Reviewing L’artisane Bakery and Bistro: Vegan, french-style pastries, sandwiches, and more in Coral Gables.
When you hear that a vegan restaurant has the number one croissant of the year, you visit it…ASAP. So that is exactly what I did! A trip to L’artisane Bakery and Bistro took me to the heart of Coral Gables on Miracle Mile for a delightful meal.
L’artisane may be small, but it packs a punch of color and delight the moment you walk in! Bright walls and floral decorations dress the walls and seats inside. There is a beautiful flower wall that makes for a great photo spot, too. But the real showstopper is the beautiful display of all the vegan bakery items available. Your mouth will water just looking at these beauties! Everything from croissants to muffins to cookies and more. You can tell that they are flaky and glazed to perfection. I could not wait to peruse the menu and pick my meal. One of my favorite things about this place is the fact that you can order breakfast at any time. What I love even more is how delicious that breakfast is!
The waiter at L’artisane was kind and helped provide options for our food choices. We had a few questions about some of the items, and he explained them well and gave good insight as to which might be better for our preferences. I had a Spicy Tempeh and Cornbread bowl, and boy, was this one of the best salads I have ever had in my life! This salad had crumbled tempeh which mimicked bacon bits; it was delicious. I want to express how excited I was to see a vegan salad that provided a protein source that was not just a bean or higher protein veggie.
The only issue I had was that I wished there were more! But I have gotten ahead of myself as I have not even described the beautiful presentation. The colors of the food were just as vibrant as the restaurant itself. You could tell just by looking at the veggies that everything was extremely fresh and crisp. Sure enough, with every bite you could hear that delicious crunch you get from the perfect salad. The flavors blended well together and had the perfect balance of creamy, crunchy, and tangy. My friend had the Impossible Burger Croissant. The size of the sandwich is nice and hearty, and it uses their award-winning croissant, which is a perfect, buttery, flaky treat. I wish more people would consider eating here to see just how delicious these sandwiches are compared to their meaty counterparts at non-vegan restaurants. Since I went light with my lunch, I gave myself permission to splurge with a sweet treat.
I knew I wanted a croissant. After looking at the large variety of flavors, which includes almond, guava and cream cheese, and even strawberry-basil cheesecake, I decided to try out the Cookie Butter Croissant. I am so angry at myself for choosing this option – because now I am obsessed! I cannot stop thinking about it! I cannot even begin to explain how delicious this croissant was, other than the fact that I wanted both to finish it in one bite and have it last forever. It is my number one recommendation when visiting L’artisane. Before getting the check, I ordered a coffee to go; it was fabulous and the perfect way to end a spectacular meal.
L’artisane was adorable and quaint. It had so many charming little features, and the food warms your soul. And at the end of the day, you finish a delectable meal where the flavor does not affect any animals! What could be better than that?