Coquette Bake Shop — Restaurant in Bainbridge Island

We went there around 1 on a Saturday for a quick lunch. The sandwiches were so stale my daughter couldn’t even bite into hers and mine scraped the roof of my mouth. The pastries and cookies were also stale. A cup of tea costs almost as much as if I had bought the whole box of tea bags. The tables were dirty, I couldn’t find any napkins and I had to hunt down a staff member to wipe down a table for us. A disappointing way to spend $60. I do not recommend.

Edited to add my response to Jerry's comments.

Jerry, thanks for your response. Now, please allow me to respond:

Your “rustic” bread was crunchy on the outside and inside. We recently returned from living in Europe the past two years and I can assure you my daughter has had plenty of authentic baguettes. My mouth is still scraped from the bread. Perhaps the bread was baked too long?

I understand you have costs and margins. The prices wouldn’t have been an issue were it not for the other food and service issues.

My first transaction that day was for $51.50. It included three sandwiches, a coffee and the tea. My second transaction was for $21.28, for a cookie, brownie, apple tart and PB cheesecake. I welcome you to go back and confirm these charges. So, you are right- I didn’t spend $60, I spent $72.78, including a tip. I am insulted my integrity is being questioned as a result of an honest review.

We went back for the cookie/pastry order in hopes they would be fresher than the sandwiches. They were from the window/back cart, not from the day old, which was empty by the time we got there. Again, they were crunchy and stale and even my sugar-loving children didn’t finish theirs.

Understood you are a busy, bus your own table café. In fact, the people before us did not bus their table so we did it for them. When I asked one of your employees if she could come wipe the table, I was greeted with a lot of eye rolls, presumably as a result of the people at the table before us. I asked a different employee for napkins and I was greeted with more eye rolls. As a result of these two negative staff interactions, I did not voice concerns about the stale food.

Is my one-star review justified? I believe so. Yes, it is a tough time for restaurants, but it is just as tough a time for consumers. When someone spends $72 on sandwiches, tea and pastries, they at least expect to be able to consume their products and have at least a neutral experience with the staff.

Shame on you for trying to shame ME for an honest review of...

Winslow is a fun little place to get to know a new lady friend. It is easy to find a place to park, then walk around looking into the little shops, people watch and enjoy each other’s company. Last weekend, our spot of choice was Coquette Bake Shop. It is in a little shopping center that has a pretty high turnover among the stores. There is a reasonable sized parking lot that can get full during nice weekends. As I mentioned, I was parked just outside of town and had walked in, so I didn’t have to deal with parking that time. The shop is clean, but cluttered with random carts and piles of boxes. The door leads to a small counter area where pretty girls take your order. I’m told that in the Summer, the lunch line runs out the door. There is no menu, just a bunch of samples in a glass case. There were sweet options and coffee was available if you are looking for breakfast, but we were there for lunch. I picked the ham sandwich and my date got the spinach quiche. The items in the display case had been there awhile, so I was glad that the items they served came out of another case and were fresh. We also got a couple of drinks from a cooler at the end of the counter. The pretty girl rang up our food. It was nice to see that the total came to just under $20. We have spent much more on lunch at other places. When the quiche was warmed, we took our stuff to an attached room and found a table. The decor was strange - bricks on one wall and bizarre 3D like wallpaper on another. I found napkins on a cart next to a coffee carafe. The food was amazing. My date dug into her quiche and declared it delicious. My sandwich was on a perfect little baguette that crunched and chewed just the way I like. The ham was full of flavor and the brie added a lovely gooeyness to each bite. We hung around after our food was gone to chat and people watch. There was a steady stream of customers, but it never got crowded. Maybe it would if the weather was nicer. I know that I...

This tiny little place is worth a stop if you're in the area. We stopped by once shortly after we got to the area and had some coffee and pastries to start the day. A few hours later we were talking to a shop owner about places to stop for lunch and maybe a something sweet in the afternoon and she suggested the coffee and pastries at Couquette to us. It's a good sign when the locals are recommending it too!

The baked goods are amazing, and they have a great variety for such a small space. The coffee is delicious. The best part is the service, they are so friendly! We stopped by again for coffee in the late afternoon. My husband was asked if his cold brew was strong enough he said it was good, and then the fantastic barista offered to make it stronger if he'd prefer. Making sure you're satisfied seems to be a priority here, I highly...