E Patisserie Cafe
A small French-Vietnamese bakery with limited hours and delicious pastries, neighboring a great coffee shop
It would be unfair and inaccurate to refer to Garden Grove’s E Patisserie Cafe as the bakery for neighboring artisan coffee shop Phin Smith: Even though they (kind of) shared a space previously, they are indeed two separate businesses… that just happened to complement one another really well.
Until a more or less permanent barrier was established between the establishments, one could enter through one of their front doors and leave through the other’s front door; they also shared a back door. This gave fans of Vietnamese coffee an immediate option for French-Vietnamese pastries, and vice-versa.
Across multiple visits and too many croissants, cookies, and cake slices to count, we’ve found E Patisserie’s pastries to be delicate and flaky in all the best ways, the product of superior baking, and sweet without being cloying. Thanks to always enticing display cases in front, the only times we haven’t been tempted to stop in are when their space is dark – they’re only open for 4 hours during the week, extended hours on weekends, and closed on Mondays.
Sample their pain au chocolates or raisins, nut cookies, and caneles, each perfectly baked to accentuate pastry flavors and caramelization without any burnt residue. Try a piece of their chocolate cake, a heart-shaped macaron, or a slice of quiche – yes, their menu does have a handful of savory items, including banh mi, French dip, jambon-buerre, and smoked turkey panini sandwiches, to name a few.
With the passage of time, it became quite clear that the businesses are fully separate despite sharing such close quarters: E Patisserie has a menu board with coffees and teas, and Phin Smith now offers its own tiny collection of baked goods, so there’s technically no need to visit both. But if you’re looking for a superior culinary experience, our advice is to trust these baking masters to do what they do best, and Phin to provide your drinks.
Stats
Price: $-$$
Service: Counter
Open Since: 2017
Addresses
12919 Main St.
Garden Grove, CA 92840
657.324.7370
Instagram: @epatisseriegg