Voyageur du Temps

Expensive. Oh so expensive. Admittedly delicious, but not enough to be worth the price.
This place basically exemplifies Los Altos pricing. Case in point: a (large) pot of tea? That will be $ 15 please. Which, by the way, is more expensive than most of their food items, but not by much. Sure, it’s a sizable pot, easily shared by 4, but really, $ 15 for a tea bag (loose leaf tea leaves of excellent quality at least) and copious amounts of boiling water? You could buy an entire bag of the same premium tea leaves for that price. Oy.
I also had their French toast, which was delicious, light, fluffy… and $ 13. And not particularly filling (3 small slices of bread and a small cup of fruit).
If you want premium baked goods at premium premium pricing, then this is your place. But as for me, if I want to splurge on a baked good, I’d probably go to Satura cakes just around the corner. If I’m going to pay over $ 5 for one baked good, at least there I won’t have to pay $ 15 for a pot of tea.

I am in love with this coffee shop, bakery and wonderful place to enjoy a cup of something under that sunny patio. I don’t think the service is the most exquisite you can get, but it depends on the day. The first time I went I had even a good conversation with the server. Maybe because he was Mexican and we started to speak in Spanish and he told me the history behind the building and how the business started and how the intention is to be an eclectic mix of Japanese-​French style. Today, I found rude to the customers the fact that the guys at the desk were having some sort of a heavy discussion about something in the kitchen or work related. Therefore, that was first than smiling and asking what did I need. I felt like apologizing for ordering my coffee and a baguette. No smiles, just pay and go grab a seat.
Service apart, I find the pastries to be delicious, the baguettes consistent and oh so good, the coffee well made… and even the baguette bag has a cool graphic design. Plus the name of the place, «traveler of time» makes you feel a tourist that just happen to find this hidden gem in beautiful Los Altos. My favorite coffee shop there.

Delicious food. So so service. Fine decorations. Very pricey.
It’s a good place to spend your spare time if it isn’t crowded.

Gots to drop them down due to lackluster service. If I did not accept a copy of my receipt, I would not be able to prove that I had, in fact, ordered a latte. After my friend & I finished our meal, I finally recieved the latte I needed prior to my meal…

Extremely expensive, probably double the price of other bakeries and half the size. The décor is nice and modern but only come here if you want to get just a small bite to eat.
Baked goods are good but it’s hit or miss. I come just for bacon epi bread which is ¹⁄₃ of the size of regular epi bread and double the cost but has little bit of bacon that draws me.
As for the service, it’s just service, not friendly or smiles. Few times I’ve been here, there’s Japanese lady (speaks with accent for its little bit of challenge to understand fully — nothing wrong with accents! Lol) but she serves ice tea ²⁄₃ empty! I always ask to fill it up to the top but she must need glasses cuz it’s never to the top.

So, I’ve been a regular here for a while, but I think my days are numbered. Excellent baked goods. Seriously amazing croissants. Excellent scramble sides.
But bad espresso coffee (always choose french press here), really high prices, and often lousy service, despite the manager, who is great and does her best.
Today was especially bad: ordered the egg scramble with croissant breakfast, and after making us wait for ages at the register while they checked whether they had any regular croissants left, informed is that they’d run out, and that they couldn’t substitute the other style in, even if we paid extra for it.
Apart from making us be the hold up on a long line, add on the overpriced menu items, this is the kind of customer-​second approach that makes me love the food here, but hate the experience.
There was once a time when VDT was a diamond in the rough on the Peninsula, but in the past year, other breakfast cafes have opened with high quality fare, great service and reasonable prices, i.e. real competition.
I won’t be back for a while.

Overall gist: way overpriced for what they have to offer.
Let’s start off with the usual +3:
+1: Almond Croissant was delicious. It’s definitely not a classic french recipe but fairly good.
+1: Parking nearby — always a plus!
–1: a $ 4 baby cup of tea. Advertised as loose-​leaf tasted like someone snipped a bunch of lipton packets and put them in a jar. I have nothing against lipton, but dude for $ 4/​cup you can offer Mariage Freres teas or even a local favorite Lupicia, or if push comes to shove Teavana offers better loose-​leaf. They did offer to remake my original cup but if the tea itself isn’t good it doesn’t matter how you pour water over it, it’ll suck.
–1: a $ 5 cup of yogurt was just that. Plain yogurt. I guess it was my fault for thinking it would come with a smidge of honey or something added to it. Would love for that to be plainly (pun intended) stated on the menu.
–1: The day we came in, the staff were either hungover or so out of it that it took them forever to take orders as if they were floating on some planet 9.
Maybe i’m being too picky about the place but i’ve had much better service, pastries and tea in various other places for close to half the price. Meh. I’ve experienced better — definitely sums up this place.

VDT’s almond croissants are absolutely amazing. The ambience is beautiful, with glass walls and an open airy feel to it. It’s really a gorgeous café, perfect for brunch or afternoon coffee with friends. The food items are alright but the prices have risen while quality and portion size have decreased over time. The espresso is a bit bitter and woody for my liking, but this is personal preference.
I really hope they work on improving their service: shortening wait times, making sure they don’t run out of almond croissants by 8am, setting up a plan for to-​go orders to be placed by phone +/​-​online, and making it easier to get tables during peak times (you have to be quite aggressive– patrons of this café commonly have family members stake out giant tables for 30+ minutes before their food has arrived, meanwhile people who have received their food have nowhere to sit).
All in all, VDT is still a lovely place for pastries if you’re not in a rush. If you want an almond croissant, call ahead to make sure they are in stock!

The short: pricey, delicious pastries
I ordered the
— cube chocolat frambroise: strawberry-​filled cube. the jam was nice with the cube, but not something I’d get all the time
+ Pistachio danish (recommended): sooo good! i love the crunchy texture, the sweet taste, and the lovely pistachio nuts sprinkled all over
As a former train station, this elongated building (with outdoor seating) maximizes the amount of beautiful daylight streaming in. There’s also a huge floor-​to-​ceiling glass wall that separates the baking area from the seating area, which is a joy to watch.
For me, I can’t justify the high priced baked goods and will come in when I feel like splurging on a delicious treat.
They also serve meals (thinking about trying that croque madame!) and they were in the works for serving alcoholic beverages too…

This is not only the first two star review that I have ever given, but this is also the very first «updated» review I also have given in my time as a Unilocaler and there are good reasons for both.
I used to love coming here for pastries and coffee especially since it was nearby my house but unless management does some serious revamping of this place, I am unlikely to ever come here again. I am going to try to provide as many details as I can so that management can know exactly who was working (or rather not, I’ll explain later) and do something about it.
I came here last Sunday, November 1, 2015 with my mother to grab a couple of pastries and coffee to go. We waited for, I kid you not, 30 MINUTES, to ORDER. This is a SUNDAY for gods sake! I couldn’t believe how short staffed they were, only 3 people behind the counter were taking orders and preparing coffee! Management, please fire whoever took the day off or «called in sick» (it’s the day after Halloween, you don’t need to be a genius to know that they were just hungover) that day, because there is absolutely no excuse. I will say that those three workers who WERE working were amazing, so promote those guys or something. I am still a little irritated as I am writing right now… I would be a little more forgiving if this were a one time thing, except this is a constant problem… they are always short-​staffed! Last Sunday was just the final straw though…
Also the prices have just gotten worse with the items they add to the menu… I am annoyed about this factor because everything besides the pastries is abysmal… The flavor is seriously lackluster and you get little to no food for the amount you pay… (And honestly, even my dad was shocked at how much we payed for the pastries and coffee, which are the only items that I felt were worth it.)
I am sorry to say, but I am unlikely to ever come here again… I still remember how much I enjoyed my first experience when this place first opened, but after last Sunday’s experience, I am very unhappy and will not be back. I would also like to point out that if you look at other reviews, many of them are also updated reviews similar to mine.

I’ve easily been here dozens of times since VDT opened a year and a half ago… and I’ve brought countless friends/​colleagues here and bought gifts for yet others from here –it’s that good!
Pastries: It’s not hyperbole when I state that the croissants here are as deliciously memorable as any good croissant I’ve had in France. Their classic croissant is buttery, internally tender, and extremely flaky on the outside all at once, and the d’eshire version is slightly better having been made with a cultured butter imported from France. The «chapeau» is like the love child of a chocolate chip cookie & a fluffy brioche. The bacon bread is food perfection (either hot out of the big ovens at 10:30am or toasted to order). The cream puffs are two bites of heaven. I love the chaussons aux pomme (apple/​croissant mash-​up), and the chocolate croissant is divine.
Meals: expect lighter portion sizes of beautifully prepared foods. This isn’t Cheesecake Factory with humongous plates, but when paired with a fresh-​squeezed OJ, specialty tea, or French-​press coffee (my husband’s go-​to) and maybe a side croissant or dessert, it seems to be just right for me. Meals aren’t cheap, nothing here is, but I feel like we get what we pay for.
Waits: this place is now incredibly popular and the line can be 20 guests long to order at the counter, the line can move slowly if those in line haven’t made up their minds before they are helped. While there are many table/​counter spots inside and another dozen tables on the patio, there are no reservations available nor ordering from the tables. Pastries are pulled from the case quickly, coffee drinks can take a while, and hot meals can take a bit longer than that. Don’t come here in a hurry, as this is definitely a place that demands a more leisurely pace.
Parking: there’s plenty of free parking in the city lot immediately across the street. Parking in one of the dozen spots in VDT’s tiny lot can be tough especially on the weekends when the place is slammed for brunch.

Ridiculously under staffed and ALWAYS out of products.
Seriously guys!
Hey, owners! Want to increasing your daily sales?
Well, we want to have your croissants for breakfast! But you always run out too early.
I just stopped going to your place for breakfast.
So disappointing.

The outside patio is lovely. Little traffic noise. Inside loud and strange configuration for tables and view of Foothill Express Way from the bar.
The frittata was a bit bland and salad was okay.
Café au lait is good. Seems like it being a bit like Mayfields at Town and Country Village.

Had the chance to have a lovely brunch here after finals. We were warmly greeted upon entering. The woman at the register informed us about how only the breakfast items could be ordered and lunch time food couldn’t be ordered until 15 minutes from that moment, which would be at 11 am. We waited the 15 minutes since my order was a lunchtime item.
Last time we enjoyed seating inside, so we decided to sit out on the patio. It was a sunny day so only about a couple of the tables had shade. We ordered a plain nutella crêpe that came with a side of fruit. Nothing spectacular or memorable. We also had the french toast that came with a seasonal fruit and whipped cream. Something about their whipped cream was amazing and made this french toast amazing! I ordered the caprese toast (tomato/​basil/​mozzarella) pastry and it was presented nicely. All together, I would def come back again.

Pour over coffee was to par, and the seasonal French Bread was delightfully soft and fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside. There’s not much ‘in your face’ Japanese-​French fusion going on, for example the seasonal French bread was made with shokupan (japanese milk bread), and it’s good that they decided only to use ‘Japanese’ ingredients only when it potentially improves on the product.
The matcha ring star I tried had a delicate matcha flavour that was strong enough to come through, and the filling tasted of, condensed milk I think? A very Japan/​Taiwan thing to do.
I have not tried their savoury pastries, I don’t know if they would be superior to other boulangeries, but after this visit I can vouch for their sweet pastries and breakfasts.

I hate to have to rate this place so low after they initially impressed me so much.
I want to make it clear that this updated review is for the coffee and service only. The pastry chef is a genius and his croissants are second to none. Unfortunately, the business itself leaves a lot to be desired.
While originally the espresso drinks were well crafted and even had beautiful latte art, the new set of baristas clearly aren’t well trained.
The service is slow and often just missing entirely.
This place had so much promise in the beginning. As I mentioned in my previous review, they had a few things to work on, but it seems like those small things were not addressed and became huge problems.
I hope the pastry chef is smart enough to find a different restaurant that will truly showcase his work rather than distract from it by poor service and terrible front of the house management.

Croissants are absolutely delicious here as everyone promised. I came in early one morning to avoid it the crowds. Each mouthful of the croissant was deliciously flaky and crispy and you can hear the «snap» every single bite. The products are definitely pricey with $ 4.50 for an original croissant and $ 5 for a matcha croissant.
I really enjoyed the croissants though the matcha one didn’t have a particularly strong matcha taste. I would suggest going for the original if you want a decadent pastry treat.

Wow these prices are high even for Los Altos standards. You know it’s bad when the cashier sheepishly thanks you for placing a large order. Or maybe she was trying to hide a grin at A and I’s inner fat kid, indecisive, oh hell let’s-try-them-all discussion while we were trying to order. I digress.
We settled on seven pastries to-​go, but ended up enjoying them on the spot with a cup of their delicious Peru La Convencion pour over. Great decision. This was a legit cup of coffee — medium, sweet, & extra smooth.
Matcha Croissant — First time having a matcha flavored croissant. Impressive flakiness, distinct matcha flavor, though I would have liked even more matcha!
Croissant D’Echire — This is the extra rich version with D’Echire butter. Extra butter is nice, but it was not as flaky as the Matcha croissant which I preferred.
Caramel Cream Cube — The center of this cube is decadent liquid caramel goodness. Very enjoyable. Would be even better warm.
Bread Pudding — Served chilled. I prefer warm versions soaked with lots of syrup. This was dry and dense. Tartine bread pudding is still the best I’ve tried by a mile.
Kouign Amann — Underwhelming, too dense. But I think Dominique Ansel’s DKA ruined all others for me. His kouign amann is perfection.
Croissant Au Chocolat — This was my favorite! The flavor of the dark chocolate filling is amazing.
Coffee Palmier — Crunchy, with mild hints of coffee. Loved this one as well.
Other notes:
–Some pastries are only offered on certain days. Check the specials board.
–Open view of the bakery is cool.
–They also have breakfast items, salads, and sandwiches.
–Small private lot in front for parking.

I haven been longing to visit this place since November 2014, and I finally have time to try this place house last Sunday for brunch. Turns out their breakfast menu ends at 11am and I missed it!
This bakery/​coffee shop/​restaurant is quite famous in Los altos. We couldn’t find a seat inside around 1130am. You can watch the chefs making bread and pastry from their huge window. On the other side you can see their breads and pastries below their counter, a today special menu, and there are also staffs who would take your order from the counter.
There is only 1 simple menu that includes breakfast (serve from 7am to 11am), lunch and entrée (serve after 11am). There were quite a lot of things I wanted to try in the breakfast menu, maybe next time. So we ended up trying their sandwich, soup, fritata, and veal bourignon.
Pear and brie sandwich: it didn’t look too appealing to me. It’s basically a baguette with brie and slices of pear in it that’s slightly toasted.
Soupe du jour: califlower with truffle oil. Sounded nice, smelled nice, taste was so so and too salty and watery.
Brie fritata: it was good, the brie didn’t take over the egg flavor. Nicely cooked. Served with salad
Veal bourignon: it served as a soup which was quite disappointed… traditional bourignon should be a braised dish. The veal were tender, a lot of ingredient. But serving it in a soup form made it less appealing and the soup was from stocks, a bit blend.
Their menu price is higher than many other coffee shop and bakeries too. I was expecting to be higher quality of food, yet I was a bit disappointed.
I didn’t try their coffee as their coffee beans were all dark roasted and oily, not really my type of specialty coffee.
A reminder: they open between 7am to 7pm and it will extend 1 more hour and close at 8pm in feburary 2015

Ready to time travel? The name of this place will make you, Voyageur du Temps.
Ordered:
— French Press $ 7.00
— French Toast with a side of seasonal fruit $ 13.00
— Caramel Cream Cube $ 4.00
— Voyageur Breakfast $ 9.00
Tina’s Tricks and Ticks
— Total Amount of $ 35.89
— The place is all about presentation
— French Press coffee was perfect, you didn’t even need to add sugar or creamer
— A must is the caramel cream cube! Oh gosh, I don’t even know how to describe it. Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, enough sweets and super flavorful!
— The voyageur breakfast might not be fulfilling if you’re super hungry, but you’ll get a side of fruit, an egg, and 3 – 4 pieces of sliced toast sticks
— The French toast was topped with the right amount of berries and syrup
— Coming back to try the other things on their menu!