Monika’s Macarons & Bakery Boutique — Restaurant in San Luis Obispo

I can’t talk about Monika’s work without taking care of one quick thing first…

Macaron (MAK-ə-RON) — a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond meal, and often food colouring

Macaroon (MAK-ə-ROON) — small cake or cookie, originally made from ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar, but now often with coconut or other nuts. They may also include jam, chocolate, or other flavorings.

Macron — a French politician who has served as the 25th president of France since 2017 and ex officio one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra.

Macaroni — a type of pasta shaped like narrow, often curved, tubes, or an 18th century fashion trend notable for its description of Yankee Doodle’s cap. Or hat. Kinda depends who you ask and who’s singin’ it.

Monika only deals with the first, and boy howdy, does she know what’s up.

I myself did NOT know what was up until semi-recently. I thought macarons and macaroons were the same thing, and since I’m not the hugest fan of coconut, I never gave macarons OR macaroons much thought. After my wife started experimenting with baking macarons, though, the scales came off my eyes and I saw the light:

Macarons are great! Generally you get a little bit of crunch, a little bit of chewy, a (double!) little bit of cookie, and a little bit of filling combined into a (sort of) bite-sized treat.

Now, you can probably find macarons at your local grocery or warehouse store, and they’ll probably scratch an itch, but you REALLY owe it to yourself to check out a REAL macaron.

One of Monika’s.

Her bakery (macaronerie?) is easy to find, and it’s conveniently located close to Poly and Sierra Vista, next to Starbucks at Foothill and Chorro. She used to be in a different spot at Broad and Marsh, so don’t believe the address your friendly Search Engine Machine gives ya!

She has a standard line up including chocolate, vanilla, lemon, salted caramel and pistachio as well as seasonal varieties, too. Do yourself a favor and buy two of each, so you can figure out what your favorite is and have a whole second one! They’re big enough to easily split into halves (or maybe even quarters!) while you sample to figure out which ones you like best, but, after having the ‘Around the World/One of Everything Sampler Extravaganza’ (not a real or official menu item) multiple times, I can say that all of ‘em are great and the quality and consistency of these little bundles of joy are top notch.

While the flavor is super solid and consistently delicious, the appearance is outstanding, too. Her standard macarons pop with color, and some of her special holiday varieties are extra large and whimsically decorated (think snowmen and Easter bunnies). The pictures on her website give you a good idea of what you’re gonna get, but they’re truly little edible pieces of art.

Her boxes present the macarons really well, and don’t require any work on your part at all to make the perfect gift. Because they’re freshly made, you will want to refrigerate them if you don’t eat them or gift them right away (and that temptation will be STRONG!) and the gift is sure to delight any recipient. Also, the whole bakery is gluten free, so they’re the perfect treat or gift for anyone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity.

I’ve also tried a number of Monika’s other treats, and highly recommend the sea salt chocolate chip cookie, the quiches, and the corn flake treat (think Rice Krispies treats but with corn flakes instead!) She’s even got treats for your dog!

Whether you’re served by Monika herself or one of her employees, you’re gonna get service with a smile, as well as expert guidance and recommendations (especially for a first time visitor!) and even if you walk in expecting a macaroon or two, it’s gonna be tough to walk away disappointed!

Out of dozens of trips to Monika’s, both at the current Chorro shop and the prior Broad bakery, I’ve only had a couple misfires in the way of dry cookies, and she’s replaced them immediately, no questions asked. I can’t say enough good things! Go check...

Wow!! I just finished the quiche and I would be completely ok if this was the last meal I ever ate!! The crust is made of layers and layers of pastry and butter that create the most perfect texture. The warm gooey cheese and fluffy egg made me a VERY happy person. What made it even more wild is the fact that it was gluten free! I felt like I had to go back after every bite and make her promise me it was gf! My partner is not gf and he had a quiche for breakfast in Pismo Beach yesterday from a popular breakfast spot. He had his own quiche and he was shocked and speechless! The quiche from Monika’s put the other one to shame!

The eclair!?!? The next level of heaven for sure! Monika, you are a true master...

I didn't ever see the appeal of a Macaron before stepping into this place. Monika's is welcoming and homey and feels like somewhere I went as a child so a bit nostalgic as well. The sea salt chocolate chip cookies were amazing and the Macarons are exceptionally delicious, especially the Vanilla ones and they look like they were made by angels themselves 😇 Bella is attentive and accommodating both very good qualities to have in this industry. Thank you I'll be back soon for...