Pastries By Randolph

The pastries and desserts are really good, though pricey. Love that they use custard in eclairs. We bought several cakes and they’re ok’ish, but we weren’t fans of the excessive amounts of cream & frosting used with minimal amounts of actual cake. Def try their desserts and even the bread too. Lots of parking at the back of the building.

My favorite pastry shop in Arlington. They have awesome cakes as well as many different pastries and yummy cookies. Definitely worth checking out.

Haven’t tried much but my first experience, I ordered the ham and cheese croissants and an eclair. While the croissant was nice and flaky, it had maybe a 1/2 slice of ham on it. I may as well have gotten a plain one. The Eclair was the best I have ever had. Filling in every bite and the chocolate icing was perfectly balanced.

My wife wanted a dessert so we tried here. It was great to have plenty of parking in back. Once we went in, we were greeted by friendly staff and they took our orders. While there’s no place to eat inside (bakery), there are three tables outside and the weather was gorgeous. I had the lemon meringue which very good and creamy. My wife enjoyed her creme brûlée. We still have to try the Oreo cheesecake and carrot cake.

*Update 2025 - they appear to have sold sometime around the 2024 holiday season. Quality, ingredients and service appear to have all been negatively affected. If you purchased bread from them because it didn't not contain milk you should be informed that many of their breads now list milk as an ingredient. Previous review - Fantastic local bakery. They have great breads and pastries. My go tos are the symphony cake, creme brulee, and almond croissant. They are also certified kosher, if that is relevant to anyone.

I placed an order with them for tea cookies for a tea party bridal shower and was told they were out of them when I went to pick them up. They never contacted me prior to picking up the order and I was furious. Check your orders so this doesn’t happen to you. I’ll never shop here again.

Great choices and reasonable prices. Was our first time there. I loved what I chose, which is salted caramel cupcake.

I have been getting cakes from here for 30+ years. I bought three cakes on July 5th, 2025. Mango & Passionfruit, White chocolate mousse, and chocolate buttercream. All the three cakes were stale. The white chocolate mousse was dry, old and yellow - rather than usually being cream colored. The chocolate cake was dry and very old, same with the mango cake. It has never been like this and the quality has gone extremely downhill. Had to throw them out.

My favorite pastries in Aelington!! Been going here since I was little and the Napoleans are as good as they were 15 years ago! The Lemon bae was delish!

I was in the area looking for something sweet and Pastries by Randolph came highly recommended on Yelp, so I figured why not. I was there on a weekend and they weren't too busy, plus they had about 3-4 employees ready to help. The employees were friendly enough. They offer a variety of cake slices and cookies. Even though all of them looked quite appetizing, I decided to go with something familiar for my first visit and I got the Napoleon. Unfortunately, this cake slice was very disappointing. The cream had the right flavor, but other than that it was dry. I grew up eating Napoleon so trust me when I say, this was not it. I'm comfortable with not ever going back.

Beautiful and delicious! A vendor brought our office team an assortment of delightful treats. I had a key lime cupcake which was the best cupcake I've ever eaten. I do not say that lightly.

We tried 3 items, in order of preference Mocha cream puff $3.75 - delicious, perfect texture Opera cake $6.75 - perfect balance of flavors Cappuccino mousse cup $6.75 - big, nice texture, not as flavorful as I'd hoped The shop had many other items and it was hard to decide, I'd return to try other items if in the area.

I was looking for a bakery that sold hamantaschen for the Jewish holiday of Purim and stumbled across Pastries By Randolph. Turns out it was right in my backyard! I can't believe I didn't know about this place before (it would've been too dangerous). I came on a Saturday morning and had a great experience choosing goods from the case. During my visit, several customers were picking up pre-ordered cakes that looked delicious. The staff were friendly and treated each customer with respect. I loved it! I cannot wait to try these hamantaschen but I just had to share my great store experience. I'm already planning my return trip. FYIs - the store is easy to locate and there is lots of free parking nearby. The baked goods are also Kosher certified.

Cyndy's Bottom Line: Endless desserts to choose from... *Hours: Mon-Fri, 7am-5pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Closed on Sunday *Parking up front and lot in back *Shop online for pick up: pastriesbyrandolph.com This is what we ate: *Apple Strudel - apple filling a delightful blend of cinnamon and sugar not overly sweet. *Blueberry scones - yummy amount of fresh plump blueberries, good buttery crumbly texture, golden brown outside with sprinkles of sugar on top. Delicious! *Lemon tart - a bright, citrusy & refreshing tart with a buttery crust. Yummy! A wide variety of desserts: cakes, pastries breads & breakfast items, assorted baked goods, pies & tarts, and platters. Great place to order desserts for a party. Suggest shopping online for pick up if you know what you want because they do sell out. Highly recommend!

The best sweet treats in the area. Customer service is superb Fresh treats Affordable Variety of desserts

Hot crossed buns, ribbon mousse cake, assorted small italian and french pastries, and fruit tarts have been a staple for my family over holidays, birthdays, engagements and other special occasions for over thirty years. I want their desserts at my wedding. I hope to be getting sweet treats from them for the next thirty years.

Ordered my wife's birthday cake this year and was very pleased! Wanted a photo of our cat printed on a cake and they delivered. Very tasty chocolate cake for what I thought was a reasonable price. Nice staff. Other pastries inside looked very cute and I would love to try again. The parking is a bit annoying, but it was worth it for how adorable the cake was!

My wife wanted a dessert so we tried here. It was great to have plenty of parking in back. Once we went in, we were greeted by friendly staff and they took our orders. While there's no place to eat inside (bakery), there are three tables outside and the weather was gorgeous. I had the lemon meringue which very good and creamy. My wife enjoyed her creme brûlée. We still have to try the Oreo cheesecake and carrot cake.

It was someone's birthday yesterday so one of my friends got a cake to celebrate! 4" RED VELVET CAKE I am usually wary of red velvet cakes because the cream cheese icing is usually overly sweet and heavy, but this one was surprisingly pleasant. I didn't think it was disgustingly sweet and while it's still pretty heavy, it was enjoyable with the red velvet cake. The cake itself was also not too sweet and not dry. Overall, this is a great cake to share between four people (recommended 4-6) and I actually liked that it's a square cake. I would prefer a bigger cake to icing ratio, but I know I'm in the minority when I say that. I'd definitely be down to come back to check out other cakes this bakery has for future occasions!

Amazing cakes, especially the white chocolate macadamia cake and some others that are equally tasty. Also, great service and always accommodating even my orders are last minute. It's a cute restaurant and always packed but they move quickly. I love this place!

This patisserie is so good that it's actually life-changing. I don't think I've ever endorsed anything as passionately as I have their kugelhopf (lightly toast it - IYKYK)

I pre-ordered a Cherry pie here for thanksgiving 2022. I went with Randolph's because it was one of the few bakeries that offered Thursday pick up. Which was easy and straightforward. There's parking both along the Main Street as well as behind the bakery where the pre-orders are picked up. Pie was shockingly heavy so I definitely got my moneys worth. And it was a hit with our small group.

This review has been a long time coming and is reason enough for me, a Yelp lurker, to post a review for the very first time. I've had to sift through my entire photo gallery to compile some photos--that is how long my immediate and extended families have enjoyed Randolph's exquisite confections as a tradition over the years. I've been having their symphony and mousse cakes since I was a kid and still enjoy them to the fullest every time. We have tried nearly all the signature cakes, most of the tarts, and many of the French pastries. Randolph continues to be consistently exceptional with quality ingredients, beautiful presentation, and just the right amount of sweetness! I've tried many, many bakeries around NOVA and have yet to find a better go-to bakery for French pastries. Always worth the price. Some of my faves are the symphony cake, tiramisu cake, marble mousse ribbon cake, Oreo cheesecake, mango mousse (wish they offered a full size!!), pear almond tart, opera. They also make great challah on Fridays and delicious pumpkin mousse pie around Thanksgiving. They can get busy and at times inconsistent during the holidays, but otherwise always a safe bet. Be sure to place orders ahead of time and sign up for emails for monthly coupons! Wonderful and pleasant staff as well with very easy pickup. Honestly cannot recommend Pastries by Randolph enough.

The owner knows how to produce excellent pastries but does not know how to run a business. Customer service always a shambolic experience and you have to pay close attention to what happens behind the counter because more often than not your 'server' will get your order wrong. Part of the problem is that the owner for whatever reason (possibly because he's too cheap) hires a lot of young kids who seem to be mentally deficient or out on work release from juvenile detention. There are a couple old timers behind the counter who know what they are doing but that's the exception. I used to go there all the time, now just for special occasions when I want a high quality pastry. Otherwise I really can't stand even setting foot in the store. I'd give them only a half star, if that were possible.

After 15 years of coming here, I can only recall them failing or not meeting the expectations they hold like once or twice. They have been proper ever since my parents were single, to their cute dates, and wedding day. Now, I've been coming here with my mans and we been indulging in these delights for idk how long when. The ribbon cake is there best cake they got, it is a very rich chocolate filled/mouse/cream cake. I've always had to order in advanced because on the weekends, they sell out pretty fast in the mornings. The strawberry shortcake disappointed a bit before, but I think they've redeemed themselves. All the other little pastries and delights are worth its bang for the buck, the cookies are on the next level. If you ever tried their seasonal chick that is a lemon meringue with raspberry at the bottom, the raspberry monkey faces taste very similar to that.

Let me just say, I've had my fair share of cakes...but this by far is one of my favorite cakes of all time! The white chocolate mousse cake is INCREDIBLE. So moist yet light and has a smooth and creamy mousse. The white chocolate pairs with the yellow cake so well and while it sounds simple, it truly is delicious. It's sweet but not overbearing and is very nicely decorated. The bakery is a little bit hidden in the corner of a shopping center. I had to make an awkward sharp left turn to get into the small center. Worth the trip to VA!

I ordered online to surprise my sister with these pasties and I was extremely impressed with the photos she sent me. She loved her pasties and I had to stop by and see it for myself. I was so overwhelmed by how many amazing options they had. This is just a glimpse of the items they had! Highly recommend this place.

The almond croissants are the only reason why I come here in the early morning. They are my reason for living. I used to live down the street, then had to drive in from Ashburn and now...I am sadly too far away to get there by opening and if you know how good the almond croissants are you know they are gone an hour after opening. So good. Best I have ever had.

This bakery is so good I have to look straight ahead when Au pass by on a daily basis to make sure I don't stop each and every single day. Every pastry I have tried from here has been absolutely delicious and I would highly recommend this bakery to anyone searching for AMAZING French or Italian pastries! The restaurant smells like fresh baking and it's such a nice environment. The staff are so nice and knowledgeable about all the desserts. One of my favorite spots in the DC metro area.

Excellent pastries! Professional bakery top quality! Great staff! Highly recommend this bakery if you need pastry products for any occasion!

We have been coming here since I was child. Parking isn't the greatest but man, the cakes are so worth it. They're definitely on the pricey side, but again, worth it! I love the fruit cake, white chocolate cake, and we have recently just tried their Napoleon cake, which was also surprise- amazing! You can order online but make sure to do it at least 3 days before. Their ordering system is super easy too. Would highly recommend to any dessert lovers!

This place has been a family favorite for YEARS. To be honest, I haven't had the chance to try everything because my family always only wants the white chocolate marble mousse cake. It is perfectly decadent, creamy, fluffy, & sweet! They do have curbside pickup now in the back of the building which is great! The online ordering makes things so much easier but it is also nice to go inside the bakery and look at everything they have out. The last time I came, I did get to try two small pastries - Oreo Cheesecake - perfectly creamy and not so sweet (I like mine sweeter so it was just okay for me) Fruit Tart - the fruit toppings were delicious as well as the custard. The crust was a tad too plain for my taste. What did bug me last time was that the girl that took my order, grabbed my pastries with bare hands and was trying to squish it in the box (I saw other associates wearing gloves to grab pastries and she did not) so she could've easily grazed it.

Loved this place! I work in ballston, about 7 minutes from here and have heard great things about this place so decided to stop in. Parking isn't bad, neither is finding this place. The girl that was helping me might have been new because she couldn't tell me what were in the cakes, but that's okay. I ended up leaving with a white chocolate mousse cake, a marbled mousse and something else. I liked them all. They were all really light and not too sweet which I really appreciated. My mom who doesn't really like sweets also liked their cakes. I would say that they don't accept Apple Pay so make sure you do bring a credit card physically with you!

This place is wonderful. Their cookies were beautiful and delicious. We had an anniversary cake as well and it was amazing. I recommend this place without hesitation.

Every birthday or holiday I come here. I will only come here. Everything here tastes amazing!!! I have introduced multiple people to Pastries by Randolph. I love this place. The staff is very friendly and kind.

I changed my mind again! I love their Vanilla Buttercream Cake and Strawberry Shortcake!

Got strawberry and cream cannoli, oreo cheesecake, and fruit pavlova to go. They were all very cute pastries and I got great service from the staff. I found out afterwards that the pavlova contains uncooked egg whites from the meringue. I'm supposed to avoid that, but did not have any stomach problems, I'm glad that their desserts are safe.

Delicious and cute little coffee shop! When you walk in there is a huge variety of options - don't forget the bottom row for a variety of delicious pastries. I have been here twice and was very impressed each time. The staff is very polite and quick, definitely able to easily get in and out quickly. Their pastries are both delicious and look amazing! If you are looking for cute pastries to impress your friends and family this is definitely the place! My friend and I enjoyed two croissants and two pastries today. The croissants are the best that I have found so far in the Arlington / DC area. The tiramisu was also delicious! This bakery is definitely a gem! I am constantly impressed by the entire experience in the bakery as well as the pastries (and believe me I'm picky)!

Stop. You found it. The BEST bakery in the area. Hands down!!! For those that live in Arlington or neighboring areas, this place is a gem (and many of you know this already). I have been buying cakes, pies, cookies, and other pastries from this place for decades. And year over year, the quality remains the same ... Excellent! At the very top of the list is their Signature Marble Mousse Ribbon cake. This is, and continues to be, my favorite cake from any bakery or restaurant, at anytime. It is so moist, no knives are needed. And the sweetness is just right ... balancing multiple chocolate cakes and mousse so brilliantly. If you have never tried anything from this bakery, this should be at the top of your list. But really, you can't go wrong with anything they sell. Pick what works for you. The bottom line ... you MUST give this place a try. Go Now!!!

Great cake! Ordered for our son and it was exactly how we ordered online! On time and exactly per asked. Love it

I came in to pick up a cake for a friend's birthday. I was hoping to find a cake that contained Nutella which they didn't have, and I didn't have enough time to order one in advance. The guy behind the counter patiently made some recommendations. I walked out with a chocolate truffle cake, some cupcakes, and two mini cheesecakes. The truffle cake and cupcakes were a hit at the party! I kept the two mini cheesecakes to myself and they were the best I've been able to find outside of Brooklyn. They're not too sweet and not too heavy. I'm so happy to have a go-to cheesecake spot in Arlington!

I have been trying to find a good bakery in Arlington that made good cakes, I've been let down over and over again trying multiple bakeries. Ordered my wife's birthday cake from Randolph's and had them make what was essentially the same flavor as our wedding cake we had back in Cleveland. I was preparing to be let down again, but this cake was amazing, and was actually better than our wedding cake from our favorite bakery from our hometown. I highly recommend this bakery for specialty cakes!

Stopped by here to pick up a dessert for a birthday while I was in town for the Thanksgiving holiday. I didn't really know what I wanted, I think I looked this place up and was leaning toward a tart, but I ended up getting a fruit cheesecake that was AMAZING! The staff were super nice and let me take my time. The case is ginormous and is sensory overload for all things bakery. My reasoning with getting a fruit cheese cake is that the fruit on top, makes it healthy, but the cake on bottom makes it a "cake". There's a reason why they say "birthday cake" and not "birthday tart" The shop is located on the corner end of a small strip shopping center. Lots of front parking, but I went a little early on the Friday after Thanksgiving so maybe the traffic was a little less than "normal". I don't recall seeing a ton of tables inside, but maybe a couple of outdoor tables on the walkway.... Really, this place feels like there's a lot a traffic of coming in, picking up, and heading out to either a party or another spot. I think they do a lot of custom ordered (cakes, etc) items as well. My only disappointment is that I don't live in Virginia to be able to frequent this place all the time.

Everything tastes so delicious!!!! The service is impeccable, super clean, and it is a disservice to yourself if you do not get pastries here!!!!

Randolph's pastries are a crowd pleaser! It's starts with their presentation, and proceeds to the first bit. Their cakes are my favorite for special occasions. They're always fresh and elegant.

I always thought things like hot cross buns and hammantaschen weren't really going to ever taste good, but you eat them once a year because of tradition. Like haggis on Burns Night. Until I had the hot cross buns and hammantaschen from PbR. Wow! They were pricey but definitely worth it.

Hold your judgments on this place before walking in. Once you walk inside, you'll be transported to a sweet tooth's dream. A long display counter that goes the length of the store will greet you immediately. With rows and rows of an assortment of pastries, chocolates, sweets, and baked goods. The choices are seemingly endless. For convenience sake, they've also put color-coordinated stickers onto each of the different pastries to make it clear as to which items have nuts or are gluten-free. From fruit-made ones such as Forest Berry Volcano and Raspberry Macaron to chocolate-made ones such as a Cappuccino Mouse Cake to the Chocolate Obsession. There is truly something for everyone.

We've been going to Randolph's for about 12 years and it is my go-to bakery for cakes. I love it because the cakes are less sweet than your typical cakes. The cakes almost taste more European/Swiss? My favorite cake is the chocolate ribbon mousse cake. It's beautiful and a crowd pleaser. The pastries can be a bit pricey but I think they are worth it. :)

My dad loves coconut cake so we get him one for his birthday every year from here. They do a really good job! The cake is pillowy soft and moist, and you can taste the coconut through and through. The lemon curd at the bottom is a nice touch that subtly amplifies the coconut flavor. It's not too sweet and the 8" round is the perfect size for our small family of three as well. The only thing about the location is parking can be a little nerve wracking sometimes but I'm always able to find a spot.

What great pastries. Unfortunately I cannot partake too much because if medical reasons, but Randolph's has superb pastries and cakes. Highly recommended.

Black forest cake, white chocolate mousse cake, all the individual pastries...omg just thinking about it is making me salivate. There's a reason why this place has been around forever. They're the best of the best for Northern VA. I'm sure if you grew up around here you already know about this place so this is for the out of towners or transplants. You can't go wrong with Randolph's.

All I can say is yummy! I tried their strawberries cake and it was to die for! It was perfect for my birthday celebration!!! Also they have a wide variety of goodies. This place is almost stop by .

Lovely and helpful staff. Delicious baked goods and desserts. Consistently good and a great part of our local community.

We ordered an assortment of pastries and also an apple strudel. Everything was exceptional!

cute little store with decent sweets. i like their cakes and tiny desserts. p.s. their butter croissants are sad - not buttery, not flaky. not worth $2.93 (tax included). harris teeter's $1.01 is much better valued

Amazing signature cakes and other pastries!!! I've ordered with ease and picked up a few cakes with no issues. They are following procedures to limit the number of guests in the shop due to COVID. Unlike other reviewers, I've had no issues with picking up my order on time, but I've only ordered during off holiday season times. Cakes were delicious and moist! Very accommodating in personalization and worth every penny!! Make a trip out to this delicious shop soon!

Best in class, few places you can find these kind of pastry in todays world even with a pandemic. Close to DCA airport, made a drop there and a pick up here. Nothing is bad, choices are difficult. Amazing Pavlova, that never happens the Lime tart with mergingue is a must! Christmas is super special here, I will be back for the Stollen

Ah-May-zing! PBR has earned its super fantastic rating with every mouth watering morsel they produce. It's our go-to for special occasion pastries.