Manresa Bread

How amazingly fortunate we are in Los Gatos to have a neighborhood bakery in our midst helmed by the acclaimed baker, Avery Ruzicka, well known for her work at Manresa and regularly written up in magazines. My wife’s favorite pastry is the regal Kouign Amann, the croissant’s older sibling just back from finishing school boasting of its sugar laminated dough. My kids love the monkey breads, and I’m a sucker for the chocolate banana almond croissants and the sweet tarts, and also of course the humble classic baguette. On my most recent visit, I claimed all of the above, plus the amazing bacon corn chili muffin. We should all commit to visit Manresa Bread regularly — let’s show the best bakery around that we appreciate their 4 am mornings and especially their commitment to our town.

Always good but they really need to not run out of things on a Sunday morning at 10. I mean, how is that even possible for a bakery? Aren’t things baked fresh daily? I love Manresa but when I come form 50 miles away for a croissant, I want them to have it!

Hello … My name is Alex from Los Angeles … I watch chef David kinch 3 michellin star chef … From minds of chef pbs channel … Super exited to try and tasted the pastries and macaron … I talk to my wife and my kids about this bakery spot … Soon I step to the spot I was so happy and looking around to the display of the pastries … And guess what !!! So empty show case no pastries no baguettes … Just only one box of six macaron … And the lady who was really nice to me … She was telling me we sold out … Hurts fillings soooo bad !!! And I ask to my self. Really ??? Is only 12:30 pm on Wednesday ??? That’s BS … And I ask to the lady … And that’s only one box of six macaron left ??? And she’s says. Of course not. I got more in the kitchen … And I said ok. Let me get 12 macaron … 4 pistachio 4 vanilla 4 chocolate … Price $ 34 dollar for 12 pcs of frozen macaron … I grab the macaron and was frozen sooooooooo sad and sad and sad F really !!! Expecting
For this place to make my experience so happy but not was like that … …Please dear chef David Kinch … Frozen macaron from 3 michellin is not acceptable … I look so stupid front to my wife and my kids … Really !!! Really !!! That’s blow my mind … Please don’t do that … Lazy and ridiculous short cuts !!! Thanks god I not get sick for expire date frozen macaron … I hope this help you … Dear
Business chefs and bakers … Or front of the house … Five stars for the service lady

Yasssss kouign amannnnnnnn. Given the kouign amann’s newfound hipsterdom-​esque popularity, it’s a small wonder how this Wheel of Fortune-​warped Before and After phrase hasn’t made it’s way into the Broad City lexicon. Consider this a public service.
If you haven’t already tuned me out, hear me now. Get thee to Manresa Bread and order the kouign amann. Like its American cousin, the Monkey Bread, the kouign amann (pronounced QUEEN-​ah-​mahn, natch) is officially boulangerie with a heavy hand of patisserie-​esque sweetness. It’s croissant dough with butter, sugar, and salt, caramelized to perfection. Do I have your attention yet? It’s so good I devour it before ample opportunity for photography. Sorry about that.
I first tasted this tasty treat from Common Bond in Houston. You can keep your cronuts; I prefer the kouign amann’s croissant on PCP version. Manresa’s is excellent, though my hit ratio on acquiring said kouign amann has been frustrating. Manresa, in addition to being a brick and mortar, plies its trade at the more easily accessible Campbell Farmer’s Market (for me at least; they’re also at Palo Alto Farmer’s Market). No matter the location, the kouign amann is a crowd favorite and will quickly sell out.
Manresa Bread’s other offerings are equally appealing, if not as absurdly tasty as the kouign amann. The croissant is good. Not Tartine good, but definitely a much closer drive. The monkey bread is a capable substitute if they’re sold out of the kouign amann. There’s also a healthy and not-​so-​healthy selection of tarts, loaves, and such.

I bought the plain butter croissant ($ 4) and kouign amann ($ 5) at the Farmers Market as they have a stand set up. Sad to say the butter croissant was very disappointing despite the rave reviews. I was expecting it to be of Parisian quality but it was neither airy, flaky, nor buttery. Still the quest to find the perfect croissant outside of Paris is still ongoing… I took a few bites and tossed the $ 4 croissant. Figured it wasn’t worth the calories or food coma. My guilty pleasure has been kouign amanns as of late. This kouign amann almost did the job but unfortunately was of a slight burnt taste, baked just a tad bit too long. Disappointed here as well.

Woah, that is a sublime baguette. Crusty, airy, and chock full of flavor… I could eat these all the time.
The hazelnut & chocolate cookie was so good I wish I’d gotten one just for myself instead of to share. The texture was great, and the chocolate and hazelnut flavor went well together.
The croissant was fine… great outer texture (very crispy), but the inside was a bit too light for my preferences, and the flavor was just fine.
The coffee was good, though it is pre-​brewed Verve serve-​yourself. If you have time, I suggest a bit of a walk down Santa Cruz to one of the many cafes instead of settling for this.
The carrot tisane is a no-​go. So bland that it’s almost just scaldingly hot water.

Be careful what you get when you come here. My whole family came to Manresa and bought about $ 70 worth of bread and pastries (not hard to do, but we figured it would be worth it). Most were very tasty. My mom and I were the only two who had the croissant and monkey bread, and we both got sick. Full blown stomach illness sick. It was the only food we had that morning so we know it was isolated to those two items, and we were the only two who had those two specific pastries. I messaged Manresa Bread through their website to let them know they may have a problem in their kitchen. I would have expected food of higher caliber from a place like Manresa. We were so excited to try Manresa bread for the first time, but now will unfortunately not return for fear of getting sick again.
Our other relatives who got just the bread were OK. They enjoyed their food and felt fine. It seems like the croissants and monkey bread were the only things impacted that morning.

The baked goods are good. Price is on the high side: $ 5 for a small pastry, but this is the bay area.
It’s a grab-​and-​go place since there is no place to sit.

Tucked away on a side street in downtown Los Gatos, Manresa Bread is a small bakery which is probably the best in the valley.
Get here early as the lines get long and the eats go fast. I like everything they offer but my favorites are the cookies and bacon corn muffins which are a little spicy.
The place is expensive but worth the price. Spoil yourself! They were handing out free macaroons while we waited in line.
They have fresh bread and offer special made treats on select days.

Perhaps someday I will acquire the personal funds or expense account for Manresa proper, but until then, there’s Manresa Bread.
Cute storefront, if not on the street directly, that opens early. At 9 am, I made my way there for a corn muffin (studded with bacon and green chili — much better flavor that just a jalapeño spice note), a slice of carrot cake loaf (dense and moist with ample carrot strings), a pain au chocolat, an almond croissant, and a ham and cheese croissant (studded with poppy, sesame, and pumpkin seeds) for $ 24
Still long for Bakery Nouveau croissants in Seattle, but the Manresa Bread ones feature perfect croissant pastry and are quite good.
The price point is only about $ 1 above average, but the immense flavors and better ingredients obviously shine and are well worth it, making their baked goods a relative bargain.
Would love to expand my personal experience with Manresa, if anyone’s treating… =)

They sell something here called «Sandwich Loaf» and yet…“I’m sorry we do not have a bread slicer on premises.”
I’m not a restauranteur but I would think if I was opening a high end bakery I would have a bread slicer at the top of my must have equipment list.

Manresa can run out of stock, so get there early. 3 stars because my go-​to items when visiting a bakery are 1) croissants, and 2) levain — and I was not a fan of either.
* Almond Croissant — 3.5 stars: This was really good but too crusty for me. While it wasn’t my favorite, Manresa offers a unique version every almond croissant fanatic should try once.
* Levain — 2 stars: Very fresh, very sour, more white than wheat. Not a fan of their crust, they make it (intentionally) too hard. I threw out the entire $ 8 loaf after just two bites :(
Very cute, super friendly bakery, but just not my cup of tea.

I first heard about this place after a foodie friend recommended it and was ewpacially excited to try it after hearing how it was connected to the Michelin-​star restaurant of the same moniker. It’s located in a quiet, unassuming plaza, and when I stopped by on a Saturday morning to pick up some pastries, I was surprised the place wasn’t busier. Maybe it’s still under the radar.
The worker told me that the pastries and breads are actually baked at a nearby location and then delivered each morning. In other words, go early for the most selection since they WILL sell out of items and aren’t constantly replenishing throughout the day.
We got:
Kougin amann (⁵⁄₅): I totally embarrassed myself when trying to order it (Worker: «It’s actually pronounced «QUEEN amann!»), but I’ve never been good at guessing the pronunciation for foreign words. This was easily the best thing we got — a densely flavored, flaky, lightly sweetened croissant. It’s pretty tiny (probably two or three inches in diameter), but packs a lot of flavor.
Almond croissant (⁴⁄₅): I like the almond croissant a lot better at Bouchon Bakery in Yountville and probably even prefer the ones I’ve had at Bellano in Santa Clara. Not sure what Mr. Keller puts in that almond paste filling, but Bouchon just gets it right.
Hazelnut brown butter cake (⁴⁄₅): I only managed to get a bite of this one before it was devoured (it’s pretty tiny!), but everyone else who had it agreed that this and the kouign amann were the best things.
Bacon jalapeño cornbread (³⁄₅): Not sure if it’s because this was gluten-​free, but it was a little on the dry side and very «meh» tasting. Wouldn’t get this again.
Pain au chocolat (³⁄₅): I’m probably not the fairest critic, since I’ve never been a fan of chocolate croissants; to me, this just tasted like a croissant with a slab of chocolate inside of it, but I can see this being good slightly warmed and with the chocolate melted and gooey.
Ultimately, I prefer Thomas Keller’s bakery to Manresa; there’s just a lot more selection of pastries at Bouchon compared to Manresa, which only has about 6 – 9 items on display. But considering that Yountville is a good 1.5 hour drive away, Manresa is a good substitute when I’m craving some high-​quality pastries and can’t make it to SF or Napa.

One star deduction due to:
–lack of eating space
–lack of variety
–lack of reasonably priced regular coffee or something equiv
All above are said by other Unilocalers, so I’m just following them. If the shop is that way, I just go with it accordingly, no probs. I don’t have to eat n drink there, I don’t have to order 100s of this n that, and I don’t have to buy expensive drinks when I have coffee beans n coffee maker n my favorite cups @mi casa.
I can’t complain about the price, knowing ingredients do matter. Competition might bring it down though.
If I may, I’d like a Cruffin (if not Cronut) or doughnut muffin available in the future, but I believe Manresa will not imitate others; they will come up with whatever their own, which is fabulous in any ways.

COMPLETELY AMAZING. If you know the difference between a good croissant and a bad one, and get sad because all the «local» good bread companies are in Santa Cruz, then Manresa Bread absolutely will meet every need you were not getting met.
As soon as I learned that this shop existed I hightailed it over there on a Sunday morning (because I woke up and remembered that it existed as I was mulling over my hungry belly options) and was delighted to find a wide variety of breakfast pastries and breads to enjoy.
The shop is tucked back in a small business plaza, just past Pedros (if going south through LG) and Bank of the West, in the same plaza that Trent Pottery shop is (that has been there FOREVER.) Its in the old space where a stamp shop used to be — for old school LG’ers who know what I am talking about. There is parking in the complex where its located, so you don’t need to look around on N. Santa Cruz for parking.
First of all, I spent a lot of money there — not because its unreasonably expensive but because I bought a TON of stuff. I tried their plain croissants, almond croissants, fruit danish, a bread thing I forgot the name of with slivered almonds and some jam thing on a brioche like bread that is AMAZING, a ham and cheese brioche deal for my mom and husband and two loaves of bread.
The shop is super simple, and the line not very long, and they have a display in the front with the pastries and extras of them in the back so don’t freak out if the line is long and you see only two croissants in the case and think you won’t get them, because you will !! though, they do sell out of items so maybe it is a bit of a pastry roulette — getting there earlier in the day will be your ticket to success.
From my very first bite as I hit the highway going back home to Willow Glen, I *knew* it was solid gold. For me, with pastries, I can always tell in one single bite how good the pastry is. From the texture of the dough, the flakiness and the freshness its all there in that first bite. Manresa Bread did not let me down.
The almond croissant was perfect. Sometimes I get so disappointed in an almond croissant because the filling is too sweet. I usually have to stop eating midway through and take a break, or give it away — but not this one! They managed to really balance the sweetness out, and my favorite unexpected element was the top of the croissant. They used a bit of the paste to help stick some bigger broken almond bits (not just the slivers) on the top and it was a massively enjoyable crunchy delight to taste. To have that burst of true almond, and the nutty flavor with the croissant and the filling — I was more than thrilled.
From then on, I just plowed through the fruit danish, the plain croissant and that brioche bread thing with the almond stuff and jam on it.
I arrived at my mom’s house to drop off some of the loot to her, and basically did a pastry walk of shame up to her gate — with crumbs ALL over my top. I just didn’t care, it was that good.
I am SO relieved this place exists. I have a new baby and getting to Santa Cruz once a month for bread like I used to do, is just not an option for me right now. I am so thrilled a local place exists I can enjoy going to and love getting quality fresh bread from, and the occasional pastry on a Sunday morning.
Thank you Manresa Bread for opening up !!! may you live long and prosper!

Ever since Dominique Ansel took my Kouign Amann virginity, I have longed over this legendary pastry best described as a croissant on crack. Alas, it was a five hour flight away, so I went many years without satisfaction. Then last summer, my life changed for the better when I stumbled upon a local version that was more buttery and caramelized than the one of my distant memories. Yes, I’m talking about Manresa Bread’s Kouign Amann!
Obviously their Kouign Amann is my favorite, but pretty much everything I’ve tried from Manresa Bread is a solid five stars. They have a stand at my local farmers market, and I have a larger waistline and lots of happy memories to show for it!
Some other pastry favorites include:
Croissants — A staple they do well. Incredibly flakey and generous on the butter. I’m a big fan of the almond and chocolate banana croissants.
Bread Pudding — Baked in single serving portions, resulting in a satisfying thick crust on the entire outside, with a ridiculously gooey center.
Bostocks — The flavors change seasonally (strawberry, pear, persimmon…), but this sweet brioche pastry is always a hit.
But let’s not forget about the bread! The loaves here are among the best I’ve tried. I even took a couple (Levain and Fruit & Nut) with me on the plane for my parents and future in-​laws to try on the East Coast. Brownie points!
Other Notes:
–They take pre-​orders online — highly recommended for holidays.
–Their second location is expected to open this spring in Los Altos. It will also serve Verve Coffee.
–You can also find their stand at two Sunday Farmers Markets: California Ave and Campbell. Go early though, they sell out!

I needed to find some pastries for a celebration at work, so I decided to try this bakery based on their many positive reviews and I’m so glad I did. Delicious!
Tried the carrot cake (moist and flavorful but not too dense), ham and cheese brioche (the Dijon mustard they use in it really sets it off), the Kouign Amann (a croissant like inside with a crispy, caramelized crust that’s totally amaze balls) and the corn, bacon, and chili muffin (cornbread muffin with bacon and chilies).
BTW they also server coffee from Verve, so even the coffee is top notch.
Delicious food and friendly, fast staff. Anytime I need high end breads or pastries, this is where I’ll be going.

omg. the ham n cheese brioche. so egg-​y and dense and savory… SO YUM! i also tried the monkey bread and almond croissant — both very memorable. the verve coffee they serve is strong! i’d totally come all the time if i drove — but alas was on my way to pebble so did a quick stop. minus one point because the prices!!! but understandable!
i want to try to kale scone and their breads next time.

I had the Hazelnut Brown Cake — delicious, it’s got a hint of salt and a nut on top. Quite small though, always leaves me wanting more!

If I had written this review six months ago it would’ve definitely been five stars. Sadly I ha ve to ding them for them taking sandwiches off the menu (which they are claiming to bring ba ck in the late spring) and for their DIRE need of a second bread slicer. As much as I LOVE their bread and how friendly their staff is, slicing bread for 3 kids every morning is a d pain 4 – 5 da ys a week. Please get a backup slicer. We easily spend 40 – 50 a week their but later it’s been every 3 weeks when the slicer might be working. Oh and their desserts during the holidays were a huge success at our parties and gatherings.

I am a fan of all things almond, so I had to try the almond croissant when I came here.
The first time I came to this bakery, the almond croissants were all sold out. The second time I came today, I was able to get my hands on one.
The almond croissant is incredibly delish and unforgettable. I think it’s worth a walk to Manresa Bread to try the almond croissant when in downtown Los Gatos.

4.5, but giving it 5 stars bc i feel the overall 4 rating is injust.
Jesus. The girls that work there are so kind and cute. And they totally remind me of Christina Tosi from Milk Bar.
Pumpernickel. FINALLY. A dense bread like i had in northern Europe. Not quite the same, but very good. Ugh, i hate that light fluffy crap for sandwich bread (not referring to manresa’s, just mean in general). I could eat a whole loaf and not be full. Cut me a few slices of this and i’m satisfied.
Pronounced Queen Ahmahn. I think. Like a croissant. Light, fluffy. Bombtastic. Theyre signature pastey.
Pumpkin bread. Oh i love the crust on top. Buttery, fluffy, flavorful. I asked the girls what i should warm up. They said dont bother with the pumpkim bread. Its good to go. Downed it right away. No regrets.
Hazelnut buttercup thingy (hcbb? Hcbcb? Hbbcbcb?) Mmm! Yes, please. Rub it all over me! Sorry. Did I just say that? Because i meant it. Such a full and well rounded taste. Both the coconut and hazelnut flavors are very pronounced. I heated this one up. Melted the chocolate, but its just so much better warm.
Ham and cheese brioche. Weakest link. That processed –lunchables-​like-​ham was salty and reminded me of middle school cafeteria lunch. (Ill trade you my crackers for your caprisun). It’s Manresa owned. Come on. Cant get slices of real ham in there? I was expecting melty cheese, bc the girls said if u heat one up, it should be this one bc or the cheese. It wasnt melty at all. The brioche itself was good, but thats prob bc its the same brioche theh sell. This was def a disappointment. And wont be getting it in the future.
Next time i want to try the lemon poppyseed. Dont know why i passed on that. Oh, and get there earlier so they dont sell out of their signature bread. Need to get that next time too.
Total was just over $ 27. Pricey for sure. I hope they dont raise the prices
I’m on a mission to up the Unilocal game in the bay. How does manresa bread onlg have 77 ratings? Weak. Get on it norcalers!

Got to love their bread. Now, its not the best thing for you, but… it sure tastes great!!! Took my office chocolate croissant’s this morning. They were most pleased!

Got to come back and try a few more things. We came around the same time of day as before, but they had soooo much more!
The kouign aman is to die for. They are one of my favorite pastries, and Manresa’s is the best I have ever had.
Almond croissant is really unique. The marzipan filling has a touch of salt and it just makes it really special!
Sliced white is great! The perfect texture. Loved it for sammies and toast.
The first time we came, I purchased a croissant, and that we didn’t love. A little overdone and dry. But really everything else has been so damn good, I can’t stop thinking about the kouign aman and almond croissant. Definitely must tries!
Thanks to Avery and the team being so nice. Our first experience wasn’t reat, but we are glad we gave them a second try. Because they only do set batches, I would really recommend pre-​ordering online Which is something we will definitely do when we know we will be out that way.

Avery is probably the best baker in the bay area;
Baguette: Incredible structure. Best baguette in bay area. There are big/​medium/​small air pockets on the inside supported by the outside crust. When you bite a piece off the bread compresses then pops back into shape. The inside structure is much different than a loaf of acme bread. When you bite into it you hear the crunch of the outside crust. Complemented with the soft sour sourdough texture on inside. Very difficult to get these extremes in textures; hard on outside; soft and moist on inside. Don’t think anyone uses a 3 day proofing cycle like MB… because of the cost; would be too hard to do this at volume. She prob has a lot of secrets back there we don’t know about.
Croissant: as good as voyager du temps. When I take visitors from Paris to these 2 places, they say croissants are as good if not better than the best in Paris.
Monkey Bread; carmelized sugar + butter. If you like crème brulees this is fantastic bread. Real butter. Can taste the quality in the butter. Not the cheap stuff you get at Costco.
Fruit and nut loaf: They can slice it for you. If you toast it the sugar in the fruit carmelizes and provides additional crunch. Delicious; much better than the Acme bread walnut/​cranberry version. MB version contains much more fruit/​nuts.
Levain: best in bay area. Can taste the hard wheat taste; deep layered flavor. Must try. At some point other high end restaurants are going to standardize on this bread because of the way it complements a meal

I choose sweet over savory, every time. Which is why my emphasis in culinary school was baking and pastry. Yes, I know how to make a laminated dough, but some people just know how to make it better. Manresa Bread is one, if not THE, place that does it best.
Tucked into the far back corner of a nondescript plaza (you’ll only see the sandwich board from the street) with a spacious parking lot, a little bakery with no inside sitting. So many delicious options behind the glass case and most of them around the $ 4-​$ 5 mark.
Kouign Amann | Disc of buttery flakiness.
Almond Croissant | I love that Manresa’s pastries look so dark, just like the ones I encountered in Europe. They challenge deliciousness by baking the laminated dough right to its limit and pull it back just in time before it reaches it burnt demise. Instead giving you that deeply complex flavor, shattering flaky crust, against creamy and luscious frangipane. And they do not hold back on the frangipane! They split the croissant open and give you frangipane sandwich.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie | More like «whole what?!» This is the most delicious (and appropriately sized/​ginormous) cookie I’ve ever eaten. Buttery and thick enough so your teeth sink into it. Not overly sweet and you definitely hint out the salt. Give me ten more.

This is a carboholics heaven! Excellent service to go with your awesome bread and pastries. Favorite bread to get for me is the baguette. Kouign Amann is great, even better if you warm it up in a 350 °F oven for like 5 – 6 minutes, trust me you need to do this! To die for, worth every single flaky sugary calorie. The croissants are good although the almond one could have a more assertive almond flavor, it’s very subtle. I wish they had a full service espresso bar. I love Verve coffee, just not a fan of drip coffee which is what they offer.

Neat small shop in the middle of Los Gatos.
Price may be a little expensive for what it is, but it is definitely worth it.
My favorites and must haves are the baguette, monkey bread, and almond croissants.

My GF called twice to try and have some items held til we could get there about 12:30. No one ever picked up so we stopped on the way home from Santa Cruz. Upon our arrival between 12:30 and 1:00pm they had only a few croissants and a tart left. She got a croissant to try and it was Ok at best, and certainly not worth $ 4 for 1! For the time spent dealing with Los Gatos it would’ve been nice if someone would’ve picked up the phone.
I guess if you live near by it’s cool, but we won’t make an effort to go back after this.

Ugh, this is a tough one to rate! Pristine space, nice enough staff. No prices displayed though — a HUGE pet peeve of mine.
I selected a chocolate, almond and banana croissant. Turned out it was $ 6! Oy.
However, it was very tasty. There was a ton of almond paste, two thin slices of banana… and one tiny strip of chocolate. (I’m used to two sticks of chocolate in a typical chocolate croissant). Those few precious bites with all three ingredients were incredible. Wish there had been more of those.

i’d read so many wonderful reviews about their famous breads that i just had to stop by this booth when i was at the campbell farmers’ market. since it was around 11.30, more than halfway through the 4 hour market block, many of their items were already sold out. however, they still had a nice selection for purchase, and since i’d never bought anything from them before, EVERYTHING looked good to me!
i asked many questions about their selections of croissants, breads, and pastries before finally choosing the bostock, which is a bread with croissant texture and consistency, loaded with tender pears. although $ 5 is a bit expensive for a slice of bread, this slice was very dense and thick, and extremely filling as my tummy was quite full after devouring this luscious piece of croissant bread! the pears were tender, sweet, and delicious, and blended perfectly into this bread. definitely a suitable reward after completing a 3 ½ hour training run earlier that morning!
i’m hoping to be able to come around 9am one of these days so that i can see the full selection of breads and baked goods.

Pretty legit.
Expensive though.
The Kouign Amann is awesome.
Monkey bread is better if you heat it up some. Put it in a toaster oven for a few minutes to unleash it’s full potential.
I got there pretty close to them opening so I had everything to choose from. They have a small glass case with the pastries in them so you can look and choose. They’ll go to the back to grab the ones you want. The almond croissant was good, but the regular and chocolate ones were just okay.
They have a small parking lot as well.
I might not go out of my way to get pastries here, but would come back if I were in the area.

Oooh I can’t say no to bread; especially if it’s Manresa Bread! I’ve been here more than a few times and have been fortunate to try most of the breads & pastries. I have a few favorites:
+ Polenta Cake
+ Kale Scone
+ Ham & Cheese Brioche
+ Croissant
I’ve tried the popular Monkey Bread & Kouign Amann, but I prefer softer (butterier) bread, which is probably good for everyone else because they’re sold out super early on the weekends (so be sure to arrive early if you want a larger selection).
They also serve Verve coffee and sparkling kombucha, a nice compliment for all the carbs you’ll end up buying!

One of only 3 bakeries in the USA where I’ve actually taken the time to freeze some of their product to take back home out east (just as I do when I come back from a visit to France). So delicious!

Brioche is light, fluffy, and buttery just as it should. Kouign Amann is sugary and buttery with a nice crunch from the layer of hardened sugar at the bottom. Chocolate croissants are flaky and buttery with many layers. Whole wheat chocolate chip cookie is too crunchy and crumbly for me, but enjoyed the flavor.
I haven’t had their baguettes or levain yet, but I’m sure they’re just as delicious. Everything Manresa Bread certainly sells out quickly.

I was able to try Manresa Bread on a nice Sun, it’s pretty far like 1hr drive from Fremont so I was hoping for the best.
When you are driving it’s not visible on N. Santa Cruz Ave, it’s in the small side street Bachman, across from Oak & Rye in the back. At least they have their own parking lot.
Got there on the late side and lots of stuff already sold out. I wanted Almond Croissant — sold out; and Kouign Amann — Sold out! Gotta get there Early!
Monkey Bread $ 4 — it’s a small round pastry with lots of bumps and sticky stuff, totally Yummy even cold. Get it!
Chocolate Croissant $ 4.5– sold cold, ate it next day after heating it up in the oven for 10 minutes, very flaky and good chocolate.
Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake $ 4 — Yummy! Small amount of hazelnut spread in the center, very tasty cake, small. Loved it.
Olive Bread — 2 kinds of olives in it: a green one & black. Not too salty, I liked it.
Charge it if you want, but not with REI Visa which doesn’t work here.
I think 2 benches outside, no seating inside. No public bathrooms that I saw.
Hrs:
Wed-​Sun 7am-​3pm

Finally! I’ve been hearing about Manresa Bread Project for months. I’ve seen the long lines at the Campbell Market but never waited to taste what the hype was all about. So when I was in Los Gatos a few weekends ago I was excited to stop in the new storefront to try what I’ve heard is AMAZING bread and baked goods.
Shop is super bare bones which was surprising for Los Gatos. And thank goodness there was no line. However the foot traffic was steady while we sat outside and ate our goodies. I couldn’t decide on just one item so I picked to many and of course paid the price. Yes folks, there items are delicious but also pretty pricey.
Nut and Fruit Loaf (they serve this at the restaurant) ~ Excellent! Really good especially slathered in butter which I did over and over again until the entire loaf was gone. Okay, so maybe I shared some with the hubs and my dad when he came over but I pretty much polished the entire thing off over two days.
Butter croissant ~ one of the best I’ve ever had but WAY to small for the price. Buttery, flaky perfection.
Pain au Chocolate (chocolate croissant) ~ pretty yummy. Very decadent, chocolaty, buttery goodness. My thighs were heavier after I ate this for sure. But I’d eat 10 more without a second thought.
Monkey Bread ~ Sticky, sweet, moist good to the last bite kinda good. Ya know? That type of thing that you know you shouldn’t keep eating but just can’t stop? Ya, that’s their monkey bread. Try it!
Kale Scone ~ I know I know, who in the world would eat a Pain au Chocolate and then buy a Kale Scone? Well, my dad was coming over later that morning to work in our bathroom and he’s a vegetarian. Sooooo don’t all vegetarians love Kale? Needless to say, I bought him a «treat». Turns out this was AWESOME! And not so «healthy» which is probably why it was so yummy! You could taste the buttery cheesy goodness. It was soft, moist and oh so flavorful. I think it would be perfect with a nice side salad. I’d actually order this again for myself!
The folks who work there are super nice. They were both really patient as I sloooooowllyyyy looked over all the items in their case asking way to many questions before deciding on what to fill my little bakery box with.
When al was said and done, I was $ 40 lighter and felt completely indulgent so this isn’t an every week kinda place. But I’ll be back. I’m drooling so I’ll be back …

We just came at 9am this morning for their grand opening and luckily there were only about 10 others in the store. We were expecting a line out the door. Best advice is to go early because they tend to sell out of the most popular items by 10amish.
The bakery is a little tucked away in the shopping center, so it’s easier to just park on N Santa Cruz Blvd and then look for it. It’s a cute space and you almost feel like you’re in someone’s home. There’s minimal décor, but I’m guessing they’ll add more in the next few weeks.
They have a variety of freshly baked breads and pastries (cookies, kouign amann, chocolate/​almond/​plain croissants, hazelnut butter pastry, monkey bread, savory croissant). Not a huge selection but a great start.
Prices are ~$ 4−6/pastry so it’s definitely a splurge.
We just ate the kouign amann, and it was absolutely delicious. Make sure you eat it right away. Compared to other kouign amanns, this one has a very crispy caramelized exterior, which I absolutely love.
We also got a savory brioche with mustard, ham, cheese, sea salt, and pumpkin seeds and that was very very good.
Brown butter hazelnut cake– Even though it didn’t look that interesting, this was one of my favorites. The cake itself is made with hazelnut flour, so it was refreshing to try a pastry that focused on the hazelnut flavor without too much chocolate (there is a dollop of hazelnut chocolate butter in the middle).
Chocolate croissant-​I wasn’t blown away by the croissant, but it wasn’t bad either. Nice flaky outside with Valrhona chocolate inside.
Kale scone– Very dense and buttery with a good cheese flavor. It was tasty, but for $ 4, I would rather get a different item.
Chocolate brioche– I appreciated how it wasn’t overly sweet with chunks of dark Valrhona chocolate. Nice crunchy top with coarse sugar pieces.
Polenta pluot cake– Very buttery and dense, much better than polenta itself: D A thin layer of pluot on the bottom complements the hint of citrus and vanilla.
So excited for this new bakery and looking forward to trying more of their baked goods! Credit cards accepted. No indoor or outdoor seating so mainly to go (although there are benches in the shopping center, closer to the main street).