La Saison Bakery — Restaurant in Cambridge

I've gone back to this bakery more times than any other place in Boston as of late, so it's safe to say that it is in my top favorites. Prices are definitely high, but there are unique menu items that you can't get anywhere else, and the staff is friendly.

Would get again: Sourdough Pizza Slices ($8.00): Available every day after noon. The roasted onion + pecorino and arugula + burrata are amazing. Took me back to Italy. One of those instances where you're paying for the quality, and it is actually worth it. The dough alone is fermented for 72 hours if that says anything. French Deux (Vanilla Lavender) Latte ($6.40): Possibly one of the best lattes I've ever had. Both flavors shone in the drink, which was also milky and smooth. It is quite expensive but was good enough to make me want to try their other lattes. Pistachio Croissant with Saffron Mascarpone Frosting ($6.90): Pricey but decent size, and the croissant was everything you could want: flaky, buttery, and soft. There was a delicious frangipane (with pistachio instead of almonds) throughout the center. The saffron mascarpone frosting added a salty and earthy flavor. The croissant was so perfect that I wouldn't mind getting a plain one either. Porchetta Romana on Focaccia ($15): Huge. The focaccia was very good. Loved the random bits of Himalayan black salt. The porchetta was the element that I was most excited about, but I felt like it was outshined by the focaccia and bell peppers.

Liked but wouldn't get again: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3.50): Solid cookie. Delicious flavor and crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. Scones: All of the scones had a good consistency and were flavorful. The pear and ginger scone ($5.50) is my favorite (pros: high quality ginger that will slightly burn your throat; cons: not much pear flavor, and the glaze is a bit too sweet). The marzipan orange scone ($5.50) grew to be my second favorite. The pesto gruyère ($5.25) and feta-za'tar ($4.90) scones were okay. Chai Chocolate Oat Cookie ($3.50): Nice balance of chai and chocolate. The center could have been softer, but it was a good cookie overall. Pumpkin Cheesecake Slice ($6.50): Sooo thick but so delicious. Definitely something that should be portioned. Brioche Frite ($5.90): This Sicilian-style brioche filled with vanilla pastry cream is only available on Sundays. It was quite big. The outside had a nice crust, and the filling was silky, creamy, and sweet. Even though the vanilla pastry cream was not overly sweet, the pastry as a whole was quite heavy.

Didn't like: Kouign-Amann ($5.20): This seems like one of their most popular pastries, but I didn't like it tbh. It tasted like a denser croissant—a bit dry and not as flaky or buttery. I didn't taste the vanilla sugar. Barbari Cheese Pizza Slice ($6.00): The barbari was airy and crunchy, but I felt like this fell short as a pizza. I wanted more from the cheese and sauce because, otherwise, I could have just purchased the barbari alone. I recommend the sourdough pizzas instead. Egg Bun ($9.50): The brioche bun with sesame seeds made this look so appetizing, but I thought it was just okay. The bun was pillowy and had a subtle sweetness. The egg was fluffy. The bacon was dry and not very crispy. The dijon mustard was lacking. The pickles were more of a side, but I liked that they were provided because the main issue I had with this sandwich was that it didn't pack much flavor or texture variety. Matcha Ricotta Pound Cake ($4.90): The flavor of this was good, but the pound cake was dry, which is a common critique if you read other reviews.

Not everything is available at opening, but if you go too late, you run the risk of things selling out or having to wait in a long line. I recommend ordering online. The pick-up station is inside, on the window sill.

Small parking lot and free street parking on Sundays. No tables inside but a few outside, with an igloo tent...

First time here and it was awesome.

Came in on a Friday at 10am, hoping to get some work done and to get a quick bite.

Staff was super helpful and kind, and we ate was delicious:

Cold brew and Masala Chai Latte - Delicious and served right away.

Pistachio Croissant with Saffron Mascarpone - packed with flavor but light. The saffron complimented the pistachio very well without overpowering it. Ended up taking home two of the day olds they had on display.

Mushroom + Ricotta Pizza - incredible. I’m a sucker for a Sicilian slice and this one is probably one of the best I’ve had in the city. Not too greasy either.

Egg Bun - This was my boyfriend’s order but I took a couple of bites and it was also incredibly tasty. They mentioned it would take 10 mins but it only took them 5. Persian pickles were a great touch. Love that it had avocado in there too!

Akbar Mashti Cheesecake - Similar flavor profiles as the croissant and just as well balanced in flavor. I preferred the croissant though because I thought its flaky texture was better suited for it. Otherwise, still a really good cheesecake.

Had my reservations to bring out my laptop at such a busy street and across a construction site but it was actually quite conducive for remote work. Noticed a ton of customers taking their calls here and some even bringing out their laptops too. Outdoor seating is quite limited but turnover is so fast that you can snag a seat so as long as you’re not a huge group. Shared a table with a regular customer and she told me they even bring our igloos during the winter.

Overall, would go again. It did get a little crazy when it got closer to lunch (overheard staff apologizing to customers about things running out and replacing their orders) but I’m not surprised. There’s a reason why it’s a neighborhood favorite and I think it’s becoming one...

Sometimes places reputations exceed them. This is one of those instances. I was excited to pass by the bakery. I heard so much about, and turned around when I realized I was in the neighborhood and pulled into the parking lot and ran into drive with they have.

Unfortunately, they didn't have a bread slicer, so I passed on the sourdough at least for this run. However, I asked the staff about what they consider to be some of their ambassador pastries, and got a brownie and the brown butter cookie, along with a latte with almond milk.

Starting on the good note, was the brown better cookie, it was the very good side of nothing special. Like a perfectly fine cookie from a high end bakery. The brownie was mediocre, kind of what I'd expect from a hole in the wall breakfast place (not the secret gem type). The little chocolate chips inside did not help, the cheesecake marbling was underwhelming, it lacked any shining element in rich chocolatey flavor or texture or any other element where brownies tend to shine. Both of them got thrown in out rather than finished by my partner and I... Along with the almond milk latte which just tasted sort of like hot burnt grain water. Not sure if it's the barrista or the blend...

That all of this was 20 dollars with tip was especially abysmal... Ten dollars sure.. twenty? Meh.

On the other side of town is cafe Beatrice, which is living up to their rep as bakery darling... And across the border in Arlington is breadboard Baker, I did get a loaf of their seated sourdough to wash the taste out of my mouth so to speak... While they don't have a bread slicer, the owner was happy to hand slice it for me. And the bread was wonderful! But this isn't about them.

I will stay. The staff of La Saison was very lovely.. and maybe I'll try a few different things in the future,...