Brown Bear Bakery

The pastries were excellent!! They clearly sell out fast - we visited twice and the first day we showed up an hour after opening to a very limited remaining selection. The croissants had excellent flavor and a really nice textural contrast between the exterior and interior. I tried a number of pastries and think a must-try is the artichoke croissant. If I were local I’d be here all the time!

Possibly the best Bakery on planet earth. Everything they make is delicious. Brown Bear is an absolute must stop anytime we are in Cincinnati, usually twice. The savory croissants are just on another level, not only are they the best croissants I’ve ever had, they are up there for the best food I’ve ever had. We had their Feta and Fig croissant a few weeks ago and it was just delightful. If anyone I talk to even mentions driving through Cincinnati, I tel them they have to stop. Never disappointed. The people who work inside are great too, always friendly.

I have been a customer since Brown Bear opened and am so happy that they always keep it interesting!! I have loved every pastry cookie and drink I have had the pleasure of tasting at Brown Bear! Today they wowed me with a samosa pastry (thanks for including the tamarind chutney, a must with samosa!) and a rhubarb bun! Thank you for keeping us happily fed, we love you Brown Bear Bakery (and 227!!)

Yum. A must stop. Everything was so amazing. I wasn't expecting to get the orange cornmeal cake since I'm not a huge fan of citrus but my husband wanted it. It was my favorite. The mushroom croissant was impeccable. And everything about the bagel croissant was literally everything. I cannot wait to come back to Cincinnati just to come back here.

Amazing bakery! 🥯☕️🥐 Mostly vegetarian. Staff are super friendly. The pastries are all scrumptious! Everything we tried was super fresh and crispy. My favorite was the everything bagel croissant!! ✅ Everything bagel croissant ✅ Breakfast egg sandwich ✅ Coffee ✅ Cinnamon rolls ✅ Chocolate sea salt cookie They have seating indoors and out. Cute spot.

Had the fig and feta croissant and the blueberry corn bread. Tasted exceptional. The service was great as well!

Busy place but for good reason. Some of the best drinks and pastries I have had in a while the raspberry jam pastry cream was amazing.

You have to go early because they line up to buy. Delicious quality products. I had to buy as much as I could so everyone could try.

LOVE. The line in the mornings can get pretty gnarly (like, out the door & around the block gnarly), especially on the weekends, since they make everything fresh and can run out of favorite items quickly. This most recent visit, I got the everything bagel croissant on a friend's recommendation. Sooooo good!!!! I will be getting this again at future visits. Their menu is so fresh and has seasonal additions, making each visit different and memorable. LOVE! There are a few different seating options inside the space, but given the popularity & traffic on the weekends, it may be difficult to secure a spot. I have seen people working/studying here though! Probably would not be a productive workspace for me.

Stopped by around 10am on the day after July 4th and sadly, most of the savories pastries were already sold out! But that's my fault since I know many of the reviews have stated that. I ordered the seasonal orange blossom latte which was fantastic, flavorful, and not-too-sweet. I also ordered the miso butter cookie, the salty choco chip cookie (SO GOOD), a pain au chocolat, the focaccia, and the breakfast sandwich. Overall, the coffee drinks and laminated pastry dough was fantastic. I took off a star because I honestly was not wowed by the breakfast sandwich. I do love a souffle egg, but it wasn't super tender or moist and I really think I would've enjoyed a sauce on the sandwich. There may have been a dijoinnaise on there, but not nearly enough sauce for me to taste. I also wish they had some breads for sale since I know they sell bread a their sister bakery. I do want to come back earlier next time to try their savory pastries and I would love to try their sister bakery Two Seven Two as well.

Came here with a friend who frequents this place and I'm pretty impressed. We lined up on Easter at opening and they already had a line out the door, even in the light drizzle. The line stayed that way over the next hour that we hung out there. They do sell out of items so it's best to get there as early as you can! I'm more of a sweet tooth when it comes to baked goods, but the everything bagel croissant is a must-have here. The staff heat it before serving, and it's truly the best of both worlds - the butteriness and flakiness of a croissant, with the garlic scallion seasme flavors of an everything bagel. The raspberry almond croissant is also delicious, a good balance of tart and nutty. The salty chocolate chip cookie was also good - large chocolate chunks throughout. The vegan matcha brownie was an adventurous pick; I'm usually iffy about vegan baked goods, and this one had a texture closer to a fudge than to a brownie. I liked the chocolate and mint combo but couldn't get a hint of matcha. Similarly, the raspberry matcha doodle had plenty of raspberry but 0 matcha. Overall, the limited edition matcha flavored items fell flat, but the goods off the regular menu were great and reasonably priced. The space itself is bright, large enough to seat a few small groups, and nice to hang out in. Staff are also helpful and friendly. Check this place out and stick to their bestsellers, and you'll be in carb heaven.

I love the creative breakfast pastry options here! The lavender snickerdoodle had a great amount of lavender without overpowering the cookie. The chocolate chip had a crunch outside but super soft inside. The chocolate is a tad bitter but it worked with the salty sweet. They have great flavors to add to lattes such as rose and lavender and they also have milk alternatives! The coffee was good but nothing crazy.

Tried their peanut brittle brownie. One of the best brownies i have ever had. Staff is super friendly and helpful! Highly recommend!

Absolutely incredible. We stopped in to try their famous salted chocolate chip cookies but they make quite clear that they are not a one trick pony. They have innumerable baked goods they throw in your face the second you try to order coffee or anything else, and everything looks AMAZING. We both ordered one of their seasonal lattes, I think it was pumpkin. They were delicious and very visually pleasing. In addition to the cookie, we ordered one of their quite large cinnamon rolls and a savory pastry, it had like feta, grape tomatoes, basil maybe, and sesame seeds. They also have a fucking POTATO BEAR CLAW that looked better than sex but I didn't want to overdo it. Upon reflection, that was an error. The cinnamon roll was soft, not too sweet, and absolutely delicious. The savory pastry was INCREDIBLE. The place was small and filled with a bunch of small children at the time of our visit but I would take that in a second in order to enjoy all of their fantastic pastries.

I like to try the croissant at every bakery that I go to, but I also make sure to ask which pastries they do best. From what I read online, I was not surprised with the front staff recommended the salty CCC (chocolate chip cookie) and the cinnamon roll with orange zest. All three were good, although none were mind blowing compared to what I've had in big cities - but they were much better than I expected for Cincinnati. I'd recommend this place highly to all locals, and to visitors I'd say that if you want a croissant while in Cincinnati, it's worth checking this bakery out. Not much to say about the ambiance - the bakery looks new, cute, and clean. The front staff were extremely friendly, very helpful, and thought of how they could go the extra mile to help me. I rarely mention staff when I write reviews, but these two were easily in the top 5% of restaurant employees that I have interacted with this year.

If you like pastries, you HAVE to try this bakery out. Came here on a Saturday around 10am and waited about 10 minutes to place our order. It's quite a small space with a few tables, seems that most people get their food to go, but we were fortunately able to grab a table. We got one of each of their savory pastries and holy moly were they delicious. They were all super yummy in their own way and very unique. My favorite was the everything bagel and cream cheese croissant but honestly they were all incredible! We also all got lattes that were quite delicious. We will certainly be back!

FINALLY made it into Brown Bear Bakery and it definitely lived up to the hype. Had THE most delicious iced matcha latte with honey and almond milk. I got a slice of matcha loaf with almond icing. It was *chef's kiss*. It was like a matcha pound cake-- super dense, but in the best way. You could taste the butter and matcha in every bit. The staff could not have been nicer. They made the experience even sweeter. The bakery is clean and bright. There are a handful of tables, but overall it isn't a huge space. Decent amount of street parking and lots in the area. Oh, and they have a bathroom. Can't wait to go back to try more of their pastries and a ginger turmeric latte! :)

This place hits the spot every time I get a craving for an amazing baked good. The problem: how to choose just one. The solution: don't. Get one of everything you want and plan to share (you won't because they will be gone before you even get home). No regrets. I've been in here a dozen times and everyone is always so nice and cheerful. The one guy(embarrassed that I never asked his name) absolutely makes my day every time. The space is tight and there are only a few tables inside and a few outside. Expect a long line that moves pretty steadily on the weekends.

Super friend staff and fast service! Yummy baked goods both including and outside the box of classics. Very cute space- only critique is that it is quite small and maximized, so a bit difficult to maneuver around.

BBB was so amazing, we came back the next day. Go early (before 10am) and you'll have a better selection. Their savory croissants are the best thing I've ever had. Stir fry and winter sweet potato were packed with flavor and so flakey. It's a small bakery with limited seating but super cozy with amazing and friendly staff.

We stopped by Brown Bear Bakery about a half hour before they closed because we were in the area. This spot had been recommended to us and the Yelp reviews and photos made it a must stop. Since it was the end of the day, they were completely sold out of pastries but we were able to try some of their drinks. I ended up getting the Vanilla Bean Latte and my husband ordered their Iced Masala Chai Latte. Both were delicious. The staff were so friendly and told us about some of the baked goods that were going to be available throughout the week and some of their favorite items. The bakery itself is also very cute and there are a few spots to sit if you'd like to dine in. The amazing scent of their baked goods also wafts through the air and you can smell it even before you enter the shop. I'm excited to try more from them in the future.

Brown Bear is one of my favorite local bakeries in Cincinnati! As someone with a sweet tooth, I love coming here for a pastry. They offer a variety of savory options as well, so there is something for everyone. My favorite savory pastry they have is the everything bagel croissant. The last time I came in, I opted for one of the cinnamon rolls, salted chocolate chip cookies, and strawberry shortbread cookies. With pastries that involve fruit, I can sometimes be picky about it. But the strawberry shortbread cookie was phenomenal, and I wished I had ordered more! Everything is always fresh too, and there is nothing better than getting a pastry when it's still warm. I would recommend coming in earlier before things are sold out! Brown Bear is located right in the heart of OTR. The inside is really cute, with vibrant plants and a few tables right by the giant windows. The pastries are displayed in a way that is very easy to look at, as you move down the line in a horizontal fashion--the hardest part is choosing what to get since everything looks so good. I always have a pleasant experience chatting with all of the employees there. They are friendly, and are able to describe each of the pastries really well, so you know exactly what you're getting. They recently added an espresso bar, so they now serve coffee drinks as well. Overall, I love Brown Bear!

This is my sister's favorite bakery, and honestly probably mine too! We always get the cheesy mushroom croissant and summer tomato croissant when they're available (because they're seasonal). They're an absolute explosion of flavor and umami! I love a good savory pastry. The service is always very nice and the employees are willing to help you. There's a small seating area but my sister usually takes our pastries to-go. We'll continue to come here for a special treat!

Great spot for a 20 minute vacation Latte dreams unfold Morning magic in each sip Artwork to behold.

Best bakery in OTR! Definitely recommend swinging by and checking this place out. Great customer service as well, though only has maybe seating for five people inside.

Stop in early on a weekend or preorder to get your fix! Came in late morning once and they were sold out of everything but a slice of focaccia. My favorite is the everything bagel croissant, but always fun to try something new here. Pastry dough is flaky AF, and the combinations are original and delicious.

This had been on my list to try for quite some time and I'm mad I waited so long. I arrived at 10:30 and had a short wait before it was our turn. I tried the everything bagel croissant and the famous "CCC" cookie. Both were absolutely fantastic and I can't recommend this place enough! I'll definitely be back soon to try some different items.

Good food Good service Good coffee We were in between breakfast and lunch and were lucky enough to still be around for the flatbread out of the oven.

Came for breakfast pastries and left with probably too much food. They are very busy in the am so I would recommend getting there before 11. They have sweet and savory pastries with different flavor combos that seem to change weekly. Not ideal to sit for a while there when they are busy, but this place gets great light. The staff is super friendly and patient while taking your order.

My one frustration with Brown Bear Bakery is that they always run out of croissants when I arrive. I really wish they could just make more but they are apparently that good. The particular day that I went I decided to get the cinnamon roll. I thought it was delicious although a bit pricey. The location is small but the do have in door seating. I also found the staff helpful in answering questions about the best items on the menu. I will be going back and hopefully to get the elusive croissant next time.

This bakery is definitely an elevated version of a typical bakery. You walk in and are greeted with plants, natural light, a view into the baking process, and, of course, a greeting from a worker. There's little seating, but they make good use of the small space, lining up stools by the shop window. I got the nibby brownie and thoroughly enjoyed indulging in it. It's a chunk of a brownie, dense, and completely chocolate. There's some salt sprinkled on top, which I wasn't expecting, but like a sea salt chocolate, it's a sea salt brownie :). Prices are a little higher than I'd normally expect, but you can see that the baking is an art here. There's coffee and a variety of pastries, sweet and savory, but one would have to visit multiple days to see the whole range.

Yaaasssssss. Back in my social media days, I drooled every time I came across by Brown Bear Bakery across my feed. Everything, and I mean everything, looked divine. Fast forward a few years, and I finally got to try this hot spot out. We got there around 10ish on a Saturday and many things were already sold out. Luckily, no major line out the door like when we left. We got some advice from someone in line that was a regular and the employees were also very helpful. We got chocolate chip cookies, a paw paw lime cream pastry, an everything bagel cream cheese croissant, and a mushroom and cheese pastry of some sort. We also got the turmeric lattes (no caffeine as a heads up) and it was all amazing. All of it lived up to the social media expectations. A touch on the pricy side, but the drinks were the things that made it pricy. Highly recommend.

Brown Bear was a cool spot in OTR for years -- however with its popularity, it has become a victim of its own success... your odds of getting any good items here are next to nil if you don't arrive in the first hour of the day. They don't make enough product to keep up with demand. Maybe it's intentional for the hype, but either way, unfortunately, the business owners seem to be more interested in seeing how much they can get away with charging for a pastry ($7 for a croissant, $8 for a coffee cake now, etc) than fixing the ongoing issues... what a bummer. So sadly, I can no longer recommend this bakery since actually getting their baked goods has become such an unreliable option compared to the other bakeries nearby. They used to have online ordering which was a good solution so everyone could get some of the good items. But now the online store is always broken, turned off, or missing half of the items. They also stash items for their friends letting them "cut the line" which only makes it harder for the rest of us. I recommend checking out the other great nearby bakeries instead that are much easier to buy from: - Allez Bakery - Blue Oven Bakery - Cherbourg Cyprus - gluten-free - Coffee Emporium - Collective Espresso - has pastries from North South Baking Co - Mon Petit Choux - Urbana Cafe - multiple locations

The only bummer about this place is the line you have to wait and to get even in the door! But that's a good sign I guess! Everything we had was amazing, even the coffee was so good! Everyone that worked there was so kind. I'll definitely be back!

Cute little bakery in OTR. Loved the mushroom pastry and the salted chocolate chip cookie. The chocolate croissant could have more chocolate. Each pastry was about $5, I wished they put the prices of the pastries on the menu for more transparency. The employees were very friendly and kept the bakery well stocked and clean.

I've been obsessed with Croissants lately, so brown Bear Bakery was a top stop on my list. Pro tip- Check out their Instagram before to see what special items they have out for the day/week. I consider myself a chocolate chip cookie connoisseur...and this one was so good. The light sprinkle of salt really balanced out the sweet flavors. The peanut butter chocolate croissant was so good too, but I think it was a specialty item so I hope it comes back! There were lots of other items to choose from as well, including savory if you and want the best of both worlds. This place was quant, clean, and just overall aesthetically pleasing. You can tell they take pride in their homemade items and I will most definitely be back. Happy Indulging! ‍

Brown Bear is a neighborhood bakery crafting only the freshest small batch baked goods daily. You will discover classic and surprising seasonal flavors.

Blueberry hand pie amazing! My mom would drive up from SC just for these! Black Bear has been my wife and I's go to destination on my weekends off. Very nice staff. Do not be afraid if there is a line. They keep it moving and are well worth the wait!

Delicious! Stopped here for breakfast on Saturday morning and there was a line out the door when we got there at 9:30. We got the apple hand pie, the potato pastry, and the pesto mushroom pastry to share! Everything was so good and fresh and paired really well together. I also got an iced chai, which was good. I left the bakery wanting to try more but my stomach was so full. Will definitely be back next time I'm in town!

A great local bakery serving up sweet & savory baked items. Come early to get your pick especially on a weekend. We stopped by around lunch time Sunday and many items were sold out. However, they still had a decent amount of other items (prolly due to the marathon that morning). The spinach guyere cheese paw wasn't my favorite (spinach was a bit stringy and didn't taste much cheese in there), but the peanut butter brownie was divine! For both items the total came to $11.50 (seems average for most specialty bakeries). The cashier was friendly and was excited to hear it was my first visit! Plenty of indoor seating and a restroom too. Parking is challenging in the area. I just quickly put my blinkers on across the street and ran in to grab items to go! I'll have to get there early to try other items.

When you show up to a Place, and there's a line out the door, you really have to hope that it was worth it. Luckily brown bear bakery seem to be exactly that. I had the cinnamon roll, my girlfriend had a summer squash croissant, we split a chocolate chip cookie. We also both got a coffee, mine was the honey cinnamon latte. She got the brown butter latte. First and foremost. If it was just about the cookie, I would give this a five stars review. The coffee was a solid four stars, the other baked goods definitely 4.5 or above. Sadly know half stars. Staff was kind and we're very personable. Even with such a long line we got in and out quickly. Enjoyed the venue.

I would literally drive the 4 hours back to Cincinnati just to come back to this bakery. The "everything bagel" croissant was the best thing I've ever eaten in my entire life. There was a line but it goes by really fast and it's soooo worth it!

Omg the best bakery I've ever been to. It's so clean and beautiful inside and every single thing I ate was absolutely delicious I'm from florida but I would literally go back to Cincinnati just for the pastries here!! You will love everything you eat I promise!

When I went in they only had 3 cinnamon rolls left! My bad for not coming in sooner! Out of town noob, here... The fact that they had sold out of almost everything did comfort me a bit thought, in that I knew it was going to be good. Did I miss out on some yuuummmyyy food, probably. But the experience was still good, nonetheless. The atmosphere was too cute. Super small bakery, but still enough room to sit down and enjoy a baked good (or 2, or 3 or 4, no judgment here ) The staff was extremely friendly and very informative. They took care of me and I will definitely be coming back whenever I'm in Cincy! (Reviews, reels, and photos @takemethere.Indy)

Brown Bear Bakery is the best of the best! A class act! They jumped in to cater my event with pastries with less than 24hrs notice. Ian, the owner, was helpful, patient, and oh so talented! The creations are unreal. Sweet and savory pastries are worth getting. What we learned but trying literally everything is that it's all worth getting! Thank you Brown Bear. Can't wait to come back and tell everyone that they've gotta check it out.

OK STOP READING AND DRIVE THERE NOW *if they're open at the time of reading.* They make my tastebuds dance. I have been so disappointed in pastries lately and just keep thinking, "it's just not brown bear." So there's that. The cookies, the cinnamon roles (which I never recommend), the everything - just go! There are places to sit and eat and I've never had an issue with enjoying my treats there. The owner is so creative in what she makes and all of the bakers/staff are so nice!!

My favorite bakery! The location is perfect, the ambiance is open and fresh. The options for sweet or savory are always available. Brown Bear Bakery's customer service is top tier!! You can tell the employees are genuinely happy to be there and help. I highly recommend getting there early so you don't miss out on anything. Try it all! I love getting a variety and sharing with coworkers or family. Their corn meal cakes are my favorite! I love everything about this place! Honestly, they make me feel welcomed and I always leave there feeling great with a smile on my face! I will always recommend!!

This OTR bakery is on the small side for seating but with delicious pastries like these I will be going back. The cinnamon roll was good but the peach cookie was great. I even ended up buying a few of their very generously sized chocolate croissants as a gift. The staff were very friendly and inviting. I was impressed by their professionalism and passion for their work.

Amazing bakery and customer service! We are from out of town and we were recommended this place and it didn't disappoint! Sooo good!

Went to Brown Bear Bakery for the first time this weekend. I had high expectations upon going to Brown Bear because I have heard amazing things. Let me be the first to tell you that Brown Bear Bakery has one of the best desserts / pastries in downtown Cincinnati! I came here around 2pm on Saturday and most of the desserts and pastries were already gone. I decided to get a chocolate croissant and a lavender cookie. The owner was so sweet and gave us an extra chocolate croissant. Both were delicious so we decided to come back the following day to try out their other menu options! The trick is to order right when they open at 9am to get the pastries and desserts you want! We got everything cream cheese croissants (delicious!), a cinnamon bun, a piece of crumb cake and the fall croissant. They all were great!! My favorites were the cream cheese croissant and the cinnamon bun. The cinnamon bun is definitely a MUST, it has a hint of orange and the icing on top is to die for! But all in all Brown Yes Bear Bakery is definitely one of my favorite spots in downtown Cincinnati! Definitely try out their cinnamon buns and crumb cake if anything at all!

The happiest corner in OTR and the entirety of Cincinnati to be honest. From the pastries to the new house made lattes, to the friendly kind genuine service Brown Bear is the pinnacle of perfection in Cincinnati. And should be appreciated as such!

If I could give this place six stars I would. Every time I am back in town I have to stop here. The texture of their croissants is phenomenal (French husband agrees) and their flavor profiles are really unique and delicious. The staff is super nice and patiently explains what all of their delightful confections are if you ask. After you have breakfast and take a walk around OTR, don't forget to circle back and grab some focaccia for lunch or dinner.

Delicious fresh made bakery items. Cinnamon roll was delicious, the chocolate chip cookie was yummy, and other pastries looked appealing will definitely be back. Looking forward to trying The focaccia bread that is different daily after 11 AM

Wonderful local bakery with the friendliest staff. Welcoming and always offering interesting seasonal specials that will tempt you back for more weekend after weekend! I am generally a purist and their plain croissant hits the spot time & time again. Take my recommendation and plan to go home with multiples to warm up for breakfast/lunch sandwiches the next couple of days and/or a nice afternoon treat. Do NOT miss the raspberry croissant in February! Many other rotating offerings that I treat friends and family with, from the apple hand pie to the palmier (elephant ear). You will want to start building a stop by into at least your weekend morning activities. Accolades are well-deserved. Absolutely Cincy's best croissant and has to be one of the best in the country.

I love croissants. I love sweets. What you'll find here are delicious pieces of art. Because they're in such high demand, I suggest you make use of their online ordering system. Saturdays at 9 a.m., their sales go live and you can see what's in stock, order, choose a pick-up time and pay. I've tried the plain croissant, chocolate croissant, cheese and mushroom croissant ans savory everything bagel croissant. All are excellent. A plain croissant, warmed with some butter...wow! My favorite and not to be missed are the salty chocolate chip cookies. They aren't chocolate chip, but chocolate explosion! More chocolate than I've ever seen in a cookie, plus they're soft, chewy and full of taste. We've also tried the cinnamon rolls (with a nice kick of orange zest) and chocolate brownies. While good, the brownies are more cake-like than fudgey (the latter my personal preference.) I'll just get more chocolate chip cookies instead!

Best bakery in Cincinnati. Creative an delicious desserts and savory items with gray ingredients. Try the cookies and the cinnamon rolls !

Wow! First time visiting Brown Bear today. Even though it was super busy, line wrapped around the building, the employee who assisted me once I got to the counter, took time to walk me through their philosophy of baking, types of pastries they offered and recommendations. Plenty of space to eat in but we took our goodies to go. When we got home and finally were able to try them - WOW! Amazing flavors and the pastries were so flaky and delicious. Definitely recommend this place and will be going back!

Unreal. Best pastries in Cincy. Best service in Cincinnati no doubt they are so humble and kind