Isabelle Briens French Pastry Cafe — Restaurant in Encinitas

Take a step into an authentic French café at Isabelle Briens in Encinitas. The atmosphere is filled with pictures of France, French paintings, small iron patio tables, French music playing in the background and ladies speaking French behind the counter. The walls are filled with pictures of Isabelle’s family and her award-winning photography. The bustling atmosphere and the aroma of sweet, homemade pastries truly gives you the taste of France. The favorite pastries at Isabelle Briens Café are the Gluten-Free Almond Cookie, the Almond Croissant, the Chocolate Bomb and the Palmier. Isabelle was very excited about the new addition of the Gluten-Free Almond Cookie. She thought of the recipe in a dream and they have gained tons of popularity. She let me try one and I finished it right away. The melted inside and the healthy almond taste was truly delectable. She also gave me a cup of Moto coffee to help me polish off the cookie. More tasty breakfast items include the ‘Monaco’, scrambled eggs with ham and cheese in a croissant and the Cordon Omelet, blue cheese, chopped onion and tomato. The lunch menu at Isabelle Brien’s has crepes, sandwiches, paninis and amburguers/ hamburgers. Isabelle let me sample the Brigitte Bardot, a panini light on olive oil, brie, melted Swiss & Blue cheese, tomato, garlic and basil. It was the best decadent grilled cheese I had ever tasted! The most popular panini is the Marie-Antoinette, roast beef, mayo, tomato, grilled onions & Swiss cheese. Isabelle’s explains, “My personal favorite are the menu items with almond. Very tasty! I love the croissants and the gluten-free almond cookies. For dessert, my Crème Brule is to die for!” Open since 2006, Isabelle Brien’s Café has such an authenticity it makes it a very special place in Encinitas. There is nowhere else that you can get such a wonderful menu of authentic French cuisine, especially for breakfast. Isabelle states, “After coming from Versailles, France in 1995, my cousin taught me how to be a pastry chef and soon after I opened Isabelle Briens. I have such a passion for people and it gives me so much joy to offer them my pastries. Everyone leaves with a smile on their face! My new gluten-free almond cookie will make me famous one day. It is truly amazing. I also have an amazing staff that have been here for almost as long as we have been open. We just celebrated our 5th year anniversary with free cake and coffee. We know our customers by their first name and they are truly happy to see us.” Isabelle Briens also offers beautiful cakes for any occasion as well as yule logs, which have gained a lot of attention. Isabelle uses a special rice paper for each cake design. The detail is amazing. She uses all kinds of fun art and fruit to decorate the cakes, even a palm tree made out of kiwis! Take some time out of your morning, skip your run to Starbucks and go get a truly pleasurable experience from Isabelle Briens French Pastry Café in the Trader Joe’s Shopping Center. Who knows you may run into one of Isabelle’s regulars, Richard Dreifus...

With service as sweet as the pastries, and pastries that melt in your mouth, this local, cute French bakery and cafe offers delicious cakes, pastries, gourmet panini sandwiches, and lots of other tasty goodies.

The cafe bakery is named after and owned and operated by Mrs. Isabelle Briens, who is a French native and long-time San Diego resident. Mrs. Briens is the daughter-in-law of the famous Mr. Stan Chambers. Mrs. Briens worked for years at her cousin's famous Del Mar French Pastry Cafe. In 2006 she opened the French Pastry Cafe in Encinitas and used her cousin's authentic recipes to make delicious almond croissant, chocolate croissant, and apple turnovers, helping Mrs. Briens to gain a reputation for offering consistent quality, a warm atmosphere, and plenty of tasty treats for all occasions.

This authentic French cafe bakery features scrumptious, freshly cooked and prepared foods for all occasions. Start the day with gourmet coffees, egg dishes, and/or fruit-filled crepes. Or choose a delicious breakfast pastry or warm butter croissant.

The pastries are light, fluffy, and soft, especially the muffins. Other delicious pastries that I have personally tried include: custard brioche buns, strawberry cream cheese turnovers, coconut macaroons, blueberry and rasberry muffins, blueberry scones, almond croissants, and chocolate crossaints. Each are delightful and packed with sweet flavor.

French music plays in the background in this little seat-yourself cafe bakery, with portraits and pictures of Mrs. Brien, her family, and France decorating the walls and creating a laid-back, casual ambiance. The warm, casual atmosphere is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert with a friend or loved one or both The helpers are always courteous and sweet. Shout out to Lara and Ezequiel! They rock.

If you want a genuine taste of France, and are looking for authentic, home-made, delicious pastries, then Isabelle's...

It pains me to write a negative review as I've eaten here before and had a normal experience in the past. But today I stopped in and had mold on my food, twice. I stopped in to grab a sandwich but was told the kitchen was closed at 2pm. However there were premade sandwiches in the cooler next to the counter. I grabbed a turkey croissant with a side of fruit, paid for it and sat down to eat. I immediately noticed mold growing on the fruit. I took it up to the counter and showed the lady working. Her first offer was to replace the moldy fruit only that was in the same container as my sandwich. I told her I didn't want the sandwich as it was in contact with the mold. She offered me to get something else in the store (they had only pastries and ham sandwiches left, I don't eat pork). I asked for a refund but she was unable to offer me one as the manager was out of town. After coming to a solution, I asked her to replace the ham croissant & fruit container that was left with turkey meat. She did and returned a different meal to me. I made the mistake of eating half the sandwich before inspecting the fruit in the 2nd container. It was different fruit so I assumed I was safe, the first one had strawberries and the second was more oranges and no strawberries. After eating half the sandwich, I went to eat the fruit. I then found mold again. At this point I was very upset, and threw it all in the trash and left with out bringing it up to the counter knowing there would be no immediate solutions. Overall, I was extremely disappointed in how this was handled and finding mold on my food twice is...