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Tartine Bakery is one of San Francisco's most iconic bakeries, opened in 2002, so just on the cusp of celebrating its 25th birthday in 2027. It's spawned Tartine Manufactory and Tartine Inner Sunset in San Francisco proper, as well as Mill Valley in Marin, seven locations in the greater Los Angeles area, and eight locations in Korea.
Even within San Francisco, there are some items that are unique to the original Tartine Bakery, which makes it our go-to.
Tartine Bakery Location and Hours
The original Tartine Bakery is located at 600 Guerrero Street in San Francisco, two blocks from Mission Dolores Park and three blocks from the 18th Street stop for the J Church Muni line. Tartine is open daily from 7:30am to 6pm.
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Without more ado, here are our favorites:
1. Chocolate Eclair
Ever been disappointed by an eclair that's filled with whipped cream instead of real pastry cream? We have, which is why we find ourselves only buying from Tartine, when we crave chocolate eclairs. You can see (and more importantly, taste) the vanilla bean specks in the crème pâtissière, and the chocolate ganache is made with dark Valrhona chocolate, then dusted on one end with cocoa. Now, if only the eclairs were as large and fat as they used to be, back in 2002-2003, they'd be perfect.
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2. Gougere
The item we buy most often at Tartine isn't sweet; it's the addictive gougere, made with aged gruyere cheese and fresh thyme, crunchy on the exterior, but with a soft interior. These are huge, so just one of them with a green salad makes a satisfying lunch.
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3. Morning Bun
No review of Tartine is complete without reference to its morning buns. Sure, there are plenty of other places to get morning buns throughout San Francisco, but Tartine's are enlivened by the orange zest used in the cinnamon sugar.
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4. Passion Fruit Lime Bavarian
This is the perfect dessert for anyone who enjoys the tropical flavors of passion fruit and coconut, thanks to the layers of light cake, which are brushed with lime syrup, then alternated with layers of passion fruit cream before being lovingly ensconced in cream and coconut flakes.
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5. Lemon Cream Tart
While it's been some time since I've bought Tartine's lemon cream tart (this could have something to do with the fact that I've seen the recipe, and the amount of butter used is intimidating), they're delicious and also beautifully decorated, with a dollop of whipped cream and edible flower. While available as individual size tarts, the large tarts are perfect for impressing guests or a host.
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6. Seasonal Fruit Pie
While more homely looking than some of Tartine's other desserts, the seasonal fruit pie is one of our favorites, thanks to the delicious local fruit Tartine sources.
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7. Hot Pressed Spicy Turkey Sandwich with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
We'll have to add a photo of this later; every time we get it, it's so delicious that we forget to take a picture. The roasted broccoli rabe pesto and melted provolone really make this sandwich, which is big enough for two light appetites to share.
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The Verdict
Even while San Francisco's pastry scene has become swankier and more competitive, it's still hard to beat Tartine Bakery for several of our favorites: gougeres, eclairs, and morning buns. Go in the morning for the best selection.
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