Best bakery in the Bay Area. Kouign Amman's are just right, and the latte's are spectacular. Great service and wonderful atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ana Herrera
OMG the little orange hazelnut financier is so good. Just stopped by for a treat with a capuccino when it was almost closing time. Very pleased! Will stop by again soon.
Ordered cappuccino.....and I remained me of the first cappuccino I had in Venice. The pastries are delish. Sarter Bakery is number one on my list of great places to get a delicious cup of coffe, an scrumptious pastry that will make your taste buds sing.
So happy Starter opened in our neighborhood! FYI - they stop making espresso drinks one hour before closing.They don’t have a ton of seating, but the seating they have is lovely (not cozy, but lovely).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicole Hadassah
Excellence without pretentiousness. Fresh hazelnut kouign-amann and cardamom pistachio bun are my favorites.
Emily X.
Starter bakery is a spacious, modern bakery located a block away from the Rockridge BART station. There is a lot of indoor seating as well as outdoor seating. Starter Bakery's pastries can be found in many coffee shops around Berkeley and Oakland but I was super excited to discover that they have a couple of their own locations. The service is quick and friendly. The staff go above and beyond to make your experience enjoyable. One day I went at 7:30AM and the scones were not glazed yet but the staff glazed one fresh for me. I go to Starter frequently and it is my mid-week sweet treat. Everyone deserves a little treat to get them through the week! Anyways, these are some of the pastries I've gotten so far: -Twice baked ham and cheese croissant: I was so blown away by this croissant. The croissant itself was flaky and served warm. On top of the croissant there is this delicious combination of ham, caramelized onions, a hint of Dijon mustard -Dried orange and cranberry scone (seasonal) This scone flavor is one of my favorites! There is a perfect balance of sweet, citrus, and freshness. The scone is moist and the glaze on top compliments each bite. -Raspberry Kouign Amann (seasonal) -Dried ginger and pear Kouign Amann (seasonal) Every Kouign Amann that I've had from Starter was delicious. The fillings have strong flavors and the pastry itself is crisp with a taste of caramelized sugar at the bottom. It is not overwhelmingly sweet and there is a pleasant balance of sweet/savory. I will continue to come back to Starter Bakery and next time I want to try their breads and sandwiches! I've been to a couple of bakeries in the Bay Area and Starter is a stand out.
Anna L.
I stumbled upon Starter Bakery when I was shopping at Trader Joe's. They have a large selection of pastries to choose from. Because the food is quite pricey, I didn't go too crazy with the spending. I bought two chocolate Kouign Ammans for $5 each. My brother said it was delicious, and I ate mine for breakfast the next day. Even though it was no longer freshly baked, it was still delicious. I regret not buying more pastries. Next time I will buy more pastries to share with my family.
Lexie S.
A warm and wonderful neighborhood bakery! Their all-stars (though I haven't tried everything) - Sourdough -Baguettes -Focaccia -Blueberry muffin -Cardamom pistachio twist -Passionfruit madeline -Recent savory pastry -- ham, gruyere & pear (PLEASE MAKE THIS PERMANENTLY A PART OF THE MENU!)
Savannah G.
The pastries are incredible. They are well known for their variety of croissants and breads. The olive sourdough loaf comes pre-sliced and makes incredible grilled cheese sandwich at home. The outside gets super crispy and the inside is fluffy, which meets nicely with melted cheese. Almost anything, and everything that you will buy here you will enjoy and want to come back for probably the next day. The only thing that is kind of a bummer is the service is lackluster, and sometimes even rude. There may be all sorts of legitimate reasons why the service is so unfriendly, but for our do you believe one of the best bakeries in the bay area it kind of sucks to buy a big box of goodies, and somehow still have a bad taste in your mouth... it would be awesome. If the people selling the goods would be as excited as the customers that sometimes drive from a pretty long way.
Sheila S.
Waited outside on the tables at the front door with the dogs as husband went in to get coffee and two pastries. There was no line at 9am on a Saturday but sometimes we see a crowd. There are three tables outside and some inside the spacious space. You order at the counter and they provide compostable packaging. Today we tried the chocolate babka which was flake with a syrupy top and not too sweet. The ham and cheese croissant was also well balanced and pasted with mustard. He said coffee was just okay compared to the other choices on College Avenue. Very close to Rockridge Bart or you can park on the street, bart parking lot for free weekends or neighborhood parking.
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Babka, Pastries, Hazelnut Financier, On a Pretzel Croissant
James Donelan
I had high hopes given what I'd heard about starter bakery, but was disappointed when I visited. The space is a wasted opportunity, almost nothing has been done to elevate it from the previous pizza place justine's, it looks identical, and honestly has zero ambience. Three staff members behind the counter and it still took an effort to get help and order. The desert I bought (a pear and caramel puff pastry) looked great but was kludgey and not great tasting, and at $8 there are much better options a block away. I hope they do well, but I think putting some personality into the space, and making it more welcoming, would go a long way.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Illiana Mai
The modern bakery: quality pastries and drinks, chic atmosphere, overpriced.
I didn't go in-person so I can't speak as much to the service and ambiance. I can, however, speak to the amazing kouign amann I had from this place. It was beautifully glazed and lightly sprinkled with what I think are pistachios. Biting into it showed that it was multilayered and flaky with just enough sweetness and lots of butteriness. It was good, and in the future I'd very much like to check out the bakery it came from! Overall based on the pastry itself: 5/5
Fatima Saldivar
It is a small, pleasant, and clean bakery with friendly staff and a fairly extensive menu. To give a more accurate review, I would need to try more of their products, but from the ones I tried this time, I was slightly disappointed with their Brioche - Pecan Sticky Bun. They were too dry, but the nuts added some flavor. Their Salted Chocolate Chip cookie was average (I didn't taste the salt), but I would definitely recommend trying their Molasses Ginger cookie again.
Best bakery in the Bay Area. Kouign Amman's are just right, and the latte's are spectacular. Great service and wonderful atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
OMG the little orange hazelnut financier is so good. Just stopped by for a treat with a capuccino when it was almost closing time. Very pleased! Will stop by again soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bakery, Financiers - Hazelnut Chocolate Orange
Ordered cappuccino.....and I remained me of the first cappuccino I had in Venice. The pastries are delish. Sarter Bakery is number one on my list of great places to get a delicious cup of coffe, an scrumptious pastry that will make your taste buds sing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Financiers - Hazelnut Chocolate Orange, Croissant - Seasonal Tartine, Croissant - Almond Twice Baked
So happy Starter opened in our neighborhood! FYI - they stop making espresso drinks one hour before closing.They don’t have a ton of seating, but the seating they have is lovely (not cozy, but lovely).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellence without pretentiousness. Fresh hazelnut kouign-amann and cardamom pistachio bun are my favorites.
Starter bakery is a spacious, modern bakery located a block away from the Rockridge BART station. There is a lot of indoor seating as well as outdoor seating. Starter Bakery's pastries can be found in many coffee shops around Berkeley and Oakland but I was super excited to discover that they have a couple of their own locations. The service is quick and friendly. The staff go above and beyond to make your experience enjoyable. One day I went at 7:30AM and the scones were not glazed yet but the staff glazed one fresh for me. I go to Starter frequently and it is my mid-week sweet treat. Everyone deserves a little treat to get them through the week! Anyways, these are some of the pastries I've gotten so far: -Twice baked ham and cheese croissant: I was so blown away by this croissant. The croissant itself was flaky and served warm. On top of the croissant there is this delicious combination of ham, caramelized onions, a hint of Dijon mustard -Dried orange and cranberry scone (seasonal) This scone flavor is one of my favorites! There is a perfect balance of sweet, citrus, and freshness. The scone is moist and the glaze on top compliments each bite. -Raspberry Kouign Amann (seasonal) -Dried ginger and pear Kouign Amann (seasonal) Every Kouign Amann that I've had from Starter was delicious. The fillings have strong flavors and the pastry itself is crisp with a taste of caramelized sugar at the bottom. It is not overwhelmingly sweet and there is a pleasant balance of sweet/savory. I will continue to come back to Starter Bakery and next time I want to try their breads and sandwiches! I've been to a couple of bakeries in the Bay Area and Starter is a stand out.
I stumbled upon Starter Bakery when I was shopping at Trader Joe's. They have a large selection of pastries to choose from. Because the food is quite pricey, I didn't go too crazy with the spending. I bought two chocolate Kouign Ammans for $5 each. My brother said it was delicious, and I ate mine for breakfast the next day. Even though it was no longer freshly baked, it was still delicious. I regret not buying more pastries. Next time I will buy more pastries to share with my family.
A warm and wonderful neighborhood bakery! Their all-stars (though I haven't tried everything) - Sourdough -Baguettes -Focaccia -Blueberry muffin -Cardamom pistachio twist -Passionfruit madeline -Recent savory pastry -- ham, gruyere & pear (PLEASE MAKE THIS PERMANENTLY A PART OF THE MENU!)
The pastries are incredible. They are well known for their variety of croissants and breads. The olive sourdough loaf comes pre-sliced and makes incredible grilled cheese sandwich at home. The outside gets super crispy and the inside is fluffy, which meets nicely with melted cheese. Almost anything, and everything that you will buy here you will enjoy and want to come back for probably the next day. The only thing that is kind of a bummer is the service is lackluster, and sometimes even rude. There may be all sorts of legitimate reasons why the service is so unfriendly, but for our do you believe one of the best bakeries in the bay area it kind of sucks to buy a big box of goodies, and somehow still have a bad taste in your mouth... it would be awesome. If the people selling the goods would be as excited as the customers that sometimes drive from a pretty long way.
Waited outside on the tables at the front door with the dogs as husband went in to get coffee and two pastries. There was no line at 9am on a Saturday but sometimes we see a crowd. There are three tables outside and some inside the spacious space. You order at the counter and they provide compostable packaging. Today we tried the chocolate babka which was flake with a syrupy top and not too sweet. The ham and cheese croissant was also well balanced and pasted with mustard. He said coffee was just okay compared to the other choices on College Avenue. Very close to Rockridge Bart or you can park on the street, bart parking lot for free weekends or neighborhood parking.
Restaurantji Recommends
Fun place to meet neighbors, nice and light.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Babka, Pastries, Hazelnut Financier, On a Pretzel Croissant
I had high hopes given what I'd heard about starter bakery, but was disappointed when I visited. The space is a wasted opportunity, almost nothing has been done to elevate it from the previous pizza place justine's, it looks identical, and honestly has zero ambience. Three staff members behind the counter and it still took an effort to get help and order. The desert I bought (a pear and caramel puff pastry) looked great but was kludgey and not great tasting, and at $8 there are much better options a block away. I hope they do well, but I think putting some personality into the space, and making it more welcoming, would go a long way.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
The modern bakery: quality pastries and drinks, chic atmosphere, overpriced.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Babka, Pastries, Hazelnut Financier
I didn't go in-person so I can't speak as much to the service and ambiance. I can, however, speak to the amazing kouign amann I had from this place. It was beautifully glazed and lightly sprinkled with what I think are pistachios. Biting into it showed that it was multilayered and flaky with just enough sweetness and lots of butteriness. It was good, and in the future I'd very much like to check out the bakery it came from! Overall based on the pastry itself: 5/5
It is a small, pleasant, and clean bakery with friendly staff and a fairly extensive menu. To give a more accurate review, I would need to try more of their products, but from the ones I tried this time, I was slightly disappointed with their Brioche - Pecan Sticky Bun. They were too dry, but the nuts added some flavor. Their Salted Chocolate Chip cookie was average (I didn't taste the salt), but I would definitely recommend trying their Molasses Ginger cookie again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4