Colette Bakery — Restaurant in Boston

Went to the Medford (original?) location first since people said there was better. Happy to report that while the selection is smaller here, the quality is just as good. More convenient location so happy to have confirmed this.

Stand outs are the chocolate croissant (pain Au chocolat, what they call the cho-Colette, NOT the pain Au Swiss which I didn’t like when I tried it from Medford), and the chocolate eclair. For the croissant, pop it in an air fryer for like 30s at 400F to reheat. Seems unnecessary, but trust me on this one. The result is incredible. I forgot to take pictures, but watch it so it doesn’t burn. lol. The chocolate eclair has really tasty filling, maybe has a dash of espresso powder or something and maybe hazelnut? It wasn’t overly sugary or heavy creamy. Ate it too quickly and the picture of the half eaten one was too ugly to post. The other things I wouldn’t go out of my way for. Notes below:

Strawberry fraisier: meh. Cake layer is too sweet. Mousse layer is a bit heavy, and overall balance is a bit off. Friend said it reminded her of ice cream. It’s really small, so beware if it’s for sharing. Took a picture of it next to a box of Kleenex for scale.

Macarons: varied in size? Texture was good, taste was okay ish. Chocolate was the best of the three. Lemon- quite lemony. Chocolate- a bit light and nutty. Matcha- light matcha taste, sweeter than the others. Also included a pic of the inside, some shells were...

I was excited to try this location much closer to me, as the original Collette is my favorite bakery in Boston.

However, on the day I went the pain aux raisins, rather than being crisp outside with the perfect flake, were a bit soggy. I mentioned this to the staff when I went to the original location again, and they said that all baked goods are actually baked at the Medford location and delivered to the South End. Perhaps the humidity in the transport boxes or manner of transport affected the crispness of the products. I plan to be back to try again one more time, and it’s a minor point, but the crisp exterior is the difference between a freshly baked croissant and just buying a pre-made box at Whole Foods.

In the meantime, there’s always the original location where everything is...

Colette Bakery, an exquisite French patisserie gracing Boston’s South End since its 2023 opening, transports patrons to the cobbled streets of Paris with every divine morsel. Born from the vision of Nathalie and Franck Beddiar, who honed their craft in Toulouse before launching their first location in Medford in 2020, Colette’s South End outpost at 517 Columbus Avenue carries forward a legacy of unparalleled artistry. Their pastries are nothing short of sublime: buttery croissants shatter with each bite, revealing delicate, airy layers, while the Paris-Brest, swirled with velvety hazelnut praline cream, is a masterpiece of decadence. The glossy fruit tarts, adorned with jewel-like berries, and the ethereal coffee éclairs, bursting with rich, aromatic custard, evoke the elegance of a...