Arsicault Bakery
| Address: | 397 Arguello Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA |
| Phone: | +1 415-750-9460 |
| Rating: | 4.7 |
| Working: | Closed 7AM–1:30PM 7AM–1:30PM 7AM–1:30PM 7AM–1:30PM 8AM–2PM 8AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
JO
Johnny Wang
*** In Short *** Tiny bakery known for their amazing croissants. Or so Im told. *** In Depth *** Out of the misfortune of having broken my leg and needing to trek out to this part of town to see my UCSF doctor, came the good fortune of discovering and stopping by Arsicault before it blew up and became The Next Big Thing here in SF. Weekday mornings, at least the times I went, were notably lacking in the long lines that now seem to dominate the reviews on here. Blame the food zines for ruining a good thing! Now, with that said, my experience seems to have been a bit more lackluster than everyone elses, and I suspect thats largely due to not having ordered the right things, as the plain croissant, chocolate almond croissant, morning bun, and poppy seed rolls we got all fell just a little short. The plain croissant was nothing outstanding; the chocolate almond croissant was, to me, a strange combo, and one I would have enjoyed much more separately; the morning bun was quite citrusy, for those who are into that; and the poppy seed roll was, like the croissant, just okay. Id certainly like to give them another go, and get more of the croissants next time around. I just hope that by the time I venture out that way again, the lines will have died down somewhat! ***Accessibility Info*** Venue - Didnt go in myself, so I cant comment on this yet. Bathroom - Didnt try them.
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Victor B
Cant get the idea why its so hyped. The croissant was decent but overly buttered. Will never return to the place because the place is following typical SF model I happened to dislike: 1. Limit working hours. (7am to 1pm is perfect). How could you afford it? Charge more. 2. Charge twice compare to an item at the established place ($5 for a croissant?! Even in Paris you will not be charged this outrageous sum of money for a croissant) 3. Make sure shipple are standing in line. They will line up starting at 5:30-6am. Tell them after after few hours: we are sold out. 4. Your employees should be trained to spend at least 10 minutes per customer. I am not kidding you. Customer is spending 7 minutes at the register only. 5. Dont underestimate your customers stupidity. They will wait happily extra 15 minutes for "almond cruissant" after paying for the order. 6. No one will EVER tell they spent 2 hours in line and pastry was just OK. Every lemming will preach and praise the place after spending $40/order.
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Sophia Yuen
OMG. If you have not been here, please do yourself a favor and do. Bon Appetite magazine named Arsicaut best bakery in the country and out of all the ones I’ve been to, this is definitely top 3. I got the ham and cheese croissant, the chocolate almond croissant and the kouign amann. The ham and cheese croissant was amazing. There was something about the cheese that was so good and the croissant couldn’t be more perfect – light, flaky, buttery, and delicious. Then I had the chocolate almond croissant and normally I’m not a fan of almond flavored things, but this got me sold. I still crave this when I want something sweet. I saved the kouign amann for later and it was still pretty good, but I prefer the croissants. Overall, this place has croissants close to perfection and I can’t wait until the next time I go back!
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Pauline Cao
Yes, they are just croissants. You can get them anywhere. But these perfectly, flaky goodness are something else. I wouldnt wait that long in line for them but, they are mighty tasty. They do sell out so try not to come too late! What Ive Tried - Almond Chocolate Croissant - Ham and Cheese Croissant I ate the ham and cheese right away since it was still warm and it was delicious! Perfect amounts of salty ham and savory cheese. I was sad I could only get two (2) of each kind! I ate almond chocolate the next day so I cannot confirm nor deny that it was the best one out of the two as other reviewers have said. It was good but, would it have been more amazing the same day? Who knows. Guess I wont find out until the next time Im in town. :)
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Gabriel Lew
Best almond croissant Ive had in California. Very crunchy, super buttery, plenty of filling and they make these in many batches so its almost warm still. Came on a Sunday at 10am and only had to wait for about 10 minutes in line. I believe the almond was $4 a piece. The other items were good but not as perfect in combination. The chocolate almond croissant was too sweet. Kouign amann was good in its crunch but it didnt have a wow factor. The chocolate croissant texture wasnt crunchy and almost a little stale so I would not recommend that. The morning bun was too sugary for my liking. Chocolate chip cookie was ok but a little burnt on the edges and the texture was OK, harder than crispy on outside but softish inside.
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Kimberly Ann Graham
Lives up to the title of "Bakery of the Year" awarded by Bon Appétit magazine in their August 2016 issue. Tiny tiny place on a busy street near Golden Gate park. The lines can be very long (45+ minutes) and they do run out of goods due to demand. I went on a Thursday morning about 30 minutes after they opened. Parked right in front and waited behind 3 others to make my order. LIMIT OF 5 pieces per customer so make your choices carefully. The Ham and Cheese is a very popular variety and well deserved. The croissant was incredibly flaky and a nice little chew. Cant wait to try the others I bought! Got my 5!
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Kelly Poole
Do you remember the taste and texture of that croissant that you had in Paris? The way it flaked away on the surface as you bit through to the moist center? Tough to recreate that here, right? This is hands-down the best croissant in SF. Every time. Armando is a stickler for quality. His grandfather Arsicault baked bread outside of Paris, and Armando fastidiously carries forward the tradition. The ham and cheese croissant is outstanding and if you get the chance to get one which is still warm from the oven it is an SF food experience not to be missed
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Shirley Yeung
I managed to come here when the queue was a bit shorter than usual around 12:30pm on a sunny Sunday. However, lots of the baked goods were unavailable! I really wanted to try the almond chocolate but that was sold out so I opted for the two separate ones with both and also the savory cheese one! The crossiant itself was so buttery and the fillings inside were delicious. They are a bit rich so theyre quite filling. I ate the sweet ones the next day, I them into the toaster for a bit and they still seemed like they were super fresh. Highly recommend!
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Chris Shellenbarger
The almond croissants (this includes the chocolate almond as well) are incredible! Fresh out of the oven, these perfectly flaky croissants just melt in your mouth. I always take a couple extra and heat them up in the oven the next day - 350 for 6 minutes is about perfect. The owner, Armando, is a master croissant maker. Once youve had these croissants, youll always be disappointed with any others you may try, which makes it really tough to travel but always gives you something to look forward when you return home.
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Justin Smith
I have to admit I was skeptical, but my brother and I waited patiently in line and then BAM!!! Holy moly, the croissants are amazing! The perfect combination of flaky, moist, buttery and just dang impressive display of art, craft and skills! We have been to Tartine and B. Patisserie as well but for croissants, Arsicault is in a class by itself. They have a limit of 6 croissants per person and you cannot buy more than 2 of the same kind so bring a friend or friends if you want to buy more.
