Pandor Artisan Bakery & Cafe
An Orange County bakery chain with French recipes and American hospitality
Across multiple Orange County locations, Pandor Artisan Bakery is a French-influenced bakery focused on breakfast and brunch fare – French toast, crepes, sandwiches, salads, and soups – as well as a collection of tarts, cake slices, macarons, and drinks. As contrasted with Moulin, a locally operated chain that proudly adheres to French standards for both food (great) and service (not always great), Pandor is a little friendlier and its baked goods are a little more rustic.
Fruits and breads are the star ingredients here: Anything you order with fruit is likely to be at least good, if not great. Savory items such as a perfect French onion soup are also worth considering, particularly during lunch hours.
On our visits, the sweet standouts have been Bread Pudding Bananas Foster and Apple Pie a la Mode Crepe, each beautifully plated and pretty reasonably priced; a fruit-topped, Nutella and syrup-glazed French Toast is another winner, and we also enjoyed their macarons – more the beautiful lavender than the subtle rose. We liked both their Chai Latte and rich Paradis de Caramel Latte, just two of many handmade and nearly barista-class hot drinks.
Chocolate and other caramelized items here aren’t as strong, however; we’ve found those flavors a little muted at Pandor, with caramels coming across more smoky than buttery.
Pandor has five locations in Orange County, covering Irvine and the Market Place (Tustin/Irvine), Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, and Orange. We’ve largely focused on the Market Place location, but would gladly explore others in the future.
Stats
Price: $-$$
Service: Counter
Open Since: 2012
Addresses
13124 Jamboree Rd.
Irvine, CA 92602
949.535.0777
Additional locations in Irvine, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach + Orange
Instagram: @pandorbakery