Colette Bakery — Restaurant in Medford

Colette Bakery is a new and really fine addition to the north-of-Boston pastry scene. We are seriously happy to see another authentic French Bakery in the area. Welcome! (we shall return!)

Croissant: a wider, larger form factor than is typical, but no matter. This is an extremely well-constructed croissant of the not-too-sweet, not-too-buttery nature. Whenever we check out a new bakery, we use the croissant as the baseline for evaluation (sort of like sending in someone to try the Tomago to evaluate whether a sushi restaurant is worth going into or not) and this croissant did not disappoint. Lighter than many others, and (again) not on the buttery or sweet side. There did seem to be a slight bit of sweetness on the crust/shell and we weren't sure if that was an intentional very slight sugar-add-on. In any case, we definitely respect this style and execution, especially in the not-quote-standard form factor. Top drawer and definitely a worthy croissant.

Cho-Colette aux Amandes: Note: this is not a croissant, nor does it pretend to be. So if you're expect a pain au chocolat or pain au amande, this is not it. But...since this this is not pretending to be either, of those this is simply a top drawer pastry. Yummy chocolate and almond paste, and excellent ratios of those and the pastry. The pastry itself is moist. You can't beat this with a stick.

Chouquette: a really nice bite(s). Of course I secretly wanted some pastry cream in the middle of this, but that's not part of the definition of this pastry so I should keep my dirty little secrets to myself. This is completely correct without any cream in it. Still, there's a slight creamy texture inherent in it which makes for a nice mouthfeel. Did I enjoy this morsel? Heck yeah.

Eclair: well constructed. This is not your father's eclair because the eclair pastry is not quite as light as you might expect. But at the same time, the firmer pastry texture means that the cream isn't squishing all over the place. An enjoyable treat. Just be willing to go slightly outside the envelope.

Key Lime Tart: (we think this was a key lime tart -- it wasn't quite lemony enough to be a lemon tart). Lighter in fat than a traditional lemon tart, and that's a good thing not a bad. Excellent flavors, light and refreshing. But even more importantly, the real star of this show is the actual pastry shell. This shell is so well formed, so thin, so precise that rather than just playing the part of a vessel, it is part of the total experience. This is a most-excellent tart.

Tarte Choco Caramel: This is a really wonderful chocolate tart. Same comments as above regarding the shell, which is really well-executed -- there's some serious baking skill involved here and I have a lot of respect for those skills. The chocolate filling is exactly what you hope it will be: excellent texture, excellent flavor, not-too-sickly sweet, not-too-rich. But what is really making the filling show up in technicolor is the caramel: texture, sweetness, fat. It brings the whole bite to life. There was too much of crumble, and it didn't adhere to the top of the filling. When I took a bite, the crumble fell back onto the plate and I was distracted trying to pick those crumble pieces back up and put them in my mouth with the tart. Meanwhile, I wasn't able to enjoy the most-excellent tar shell and caramel/chocolate filling which is the real star of the show. I would suggest just doing a relatively small sprinkling of the crumble instead of such a large scale dousing. Then I won't be so distracted having to pick it all up.

Kouing-Amann: this was nice, but not necessarily the most profound offering in the Colette Viennoiserie catalog. The top layer made it interesting, but different bites offered different levels of complexity. The industry has demonstrated that there's still plenty of room for interpretation in Kouing-Amann recipes. Given the high level of finesse and execution observed in all the other Colette offerings we believe that this has a brighter future...

As a former Fletcher School student (TUFTS), I discovered this magnificent French bakery just a charming 30-minute walk or 10-minute bike ride from campus. Colette is truly a slice of France in Medford, offering an exquisite selection of authentic French pastries made fresh daily in their on-site bakery. Their patisserie is simply superb – from perfectly flaky croissants to divine éclairs and macarons. The tart selection is particularly noteworthy; the amandine (pear and almond) and merengue aux citron are my favorites! For lunch, their quiches and Parisian sandwiches on house-made brioche are equally delightful. The baguettes here are as authentic as they come – crispy exterior, tender inside, just as you'd find in Toulouse! The friendly and gracious French owner adds such warmth to every visit, always welcoming my little one and me during our bicycle adventures with genuine hospitality. The cozy interior create an ambiance that transports you straight to a countryside French café. Pro tip: Arrive early for the best selection, especially for baguettes. Their coffee and hot chocolate are also a must-try. A lovely place in the Boston area for anyone seeking authentic French pastries and a warm,...

I've been to a LOT of bakeries lately, and Colette is one of the best! There is a small parking lot out front, as well as some street parking. There is a water bowl at the entrance, which plays into the dog theme. The inside is small with a few tables but a ton of delicious-looking pastries/desserts.

Cho-Colette Croissant: Love the pun. It was very fluffy (as you can see from the cross section), flaky, and buttery. There is a thin layer of chocolate at the bottom. I feel like there could have been more chocolate, but it was a very good croissant regardless. This is supposedly their most popular pastry, but my favorite of the three that I ordered was actually the next one that I'll review. Blueberry Tart: The blueberries were fresh and plentiful, the tart shell was crusty, and the cream that married the two was so smooth and the perfect amount of sweetness. I would get this again. Passion Flower: This wasn't bad for what it was, but it was not my kind of dessert because it was too sweet. I guess I'm just not a fan of meringue. But the passionfruit was tart, and the presentation was very pretty.

I'll have to come back...