Temple Pastries

Kyle Cooley

year ago

Incredible bakery where everything—from flavors to techniques—is executed with absolute precision. The space is surprisingly large, with plenty of seating downstairs, even more upstairs, and a few outdoor tables as well. As expected, they're known for their pastries and baked goods, but they also offer an extensive menu of coffee, drinks, and a few sandwiches. I started with the breakfast sandwich and a seasonal drink whose name escapes me—it was a mix of matcha and lemonade. The sandwich was very tasty, with the highlight being the fresh-baked milk bread. The drink was interesting, but the grassy-sour combination wasn’t really for me. Naturally, I also tried a variety of baked goods. My favorites: • Parisian hazelnut flan – Like the best custard tart you’ve ever had. Absolutely phenomenal if you get it warm, first thing in the morning. • Banh mi sausage croissant – Really unique and delicious. You might be skeptical of the pickled carrots and daikon, but they blend perfectly with the buttery croissant. • Rye ham & cheddar – A rye croissant isn’t something you see often, but it’s great—more nutty and savory than a standard one. • Kouign amann – I mean, of course. The croissant layers are light and fluffy, and the caramelized syrup is rich and delicious. • Cardamom almond brioche – Simple, with perfect texture and balance of flavors. • Chocolate & cocoa nib cookie – I never thought to put cocoa nibs in a cookie, but it's a perfect way to add extra bitterness without overpowering other flavors. • Strawberry macaron – Probably the best macaron I’ve ever had. The texture is unbelievably light, and it’s bursting with flavor—unlike most macarons around here, which just taste like a bland Oreo. All the macarons are excellent, but the strawberry is my favorite.

Nattisia Ingram

6 months ago

The sweets and the coffee were the star of the show. Coffee was amazing and the cream brûlée macarons were amazing. Tiramisu was good and beautiful.

Richard Park

4 months ago

Great specialty coffee with a mezzanine and outdoor seating. The pastries are exceptional. I've visited about ten cafes now and this is, by far, the best one. Prices are reasonable, and staff very pleasant to talk with :-)

Yummyeatsandtreats

7 months ago

Beautifully prepared and delicious food. Stopped by this morning to load up on pastries for family that was visiting, got a few tea cakes and donuts some savory treats like the gruyere and shallots croissants and tried some new things with the miso caramel cookie. Everything that we got was flavorful and well-cooked. The lobby is bright and open and I love all of the different plants. When I went the line was wrapped out the door and I was concerned it would take forever but staff had things moving quickly and smoothly without making me feel rushed. Definitely recommend checking this place out! Shout-out to the packaging! Visited again today and I was walking. I was worried my tart would be squished or flattened on my journey but it was packed into its own box and placed gently on the top corner. Perfectly intact when I got home 20 minutes later! And delicious!!

Taylor Kuhlman

6 months ago

We visited for the first time and can’t wait to go back. The pastries are not only beautiful but some of the best we’ve had in Seattle. We came around 9:30AM on a Saturday, the line was almost to the door but it moved quickly and we had more options than we could decide on. The breakfast sandwiches on English muffins came quickly and were a big hit with my kids. We found seats quickly and the coffee was great. Family friendly.

Fugu 3

month ago

They consistently change the menu and make me excited every time! Their pastries are creative and artistic and drinks are yummy. Ppl do work, chat, and take a break here.

John Wyss

5 months ago

This is the latest best kept secret in Seattle, the pastries are so elevated that it makes even me, at a die-hard donut fan, willing to wait sometimes long lines to get a pastry. The style of pastry is more what I would call "European", less sugar and much more varied in texture and subtle flavor such as pistachio, almond, blood, orange, or even black curant. If you arrive before 9:30 a.m. you will probably have little to no waiting. Peak traffic is probably around 11:00 a.m. where you might have 20 or 30 people in front of you. But actually, it's worth it!

Ash S

5 months ago

So it’s been a minute since I’ve been to temple and wouldn’t you know it, it’s like their baker Christina Wood was a James Beard semi finalist 🤷🏻‍♀️ huh who knew. Well based on the line that was outside the door, quite a few people! This place is a cute little corner shop that has room for seating both inside, outside and upstairs. You can also pre order a bunch of items, just make sure you do so 3 days in advance. Everything we had here was insane, I think out favorite was the mushroom quiche, the cinnamon cream cheese Cruffin and the Miso Caramel Shortbed that was the fanciest Stroopwafel EVER! lol try it you’ll understand EVERYTHING WAS 5/5 Tiramisu Chocolate buckwheat shortbread Miso Caramel & Kinako Shortbread Mushroom Quiche Rye Pain Au Chocolate Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cruffin Grapefruit and hazelnut croissant Chocolate chip cookie

Richard W

month ago

This is a love letter to Temple Pastries, undoubtedly one of the very best bakeries in the entire US. It easily competes with the top NYC spots in a very special way. Bakeries are usually known for one or two things that they do better than competitors. At Temple, it wasn’t just one or two things. Everything I’ve tried was as good as the best version of that item in NYC. The laminated pastries were as good as Radio’s, the kouign amann was much better than Dominique Ansel’s, the choux was as good as Supermoon’s, the donut was as good as Peter Pan’s, the canele was as good as Machine Shop’s (OK, that one is Philly), the cake was better than Hani’s, and so on. I’ve only encountered one other bakery (Cafe Dear Leon) that operates at this level. The flavors and textures were so precise, they’d be at home in fancy Michelin tasting menus. People living near this spot are SO lucky. The kouign amann was so crispy, flaky, and puffy, with veins of the butter-sugar mixture flowing between the layers akin to gooey pecan pie filling. The shallot gruyere danish used a similar laminated pastry, here accented with a shallot jam that made my eyes pop wide open with the intensely deep and sweet caramelized onion flavor, balanced with a touch of vinegar that made the shallots come so alive. The nutty-toasty kinako shortbread snapped and crumbled in such a delicate way, just a platonic ideal of a shortbread. The canele was burnt (just right) and crunchy outside, the thick hard shell giving way to a soft custardy center. The makrut lime leaf donut had the craggy crust of a great sour cream donut, and the dough was made less sweet so it evened out the glaze, though this one had too much lime leaf I think. The ‘nduja donut was like curry bread, mostly soft with a squishy sausage filling, with breadcrumbs for texture. The PB&J choux… there’s a huge difference between a mom-and-pop, rustic style of choux vs a professional one made with the best techniques, like what’s found at Supermoon. T

Timothy Williams

5 months ago

Temple pastries is definitely worth a five star! This place is the best bakery we’ve been to so far in Seattle. They are incredible. If you go prepared to wait as there is a long line. Although it moves along pretty steady. The place is nice and clean, although there’s limited seating. As she walked through the store they have March for sale, like T-shirts, wine and of course a baking book. We ordered some coffees, which were tasty, but it’s the pastries really won us over. The pistachio schnecken was delicious, but the cinnamon walnut bostock was the favorite. There are so many options, will have to go back to try more. I wouldn’t do this place justice without saying their breakfast sandwiches were amazing too. The only downside is the long lines and the lack of parking, but if you can get past that, it’s totally worth the experience. Overall, I highly recommend.