclairs.
You’ve also got “Viennoiseries” like croissants, chocolate croissants, and various brioches.
Maison Benoit also offers heartier fare, including a Croque Monsieur and a variety of quiches and baguette sandwiches which all look amazing.
The items are baked in-house, and the kitchen is visible right next to the line where you place your order, with freshly-baked croissants cooling on big metal trays.
In addition to pastries and other sweets, Maison Benoit offers a variety of French products to take home, like butters and spreads.
They even have a selection of branded merch, boxes and tea, and other items that would make great gifts.
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The Food
Wanting to get a comprehensive picture of the menu at Maison Benoit, I visited with my family and tried tons of items from multiple parts of the menu.
I love pastries, so I tried out the Pavlova. It’s an impossibly flaky and rich meringue cup filled with pastry cream and fruit, and topped with sweet meringue.
One bite of this pastry confirmed that Maison Benoit has the best French items in the Bay Area.
The Frasier was amazing too, with a thicker pastry cream (almost a custard) formed into a tower and filled with strawberries, then topped with a little sliver of chocolate.
Keeping with their recent award, the Pain Au Chocolat was a hit too–a croissant stuffed with not-too-sweet melted chocolate.
Maison Benoit is known for their Chouette–little puff pastries coated in rough crystals of sugar and sold for $1 each.
The Chouette was delicious–not very sweet, despite the sugar coating, and a far cry from an American donut.
Like all good French places, Maison Benoit has amazing coffee. I had a cortado, which was bold and delicious and topped with latte art.
The almond milk latte was excellent as well.
The Verdict
It should be fairly obvious by now that I feel Maison Benoit is amazing. There’s an absolute delight in discovering such authentic and spectacular pastries in a quiet suburb 15 minutes from your home.
In addition to serving delicious food, Maison Benoit provides a great environment to sit and eat. It’s not as frou frou as you might expect from a French bakery, instead blending in elements of an American cafe–seating for people working on laptops, cozy chairs to chat with friends, and a “self serve” bar for utensils and water, so you’re not having to constantly pester the staff.
Maison Benoit won’t remain a hidden gem for long–the Croissant contest win will see to that, even if the food is slower to do so.
Stop by why Maison Benoit is still low-key and local–this pastry joint is going places.
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