Cou Cou Rachou

Cou Cou Rachou is such a delight! Their pastries are creative, beautifully crafted, and full of flavor—each one feels like a little work of art. The atmosphere is charming and inviting, making it a perfect spot for a morning treat or afternoon indulgence. A true gem for pastry lovers in Charlottesville.

The easiest 5 stars I will write this year. I had never heard of them before, but by UVA daughter is in love and a regular. My Hoo filled me in on the behind the scenes things she has discovered making them special. So on University of Virginia Family Weekend we checked them out. I quickly learned Cou Cou is the most beloved locals coffee and pastry shop in all of Charlottesville. Furthermore, the shop is an inspiration for other businesses to model themselves after. One of the major items my daughter said that was a head turner was that the owner is not only French trained, but a local to the area. The shop is an authentic French bakery from the ingredients to their baking practices. The location lends itself to UVA students and staff since it's just off grounds. With just one visit I was star struck with the total operation. The vibe is relaxed and cheeky. Nothing pretentious about Cou Cou whatsoever, Just come as you are and be prepared for a comfortable setting in their heated outdoor patio if you eat in. The selection was surprisingly still good early afternoon on a Sunday, but obviously they were low to sold out of some items. I got a Miso chocolate chip cookie and raspberry beignet. So much in the vase looked wonderful. The young staff was excellent in helping me navigate. The woman recommended a cappuccino to pair with my items, so why not. I decided to enjoy on their patio. My two baked goods were served on a plate and given to me at checkout. The price point pushes , but always willing to pay for quality. I also tipped 20%. My coffee was brought out by another one of their friendly staff. It was hard to decide where to start. The Japanese inspired Miso cookie had a sweet taste and fresh! A unique take that I really liked. The beignet was a head turner in the case and did not disappoint. The perfectly made pastry had the right amount of sugar on top and was loaded with filling. No corners were cut. My cappuccino was wonderfully balanced and a treat paired with my goodies. I witnessed staff cleaning and wiping down tables keeping the area tidy. I cannot say enough marvelous things about this tiny little bakery find in the back of a small strip. With almost no visibility the locals can find you. I wanted to make sure others can as well thus my review. Although I had no interaction with the owner I did see her working in the kitchen among her young staff. You can feel the passion for excellence, not profits. Cou Cou is a Charlottesville gem not only for local, but visitors alike. I will be back and tell others on the UVA school board that may not know.

Once upon a time I saw someone's Instagram story and a few clicks later I was reading Cou Cou Rachou's daily menu with spice bush beignets (at that time.) The rotating beignets kept me hooked and in those early days they ran out and I tried pain suisse, kouign amans, and more. This review is long overdue but between keeping my French brushed up trying to remember the words in the ever changing danishes and scones, and providing treats to share with family, friends and coworkers I am never not impressed. Lines are understandably long, but once you see what the fuss is about you will understand the wait. Whether it's carry out, dine in, or picking up holiday orders you will never be disappointed here. The pop up markets are so fun too as someone who loves to shop small and local!

À french Bakery with delicious Pastry and almond croissant. Service and be on the chill/slow side, but not an issue if you stay awhile. Lots of seating outside when the weather is nice. Beautiful, country decor and furniture inside. Their almond croissant is heavy, has a crunch to it and tasted like it was soaked in orange syrup. So good!!!

Coucou rachou makes some impressive pastries, especially love their cardamom braid and their rotating beignets, which you cannot find anywhere else in Charlottesville. For that reason I definitely think coucou is the best bakery in town with no competition that even comes close. Only 1 pastry at Marie Bette (brioche feuillete?) even comes close. Unfortunately Coucou’s espresso drinks service just falls flat and has been falling flat for years at this point. They should just entirely abandon their espresso drinks and just do black coffee, and do it right. Most times I’ve gone there, the espresso drinks are tasteless like tap water and arrive 15 minutes after you pick up your pastry. Clearly they have a problem training baristas and that’s understandable and ok, but don’t make me spend high quality coffee money for this. I’d skip the espresso drinks entirely or go in with the thought that it will be a hit or miss and surely will arrive late. This time I got a cappuccino that looks like the attached picture after waiting for 20 mins. The milk wasn’t even steamed. In contrast, look at the great ice cream I got another time I was here.

An adorable French bakery cafe where you can see them prepping food so you know everything is made in house and fresh! The interior is lovely with some seating inside and outside although limited. I went within an hour of closing but there were still some items to choose from thankfully. I purchased a chocolate croissant for $7 and it was delightfully light, soft but with the texture of the many layers it was baked with. The chocolate wasn’t too sweet but had enough chocolate where I’m not looking for it. The staff are incredibly friendly and sweet. The parking lot was a great bonus. I’ll be back to try more items on their menu!

Delicious pastries with fresh flavors and perfect texture. The fig pastry and focaccia were amazing! So satisfying

Cute and cozy bakery and coffee shop. Coffee (cortado, cappuccino and latte) was very good. Went for gluten free goodies for my daughter and they had 4 options. GF apple muffins and chocolate cookies were the best, other 2 we tried were just okay if a bit on the overly sweet side. Cardamom croissant was very good, light and fluffy, but could definitely use more cardamom flavor. Was most disappointed with the almond croissant - it was very heavy, dense and oily and pretty much inedible for me. Would’ve asked to swap for something else but we did takeaway so could not.

Finally tried cou cou rachou! We showed up late in their hours so we knew options would be limited but they had what we wanted anyways: a croissant and pain au chocolat, plus we got three canelés for each of the kids. We also got two drip coffees and took everything to go, but next time maybe we'll hang on the patio for a bit. everyone was friendly and i loved the way the bakery was decorated. Quality pastries are what will bring us back though: so delicious and you can tell they know what they're doing.

I always enjoy having bakery treats from Cou Cou Rachou. On this visit, I picked up a French Onion Danish. While I really like eating this bakery's sweet pastries, their savory offerings are often even more satisfying. The onion pastry has a delightfully crunchy and bright buttery layers of crust. The taste is both light and full of earthy, onion flavor. The staff at the bakery are always friendly and upbeat. The service is quick in this quaint and cozy place, where there is some sorta outside seating. I thoroughly look forward to getting Cou Cou Rachou pastries.

It's tough for me to grade this place after coming back from Paris. I wanted to compare it as my hometown version of what I just experienced. If you're looking for authentic French tasting pastries I would definitely say they hit the mark in every aspect. It was just as good as any of the ones I experienced. That being said 2 coffees and two pastries were nearly $30 which is kind of insane to me. Not to mention I was quite disappointed by the service. Not sure if it was an off day or anything as I have had numerous co workers recommend this place and even talk about how nice some of the people were here. Cannot give it a 5 stars in good faith from my lobe experience. I may try it again but definitely not on my go to places at the moment.

When they say come early, they mean it. Cou Cou is a classic French bakery that specializes in using locally sourced ingredients to make delicious bites that will transport you to the old world. I couldn't believe at 8 AM in the morning on a weekday this place was packed and orders were being served without hesitation. The COFFEE SODA has changed my life! A mix of cold brew, club soda and syrup (I chose lavender) it's perfect alternative to a nitro cold brew. It gave me a coffee buzz and the kick I needed to start my day.

This bakery is quite French; I saw a lot of butter in their baking area and a lot of skinny people with French accents, bringing to mind the French Paradox (in which people who eat an awful lot of bread and butter are somehow rail thin). The selection offers many treasures, but they played a bit of a cheat code on me by having a chocolate crinkle, a cookie variety I was introduced to several decades ago while visiting a different (and long-since departed) bakery in Charlottesville close to the university. I think the sign said it was gluten free, but whatever it was, I devoured it. They had some nice savory items, and I went of one of the lighter ones, a lightly braided cheese twist. Charlottesville has a lot of cafes and bakeries, but this was more crowded than most of them the day I stopped by.

This is a fantastic little bakery in Charlottesville, Virginia. They serve a wide variety of pastries, breads, drinks, and exceptional soft serve. The only downside is that their hours are very limited. I arrived around noon and they only had about 20% of their menu items left. I recommend checking their IG account for the daily menu, it will indicate at what hour items are available. While their pastries seem to be the main draw, don't sleep on their fabulous baguettes and housemade soft serve. If they have a sundae available, get it! The only lowlight was the coffee, I found it weak. Seating indoors is hot and limited. They have a nice deck with umbrellas and a decent number of tables. The ambiance isn't ideal, but you will overlook it once you taste the treats!

Was recommended this place by my roommate and it is fantastic!! They have a great variety of pastries and you can't go wrong with any of them! I love the chocolate and almond croissants and the canele is delicious too! I'll definitely have to come back for the bread sometime. The service is great and everyone is super friendly as well. It's a good place to stop by with some friends and was pretty walkable for me. It's a cute little shop that's very bright and open.

Espresso forward lattes are such a lovely find! I love a cute cafe who makes their own syrups, so I thoroughly enjoyed my salted caramel iced latte on a nice summer morning. It's tiny with mighty sweet vibes inside. The open bakery and excellent customer service will have you coming back to grab a drink and a pastry. It's best to grab and go here, but there's a few seating areas inside and outside. The homemade english muffin was amazing; however, it didn't seem to hold its freshness beyond 24 hrs. Maybe freeze the pack if you buy that and warm it up when you intend to use it. I just tried one to gauge if I would commit to a half dozen.

This is my favourite bakery of the greater Charlottesville area. Their pastries are soo good that I can't stop eating before taking a picture (so unfortunately i don't have any. They are too good). I like how they restrict their sourdough English muffin to be 3 bag per person, so other customers coming late won't get disappointed. I also like the variety of pastry selection and their consistency of flaky layers! I can't say if this is the best of Virginia since I haven't try many from Richmond, but it is definitely good enough that worth me driving 1 hour just for it

The new best bakery in Cville! Their plain croissants are our favorite. Their signature onion croissants are also delicious. Their almond croissants have a lemony filling--definitely unique, but I prefer a more traditional filling. Definitely on the pricier side but that seems to be the trend these days. The interior and patio is so cute but it can fill up quickly.

I like cou cou rachou but I waited at 7 am in the morning, when they open, about 30 runners come up and they took them in the store first. I had to leave. I'm on my way to work. I was there before most of them. Not a great way to treat customers. I'm not sure I'll go back.

Am I in France? You can smell the butter while you're waiting in line. Cou Cou Rachou is a gorgeous bakery with a lovely covered patio that you can sit with your friends, eat pastries, and enjoy the day. Croissant and the jam was toddler approved! I would definitely come back!

It goes without saying that you must check out CCR if you're in the Charlottesville area. These pastries are some of the best you'll find. I was lucky enough to share with some friends so I could try a bunch. We snagged a spot on the heated patio on a Sunday morning. There was a constant stream of people coming in to order. The line moves quickly! Some of my favorites were the French onion croissant and the chocolate almond croissant. I'd certainly eat anything again, though. The butter is delicious, and surprisingly, nothing was too sweet.

GREAT Quality Food and Service only pricey... however you do get what you pay for! Place is small so at time busy with line out the door. Good Location near downtown and adequate parking. I love the staff there!!! Quality Healthy grains and quality ingredients homemade recipe for ice creams. Over all Wonderful !

My friend and I came here on a Saturday, and it was super busy. There is a lot of outdoor seating but very minimal indoor seating. The line was long but moved fairly quickly. Customer service was ok and could be better. We tried a few different things on the menu, but my items came to-go and hers were for an in-restaurant order, which we thought was weird since we ordered together. None of our items came heated, which was a letdown bc croissants and quiches are always better warm! I'm not sure if you have to ask for things to be heated or not, but it seems like they should ask. Despite being cold, the food items we tried had good flavor! Unfortunately, I didn't love the matcha latte, and my friend didn't like her cappuccino. I would consider trying Cou Cou Rachou again, but it's not some place I'm dying to go back to :/

Wow I am pretty impressed with this place. It was super hyped up by all my classmates. They have a seasonal/daily special which was a coconut macron when we went. We also got the creme filled beignet and a scone and 2 cookies. The cookies were to go and we warmed them up in the oven. Everything was super delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed the beignet and macaron. The line was ~20 minutes long on the weekend so be prepared to wait. This was probably the worst part of the experience.

What a gem! I was not sure what I was expecting but I absolutely loved the vibes here. There was a great selection of French pastries that all looked amazing, and had a complete cafe menu with all your caffeine and alcohol needs. I was also surprised to see they had soft serve (which I will most definitely try once it gets warmer!). Staff was very friendly and the service was quick and prompt. They do not have a lot of space, but more than most bakeries. There was a small indoor section (2-3 tables), and then a covered patios with tables and couches to work and sit at. They also had a lot of outdoor space which was nice if you wanted to bring your pets! Additionally, I really appreciate that parking was very easy. I got the onion croissant with Gruyère cheese--super flavorful and the pastry itself was crunchy and flakey. I also tried the tiramisu beignet which is a weekend special? Meh I thought it was alright. Too much of the sugar coating and the filling was not very flavorful. But the other offerings looked great and I cannot wait to be back to try it!

The pastries were, as always, very delicious today. However, my delightful Sunday brunch was ruined by a rude, tall female staff. There aren't many French bakery options in this neighborhood, so I will return, but I feel quite bitter about it

I came here to compare pain au chocolat and their Chocolate almond croissant to their rivaling neighbor, MarieBette. I think that the chocolate almond croissant is only marginally better than MarieBette's, and their Pain au chocolate is the better than Cou Cou Rachou's. Bottom line: I tend to buy and eat 2-3 pasties per visit at each shop to do a comparison because I'm curious to see how they compare. They're both so good that it's just hard to choose one over the other. Also, both places pricing is... pricey. As you would expect being here in C'ville, but I'm not complaining. It's good stuff! The day I can find a recipe and fare well with these two contenders, is the day I'll be eating from home :)

Oh my gosh--Cou Cou Rachou is absolutely amazing. We ordered the: - Strawberry Danish (I think) - Ham & Cheese Croissant - Quiche - Miso Chocolate Chip Cookie - Chai Latte - Iced Coffee The texture and taste of everything was great! The only item I didn't enjoy as much was my Chai Latte, but it wasn't bad. The service and ambience are perfect. The presentation of all the pastries is also so aesthetic; I love the flowers at all of the tables. Don't hesitate to purchase their English Muffins to take home. They freeze well and taste so good with eggs. If you like your muffins on the chewier side, you'll love theirs!

They have croissants so good you will question whether life itself is worth it when you are not eating Cou Cou croissants. That's really a warning more than anything.

Cou Cou Rachou continues to provide 5-star pastries to the C'ville community. All six pastries/treats were stellar. We devoured the flaky French onion soup croissant (a must-order), the fluffy and fresh quiche, excellent cardamom twist, the fabulous pear galette, perfectly tender and seasoned apple tart, and chocolate almond croissant. Come hungry and with friends to split multiple options with!

Cou Cou Rachou desserts and breakfast pastries are great. I wish they were open every day of the week! I have a hard time getting there since they're closed frequently but when I do come in it's quite the treat. I would recommend their chocolate desserts and the breakfast pastry bread thing with an egg in it (can't remember what it was called)! So amazing and truly how it looked didn't do justice to the amazing flavor. I also love their outdoor seating area for a nice sunny day.

I have had a great experience at this bakery every time! I have gone in a couple of times for their pastries - to be honest, I'm not someone who craves pastries, but I do enjoy eating both their savory and sweet options. My only order that I don't recommend was the sweet potato quiche which was a bit plain. Yet where I truly think this bakery shines is their cakes! My first order with them was a custom birthday cake. I was in contact with an employee who was very receptive and happy to accommodate certain requests, making the planning of the cake very easy. My experience only went uphill when I received the cake - this was one of my favorite cakes that I have ever eaten. It was moist and favorable, but not too sweet. The decorations also were also exactly as I had described. I decided to order another cake for another event. At this point, they didn't allow custom order, so I ordered one of their cake specials. Once again, this experience did not disappoint. I didn't know what to expect when I picked up the cake since I didn't design it, but I think it was decorated beautifully. It also tasted delicious, even though it was a different flavor from last time. I truly love and recommend ordering cakes from this bakery!

One of our favorite spots in Cville! We have been visiting since Cou Cou Rachou first opened and always stop by when we want a sweet treat. They have a great variety of pastries and breads. We've tried a lot of their menu and always gravitate towards items with seasonal ingredients. There's also a beautiful outdoor seating area, always filled with fresh flowers. Try the english muffins. You won't regret it!

Came here with a friend to catch up over coffee and a pastry. The bakery smelled heavenly as soon as we walked inside. The place is super cute, and everything looks delicious. I ordered an iced coffee and ended up trying two baked goods that especially piqued my interest-- the Cardamom Braid and the Miso Chocolate Chip Cookie. It was a sunny and unusually warm December morning, so we sat and ate outside. Although the back patio faces a parking lot, it's still clean, cute, and well-decorated.   They offered to heat up both of the baked goods I ordered. The warm Cardamom Braid was tasty and complemented my coffee well. I have really high standards when it comes to cookies, and I thought that the Miso Chocolate Chip Cookie was a good and well-made cookie. The miso taste is very subtle, but it added a unique element to it that I enjoyed. I'm so glad that I tried this place, and I can't wait come back.

Cute ambience, quiche and onion croissant were delicious but they didn't Warm them enough so were cold, and they forgot to serve us one item which we didn't realize until we left which was a miss. Staff was a little lacking in attention to detail and hospitality

Cute, cozy patio. Delicious pastries. We really enjoyed the fruit and ricotta danish (forgot actual name) although we felt it needed sweetness so we added a drop of honey. We also LOVED the caramelized onion and Gruyère cheese croissant. Miso chocolate cookie was good.. but we didn't finish it which tells you a lot. Would definitely go back to try more! We forgot to grab some English muffins... those looked amazing.

What a cute French bakery! I had a difficult time deciding what I want and ultimately decided on a cannelle and an almond croissant. They were both incredible! Next time I want to eat it right away on their terrace with some coffee and pretend I'm in Paris.

I. LOVE. BAKERIES. And this one is no exception. WOW. I was amazed on their set-up. I truly felt like I was in a small European town, sipping on a latte and enjoying all the European endeavors. Also, I appreciated the visibility of their bakers doing their ~thing~. I am a baker myself (an amateur but you know!) so I loved seeing the dough in action :) Definitely excited to return and beeline straight here again:) Recommendations: Everything. The Cardamom braid. The cookies. The puff pastry. The hot cocoa. Literally everything.

Great as always! Almond chocolate croissant was my favorite, super crispy, crunchy and flavorful. Ambiance inside is always very relaxed for 8am in the morning!

the food was amazing, everyone working was so kind. there was a short line but it moved quickly and I was able to find somewhere to sit within moments. My latte was one of the best I've had and I loved the atmosphere of the whole place.

Wonderful. They use high quality ingredients and it shows. The boxes are quite lovely as wells. We will gladly return

I'm not sure I would have even noticed the place driving by, but I'm glad I found the name online. The ordering area was small but the line moved quickly. The only thing I didn't like was having to sort of go back and forth between the pastry case and the cashier when ordering, but that's hardly a big deal. We still managed to pick up way more pastries than necessary and enjoyed them all!

This has become my Thursday/Friday prework stop for what I promise you are the most deliciousx decadent and fresh pastries around. The shop is so cute and it's fun to watch the bakery team in action. The merch is ADORBS and the service is always on par. If you find yourself nearby be sure to snag a cardamom braid, croissants, and some hot tea!

Great staff, ambiance, and the food (especially the banana chocolate chip muffin) is fantastic!! Love the Thursday morning run club

I love this little bakery so much!! My son and I stopped in last week to get some pastries for his birthday (he does not eat cake!) My favorite there is the Pear & Apple Butter Tart, so we got a couple of those and also a Tropical Rice Pudding. Both are astoundingly good and I had planned to take pictures of both of them. Unfortunately, in all the excitement and anticipation of eating them, we forgot. It was only after we had enjoyed them that I realized, "Oh man, I forgot pictures AGAIN"! Service there is always friendly and efficient, and oh the smell!! Fresh coffee, fragrant herbs and exotic spices. Try the Cardamom braid. It's delicious, too, but go early for the best choices, because items sell out quickly!!

This place is seriously amazing. There are very few places in Charlottesville to get very good food, but this is one of them. Every menu item is delicious and well-crafted and the service is wonderful! My one tiny tiny complaint is that often the pastries are not heated up all the way which can take away from the experience a little bit. It's not great to bite into a half-hot half-cold pastry. Other than that, no notes!

Unique coffee and bakery spot in that it's best of both worlds in good coffee but also authentic and locally made baked goods. Would love to see a few more options on the "savory" side, but that's just a suggestion.

Way too pretentious presentation of breakfast. It's too much gruyere and too much salt and onions. It's coo coo poo

Best croissant I've ever had, it was a let down though because coffee was so bad! I'd try it again to see if maybe it was just a new person making coffee but will definitely be going for croissant!

Fantastic, Flaky Pastries The only place in town that has a CHANCE at rivaling Maribette's, Cou Cou Rachou is simply marvelous. With French-styled pastries and cute, outdoor seating, every aspect of the pastries is exactly how you'd want it to be created. The outside of the pastries are soft and flaky. The inside is buttery, and, no matter which pastry you bought, the flavors are perfect. Even though this location was bustling with business, I placed my order and received my pastries in under 10 minutes. Do yourself a favor and go here as soon as you can!

Ok I've officially found my new favorite bakery in Charlottesville. If you're looking for a high end pastry shop that cranks out some QUALITY baked goods this is the spot. The croissants are the best in town, and there is truly some tough competition. Everything is freshly made, and truly worth the price point.

It's quality European pastry and good coffee. Pricey but good service. The outdoor patio is nice if you can get a spot under shade/umbrella.

Cute, quaint, beignets are good, but only sold on the weekend. They take pride in their food.

Bonjour! Visited on a rainy day in December at 2pm seeking comfort in a flaky pastry. The neon "Cou Cou Rachou" lights out front invite you to come in to explore the various sweets and pastries available for the day. Make sure to visit early as they're open 7-sold out Thurs-Sun. I loved being able to see the bustling energy of the bakers behind the counter doing their thing. It was very difficult to choose from their pastries but we decided to try their pain au chocolat as well as the quiche. I've had better pain au chocolats in my life. I felt like the croissant to chocolate ratio was off because I felt like there was too little chocolate inside compared to how large my croissant was. I also thought my croissant was drier than preferred. The quiche was well executed and tasty. Would come back to enjoy the ambiance again and try one of their specials next time.

Absolutely love all the different types of bakeries from here! I've tried a variety of their croissants, cookies and loaves of breads and I'm never disappointed. The only thing that I didn't particularly like thus far was this whole wheat bread that I got but probably personal taste; the bread itself was crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Expect queues out the door on weekend mornings.

Service was quick and the staff were friendly. I had the french onion pastry and if you like savory pastries this one is delicious. My partner had the lemon curd one which was not overly sweet and had a nice balance of flavors. I requested them to be warmed up which I recommend. Come early because they quickly run out of items.

Great bakery. The raisin Danish was delicious! Busy place. Fantastic service. Bring a jacket so you can eat outside!