Marjolaine Pastry Shop

only good things to say about this place <3 at the beginning of the week I had called this shop to place an advanced order of chocolate covered strawberries for Mother’s Day. The owner was so so sweet to let me know that she would love to under the circumstance that they were of high quality. Right away I appreciated her honesty and values♥️ loved loved loved the customer service and when I got there the atomosphere blew my mind!! They even had a small section where they sell trinkets, clothing and handmade soaps all at shockingly low price points. Thank you Marjolaine Pastry Shop you have a loyal customer now ♥️🍓🌺

First time in this local bakery shop 🎂. It was recommended by two friends, so we decided to order a small cake. 🍰 We chose chocolate 🍫 strawberry 🍓 cake from their online catalog. Strawberries were covered in chocolate. 🍰This cake served 8 people. 🍰 Friendly service 🍰 Tasted so delicious. It was worth the price ($49). — ✨Ordered at the store a day before, and picked up next day. Depending on the cake it could be ready the same day.

Born and raised in New Haven, I am a connoisseur of fine pastries and sweet treats. For years, I was unaware of this gem until I encountered the owner's son distributing samples. The chocolate croissants were divine! I dashed across the street and have since become a regular. I've grown close to the owner, Arlene, who generously allowed me to film my series in her beautifully adorned space. She's wonderful, and my cast and crew thoroughly enjoyed our time there. A heartfelt thanks to Arlene! I urge everyone to take a break, visit, and prepare to be enthralled. You won't be disappointed!

Wow nothing but good things to say about this bakery! They are very nice and professional. The prices are great! And the custom made cake was very tasty and moist. In the chocolate truffle flavor. We received so many compliments on the cake design and taste. This will now be my go to place for custom cakes! Thank you so much! 10s across the board!

Absolutely delicious!!! We drove an hour to pick up our Swedish Princess Cake, It was so moist it almost melted in our mouths. We also picked up a chocolate peanut butter dessert that tasted like a Snickers, a Cannoli (I was told later that it was the best ever), and a tiny cheesecake tipped with strawberries (I was told that was also creamy and delicious). The service was excellent, including when I was ordering over the phone. Super patient and nice...great customer service!

One of the best bakeries in New Haven. Their cakes are made in heaven. Call ahead, usually they do not have much on shelf/racks. Some cakes need order be placed 24 hours ahead.

I had cannoli and cupcakes - both delicious and the decorations were adorable! Prices were about as expected for a fancy bakery - not cheap but not ridiculous either. Cashier was friendly and let me take my time picking what I wanted.

Great place! Baked me a custom heart shaped cake with the cutest design. They were fast, open to suggestions/comments, and overall the best! Definitely give them a shot for your next birthday party. Very grateful for you all!

Cute family owned patisserie m. They have a variety of options to choose from in the front and more baking going on in the back. Atmosphere was a little quiet when I got there which is unfortunate because it seems like a nice place to be. We only got the lemon raspberry tart and it was pretty good. The crust was really good, and the lemon had a great prescience on the tart.

I've been getting cakes for special occasions from Marjolaine for the past few years. This place is well-known in the area and worth a visit. The Marjolaine is the cake I've ordered the most. After ordering in advance, they give you a reference number for when you pick up your cake. A half Marjolaine cake is still pretty huge. The box takes up a whole shelf in my fridge. You need to keep the cake frozen until you eat it or it will lose its crunchy texture. Once thawed, it's rich and creamy, apart from the crispy crunch and the nougat. There's a lot going on in a Marjolaine cake. You'll have to try one for yourself, and they make them well here. Prepare to spend a little time picking up your order. It's busy and there's usually a line. The ambience is quaint and the bakery is creatively decorated. During holiday season, there are usually tables set up where breads and cookies are displayed. Today, along with picking up my cake, I took home a box of assorted cupcakes, the favorite of which was tres leches. Red velvet and carrot cake ranked high on the list as well. Stop in here some time and try one of their delectable desserts. Conveniently located on State Street in New Haven, this bakery will perk up your day.

Born and raised in New Haven, I am a connoisseur of fine pastries and sweet treats. For years, I was unaware of this gem until I encountered the owner's son distributing samples. The chocolate croissants were divine! I dashed across the street and have since become a regular. I've grown close to the owner, Arlene, who generously allowed me to film my series in her beautifully adorned space. She's wonderful, and my cast and crew thoroughly enjoyed our time there. A heartfelt thanks to Arlene! I urge everyone to take a break, visit, and prepare to be enthralled. You won't be disappointed!

Wonderful pastries. Great cakes. Worth the trip to visit this lovely bakery. Both sweet and savory choices. Best bakery in the area. A special addition to our community

Delicious pastry shop with lots of different options! We tried the chocolate chip cookie, chocolate cupcakes and chocolate peanut butter pastry... all were great! There is seating inside and outside which is nice

I've been coming to Marjolaine for the past few years to appease my sweet tooth. Having studied in Paris for a semester, this is not an authentic French pastry shop. The pastries are heavier and have a more "homemade" taste and look compared to a real Parisian patisserie. The place itself is a little outdated, as is the website, and the hours are not great. Most recently we walked in to grab a sweet treat - a chocolate ganache mouse and lemon raspberry tart, which were delicious but still a bit heavy. That being said, this is still one of the better bakeries around the area. The made-to-order cakes are fantastic texturally, and the frosting is perfectly light and not cloyingly oversweet.

Really nice place!!! Terrific cakes, and super cute decorations too :) Staff were friendly and let me use their WiFi here when I needed it.

Got a cake for my daughter's tennis team senior event. It was delicious! Would definitely recommend the bakery.

The chocolate mousse cake is one of the most delicious cakes my family has ever had! Seriously high quality to celebrate a special occasion!!

I've known about this French bakery for years. My grandmother used to order lemon tarts to share with the aunts. I had an appointment on State Street, and saw that they were open so decided to pop in with my sister. She ordered select danishes. I opted for one. A dark chocolate ganache cup filled with a strawberry mousse. I've only taken one bite, but it is decadent and delicious. It smelled amazing upon going in. The owner, a very nice woman, said that it was the scent of fresh croissants coming out of the oven. This is truly a cute café with Parisian decor. It is adorned with Eiffel Towers throughout. It is situated in a wonderful area amongst many other shops. If you ever have a sweet tooth, I highly recommend stopping in. They serve an assortment of coffee & tea as well.

Seeing as it is a chocolate holiday, I had to venture over to Marjolaine to see what they had in store. They had a gorgeous display of various chocolate delights; heart shaped and not. They had these funny cookies with messages ("I tolerate you"...hahah). I ended up choosing a cannoli and a chocolate ganache covered chocolate cake with raspberry jam. The former had a sturdy cannoli shell with the perfect amount of crispness and a smooth, dense, creamy cannoli filling. The sprinkles were the perfect touch to add some holiday flair. And the cake had a luscious and velvety chocolate ganache on the outside with a perfect raspberry on top. The cake inside was dense with the raspberry jam sandwiched in between. Should have gotten more... Check this bakery out!

Ahhh. Where is Rusty, the often terse former-owner who paid attention to details and made beautiful stuff? The guy ran a tight ship and his pastries and cakes were exceptional. Today is my last time buying from this iconic New Haven bakery. I bought 6 Danish (I'm not convinced they used a true Danish dough formula) and a barely luke-warm cup of coffee for $19. Back in the day, when Rusty worked the joint, the high priced goods were worth every penny. I'd rather spend my money at Julia's, a more commercialized high volume, but consistently good bakery in Orange. Today's danish were burnt (I was told by the young clerk that "that's the way they come") and sloppily slathered with an overly starchy fruit compote (canned?) Save your money-it's just not the same (I truly i hope the owners write back and argue their case because i used to love this place). I hate to be a Derrick-dough-downer but once again, I'm disappointed.

This review is based on the fresh fruit cake alone. Tried this for the first time 4 years ago, ordered this for my wedding, and had it recently for my birthday again, and it's just as good as I remember. This is my all time favorite cake- it has a custard layered between yellow cake with buttercream frosting, almonds, and fresh fruit on top. Not too sweet and not too heavy. The custard takes this cake home! Definitely recommend trying their cakes.

Their lemon Easter cake was simply amazing. Fresh and delicious. Have been coming here 30 plus years whenever I come back to new Haven and they are under new management but still great

It's a cute spot, but I wouldn't call it a pastry shop. We checked out the pastries but they seemed heavier, and the tarts that could've been pastry based were pretty doused in fruits, nuts, and cream. Which is of course a great thing! Just not what I was looking for. I had a red velvet cupcake which was very heavy both in the cake and the frosting. Pretty good, just heavier than what I was expecting. My partner had some pistachio ice cream, which was of course not a pastry but nice to enjoy. Moderate prices and very friendly staff. Operating with safe protocols during this time, which is a big plus!

It was ok. Would have been better warm. A little dry and flavorless but cute place. Would come again.

I've been here several times throughout my 3-4 years of medical school, and it is awesome! I've ordered various pastries ahead of time for pick up as I wanted to treat my school group to something nice (each week the new leader brings breakfast for the group so it become a tradition). Everyone loved the pastries, so it was worth the price. I follow their Facebook page and noticed that they were making gold and teal-colored chocolate strawberries, so I HAD TO TRY THEM. They were so yummy, and my friend figured out that they use white chocolate to dip the strawberries. Their cupcakes were also delicious. Their desserts are really yummy, and service is also great. Never had any issues with ordering or pick up. My only wish is that they have a variety of desserts ready on display, because most of the time you have to order in advance, especially the good ones.

We stopped in this charming little bakery for some coffee (which was adequate but nothing special) and were enticed by their delicious-looking baked goods. We were thrilled that they had some macarons and tried a few. They were okay: good clean flavors with both the lemon and raspberry, but somewhat uneven in texture. The lemon was spot on for crispness and softness but the raspberry was unfortunately gummy. We also splurged on their chocolate truffles (at 2 bucks a pop, they were pretty pricey) and while attractively made, they were not eye-openingly good for the price. So all in all, a decent place and worth visiting again for their other offerings.

After a fantastic meal elsewhere, decided to visit here for dessert! Walked in to be greeted by so many wonderful looking treats, and there in lies my #1 problem: No labels and No prices. Other than loaf slices, nothing was labeled so you have to either choose based on looks alone or go through every item asking what it is. Great customer service from the counter woman but I'm sure she gets tired of hearing "What is this?" "What is that?" "What is this?" "What is that?" Of the 5 items I tried, 1 was amazing; the fruit tart! 2 were ok, but needed a lil improvement (like the coconut on the flan would have been a lot better had it been toasted), 1 tasted old, maybe stale, and the last 1, I just didn't like. Yes, they do have coffee and/or tea but you would never know unless you sit down and look around to see what appears to be a coffee/tea station. I would have enjoyed a good cup of tea, but I didn't see any signs b4 I paid and my lazy self wasn't about to get back up.....

I have passed by this pastry shop a few times during the summer only to find it closed for the season but after vaguely looking through the windows and seeing the different bake goods they offer I knew I had to come back when they opened again. BUT my return was met with great disappointment. After all that anticipation, I came here one day and decided to get two cupcakes. I ordered the coconut cream cupcake and the carrot cake cupcake. Both cupcakes were very dry and tasted almost stale. The cakes crumbled when you bite into it and it sucked the moisture right out of my mouth. The cake did not have much taste. The coconut cupcake had no coconut taste and the carrot cake just tasted like cinnamon. The frosting on both cakes were also very buttery. Yes, they were butter cream frosting but it tasted more like butter than frosting. If there were no coconut flakes on the cupcake I would have easily mistaken in for a vanilla cupcake. The carrot cake frosting was slightly better but really you couldn't tell what flavor you had. Overall, these were not very good cupcakes and ultimately it leads me to question how the other pastries/bake goods are. Perhaps this was just a bad day, but, from this single experience I would not be inclined to return.

This place sets out to be a french bakery. My sister, a student at yale took me here. It was quite good! You walk in and it smells immediately like a bakery. But I couldn't help but wonder why it's French, other than the decor, it didn't have anything on the menu overtly and uniquely French. I ended up getting a cupcake, a raspberry mousse tart and a sample of a brownie. All of these items were great! Highly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a sweet treat!

Consistently the best French -Swiss continental bakery in southern Connecticut. There's something for every meal of the day. Danish pastries and croissants cat breakfast, individual pastries during midday, and an array of tortes for evening desserts. My favorites: Poppyseed Danish, fresh fruit tarts, hazelnut squares, and the incomparable croissants. 20+ years ago Rusty made the fresh fruit tart into a stunning tiered wedding cake for us. 30+ years ago I had one of the best jobs ever...working at Marjolaine.

Can we be honest? For the price, it's pretty shabby fare. The cakes and pastries look what exactly what they are, slap dash concoctions prepared by high school students. The taste? Meh.

I discussed a custom cake over the phone with baker as well as pick up time. I called the morning of date I was to pick up the cake and the baker requested I come later in the day. When I came to pick up the cake it did not look like the cake discussed with baker. The baker refunded my money but I will not be a return customer. I then went to another bakery and got exact cake my family wanted.

Ordered the chocolate strawberry cake for a party and it was such a hit! It was great that they used fresh strawberries with cream rather than using strawberry jam as the filling. Those chunks of strawberries definitely added a more fresh flavor to the cake and it was delicious. I will definitely order from them again for another party.

Marjolaine is hands down the best bakery in CT !!!!! I ordered a 50th b-day cake for my sisters party and it was outstanding...so many compliments and inquires about the cake. Such and talented and amazing group of pastry chefs...The owner Arlene is wonderful to work with...Highly recommend !!!

Mmmm. I'm so lucky to have this place down the street. What a treat! I've tried a few of their individual tarts and squares: the white chocolate raspberry mousse cup, dacquoi, fresh fruit tarts, and velvet (flourless choc cake). See http://marjolainepastry.com/page9.html. They put your desserts in a little white box and tie ribbons around it, so you know you're getting something special. It would be a great surprise for a significant other or even just a little sumthin' for yourself. I'm glad I forget about this place sometimes, otherwise I'd turn into a butterball!

Marjolaine is a fantastic little gem in East Rock. I've been in several times for breakfast, and everything I've had has been great. I don't think there's anything better than an egg sandwich on a fresh croissant. One problem is that their pastries are all so delicious I end up getting a few whenever I go and wallowing in sugary self-loathing for the rest of the day. It is definitely worth a stop, but keep in mind they bake everything up fresh so get in early for the best selection.

This bakery creates the best cakes and pastries in the state. They do beautiful cakes for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. They also have pastries, pies and cakes in cases to buy on the spot. The sweets are always the perfect texture with flavors that are spot on!

Their cake is delicious BUT they are terrible at costumer service. I have been trying to call to place an order, they either don't pick up or they pick up and put you on hold for 15 mins. Unacceptable!

There is a painting of a toddler taking a dump in the bathroom. So, while you wrap your head around that one... Coffee is terrible and takes forever. Pastries even worse.

The cakes here are truly excellent. Order them in advance. I'm not sure if it's the kind of place you'd go for a quick stop for pastries, coffee, etc., but it's certainly cute inside, and the selection of to go items can vary quite a bit. I'll leave those questions up to other reviewers. I really just go here for special occasions to order the various cakes, which are always perfect - never inconsistent, too dry, too moist, or unbalanced like many other bakeries can be. They just know what they are doing I guess.

The epitome of a neighborhood bake shop...independently owned and operated with french influence. This place doesnt have a huge variety of pastries that are full of sugar and coloring, but what they have is good! Cakes are their business, but if you have a sweet tooth and want something to satisfy the craving, think simple pastries with chocolates and creams :-)

Delicious and adorable pastry shop. I love their tarts and croissants. They sell cookies by the pound. Should give you an idea of how much they sell. Primarily a french pastry shop with tarts, cookies, and cakes. Their cakes look amazing. Service is nice, owner is always around. Their prices are very reasonable in my opinion. We got a delicious chocolate almond croissant, a decadent spinach and cheese croissant, a chocolate buttercream cupcake, a savory onion tart, coffee and tea for $17. Note: this is a French pastry shop. Don't expect anything here to be gluten free or dairy free. Expect everything to be delicious.

A coworker of mine turned me onto Marjolaine one day when we were craving something sweet around lunchtime. Having never been here before I wasn't sure what to expect but it absolutely exceeded my expectations. Not because I didn't think it would be good, but because I live right around the corner and had never heard of it. I had some ice cream from Ashley's and a few cookies that hit spot. Since then we had a German chocolate cake at work for my boss's birthday. The cake was pretty good, but a little dry. Coconut pecan frosting was delicious! I need to try more things from here!

One of the best places to get cake around this area. Call in advance. Try any cake with fresh fruit toppings!

Picked up a cake this morning for a work friend's birthday. It was a beautiful almond torte covered in strawberries, blackberries & blueberries. Not only was it absolutely gorgeous, but the texture, flavor, berries - everything - was delicious! I also picked up two adorable marzipan turkeys covered in chocolate. A fellow customer was a great spokeswoman for Marjolaine as she recommended other pastries, cakes and pointed me to their cute marzipan mice. I'm only given 4 stars because the service is fine but not outstanding and I need to try a lot more there before I can truly rave. That being said, it is absolutely worth a trip and while it is slightly more expensive than some other bakeries, the quality of the ingredients & skill of the baker makes what you pay more than worth the additional price!

A great way to start a Sunday morning! For all you early risers who want to enjoy a delicious breakfast be sure to try the hat Croissant Sandwiches. Ordered the egg & swiss cheese and the ham & american cheese and both were really good.

I ventured off campus a little over a mile and a half to Marjolaine's Pastry Shop on State Street. It was worth the walk. The instant I walked into the shop, a young woman warmly greeted me. She emerged in her apron from the realm of the open kitchen. The shop is cozy--not overly decorated and ornate, rather friendly and approachable by the shopper. There is a coffee and tea station to the right of the pastry displays, which encourages people to sit down in peace or enjoy their pastry with company around the small boutique tables by the window. The baker clearly enjoyed working there because she gave me heart felt descriptions of all the best selling and personal favorite treats. I found out that everything was made on premise and was put out fresh daily. They use only the nicest of ingredients and make everything from scratch. I was also impressed by what they do with the desserts that do not sell (I cannot imagine there are too many); she explained how they are donated to the men's shelter and to other nearby food donation places. Beyond the in store appearance, I became even more impressed. First, the selection was enormous. There are cakes, tarts, pies, French cookies, Italian cookies, cupcakes, mousses, custards, crème filled pastries, spiced breads, croissants, and their newest addition of artesian chocolates. They all had a very gourmet aesthetic in the displays and on the shelves. When I was asking the baker about Marjolaine's desserts, she assured me that they are not overly sweet which allows one to enjoy the whole dessert, rather than a few saccharine bites. Many of them contain mousses and pastry creams--light and beautiful on the palate. No matter what you get, each item is perfectly sweet, airy, crunchy when necessary, creamy and moist otherwise. As I am a fruit tart fanatic, I ordered the small one. The crust was crumbly and buttery, the cream was cool and fresh, the berries were juicy and succulent, and the glaze on the top had the slightest hint of citrus. An A+ experience! I definitely will go back... and recommend that you all journey there too!

Warning: I'm from Texas, which is no where near this place. I visited New Haven this weekend, and whilst exploring, found this place. My review comes from one purchase, but I hope it's accurate. I think this place is a cute, fun pastry shop, and the aesthetic is nice and kinda hipstery. My friend and I got half a pound of Almond Sprite cookies and half a pound of the Lemon cookies, and they were both pretty good. The Almond Sprites were my favorite: two almond flour cookies with I think raspberry jam in between, dipped in chocolate. Yum! The cookies are small, but buttery and rich and great gifts for friends. Service was really nice. I think they could tell we weren't from around the area and had no idea what we were doing, and the worker told us her suggestions. If I'm ever in the area again, will stop by to try more!

This is the best bakery in New Haven. Nothing but fresh top quality ingredients are used. Real butter, whipped cream,puff pastry,fresh fruits,quality chocolate,almond paste, etc Anyone who doesn't appreciate this can go elsewhere and get their fill of crisco, cool whip and vanillin.

I was a little disappointed by this place. I had a white chocolate raspberry tart and a chocolate one of some kind. They were good, but I guess I was hoping for more. I mean, they certainly weren't bad, by any stretch, but I guess my expectations were a little high. Granted, I have only just walked in and bought whatever was there, and this review is based on a one time experience, so perhaps if you special order something it's better, so maybe I'll give them a shot if I ever need to pre-order some kind of baked good. So, seeing how this review is based purely on my one and only time there, I'd still say give it a shot for yourself ...

We order from here for special occasions. Honestly, the treats are so damn good that we should order from there just because it is a Tuesday.... We have never been disappointed - 7 years and it is always great.

A great place to get unique chocolates and pastries. I have ordered cakes here a couple of times and service has been great. I loved their special marjolaine cake and cheesecake. I love their cheesecake and was surprised that it didn't cost too much. I didn't quite like the carrot cake however. Their desserts are not overpowered with sugar so its a good balance of sweet and not too much. My friend catered from them for her birthday before and it was beautifully dressed and the little pastries were cute and pretty. I was so impressed.

I went to Marjolaine on recommendation from a friend, and I was pleased with their selection of pretty pastries and delicious treats. I selected six different items which was a good amount to fill a pastry box. I decided to try a variety of treats as an alternative to bringing a cake for my mom's birthday. The selection looked impressive and definitely had that gourmet aesthetic. They wrapped the box with colorful string which made the package look even more dainty. Everyone was peering into the box and expressed statements of being impressed when the desserts were served for company. I tried a few bites of several desserts. The mouse was good, but not amazing. The chocolate was very rich and the cake had only a subtle flavor. The fruit tart was delicious and not overly sweet. The round hazelnut treat (I have forgotten the specific name) was outstanding. The textures were very light and airy, with a delicate balance of crunchy and creamy. It wasn't overpowering in its sweetness either. That item was my favorite. Back to my in store experience: The clerk was friendly and knowledgeable regarding the various items. The coffee was luke warm which somewhat accounts for the four star rating. Overall it is fairly pricey. My total was around $23 for six pastries and a small coffee. To me, it's more of a place for special occasions. The interior is very cozy and comfortable, so I could see enjoying a snack there, though the coffee situation is difficult to reconcile. It is located on State Street, so it is definitely a little off the beaten path of downtown New Haven, but the neighborhood is cute and there are a couple of other noteworthy restaurants on the same stretch of road. Worth a visit.

My b.f.'s family has been enjoying Marjolaine for years. I have often been the happy recipient of a little white paper bag filled with their wonderful Sarah Bernhardts (sort of a chewy almond cookie shaped like a Hershey's kiss and half dipped in chocolate). But their piece de resistance is their Concord cake. A meringue and chocolate delight. They don't often have it to take away, you need to order it ahead of time. It's worth it!

Marjolaine made our wedding cake last year, and I thought she did a beautiful job! We love supporting vibrant, woman-owned businesses, and have recommended her to our friends who are also getting married in the area. It was so fun and easy to choose our flavors and design during the consultation. The cake was as lovely as it was delicious. Our favorite part is that Arlene gifted us a fresh top tier cake for our one-year wedding anniversary (no gross freezer burn!), which we are enjoying this week!

After reading the reviews decided to stop by here after lunch down the street. Selection was comical. They had two types of croissants and some small fruit tarts. Their shelves were empty. We arrived around 1:00. Left empty handed.

I just discovered Marjolaine recently...and what a nice surprise! Everything I have tried here so far has been excellent, especially the poppy-seed pastry, although, to be honest, it would be nice if it were a little smaller. The cookies are light and tasty, and the chocolate filled croissant was great with the good coffee they serve. The cakes look great, but I haven't had them yet. This is exactly the kind of bakery/caffé that every neighborhood should have, and I'm really glad that Marjolaine is in my neighborhood.