Belle's Bread Japanese Bakery and Café

Found this place last minute as a highly rated bakery in Columbus. I decided to give it a try and take part in enjoying the deliciousness. When I arrived it was around 1:30. It seemed like half the stock was out or low. Could sandwiches were basically empty a handful of the pastry trays were low. I assumed that was almost a good sign that meant sales were good which means pastries are good. I decided to get a caramel almond roll as I love both caramel and almonds. When I got to where I was going I was excited to dive in and even took a great picture. At first bite there was a strange taste. I took a few more to confirm and I was right it indeed had a weird taste. Something with the caramel moose had a very chemically/artificial taste to it. Very unenjoyable and ruined the entire cake. It fell like eating cleaning product moose. Idk if the mixing bowl the moose was made in didn’t get rinsed all the way or what but something not good happened. As for service again the slowness or lack of restocking items was an issue. Someone bought me an iced coffee with light milk And it was fully loaded with milk which means a lack of attention to detail. Personally preference they have work to do before getting anywhere near 4+ stars

I had a great experience purchasing a small tiramisu cake from Belle's Bakery. The staff offered to add some handwriting in chocolate on top for no additional fee and put the cake in a handy box with handles for easy transport. In addition, the cake was delicious and reasonably priced at $25. The bakery was full of delicious looking and interesting baked goods plus various tea and matcha drinks. What a great place!

A family owned Japanese bakery that sells wedding and custom made cakes. Their pastries are French inspired, and they have a team of bakers that produce these goodies from scratch in-house

A huge fan of this place!!! The crepes are really good. I also love: red bean bun, Nutella bun, melon bun, chocolate bun, pana cotta, mousse, and chocolate cake. I drive all the way from Mount Vernon every once in a while so I can enjoy the goodness

The bread and pastries were out of this world! I live in the Akron area and would definitely make the hour and half drive solely for this wonderful bakery. Everything was fresh and stayed fresh! We had taken some food back home with us and even after a couple days everything tasted like it was just made!

My first bakery I’ve been to ever since I moved here and I have to say that it did not disappoint!! First off, I love how there’s plenty of other interesting little shops to go to that’s around it. Secondly, the customer service was great and the place feels fresh! Last but not least, the matcha cream puff, blueberry cheesecake and matcha latte was some of the best I’ve tried!✨can’t wait to be back🙂

This bakery is amazing…it is truly out of this world. I love their almond croissants $4.25, strawberry danish (pictured below) $4.50, and their matcha melon roll $3.25. They also have an assortment of hot tea for only $1.75. I tried the raspberry passion and I loved it. This backer has many other items included savory ones. Everybody should try them!!!!! If have a sweet tooth or not this is the place to go. I stopped going to my French bakery because of them!

Delicious! Very kind staff. Very clean! I just moved from Houston, Belle's Bakery blows similar cafes in Houston away!

Moving to Columbus has been difficult due to the lack of diversity and good tasting restaurants. Belle's has been nothing but consistent and pleasant! Always fresh! Always delicious! They recently renovated so the interior is more spacious and there's tables now. You can't go wrong with anything that you try. The employees are always very kind and professional.

Every time I go here there's always a line, but they are so efficient and I have never had to wait a long time. The service is also good, but you can't really ask questions because it would be rude to hold up the line. I've ordered their matcha latte many times. It's so delicious and smooth without an artificial taste or graininess. You can tell they use quality ingredients. In the future I want to try their matcha ice cream! I have also tried their cream puff, absolutely delicious and a couple of their filled breads. I am not sure if I just haven't tried the right bread, but I haven't found one I like yet. It might be that French inspired Japanese bread pastries aren't my thing? I will update this review once I try a couple more of their items. I want to try their cake since I have heard it is amazing and their mousse. Overall I recommend coming here. It's a very cute bakery in a nice area surrounded by a bunch of other shops and eateries.

I have had so many pleasant experiences with Belle's Bread. I was initially introduced from my Japanese neighbors to this bakery. From then on we continued to order the same mango mousse cake for many birthdays. From my daughter's first birthday to second going onto my dad's birthday. Every moment of this French inspired Japenese bakery has made many pleasant memories. I think it's because everyone enjoys how the cake is not overly sweet and dense texture. We are looking forward to ordering my birthday cake here and also my daughter's next year!

Highly recommend this bakery! The mousse cakes are my favorite! We just tried the mango one because the raspberry mouuse cake has to be special ordered. It was really good! Light and not too sweet!

I have house guests this week. After one of them went to make breakfast and learned all we have is whole grain bread they were sad. So... to alleviate this issue I decided to go cross town to get the best white bread Ive had here in Columbus... Belle's Bread. Here I bought a half a loaf of sliced white bread, four croissants (one was chocolate) and a hazelnut stuffed roll. Yum. The hazelnut roll and the chocolate croissant got eaten up immediately. Should have purchased more! What I love about this shop is it is so clean and items are so easy to find. You can see into the bakery and it never looks a mess. The people at the counters are friendly. Its just very well run. In addition to bread, they have a variety of cakes and pastries. It's just a wonderful place -one of the best bakeries in Columbus and definitely worth going to.

I love this place. Their pastries are the best in Columbus. All their bread and pastries are always fresh.

This Japanese bakery is a perfect place to go after a nice bowl of ramen next door. They have delicious pastries as well as a coffee and crepe station. They also have pastries shaped like teddy bears which I think is very fun. Inside was clean and the staff was nice as well.

Time for an updated review. Belle's has remained consistently great over the years. They do not miss a step. Although there is always a line, the wait is never very long. Staff is efficient, courteous and patient with questions. I love anything made with mousse here. I think the mousses are even better than the cakes. The mango mousse cake is heavenly. The texture is really light and it is not overly sweet, with so much mango flavor. In addition to cakes and pastries, they have teas, coffees, crepes, smoothies, katsu sandwiches, breads, soft serve ice cream and more. Treat yourself!

Its a lovely bakery. I love their breads and desserts. The desserts are not as sweet and their milk bread is so soft.

What a wonderful place. It feels magical from the moment you walk in the door. I love everything I've tried here, and it really makes me feel like I'm back home. Cincinnati has some good stuff in terms of Asian bakeries, but Belle's is the winner and well worth the drive. Sometimes I'll make the 2 hour trek specifically to go to Belle's and a few other spots in that plaza. I love that they have hojicha drinks, now if only they had hojicha soft serve... then my life would be complete! The baked goods are extremely good quality, and there's always something new that I haven't tried before when I go (which, admittedly is like... only a few times a year). I hope they continue their awesomeness for many years to come!

What a fun little bakery! I love that Belle's Bread has all sorts of Japanese breads, cakes, and pastries and as a bonus, also has drinks, soft serve, and other desserts! We walked in on a Thursday afternoon for a post-lunch dessert and we were not disappointed. The store is currently undergoing renovation and there's a large empty area to the right side, which I assume will hold chairs and tables in the future. As it currently stands, there's no place to sit so the place is primarily take out only. That was fine for us, but just be aware that for now, it's an order and go bakery. We only picked up a couple of items from the the multitude of very delicious looking pastries sitting on the self-service trays in the center of the store. We wanted to get more, but we were way too full from lunch. I guess there's always next time! Cherry Blossom Melon Bread ($3.95) - A lot of sakura flavored items at other places taste artificial or very light on the cherry blossom flavor. This pastry from Belle's Bread is the real deal. The flowery, sweet, and kind of bitter aroma of sakura floods the mouth as you bite into the cookie topping on the bun. There's a bit of fruitiness as well and a burst of sweetness that I found to be maybe a bit too sweet. The texture of the topping is perfect; crisp yet crumbly with great mouthfeel. The bun this sits on is fluffy, airy, and just generally great. (5/5) Purple Sweet Potato Dome ($4.25) - Another super fluffy milk bun with a good amount of delicious Okinawan sweet potato mash in the center. The sweet potato taste really comes through. The paste doesn't soak into the bread so the entirety of it is able to remain exceptionally fluffy. They sprinkle a heavy dusting of powdered sugar and purple powder on top of the bun to add additional sweetness. (4/5) Curry & Boiled Egg Donut ($2.95) - The first time I visited Japan almost a decade ago, I walked into a nearby bakery and picked up the first interesting thing I saw - a deluxe kare pan. When I bit into it, I found a delightful mixture of meat, viscous curry, and egg. Since then, I've visited multiple additional Japanese bakeries in the US, Japan, and other countries and have never found another curry pan with egg inside. My luck finally changed today. This rendition has a really nice fried chewy bun (honestly like a chewy donut) on the exterior studded with pieces of panko for extra crunch. There's half of a perfectly hard boiled egg that occupies part of the interior. The yolk is bright yellow without any green sulfur ring, indicating a perfect hard boiled cook. The other half is filled with a curry mix, filled with minced pieces of onion, carrot and ground beef. The curry is savory, with a nice curry flavor, but is also quite a bit on the sweet side. The ingredients list shows they use Java Curry, which I don't remember being this sweet. I wonder if they add extra sugar, or perhaps the onions add to the sweetness? The curry isn't really of a traditional curry liquid viscosity; instead it's soaked inside all the ingredients and more like a gel. Since it's not watery, the bun does not become soggy at all from the filling. This Curry & Boiled Egg Donut doesn't quite reach the highs of that first bun I had, but it's still unique and great to try! (4/5) Curry Donut ($2.75) - This is pretty much the same as above but missing the hard boiled egg. (4/5) Belle's Bread certainly serves up some good Japanese baked goods! I will be back next time I'm in Columbus.

Belle's is some of my favorite, non-pretentious dessert in Columbus. I usually struggle to get through my sweets, but the parfait is just so good. The brownie and whipped cream layer made me go a bit feral. In terms of pastries, while they're all delicious, one that I can't recommend enough if you're feeling a little adventurous is the curry egg pastry. It's got that signature sweet bread covered in panko and the curry is super mild and goes great with the sweet bread and soft boiled egg. It's a really unique pastry that you won't find anywhere else around here!

One of my favorite local Asian bakeries in the Columbus Area! It's located across the Japanese market which makes it convenient to grab a snack/dessert after grocery shopping. The ambiance is calm and comforting as one would expect when walking into a Japanese cafe or bakery. People come here for the bread and pastries, but I think their cakes are where they shine! I've tried both the mango mousse and their baked cheesecake which were both absolutely perfection! I've even tried baking a copycat recipe myself and it's never the same. The cakes, pastries, and sweet treats here amazing as they're never too sweet which is perfect for my taste buds and means I can eat more! I love how they also have a variety of savory pastries which makes this place perfect for satisfying both your sweet tooth and savory cravings! It's a bit pricey for Ohio, but the hard work into baking these themselves and how tasty they are makes it worth the price! The service is fast paced and the staff are extremely polite and formal. This is a must visit bakery for anyone craving Japanese pastries/sweets in Columbus!

Belle's Bread has some amazing pastries! We visited on a Sunday afternoon and it was packed! There were baked goods/pastries in the store for you to pick up and also things like cream puffs that you could ask for when paying. The store was quite spacious but there are no tables for sit down. They seemed to constantly have fresh pastries coming out too. The strawberry danish was so delicious! The staff are also super friendly!

Initially visited because I heard their cream puffs were better than Schmidt's, and while Schmidt's is still #1 for me, Belle's Bread has become a regular destination for matcha lattes and a quick treat. I love grabbing a drink and walking around to the neighboring shops. There's so much to try and the customer service is always A++.

I want to try everything they make. This is such a professional bakery - everything was extremely high quality and well-made, the staff was professional and efficient. For how high-quality the food and drinks are, the prices are very reasonable. There is some seating inside now (maybe 12 chairs) and a few tables outside. The outside space is nice, it's in this tiny courtyard so you're not just looking at a parking lot while you eat your baked goods. My only word of advice is to get there earlier in the day, they do sell out their pastries by the end of the day. There were no pastries when we arrived an hour from close, but that was fine because there were many refrigerated desserts left - we tried the mango mousse and the mochi cream puff which were excellent. I will definitely be back!

YUM! I went here as an after school treat with my 2 kids, this place is so good, the food is amazing, and the staff were so pleasant. the shop is so cute and it is in a nice area close to where I work, I will be coming back!

Having just moved to the area from Seattle, we were worried about our options in the Asian "dessert" market. Belle's quickly put us at ease. Not only is the selection authentic and top notch, the people here are also great. Plus the prices are insane for how good their quality is. Can't wait to come back and try some additional items. This is a can't miss in the Columbus area IMO.

They have some cute bread selections as well as a variety of different items like coffee, ice cream, shaved ice. I tried a red bean bread and it was so good. The bread was soft and delicious. I wish I had picked up some more to take home. I also tried the strawberry Nutella danish and the strawberry danish and both were delicious. I'm not really a custard fan but I would get it again. I didn't get a chance to taste it but the pork katsu sandwich was a hit with my friends. I ordered a Kinako latte which reminded me of Korean Misugaru. I would definitely come back. I wish there were a couple tables and chairs so we could sit and enjoy the ice cream options like the shaved ice or ice cream.

We got some cute bread with fillings for dessert tonight. One was strawberry and the other is matcha. Super flavorful and good!!! Would love to come back for ice cream or crepes!!!

Best bakery in town. I'f you're looking for European style pastries , this is your only choice. Everything is amazing.

I love this little Japanese/French bakery! Anytime I find myself in the area, I like to pop in for a couple favorites. Today I chose pain au chocolate, a red bean paste bun, coffee roll cake, and a cappuccino to go. The pain au chocolate is lovely and flakey without an overwhelming amount of chocolate. You will find most of the items here at Belle's aren't overly sweet, which I love. The red bean paste bun is one of my favorites although it is the sweetest of all of the things I tried. It's just so interesting and tasty! The coffee roll was perfection. Perfectly made, fluffy and delicious. I would recommend it to any coffee lover! The cappuccino was frothy and great aside from being lava hot. It took ages for it to get to a decent temperature. Next time I will ask for an ice cube or 4 to quickly cool it down!

I go here so often, like probably once a month. My mom loves their plain bread so I stop by here everytime i go home. Their pastries are so good because theyre fresh and not too sweet, which is a huge plus. The workers are always nice and fast! The sitting area they added is nice too, even if it makes the place even more crowded. Its definitely skyrocketed in popularity in recent years.

Really like going to Belle's for a crepe or a coffee! PRO TIP: The earlier you go the you'll have a wider variety and selection of all the baked goods. There will always be ice cream and the coffee/teas, but the cakes and pastries will be gone. They make them early- so head out there early to check them out!

I love coming to Belle's bread for treats! Their bread is so soft and spongy. My favorite has to be their melon bread. Everything tastes fresh. There are times I have gone and they've been out of things I want (like their chocolate croissants) but the workers are constantly refilling their stock on the floor. The workers here are always friendly and happy to help with your order. There are times when the line gets long but it goes by quickly. If you're in the area, i recommend checking them out!

Belle's Bread has NEVER disappointed me and will always have a special place in my heart Every single thing I've gotten from here blows me away but my favorites would have to be the savory pastries (esp the corn and bacon and onion and ham ), the strawberry cream bread shaped like a cute bear, and the matcha roll with red bean I've gotten their matcha ice cream once years ago and remember loving it as expected. I've never gotten their crepes but they look great and will hopefully get to try them the next time I'm in columbus!! Also make sure to come before evening because many of their pastries sell out by then! I see people lining up in the mornings to get one of their fresh baguettes!!

Love love love this bakery! The selection of Japanese bakery items is excellent and soooo delicious :) Red Bean Paste is my personal fav while my little dude loves the Strawberry and Banana cream filling. So kawaii and the cakes are light, not too sweet, and full of flavor. The staff is always so delightful and the bakery is quiet and bright. I try to always stop here for a little treat if I'm in the neighborhood

Delicious! I ate one of the best treats I've ever had in my life at Belle's A couple days ago. I don't remember what it was called but it was like a donut stuffed with purple sweet potato. I ate it before we left the parking lot. We got other treats as well and they were all delicious. Don't let a line scare you, it moves fast.

I love this place and the workers are extremely sweet considering that they are busy most times. They have so much patience. The goods there are amazing and there are many new foods to try if you want to explore. When you walk in everyone seems to be having a good time and their place is very welcoming.

A cute little bakery with buns, cakes, crepes, soft serve.. I've tried the chestnut cream cake which was okay, and the eclair bun which was also okay- they didn't taste all that fresh. But I imagine the freshly made items like the crepes would be better. I tried the matcha soft serve with azuki beans which was pretty good and different from what I can find at Graeters! I'd like to try more things here when they're fresh...

I always want to get every single thing on the shelf when I go to this bakery. Such a heavenly place!

Went there after dinner tonight. It is still busy 30 min before the closing time. A lot of things are sold out, but i am so happy to get to try the match soft serve and mango mouse cake with my kids. We all loved it, it is not very heavy, perfect dessert for a hot summer evening.

Again, as always, amazing and the crepes...delicious! I saw a lot of people getting coffee, so that must be a go to as well!

We went back a few times. Everything we tried was so delicious. From shaved ice, to pastries, flan, a variety of drinks, we loved it all!

Amazing service and beautiful pastries and bread filled treats. I'll definitely return for more!

The smell of this bakery transported me back to the small neighborhood bakeries in Japan. They have a small selection of packaged breads, a display of cakes, and a wide selection of beverages. I got the yuzu tart (shown below), the strawberry and cream bun, and a hojicha latte. The yuzu tart was fresh and light but not anything that I felt I couldn't get at another Asian bakery. The hojicha was really sweet and I wished I asked for it without/less sugar. What stole the show for me was the strawberry cream bun! Not only is it in the shape of a bear, but the bun is filled generously to the brim with the strawberry cream filling. It tasted like someone truly just mashed up a bunch of strawberries and mixed it with butter. It had a naturally sweet and rich taste that is hard to put down. I also tried a sip of my friend's cream soda (melon soda with soft serve on top) which also reminded me of my childhood.

Delicious pastries!! Picked them up from tensuke market and these might be my favorite in Columbus

Love coming here to get my Japanese pastries! This most recent trip I got a bear with strawberry cream, melon pan, chocolate melon pan, tsubuan (red bean) bun and a curry and egg donut. The bear had excellent strawberry flavor, the red bean bun was perfect with the right amount of red bean, the melon pan was nice with the cookie top and soft pillowy cloud underneath, and the donut was a nice mix of curry and egg. Definitely recommend stopping here if you are in town. Plus there are other desserts to try like crepes, cakes and ice cream. Didn't see much seating though. Still worth a stop.

There was a persistent line at this Japanese bakery, which held a variety of options ranging from fresh cakes to wrapped dry pastries and made to order crepes. I got some of all of the above. The crepe with matcha ice cream and various other toppings was an intriguing mix of flavors, though the distribution of ingredients wasn't very even. It wasn't the best such crepe I've ever had but it's hard to find these things. My almond croissant was flaky and delicious, and the chocolate cake no less chocolate-y than it looked. The others that I passed around did pretty well. I wasn't the hugest fan of the savory options here, but if you want sweetness with a hit of matcha, this is the place.

BELLE'S BREAD Who doesn't love a treat day? I went to Belle's Bread, a Japanese bakery with the most amazing pastries and crepes. I ordered the berry crepe which was SO delicious. You can order your crepe in a box or in a handheld cone. They filled this crepe with light and fluffy cream which was so yummy. The crepe itself was warm and soft topped with condensed milk. This crepe was really big and perfect for sharing. You can order many different options. I highly recommend it! I also bought some bread for breakfast this week. The bacon corn roll was my favorite. The bacon was crispy and the bread was delicious. I also went across the street to try Kung Fu Tea which was convenient! Berry Crepe cost me $9.95 Bacon Corn Roll cost me $3.50 Frank Roll cost me $3.50 Curry donuts cost me $2.75 Verdict: This post technically is comprised of two trips to Belle's Bread combined into one post. I have already been here three times. I love this place so much. Great value and delicious snacks. They do close at 7 so come early or else the selection may be limited.

Strawberry cake, mango mousse, and the strawberry & cream crepes are so good. Year after year the quality is still there despite how busy they always are.

Very delicious bakery! There were a lot of people so I can see why. There is no seating but the service is fast and nice. Ambiance is peaceful but busy.

This is a very popular place. After eating dinner next door we decided to buy some dessert here. However, on a Wednesday around 5:30pm, there was a crowded line that intimidated me, so I decided to check out the gift shop in the same shopping complex to let the crowd die down. At 6:00 pm the crowd hadn't lessened, so I dove in so to speak. Obviously by that time the 25% off bin of oops pastries was empty. No worries, so I stood in the line to make my choice from the refrigerated counter. I chose a chocolate cake slice and a mango cake slice. The cashier was very courteous and asked me if it was ok to put them in the same container. I was impressed with how quickly I was able to make my purchase. I have been here years ago when there used to be eat in tables and I miss that, but I do like the business and recommend it.

I'd post pictures but it didn't last. Go, stand in line and get some of the best pastries in town.

Located in the "Japanese Marketplace" in the Kenny Centre Mall in Columbus, Ohio, Belle's Bread is a unique fusion of French- inspired Japanese bakery cuisine. Food and Wine Magazine rated it "One of America's best Japanese bakeries. Twenty bakers, under the direction of the owner's daughter make a wide variety of treats daily from scratch in-house. Lines can be long but they move quickly. They sell out fast so getting there later in the day will limit your choices, They sell rolls, buns, crepes, sandwiches, ice cream and more. Green tea ice cream is a favorite among the clientle. Their most sought after product is the bread which comes in a variety of flavors. The red bean paste filled bread is a standout. Japanese style buns designed for kids are very playful looking in appearance like the nutella kitty buns. I bought the mango mousse, $3.85 and Mont Blac, $5.80. Prices are very fair considering the quality. Each slice of cake comes wrapped in plastic with a "sell by date"I regret not trying their green tea soft serve ice cream

The variety is wonderful. You can't go wrong with anything you pick up. Highly recommend the cheese bun or red bean.

Part of Upper Arlington's "Japanese Marketplace" since 2011 Belle's Bread is described as a French-inspired Japanese Bakery, owner Takashi Takenaka of Akai Hana completing his collection of six eateries with a space Food & Wine has called one of America's 100 best Bakeries and a "hidden gem." Definitely hidden, 1168 Kenny Centre Mall not exactly near anything of relevance and the eatery itself tucked away inside the shopping complex, guests entering will discover everything from Rolls and Buns to Crepes, Sandwiches and import Beverages sold at prices that run the gamut of affordable to excessive. A novelty in Central Ohio, some twenty bakers assisting Takenaka's daughter who manages Belle's, all Breads come wrapped in plastic with "Sell By" dates, the $2.50 Bacon & Corn Roll soft and complex while a $2.95 Melon Roll underwhelms at twice the price of those offered outside Los Angeles. Passing on Crepes, Cakes and Cream Puffs and instead investing in Madelines set to expire in six days, a far cry from made-to-order versions and flavored with "Pistachio Extract," Belle's Strawberry Buttercream Bread looks cute and eats less sweet than American Desserts while the Koshi An Roll puts the focus on Red Beans with a bit of Sesame and outpaces everything else by quite a bit.

Excellent! Clean shop with great variety and presentation. I opted for their matcha soft serve - notes of Vanilla to start with a potent matcha finish. Delicious, well worth the $3. I had a cup with a cone on top. Awesome variety of breads too. Haven't tried any yet but my niece and nephews always devour theirs. Definitely next on my list.

Hands-down my favorite place in ALL of Columbus. Belle's Bread is somewhere I visit at least once a week (and I live downtown!) The baked items are always fresh, flavorful, and well-priced. They also have a case of cakes, rolls, tarts, puddings and other things that are ALL amazing. I've probably tried everything here. The drinks are all equally as great. (Try an iced Hojicha latte if you haven't before). The ice cream, the crepes, the coffee -- everything is phenomenal, and the people are always SO helpful and kind. They actually used to have tables/booths inside that they got rid of during Covid. That would be my only negative - I wished those were back! However, the line gets so long it often fills that space anyway, haha. I just wish they still had a few tables that weren't outside. Please give Belle's Bread a try (and the rest of the stores at Kenny Center) !