Atelier Monnier Pinecrest, French Bakery, Cafe & Fine Wine Boutique — Restaurant in Pinecrest

Update: Went here post-pandemic, and the quality really went down. The flavor and freshness from before just really was not there. It's now a pretty average bakery, so I'm adjusting my review to reflect that. What a bummer.

Old review: Hands down best macarons! My favorites are the blackcurrant (cassis) and rose. This place has absolutely RUINED me because I compare every macaron I ever eat to this place. Even though they can box then up for you, be sure to try some fresh in-store. The macarons taste best immediately after you purchase them, but it'll honestly be hard to keep your hands off of them once you take a bite.

Their breads, sandwiches, quiches, croissants and chouquettes are brilliant. Actually, I haven't tried anything here that wasn't delicious. Their cakes are worth every penny, and if you're a Nutella fiend like me, the Crunchy will be an instant favorite.

I finish every visit with a small cup of crème glacée, and my go-to flavors (if I'm in the mood for something fruity and tropical) are the coconut with a slight smear of the passion fruit (which can be a bit overwhelming). I had dinner at the way-above-my-social-caste Azul in the Mandarin Hotel, and their dessert featured a passion fruit ice cream that I could swear was Monnier-made by its delightfully tart intensity.

Atelier Monnier is worth the drive from Broward even by itself! There are good bakeries in the area, but this place is...

I had the pleasure of having lunch and tea this afternoon and everything was divine! There are limited vegetarian options, however I’m happy that there were some! I began with a hibiscus tea, and for all you tea lovers, they have loose leaf tea!!!! A rarity in Miami Cafes! Afterwards, I tried the spinach + broccoli quiche, and it was absolutely delicious, with a wonderful, balanced blend of flavors.

For dessert and tea, I was tempted to try it all, and asked Joanne for her recommendations. She first showed me the “Sensei” tea, a blend of green tea, lemongrass, and spearmint. I was hooked, and asked her recommendation to pair the tea with a dessert. I was between the Roche and Ivory and Joanne recommend the Ivory…and I was so glad to try!!! It was absolutely heavenly, with the perfect amount of sweetness. If you are a wine lover, they also have an excellent selection of wines with great variety! Overall, the food and tea was delicious! My one recommendation would be to serve everything with silverware, as opposed to the plastic utensils on the table…reduce waste and elevate the customer...

I am saddened that I have to write this review. I have been a customer of Franck Monnier for over 10 years and wasn’t thrilled when he sold the shop. As it’s my understanding, L'Atelier Gourmet still supplies the shops with his amazing French pastries, so I have continued to shop there even though I haven’t been there in almost a year. They used to have the best almond croissant, a fabulous pear & almond tart and excellent macarons.

Yesterday, we went by to pick up a tart for a lunch gathering and the man attending to us, who was not very friendly, reached into the refrigerated case and pulled the tart out with his hands directly touching it, didn’t even bother to put on a glove. I was appalled and simply walked out the door.

After this experience I doubt I’ll return, at least not anytime soon. The smell when you walk through the door is completely off putting, like a panini press with burnt cheese that keeps being reused.

Completely...