Lafayette, California – When you first walk into Lafayette’s brand-new Brioche de Paris bakery, the first thing you’ll notice is the huge amount of natural light.
The bright white interior space is lit by a massive skylight in the ceiling, adorned with colorful plants.
Quickly, though, your attention will turn to the pastries!
As you enter the new bakery, there’s a display case of delicious French sweets front and center. These are as colorful and delightful-looking as the flowers above you—mango tarts, brilliant orange raspberry cakes, and macarons in all colors of the rainbow.
Brioche de Paris opened last week after a long process of construction. It’s located in the Park Theater Plaza, right next to Sideboard and the new Big Woof Dog store.
The shop formerly housed Hollie’s Homegrown, which is moving down the block to The Brant.
Here at the Bay Telegraph, we were the first to report that the new bakery was coming to town. It’s affiliated with the Alamo branch of Brioche de Paris.
The one in Walnut Creek is apparently operated by a different person. The three were originally part of the same partnership, we are told, but decided to go their separate ways, each keeping the same name.
Brioche de Paris in Lafayette has done a beautiful job of building out the space. The skylight makes everything feel incredibly light and airy, especially for an older historic building.
A long line of display cases showcases the goodies you’ll find inside. The store has a low-key pink theme, which is a nice complement to the highly colorful sweets.
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The first case includes delectable little cakes and traditional French pastry items, like a Tarte Citron and a pastry simply called “Lemon.”
You’ll also find a case with more savory items, like quiches. These are served by the slice, like a gigantic pizza.
Further down, there’s a case with viennoiseries—traditional French laminated pastries. These include croissants, pain au chocolat, and options with chopped hazelnuts and other fillings.
The owners appear to genuinely be French—one of them was speaking on the phone, and I used my best high school French to recognize the language!
Brioche de Paris is a counter-service spot. You walk up to the register to order your pastries, then find your own table to sit and enjoy them.
Behind the counter, there’s a big display with various French breads, like baguettes and sourdough loaves.
There’s also a full coffee menu. This includes traditional lattes, cappuccinos, and café au lait, as well as more creative items like a Nutella latte and a s’mores latte. Tea is available too.
On my visit, I got one of the macarons.
My wife got the s’mores latte, and I got a traditional Gibraltar.
The drinks came served in beautiful bone china cups. That alone elevated the experience of what would otherwise be a casual café.
Each of the coffee drinks was served with latte art. For the s’mores latte, the barista hit the marshmallow-covered top with a blowtorch, creating little singed marshmallow bits.
The macaron was excellent. It was fresh—which is an absolute necessity for a good macaron—and had a pastry cream interior. It was a bit different from some other Bay Area macarons, which often have a denser, sweeter fruit cream. This was more like a buttercream holding the two pieces together.
My Gibraltar and the s’mores latte were both good, and the highlight was how beautifully they were served in dainty little cups.
I’ve heard good things from readers about the croissants as well, but I came in the afternoon, so I didn’t get a chance to try them.
Overall, my absolute favorite thing about the new Brioche de Paris is the beautiful space.
The streaming natural light, the stark white interior with little bistro-style tables, and plenty of space to stretch out make this an ideal spot to get some work done on your laptop.
There are big comfy chairs under the side window, which also lets in a lot of light. I could see myself coming in here for a coffee or morning pastry, then lingering for hours getting work done or reading a book.
That slower-paced type of existence feels very Parisian (the French have an untranslatable word for a person that basically lingers in cafes all day: a “flaneur”), and it’s nice that Brioche de Paris has brought that experience to Lafayette.
The macaron indicates that the pastries here are of excellent quality. I still need to try them in comparison to places like the French Spot that just opened in Concord, but for a little sweet afternoon treat, the macaron hit the spot!
Brioche de Paris has only been open for about a week and a half as I write this. Make sure to stop by and try out this brand-new café—a brilliantly French addition to downtown Lafayette.
Website: https://briochedeparisbakery.com/briochedeparis-2t9hvq
Address: 998 Moraga Rd, Lafayette, CA 94549
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