Colville Street Patisserie — Restaurant in Walla Walla

On 5/18/23. I visited Colville Street Patisserie in Walla Walla, Washington. My primary reason for traveling to Walla Walla was to try their Canele, a small French pastry flavored with vanilla and rum, with a thick caramelized crust, and a soft custard lcenter. I ordered a Canele and a small Mocha, as well I as a box of pastries to go. Here’s what I thought of each item:

Canele ($3) - This was my first time trying this pastry, so I have no basis for comparison, but I have read extensively about it, as well as looked at many photos. The Canele was overcooked. The crunchy exterior was harder than it should have been. The yellow interior was more tender, but not custard like. Even so, the overall experience was a good one. Of the 6 items I purchased, it was by far the best, and the only one I finished eating. Given how impossible it is to find this French pastry anywhere near where I live, it’s probably just a matter of time before I fork out the 200+ dollars to buy my own set of copper Caneles molds and start making them from scratch.

Biscuit ($4.50) - I had read a lot about this bakery‘s biscuits. Mine came with raspberry jam. Of the products I tried, this was the second best. It was a nice, flaky biscuit, but it would’ve benefited from being served with butter, as well as more jam.

Eclair ($4.50) -  I love a classic French eclair, but this one was disappointing. The puff pastry was either stale or overcooked. The chocolate ganache was disproportionate to the custard filling.

Quick Bread ($2.75) - I was surprised to see this listed on the menu as a quick bread, because the shape and size is more reminiscent of a French financier, which is a small tea cake. The combination of orange and almond is one of my favorite flavors but I found this quick bread disappointing. The quick bread was over cooked, resulting in an overly dry interior. Given how unevenly the quick bread shape was, I suspect the batter was over mixed. It looked like there was raw sugar tossed on top before baking, to give it a crunchy exterior. The sugar overwhelmed the more nuanced, orange and almond flavors. The overall experience was of eating an over cooked small cake that tasted overwhelmingly like sugar

Palmier ($2.25) - The Palmier was disappointing.  I have bought better Palmiers from Mexican bakeries, where the bakers have no experience with French pastry techniques. It was over cooked, and it wasn’t as layered and crispy as it should’ve been.

Kouign Amann ($3.50) - The Kouign Amann was disappointing. You can tell simply by looking at the image that it doesn’t have as many layers as it should.  This pastry was stale. It also wasn’t as layered as it should’ve been and the outer crust should have been more carmelized.

Mocha ($4.25) - I enjoyed the Mocha, which is made from CSP’s own chocolate blend that includes Barry chocolate from France. You can see from the beautiful feather design that it was made by an experienced barista.

I grew up in countries that were colonized by the French, so I have plenty of experience visiting patisseries. French bakeries are my favorite. I seek them out. Based on the assortment of French pastries that I purchased, Colville Street Patisserie aspires to be a French bakery, but doesn’t quite hit the mark. I’m giving Colville Street Patisserie a solid 3 star rating based on the Canele and Mocha. The service was also very good. And I enjoyed the large sunlit room with multiple seating options. It was a constant stream of people coming in and out, which prohibit me from taking more pictures of the interior. If I was in Walla Walla or nearby, I would revisit Colville Street Patisserie. I would just go with more realistic expectations next...

Easily one of the best things in Walla Walla. Grab a quintessential French pastry like a canelé, kouign-amann, palmier, or croissant; a small custom cake or tart; maybe a quickbread or home-style cookie—all exceptional, made fresh daily. Add a solid espresso drink of your choice—latte, cappuccino, macchiato (just expect the real deal not a Starbucks sugarfest, so if you want 30oz of syrupy milk, make sure to say so!) Follow up with a made-from-scratch gelato. Or better yet, drown that gelato in espresso affogato-style.

This is not a donut/muffin deal. It's busy because it's good. And it's not cheap in either sense of the word. You get what you pay for here. Perfect works of edible art crafted impeccably by skilled craftspeople from top quality ingredients are not going to be (nor should be) cheap. The modest serving size? That's a FEATURE, not a bug. This is special. Slow down and focus on what you're enjoying. Believe me, you'll be satisfied... or lucky enough to try the next option...

I come here every Tuesday for the best cup of black coffee, decadent pastries and quality time with my furry friends. There is always a wide selection of desserts and savory pastries. I've tried just about every one, but they often have seasonal items like rhubarb tarts during the spring and summer seasons. But my go to, and one of their absolute staples, is the chocolate croissant. They're flakey, buttery, warm, with just the right amount of rich chocolate inside. Pictured too is a lemon hazelnut quick bread, when they're available snatch it up quick. It's sweet, tart, crispy outside, moist inside. I always get the black coffee because they serve Walla Walla roasters, which is local and made to be enjoyed black. But if you're wanting something naughty, they have an incredible mocha with rich chocolate and cream that's other worldly. There is seating indoors but the patio is perfect for a quick stop with your 4-legged pal. I've never had a bad experience at...