Le Fournil LTD French Bakery

Le Fournil changed the ingredients in their pastries and they taste really bad recently (Eclairs & Choux) . They must be using cheap ingredients. I brought this up to their attention and one of the ladies working there in fact acknowledged they had changed the way they prepare the fillings/glaze - We went back three weeks later and we found the same bad taste - we put them in the trash after the first bite. Our requests were ignored - I won't be visiting them any more. Le Fournil is not the same it used ot be. It is now a cheap quality bakery at very high prices

Pros: none today

Cons: quality is now terrible

Posted 05/07/09

Working in the Udistrict, the food is great, but can get a little tiresome after a while, so once in a while, I'll take a short walk across the bridge and head to Le Fournil, they have the best and freshiest crossiants and other desserts that are not only beautiful, but delicious as well. The prices are not bad for the quality :). It's also very cozy! I have yet to try any of their sandwiches, but that will be my next order for sure :)

Pros: best pasteries/bakery

Posted 04/20/09

I am a HUGE fan of bakeries, but have not really been able to find a good one here in Seattle. I stumbled across Le Fournil and was overjoyed. Not only do that have a small parking area right next to the building (for customers only), they brought me my coffee in a very wide-brimmed mug looking as though it had come for a magazine. It tasted just as good as it looked. Their fruit tarts are the real reason I keep going there though. They are absolutely amazing! The blueberry is my favorite.. All the employees were extremely nice and it was a great place for me to sit and relax with a book i had brought. I now try to stop there at least 3 times a week.

Posted 10/16/08

Excellent sandwiches and pastries. Great coffee. Very simple bakery with a pleasant ambience and courteous staff.

Pros: Good lunch specials, Parking, Friendly Staff

Cons: Selection focuses on the basics of french baking and pastries, but still quality food

Posted 08/19/08

The reviews are glowing but I'm not after my visit to Le Fournil. The $8.99 express lunch sounds great- choose an entree (sandwich, salad, or quiche), a dessert (has to be under $2.95), and a beverage. I've heard that the sandwiches are skimpy with the meat and that their java is poor, so I went with the Quiche Lorraine, dessert, and a Perrier. The quiche was so-so. They served it up on a chipped plate. I think that it was warmed up in a microwave, too much since the proteins squeezed out moisture from the quiche filling. That does a number to the crust, too.

Seldom do I not finish a dessert. The passion fruit chiboust looked amazing with a glossy gelatin top, a quarter of a strawberry, and some powdered sugar. It's a shame that no passion fruit flavor came through and the texture of the filling was weird, bordering on curdling.

I wish that I had visited the bathroom before I decided to order. The floor was dirty, toilet needed a decent scrubbing, the paper towels were jammed, and there was hardly any soap in the container. This lack of attention would have alerted me that the quality of the food would also be just "Meh".

Pros: Quick service

Cons: Tough parking near the University Bridge

Posted 08/19/08

Small and truly French, this cafe/bakery serves great crossaints (morning), soups, salads and sandwiches (lunch) and delicious deserts. The espresso is among the best in Seattle.
The service is good, but slow at times.
The only bad thing about the cafe/bakery is its location: all you see is the the busy Eastlake Ave and the ugly Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Pros: great food and espresso

Cons: view

Posted 06/29/08

This bakery is by far the best around. Their pastries and sandwiches are 'incroyable'! Les milles feuilles are full of flavor and the perfect texture. The croissants are also marvelous, especially with a great espresso decorated with wonderful latte art. It's as true to french as you can find in Seattle. They use original french names for pastries and the ambiance is great. Small, quiet and personal is the way a french bakery should be. Simply put, a french patisserie dropped from the sky into Seattle.

Posted 06/13/08

my hairdresser told me I had to try this place. oh my god amazing the perfect finish to a great afternoon. great coffee and the deserts well they all look fabulous but the eclaire was to die for.

Posted 05/06/08

I have finally found a place in Seattle that sells fantastic americanos, not to mention, their pastries are superb! They are fresh and I have not had such authentic pastries since my trips to France! Thank you Le Fournil!

Posted 04/08/08

Le Fournil has the most wonderful lunch menu. We love stopping by on the weekends to pick up a sandwich, fruit tart and mocha to share. Highly recommended.

Posted 03/06/08

Cozy little french bakery... tasty croissants executed with deliberation, great tarts, nice sandwich lunch selection. Highly recommended when you're in the area.

Posted 02/23/08

I adore Le Fournil. I would travel from anywhere in Seattle to get a sip of their hot creamy mocha, which goes down and finishes smooth. Uh oh, I feel a craving coming on. If that weren't enough they also have some of the most savory desserts and pasteries you could find anywhere. Gotta go now... I'll meet you there. ;)

Cons: it can be addicting

Posted 07/10/07

An easy-to-drive-by traditional French Bakery, Le Fournil has never disappointed when I am craving a sandwich, a coffee, a pastry, or all three. I am a trucker (original word starts with s and rhymes with trucker) for their tuna sandwich; I get this about 80% of the time. Served on a portion of their fresh baked baguette, any of their sandwiches make for one fine lunch. The soup is pretty good too, but again, the tuna rules. Their lunch special (available whenever) includes a pastry and a drink for about $8. Too many pastry choices to list (probably close to 20!). All delicious. My favorites include the mille fueille (?) and the choux. The coffee is good. I typically go for a latte and have yet to be disappointed. Beware: Long lines can form during breakfast and lunch. While the place is 'easy to drive by', once people find it (myself included), they quickly learn to make a stop. Don't let this discourage you though, the food is definitely worth the wait. The new-er decor is nice and there is generally some nice French music completing the Frenchy ambiance. Bottom line: Go. You will enjoy this place.

Pros: Great Food!!!! Nice atmosphere!

Cons: Kind of hidden, parking is tricky.

Posted 03/23/07

If you love someone, bring them a special pastry from Le Fornil for ANY reason--promotion, pregnancy, birthday, breakup, or Wednesday. They are amazing. A birthday cake from this place would easily ease the burden of aging. And the beauty is the French never age and find health in enjoying the finer things in life. This place is authentic and so worth squeezing into one of their petite parking spaces.

Posted 03/11/07

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Posted 02/09/07

i studied abroad in paris for a semester & became hooked on baguettes and croissants. after returning to the states, i found it impossible to eat baguettes from american bakeries.

this bakery, however, has the best baguettes i've had since i left paris. all of the baked goods are authentic and wonderfully french...right down the street from me!

Pros: Everything

Cons: None

Posted 01/16/07

After having read several reviews, I've been meaning to check out Le Fournil for months. Finally made it over there and WOW. The breakfast special is indeed a unique value, there are so many types of croissants! I had a great ham and cheese, boyfriend enjoyed apple... rasberry, chocolate, spinach are just some of the other choices we saw.

Very friendly staff, we have called since with special requests and they have been so accomodating!

Pros: Breakfast special, garage parking

Posted 11/23/06

Since my husband and I have discovered Le Fournil we seldom miss a Saturday morning. The breakfast special (Double espresso and your choice of croissant) is the best deal around. (Lots of choices on the croissants - peach, almond, chocolate, ham and cheese, raspberry, spinach and feta, broccoli and cheese, plain, etc.) We always take a lunch special (Sandwich, pastry, beverage) to go for later. The chocolate eclairs filled with chocolate granche (sp) is unbelievably good! Free parking is the garage is icing on the croissant! We'll see you there next Saturday morning!

Posted 10/29/06

This place is outstanding. Hidden away on Eastlake just south of the University Bridge, it is next to a florist. You can watch them making their delicious french pastries through the window. The chocolate croissant is heaven. The staff is very sweet, but don't be in a hurry, they aren't.

Pros: Incredible French Delights

Cons: Service is slow, but friendly

Posted 09/25/06

Another reviewer wrote: "I adore french bakeries and have been on a mission to find a good one in Seattle, but this was not it. Le Fournil was cute, very clean... yet didnt seem all that French to me. The service was below mediocre. There were two people behind the counter and it wasnt busy, yet I wasnt greeted and was left standing around for a few minutes. To top it off when I was helped, the man acted as though he were annoyed. I went around 2pm, which could explain why the selection was slim." I am sure I am not the only one who saw the irony in this review. To that reviewer: You say you adore "French bakeries" ... but have you ever actually been to one? In France? What you described was pretty much what you'd find at many a French bakery, where at 2 PM you'd be lucky they had anything left at all (if they were even still open). I am very picky about croissants, and I have not had a better one anywhere else in Seattle. Go to le Fournil in the morning and get one that is fresh. They are rich in flavor and about as moist, light, and flaky as something can be all at the same time. They just about melt in your mouth ... and will have you moaning "ooh-la-la" before you know it. Their other pastries -- especially the mille-feuille, éclair, and tarte aux fruits frais -- are also quite delicious.

Pros: Freshness; Authenticity; Parking

Posted 09/10/06

This place has a wide selection and is very reasonably priced, but if you want the best traditional croissant you have got to check out the place on 4th Ave in Belltown.

Pros: Great selection and good prices

Cons: not the best

Posted 07/11/06

I live in the Eastlake neighborhood and making a stop at Le Fournil on week-ends to buy a croissant or a pain au chocolat always makes for a great breakfast. But the dessert pastries are even better. Le Fournil's pastry chef makes, truly French, very fine pastries. My favorites are the millefeuille and the eclairs. Le Fournil also takes orders for wedding cakes.

Pros: Quality of the food

Cons: Inconvenience of the opening time. Closes early on Sundays.

Posted 07/08/06

The best sandwiches, pastries, cakes... I used to live in the Eastlake area and always made my weekly visits, well I moved to other neighborhoods and still made it regularly. Unfortunately now I live out of state, but I guarantee you there's not another place like it. I truly miss it! I can't wait to visit Seattle, Le Fournil will be one of my guaranteed stops.

Posted 05/10/06

A lovely bakery - if you go in the morning, the entire neighborhood is perfumed with the earthy smell of fresh bread. Crispy almond croissant, and the most delicious mille feuille in town. Truly! Sit down in the cafe and page through Paris Match while you enjoy a croissant. Don't miss it!

Pros: Pastries, Bread, Value

Cons: Parking

Posted 05/01/06

I adore french bakeries and have been on a mission to find a good one in Seattle, but this was not it. Le Fournil was cute, very clean... yet didnt seem all that French to me. The service was below mediocre. There were two people behind the counter and it wasnt busy, yet I wasnt greeted and was left standing around for a few minutes. To top it off when I was helped, the man acted as though he were annoyed. I went around 2pm, which could explain why the selection was slim. The best part was the lunch special- sandwich or quiche, dessert and a caffe latte for $6.99.

Pros: clean atmosphere, decent prices, nice location

Cons: service, parking, variety

Posted 08/31/05

I was quite surprise to find my bakery in a brand new retail store, great decor, and perfect ambiance! The lunch special is all day, and the service is fast... I love those pastries their big fruit tarts are like a painting.
I also love the french music ...
Keep up the good work guys!

Pros: price, service, pastries

Cons: little sitting, hard to park, na

Posted 06/12/05

I've enjoyed Le Fournil's lunch special many times over the past few years, but today's experience was very disappointing. Beware - the new rule is that the lunch special is only served from noon-2pm, and the two people behind the counter obeyed that rule differently. The one who "served" me refused to take my order since I was a few minutes early; the couple in line behind me were able to place their order with the other server. When I protested to my server, I was told "it's still not noon". Go figure.

Pros: Delicious baked goods, off-street parking

Cons: Poor service

Posted 02/10/05

The most wonderful French bakery this side of the Seine! The pastries are to die for, and the bread is tres delicious! I only wish they made a baguette traditional... c'est la vie!

I have never had a bad pastry here--each is better than the next! The staff is very helpful and courteous, and have I mentioned--the pastries ROCK!!! Don't miss out on the mille feuille--it's the BEST!

Pros: Delicious, free parking, DELICIOUS!!!!

Cons: none I can think of!

Posted 04/01/03

Great pastries and tarts... Good variety, fresh taste, great value. Limited choice of sandwitches, however. Take the lunch special... and don't forget to park free right after the flower shop!

Posted 12/22/02

I don't really think of Le Fournil as a restaurant...it's our bakery! A taste of Paris across the bridge from the UW. If you're looking for a patissérie par excellance, look no further. The mille feuilles are our favorites. We've stopped in for lunch (un sandwich) and desserts, but we're far more likely to stop in for bread and some desserts and take them home or to a friends. Quite affordable, definitely worth checking out.

Pros: excellent desserts, fantastic baked goods

Posted 12/18/02

Great pastries (savory & sweet - especially the sweet) created by true French bakers; delectable sandwiches made on fresh French bagettes...a wonderful combination.

Posted 07/25/02

My husband and I were amazed by this bakery's delicious fruit tarts. They offer all kind of great pastries, breads and sandwiches. We will definitely return to this place and recommend it!

Posted 07/25/02