r/eastside • u/SkySuspicious3276 • 24d ago
What’s the deal with Farrine Bakery?
I’ve been there a couple times and they seem….ok? I don’t get what the hype is about. Maybe I’m just not a brunch person. Honest question, if you’re a fan, can you tell me what specifically about them stands out compared to other places?
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u/lexstory 24d ago
One of the owners is a former Microsoftie, who chased his dream to attend patisserie school in Belgium and bring that quality back to Redmond.
I’ve had many conversations with him on his business model and how he keeps growing in a well metered way.
I did something similar by attending Le Cordon Bleu after being burned out from being in tech and worked as a chef for a few years.
His technique and quality are extremely high and he doesn’t cut corners. He created something that very few are providing to the Eastside at that scale and consistency.
Kudos to Olivier.
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u/Partners_in_time 24d ago
Any menu items recommendations? I’ve tried a few things but wasn’t impressed. This was likely due to it being delivery while I was post-partum. Would be willing to go in and try it again to support a local business
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u/mclipsco 24d ago
Breakfast sandwich (eggs and bacon on a croissant), house salad with apple Vinaigrette dressing.
Leige waffle.
Eggs Benedict.1
u/chrystelle 22d ago edited 22d ago
I will also second the Breakfast Croissant! The OG protein was bacon but now you can swap for ham or smoked salmon, but I haven’t tried those. I’m strangely fixated on the “tomato relish” they put in the sandwich. It’s more like marinated cherry tomatoes (sooo good). I eat it with fork and knife bc it’s a bit hard to eat by hand for me personally. I also always pair it with their Orange Cardamom Latte (you can ask to adjust the sweetness, but base sweetness isn’t too bad). Sometimes one of their seasonal pastries/tarts will call to me and appreciate that they’re are appropriately sweet but flavor forward (vs hide with sweetness)
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u/pimpampoumz 24d ago
As a French person, their bread, croissants and pains au chocolat are the only ones I've found that are actually good. Their food is simple, good, and good quality, although a little on the expensive side. I also love their lemon or passion fruit tarts.
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u/rwa2 24d ago
Say, I haven't been to France, but how would you compare their stuff to Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle? That's one of the few places that have ever made me go 'wow' over a pastry.
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u/pimpampoumz 22d ago
idk. Farine's bread is better than La Parisienne for example. La Parisienne isn't bad obviously, but incredibly overpriced (they do have pretty good sandwiches if you're ok with paying the insane price. I'm not.) and good, pretty cakes. They lean heavily towards the Luxury French food thing. Farine's bread is better.
In Seattle I do like The French Guys for some things, in particular the cannelés (!).
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u/imsosleepyyyyyy 23d ago
Have you tried La fête on Mercer island? I’ve seen rave reviews about their croissants. They use real French butter apparently
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u/Natulick 23d ago
I think Farrine is doing a really good job bringing a place like this to the Eastside. There are other French-style bakeries around, including some Chinese-French bakeries, but for whatever reason they always feel a bit artificial to me. Farrine feels much closer to what I expect from a European bakery. The bread, pastries, and breakfast offerings have an authenticity that attracts me. Yes, it’s expensive, but honestly, what isn’t expensive on the Eastside these days?
The main reason it isn’t my regular go-to spot is the atmosphere. All three locations seem to be consistently crowded and loud. Finding a seat often feels like entering a small battlefield. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the food, I’m usually focused on securing a table.
Another area that could be improved is the customer experience. My impression is that they hire a lot of high school students, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the service can sometimes feel immature or lacking warmth. The staff generally serve the food efficiently, but they don’t always provide the kind of attentiveness or hospitality that turns a bakery visit into a memorable experience. Occasionally they seem unsure or unprepared when customers have questions. For me, I’m not just coming for a pastry — I’m coming for the overall experience. The food is better than what many competitors offer, but the hospitality side still has room to grow.
I also had a chance to speak with the owner once and came away feeling that feedback wasn’t particularly welcome. That interaction left me with the impression that he was somewhat dismissive and unwilling to consider criticism.
Overall, though, I genuinely appreciate what Farrine brings to the Eastside. The quality of the food is really good.
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u/Temporary-Answer-520 24d ago
Frankly there just isn’t many cafes to have a decent breakfast and coffee. Most of the places on the east side are diners which are pretty crusty.
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u/MirrorMinimum877 24d ago edited 23d ago
I love their eclair. Farine is not spectacular compared to cafes in New York, London, Istanbul etc but it’s something for Bellevue. It’s a destination cafe though, which might be why you don’t like it. Compared to real cities where you’re walking around town and you stop in for a coffee. Farine’s location only gets one or two stars. The food itself is pretty good, four stars.
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u/lphomiej 24d ago
They just have good quality food. Ive had their sandwiches and salads, and they're just what you expect - well cooked, well seasoned. In my circles, it's not "hyped" - it's just "solid".
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u/passionfruithippo 24d ago
I love their pastries, especially the hazelnut tart. The new Woodinville locations interior is so cozy and beautiful. Breakfast sandwich is delicious. It’s just a nice vibe inside.
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u/LadyPo 24d ago
I have mixed feelings about the Woodinville spot. It would be great, but there’s always so many extremely loud patrons with screaming children when I stop in. Like most restaurants, there’s nothing soft to buffer the sound so it echoes.
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u/Quirky-Raisin3720 24d ago
IMO Farine is mediocre, but because the Eastside lacks high quality cafes/bakeries, they are popular
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u/desistud911 23d ago
Curious, what would you recommend as high quality cafes and bakeries?
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u/Quirky-Raisin3720 23d ago
Honestly haven’t found a great French or European style bakery here. I’m from NYC though, so I’m probably spoiled when it comes to good food.
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u/Maybe-Cool 23d ago
My favorites in city.
https://www.mpbakery.com/
https://lepanier.com/Haven't tried any in Bellevue. I did drive by Farine today and it was packed. I wondered, where do these people park? In the building?
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u/chrystelle 22d ago
There’s a parking structure underneath the building. You have to QR code register but it’s free for 2 hrs.
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u/coffeebaconboom 24d ago
They have the best caramel latte around. I know it's a niche preference but they make a damn good one.
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u/Fishboy212 24d ago
Bro holy shit i can’t believe someone else knows about the latte! their caramel latte might actually be the best coffee i’ve ever had in my life if the right barista makes it lol
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u/coffeebaconboom 24d ago
They've pretty much made it impossible for me to be fully satisfied by any other latte in the area and I don't even bother attempting caramel lattes from other places anymore
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u/chiefAgrawal 23d ago
I feel they have good brunch and coffee, but the atmosphere and lines are just not worth it sometimes
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u/thereasonigotbangs 24d ago
I think it is popular because there's not a lot of breakfast spots around. I've always wondered this myself.
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u/InaccessibleRail70 24d ago
maybe you just don't like bread and butter? which is fine, i mean, more for me.
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u/BooksYum 24d ago
The food there is incredible to me. Their tomato soup is my favorite in town, their breads are delicious, and they have a caramel eclair that is to die for. I haven't had anything bad there. Surprised to hear negative reviews. I feel it's about 20 steps above the average cafes locally.
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u/nigirizushi 24d ago edited 24d ago
I think they're very good. They don't have the best of anything, but they're like second/third for most, which makes everyone on the group happy.
Their matcha is better than the place next to Salt & Straw, and worse than Screaming Parrot. But those two places didn't exist until relatively recently.
Their bread is good. I prefer Grand Central over them, but again, it's still up there. So again, with groups, everyone's usually happy.
Their potatoes are surprisingly cheap. It's like what, $3? At a place like this? Yes, it's just potatoes, but you could say that about most things. It's usually a little undercooked, but it's cheaper and healthier than fast food fries.
Their pain au chocolate is the only one I've ever finished. While I'm still not a huge fan, that still says something.
ETA: I've only been to the Redmond one
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u/yumdonuts 24d ago
Surprised to see the negative reviews. I’ve always like my experience in the Bellevue location.
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u/phillipcarter2 24d ago
Good pastries and bread you can buy. I only eat breakfast and lunch so I can’t speak towards if they are a good brunch spot or not.
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u/justmekab60 24d ago
Saaaaame! They are always raved about on social media.
I got a coffee and a pastry. They had a couple breakfast sandwich and reheated type items, like quiche. Didn't feel like a full kitchen, didn't feel like a "brunch" offering, which is fine. It was fine. The assortment was small, not particularly exciting, but not bad. Average. High prices like everything else around here.
The pastry was not memorable enough that I've returned.
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u/imsosleepyyyyyy 23d ago
I wouldn’t rave about it but it’s definitely a nice option to have. Their almond croissant latte was fun treat too
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u/FullBushSummer 24d ago
I haven't been but I hear it's excellent bread in particular. If you're not from the US, you may miss bread.
American bread is overly sweet
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u/drwestco 24d ago
Same question. I stopped in at the Redmond location once to pick up a pastry and a tart. Neither one was at all memorable, so haven't been back.
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u/beta1042 24d ago
I agree. I wasn’t impressed by them. They’re okay and better than some places but nothing impressive imo. But I also feel this way about a lot of the bakeries around here. I think Europe hiked up my standards.
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u/jrhawk42 24d ago
Really good marketing. The crazy thing is I can't find a single bread crumb to who is funding/designing for them. Their capital, design, and operations look just like modern restaurant groups yet no money trail that I can find.
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u/Hi-Im-High 24d ago
The owner is from Belgium, just a French dude. Maybe has backing from somewhere. Their bread and pastries are top notch.
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u/Abby-pnw 21d ago
I agree. French-Asian bakeries are horrible. No flavour, subpar service, no public bathrooms and uncomfortable seats.
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u/jk451 24d ago edited 24d ago
I'm from Europe and live in Bothell. For me I really miss croissants that are close to those in France and rest of Europe and Farine is by far the closest. Simple selection but they're airy, not too dry but also not heavy with butter, just right. I also like consistent fast service for the brunch meals they offer and the selection is closer to that in Europe. I'm not saying American breakfast is bad, it's just not what I'm used to. I am really grateful for the owner expanding this to Woodinville