Fresh Baguette

This place would rate 5 stars if it consistently delivered on its promise of fresh baguette, because, when they are fresh, the croissants, baguettes and breads are second to none in DC. Unfortunately, they appear to be letting their quality slide by not removing old merchandise from the shelves when they get «old». So be careful when you shop there. Always ask when the bread was made or you may be disappointed.

The food here is great, but the parking is a pain, especially in downtown Bethesda. We ended up just parking in the Giant parking lot (while technically a tow zone) and walking to the place. Probably wouldn’t have been too much of an issue if it wasn’t 19 degrees outside. The place also only has outside seating, so during the winter months this pretty much means taking your orders to go.
We ordered the quiche lorraine, a chicken and mushroom pastry, a cheese stuffed bun, and a chocolate croissant. The quiche was good — had a nice crispy crust and good flavor. I wasn’t a fan of the cheese bun, but that’s also because I’m not a big fan of cheese. The chicken pastry, while good, didn’t have that much filling in it, so I found myself eating more than a third of it before I hit the chicken filling. The chocolate croissant was really good — one of the few places I’ve been to that does a chocolate croissant where the croissant is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They also made the croissant bread sweet, which I liked.

I am so happy to live walking distance to this place. They open at 7 and I often try to get there right around then. I have always gotten fresh, hot croissants. They have the perfect outside crisp texture and the inside melts in your mouth. I think these are the best croissants around!!! I take all of my friends here for breakfast.

3.5 stars.
Fresh Baguette is awesome because it’s open on Christmas day!
While we loved the whole baked from scratch bread (which, unfortunately we did not try), we found their pastries to be on the ok side. We had a plain croissant and an apple tart. The croissant was really buttery and rich — and greasy and reminded me of the ones you can get at Costco. The apple tart however, was really good. It’s got just the right amount of sliced apples and crisp crumb.
I probably won’t be hankering to come back but it’s a nice place to get a quick on the go treat.

Love this place. Their bread and pastries are always scrumptious/​top quality. Also, love the French ambiance — the place is actually owned by French people who are really nice. The only reason for the four stars is that seating is very limited, although there are outdoor tables when the weather is nice, and the lack of a restroom. However, I still enjoy coming to this place and intend to keep coming back.

Great baguette and pastries.
Very friendly staff.
I wish they had a bigger facility so they could add more sitting area.

Fresh Baguette is an incredibly wonderful addition to Bethesda. Everything is so good here! The simple croissant is perfectly buttery and crispy. The ratatouille quiche was really good and creamy. The mini tarts were soft and divine. You can’t go wrong here!

On some days, I just want to have a baguette. Call it a Parisian one and I am more inclined to eat it ALL.
$ 8 for a baguette sandwich that nearly equals two meals? Score! I went with the Paris sandwich and it tasted better than it looked when it was heated up. Although I didn’t buy any, the selection of pastries looked very, very yummy. The quiche and tartines read better than they looked, but I’ll let you be the judge there.
As far as the space goes, the seating is only outside otherwise it’s a grab and go type of joint.

Food ⁴⁄₅: Delicious and extensive selection of baked goods and lunch items. I tried their cheese roll, white chocolate roll, ham and cheese sandwich, and eggplant quiche. Every single one was delicious.
Ambience ⁵⁄₅ — Quant and colorful french bakery with limited but nice and clean white outdoor seating. The organization of the food was sensible, attractive, and easy to navigate.
Service ³⁄₅: Servers while not rude were not very accommodating and seemed to be generally uninformed about their product. My friend actually was served the wrong dish because of this.
Overall I generally really enjoyed my experience, got some great food, and would definitely go back as long as I was not counting calories. lol

Popped over here during lunch, was pretty empty when we got there. Took our time gaping at the quiches, tartines, and bounty of desserts. Samples of the stuffed buns available! By the time we decided on what to get, 4 – 5 other people joined us and the staff was either irritated or new (thought nice and eager to help).
I asked for Quiche Lorranie and bagged two stuffed rolls (bacon and sun dried tomato). Got a quiche, but one with eggplant and tomatoes on instead of bacon and swiss goodness. Pretty cranky about having to pick off the veggies. The bacon roll was lovely though, sundried tomato one– not so much.
Might be back to try the desserts.

If a place doesn’t serve iced coffee, you know it’s European; even if the decors were tad tacky… The staff were kind enough to bring ice out and let us ‘ruin’ perfect coffee anyway. The coffee beans they use are better than Starbucks. Fresh strawberry in bagel with cream may not sound impressive, but you need to try it… :)
Sunday afternoon, I searched for a bakery for sweets and coffee with outdoor seatings here on Unilocal,and this place came up. When I phoned to inquire about the seating initially, the lady who answered did not make me a fan; but I decided to let their products speak, so there I went and I was pleased with it.
Pleasant surprise in the neighborhood, new stomping ground.

Magnifique! If you haven’t discovered Fresh Baguette yet, hop on your «velo» (that’s «bike») and ride on down to Fresh Baguette, tucked behind the Giant grocery store. There are a couple of tables outside where you can enjoy (and you will!) any of the delicious breads and pastries baked daily at Fresh Baguette. The large kitchen is open to view, and the aroma of the baking fills the air. Glass display cases to the right hold the many traditional pastries, like «pain au chocolat,» «croissants,» and «pain raisin.» On the left, an open shelving unit displays the breads — baguettes and «boules» — round loaves to slice and enjoy with cheese, butter, or other toppings. Baguettes include a normal loaf, as well as a rye and a four-​seed loaf. The four-​seed is FANTASTIC… chewy, flavorful, with the slight crunch of the seeds… a little sweet butter and you’re in french heaven…

The smell of freshly baked bread lured me into this cute bakery! I went right for the baguettes, but if you’re more into pastries and French desserts, you’ll definitely want to check out all their beau
I chose a traditional baguette that was still warm and broke off a piece immediately after purchasing it. I’ve eaten my fair share of baguettes and I have to say this is definitely one of the best I’ve tried in the States.
I highly recommend this place and I’ll most definitely go back!

I buy a baguette almost every other day. Great shop.
Quiches are also usually delicious. I’d buy many more of them if they were a bit cheaper, but that would probably get unhealthy.
I’ve recently seen quiches larger than the individual size, but they have yet to carry a price tag. I’d ask, but even though I am cheap, I feel especially cheap asking the price, so hopefully they get a sticker on those things soon.

I had a client recommend Fresh Baguette as a spot to get a Three Kings Cake. I decided to call ahead to make sure they had cakes left as I was few days past the actual holiday. I was happy that the call was very well received in French… I don’t always get to practice my native tongue. Same situation when I got there, everybody is actually French… very cool. Their selection of breads is truly amazing, and if you like mustard you really need to go. Needless to say the Three Kings cake was amazing and they were nice enough to give me two «feves» and two «corones» as I have twins. My boys loved the cake and I love Fresh Baguette.
Merci Beacoup!

This is a gem steps within downtown Bethesda’s shops. It’s across the street from the Mercedes shop, perpendicular to Apple.
On Sunday morning, the store was buzzing with people picking up their baguettes and single croissants. We wanted to try both savory and sweet, so we loaded up on two baguette sandwiches which were almost $ 8 each, which is priced about the same as Saint Michel in Rockville but slightly heftier and sold in a bakery with better ambiance and space – cuter, I might add… Plenty of space to sit. I definitely felt like this could be a café on the west coast.
The Village sandwich was really tasty. It had a generous amount of ham, fresh pickles, lettuce and cheese. At first bite it seems like it’s just a lot of bread but it really grows on you… the flavored develop, the bread really shines and is so fresh. We also got a Paris baguette, which is on the lighter flavor side of you just want a sandwich that showcases the baguette, on the creamier side. It was a good contrast to the Village but if I were to order one sandwich it would be one with more savory goodies inside. We did not get a choice of baguette type like photos have shown, rather they were pre-​made with regular baguettes.
The chocolate croissant was pretty spectacular. Typically in this area I see croissants with half melted mini milk chocolate kisses that are overly sweet; here, it was a really light croissant with a yummy, creamy chocolate filling. The almond croissant was good, but mine was a little on the over-​crisped side. Their style is halved sandwiched with a smooth, runnier almond filling. Still very tasty, fresh and rich.
Only thing I really wished for was a bigger coffee menu with lattes or cappuccinos. They only had regular and decaf coffee self serve pots and an espresso machine.
Entire staff was very friendly and helpful… Never had to idle or stand around!

Don’t come here after 5:00 pm. You’ll be a sad American in this authentically French bakery. Why the sad face? Because this place is so good, they tend to sell out of almost everything. No almond or chocolate croissants for this sweet-​obsessed connoisseur. I did purchase a single croissant to go. It was suppose to be for breakfast the next day, but…
I ate it as soon as I got home; lathered in strawberry jam. It was very delectable, but I still prefer my all-​time nearby favorite French bakery, Saint Michel. Sorry, Fresh Baguette. I still adore you. Your pastries in the display case are calling me back, so I will return.

Mon Dieu! The two young Frenchmen working here are prettier than I am.
Three and a half stars. The sandwiches look and taste okay; ham is carved thick before chopping and the craisins accent the brie nicely. Didn’t spot any quiches during my late lunch visit, when many goods had clearly been tapped out. 48 hours’ notice required for the forthcoming catering menu. Good spread of coffee or tea options. Assortment of delightfully crusty breads, tarts, and pastries to be had. Mini canelés are okay, but the gougères are spot on. I’d get the pine nut mozzarella fougasse instead of the bacon swiss which was too greasy. Wave tartine was prebaked until the salmon was past medium. Plain croissants have fewer layers than Le Caprice, but are plusher, glazed more boldly, and laced with a hint of sweetness. They supply baked goods for some of the local coffee chains, so the almond, chocolate, and ham and cheese ones go fast.

Oui J’adore!!!
I am obsessed with this cute bakery that just seemed to pop out of nowhere in my neighborhood. Everything about it is just so authentic, right down to the staff’s accents.
I discovered Fresh Baguette after my housemate brought back the tastiest baguette home, since then, I have been addicted.
I tend to grab a quick coffee, quiche or salad here, but I have sampled many a baguette and croissant. First, let me say these are the best croissants I have had this side of the Seine. You know how croissants sometimes taste a little greasy, and even the bag they come in tends to get grease stains? Well, not these croissants. They are light, fluffy and not overloaded with filling. The chocolate and almond ones ($ 2.50) are my favorites. They offer savory croissants on a rotating basis, the salmon and cream one is pretty satisfying and I heard they offer a bacon and cheese one as well.
They offer several take home baguettes ranging from the traditional baguette, soft baguette (it’s like a long brioche loaf, sweet and glazed on top), wheat versions to ficelle, and according to their policy none of their baked goods are more than three hours old. Bring one of these loafs home and I bet they will last half as long!
As far as pastries go, try the «nun’s cap» éclair or the many Viennese pastries. It is guaranteed that everything in here would make your taste buds go «oh la la»!

I love this place and keep going back.
The staff is genuinely friendly and helpful — and the pastries are amazing. I’ve had too many plain croissants to count and they are flaky, buttery, and soft on the inside. They shouldn’t even call them plain because they’re too good for that description! The chocolate croissants are great too and they aren’t overloaded with chocolate. The almond croissants are nice and rich and flavorful. I’ve also had the mixed fruit tart and a peach one — both SO good.
I stopped by the other day and noticed they had macarons. I’ve had macarons at two places within walking distance and wasn’t impressed with those places. The ones here, especially the vanilla, with real vanilla bean on top, are quite good.
I’ll keep coming back and will try their breads and sandwiches as well. Nom nom nom.