Lafayette, California – Usually, we here at the Bay Area Telegraph are quite good at immediately detecting when new ice cream stores open. In this case, though, one nearly slipped by us.
A brand-new gelato store, which also serves Italian pastries, has just opened up right by the Park Theater in Lafayette.
The store is Castagna Pasticceria, and it comes from the team behind the amazing La Châtaigne, the French bakery that has long graced Lafayette with delicious croissants and other pastries.
Rather than focusing on French food like La Châtaigne, Castagna focuses instead on Italian delicacies.
We first spotted the new store from big neon signs in the window: “Espresso” and “Gelato.” Stepping inside, the new store appears to deliver on those promises.
There’s a cooler filled with what appears to be homemade gelato.
It has standard flavors like strawberry and Belgian chocolate, as well as more traditional Italian flavors like walnut and pistachio.
A handwritten menu lists the coffees on offer. The menu starts with an affogato, a combination of ice cream and espresso, which says a lot about the general vibe of the new place.
Then it also lists cappuccinos, espressos, lattes, hot chocolate, and more. It’s a very traditional coffee menu—you won’t find any strawberry matchas here.
Also very Italian is the fact that they only offer small and medium coffees. This stuff is clearly meant to be savored, along with a pastry, not chugged in the standard American manner!
Speaking of pastries, delicious Italian specialties round out the menu. There’s a display case with meringues, croissants, and a selection of little pastry items.
On our visit, there was also a larger display case that was empty. I’m not sure what they plan on putting in here—perhaps they’ll have larger cakes or Italian items like cannolis that require refrigeration.
Castagna appears to have been in a soft open for a month or two but has only really started to ramp up in the last week. They still don’t appear to have a website, and there’s almost no mention of the new store online, except for an Instagram post from a local realtor.
I was already on my way to another lunch when I saw the new place, so I got to poke my nose in but not actually eat there. You can bet I’ll be back as soon as possible to try out the gelato, espresso, and pastries. Make sure to join our free 925 newsletter so I can keep you updated with that full review.
Castagna is at 3531 Plaza Way. From Yelp, it appears that they are closed on Mondays but otherwise open 10 to 3—similar limited hours to the original place over at La Châtaigne.
We’re thrilled that the La Châtaigne empire is expanding. That location is widely known for having some of the best French pastries in Lamorinda. I’m sure the Italian food here—and the gelato—will be just as good!
I’ve known about this cute place for quite awhile. what’s the best way to share tips like this with you going forward?
Email tom@bayareatelegraph.com thanks!