Pâtisserie Rotha - Albany, California

limits95

You will never regret coming here. After so many years of wondering why people love croissants and French pastries in general, after coming here I now know why. I have seen the light. I've never had any croissants as good as this place, both before and after, not even when I finally visited Paris (that's right, not even the French can beat this place). There's just something magical about the plain butter croissant; perfectly crisp and flaky, but soft and tender inside. The best part is the rich buttery smell and taste that I swear I've never tasted anywhere else. I don't get it. Rotha's got that secret touch... I have tried just about every single item, and if you're lucky, certain weekends they'll have seasonal specials (like meringues) but my favorite has to be the standard plain croissant (but the apricot is a super close second)

They are only open Thu - Sun, and you'd better be prepared to get up early 'cause they tend to sell out by 10a-10:30a; however, protip, if you want to avoid lines Thursday mornings are the most chill. There's usually only 1-2 other folks ahead of me and I can get in and out with pretty much everything I want. If you wanna stock up, they also freeze pretty well.

Go to Rotha's. You will be happy.

Alpha T.

This was a delightful visit, with the canele as a treat worth taking time for. The staff were friendly and patient, helping us choose among so many enticing options. We loved the soft crunch of the canele with the smooth custard filling the best!

Акбота ?.

I fell in love with the plain croissants; they were so light and crispy, absolutely perfect! I highly recommend pairing them with Alexandra’s 85% butter made from A2 milk for the ultimate experience. My husband tried the pain au chocolat and loved how flaky the pastry was, with a smooth chocolate filling that was just the right amount not too much or too little. What I appreciate most about this bakery is their dedication to quality, which truly makes them stand out. Waking up early on a Sunday and waiting in line was totally worth it. Thank you to the whole team! keep up the great work, guys!🥰❤️

Kiki

The customer service was lovely! Pastries are below average. We got the chocolate croissant and almond croissant. They taste like the Costco ones. Not crispy at all, too soft, and soggy/spongy on the bottom for the almond one. For reference we came at 8:30am so they were not out that long.

Krystal H. (.

Lovely people with great parties. Enough nice things have been said about their almond croissant. I think their egg custard was super on point as well—perfectly crispy on the outside with soft and creamy filling. I might have also tasted a hint of lemon/citrus for some extra refreshing flavor, which was quite unique. Always a treat worth getting up early for when I’m in Berkeley!

Dave C.

The best advice you'll get from anyone is to SHOW UP EARLY. There is a long line on the sidewalk and they run out of stuff quick. We showed up maybe 1.5-2 hrs before closing, and they had already had a sign that they ran out of croissants - our one goal that morning. We obviously opted for something else since we waited already.
The pastries are like food art. They taste great.
The facility looks very clean and orderly.
I just wanted a French croissant. It's rare these days to find a legit one, comparable to those in Paris.
11/21 update: They were DELICIOUS. It was like being in France again. If you don't care about all the butter that went into it, or you throw out all the rules of ettiquette and lick every bit of croissant flake off your plate, no one will judge you. I ate these so slow, listening to every flaky crunch. Standing in this line is 150% totally worth it.

DW K.

The line is not nearly as bad as other well-known bakeries that I’ve been to in the Bay Area. They have a handful of various croissants and tarts to choose from. Enough to choose from but a condensed daily selection. We really enjoyed the staff while we were ordering and certainly the food that we got to go. Everything was delicious and exceptional if you are into French pastries. Highly recommend this place and will be one of my regular places to go going forward.

Hao Z.

Best croissant I ever had! I was never a morning person but I forced myself to wake up at 7:30am that morning to check out this place. There was a 25min wait when we got there but it was totally worth it! Flaky outside + meltingly tender inside. I can still recall how tasty it is.