Belle Pastry

I am a true connoisseur for good european deserts, the kind for which the sugar is not overwhelming all the flavors. It is the only place in the Greater Seattle area where you can buy a real european cake. My favorite ones are "le pistache", the lemon cake, "l'opera", tiramisu (it is absolutely the best I have ever had), the pear caramel mousse, champagne mousse, trio mousse, strawberry mouse, in fact you need to try all of them. You can also taste a true "eclair", as it is meant to be, with the sweetness of the vanilla pudding contrasting with the slight bitterness of the chocolate glazing all tied together by the fresh pastry. We order all our birthday cakes from here, and for the past five years they were constantly excellent, top quality. While some may complain about the price, this is really justified by the quality of the ingredients and of the final products. And you may notice that I did not mention a word about the pastries and the bread; for a french bakery, these are table stakes. We are really lucky to have a true french baker in the area! Enjoy! more

Belle Pastry is my favorite place for afternoon tea in Bellevue. They have scrumptious cakes - fruit tarts - eclairs and croissants. All baked fresh by owner Jean-Claude Ferré. Where better to pretend you're in a sidewalk cafe in Paris and nibble on a croissant and sip a cup of coffee? Or share a brioche with slathers of butter with a friend? Forget the mass-produced, shipped from somewhere, heavy, overly sweet confections from the grocery store. Indulge instead, in lovingly prepared pastries by a master of the art. Ever tried an European apple tartlet? It's not apple pie where apples are cut into chunks, cooked and then baked in a pie crust. No... each quarter is sliced again into thin slices and fanned out on pastry, brushed with a glaze of apricot jam and I forget what else, then baked, and served with a dollop of cream. One of my very favorites. The Lemon Meringue pie is light and fluffy with just the right touch of tangy sourness. The napoleans light and airy... I'm waiting to see if he ever makes Clafouti! more

I've been a loyal and devoted patron of Belle Pastry in Bellevue for about a year now. After my first visit i did not want to eat mediocre store-bought pastries ever again. The place: small, airy and sun-lit little spot with white chairs and interiors. Everything in the display case is fashioned by their bakers and sometimes you can even see the owner (a French born and trained pastry chef) covered in flour and carrying around fresh-baked bread. My co-workers and I always treat ourselves to their pastries. we always buy the chocolate and raspberry and cream cheese croissants. my boss always picks the blueberry and cream cheese danish roll and they're all exceptional. However, if you really want to experience the delight of dining here, order the Chocolate Eclairs. they're well-portioned eclairs with creamy filling and dressed in bittersweet dark chocolate. absolutely amazing. they serve cream puffs which are a good alternative to the eclairs but as a tip call them at least 24 hours in advance if you want to get the cream puffs because they are for special orders only. I've never had their coffee but they have a very good tea selection and they do have free lemon water for everyone in the cafe. Forget supermarket pastries and get the real desserts at Belle Pastry you'll be grateful to check this place out. more