Praliné French Patisserie

Very tasty almond croissant inside the heart of Cambridge. Praline is the perfect place to grab a coffee and a pastry and crank in a couple hours of work. Praline is a French bakery in Cambridge (I could hear their staff speaking French which is always a good sign!). Their pastries are all beautiful, but as always, I had to try their almond croissant. The croissant itself was light, moist yet still crispy on the bottom. The almond paste filling was very generous and evenly spread throughout. The paste tasted very natural with a strong nutty flavour. In my opinion, the almond paste lacked a bit of a “praliné” taste (it’s in their name after all!), and could have benefited from a bit of salt. Still overall a delicious croissant, and I’ll definitely be coming back to try more of their pastries! p.s: Iced latte was also very nice, perfect combination with the almond croissant!

1000% recommend! Especially for those who love French pastries! A great place for breakfast or to stop by for a cup of delicious tea or coffee with a friend. The spinach quiche is definitely one of the best I've tried! A large selection of French pastries, croissants and there is not a single one that I didn't like. Delicious, incredibly delicious!

Awesome dessert place in Central Square area! Very pricy but it’s totally worth it. Large variety of desserts and treats to buy for home (jams, pate).

The desserts on display are so pretty and tasty to look at, but I think it’s because they’ve been displayed outside for a little too long. By the time we got our cake it was kind of stiff. The one we got was a lot of rich flavor and chocolate. The inside of the place is rather clean and modern. It’s a nice place to just sit and chat with a friend.

Praliné is one of the best French pastry shops we have been to. It had a modern feel with ample of seating, the staff are pleasant and helpful and best if all the pastries are delicious. The shop is well stocked with high quality French teas and other goodies that can be difficult to find here. We tried only some of their sweet offerings, but they have sandwiches and other savory offerings as well. The Paris-Brest was flaky and crunchy and the praline hazelnut cream really stood out. Mille-feuille, is a classic that if all too often disrespected; stale, soggy and hard all at once. Not here! This one was perfectly flaky and the pastry cream had a delicious vanilla flavor. The cannelé was nice and crusty on the outside and perfectly chewy on the inside, the rum flavor was somewhat lacking, but otherwise a textbook cannelé. We also tried a dessert called a pecan chestnut square. This one had thin chocolate covering that cracked and gave way to a pillowy chestnut mouse that was absolutely divine. Praliné is among the best pastry shops we have been to in this country. We will definitely be returning whenever we are back in Boston!

Mar 2024: The macarons at the bakery were a highlight, especially the rich and flavorful mango one. The chocolate ones were equally delicious. However, the passion fruit with raspberries tart lacked balance, and the addition of strawberries could have enhanced its flavor. The raspberry addition felt out of place. The cost of the treats was a downside, considering the portion sizes. Despite this, the tuna sandwich was excellent, a bit hard to chew as it had three pieces of bread. It made for a nice treat for a small celebration. Overall, the bakery's offerings were creative and of high quality.

I rarely write negative reviews, but I just can’t stay silent about this place. The food at this bakery is absolutely terrible. Everything tasted so bad that I couldn’t even finish my order. The pastries were stale, as if they had been sitting out for days. There was barely any filling, and the overall flavor was disappointing, to say the least. The service was just as bad, the staff looked like they couldn’t care less about the customers. I walked out feeling utterly disappointed and determined never to come back. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone!

I found this French bakery by chance and I found it wonderful. All the desserts look amazing, I had no me with white chocolate that was super tasty. The coffee was very good too, and the staff very warm and attentive. I will be back

It's always fantastic. Great cookies candies and sandwiches Two locations and both equally delicious!

Got an almond croissant from a friend from here to try as I am an almond croissant fanatic and it's up there with some of the best I've had! Really buttery and with a good amount of almonds. It was soft and flat rather than crunchy and I liked it! The almond filling was very tasty and not artificial which I sometimes find in the US! Will be back to try more!

This place is awesome. Fresh croissants and pastries. The coffee was excellent as well. The almond croissant was delicious. So many things to try here!!

This such a cute little shop! Inside is fairly small but they have tables and a bar to fit a decent amount of people. The food is beautifully displayed and it makes it so hard to decide what to get. They also sell various snacks and drinks you can take home. The sesame bagel with smoked salmon is a must. Every morning we came here I had to get it! They were generous with the salmon and the bagel had a nice crunch but also soft inside. The almond chocolate croissant was also delicious. Flavorful and perfectly flaky the way a croissant should be! I'll for sure come back when I'm in the area again and highly recommend for your coffee and breakfast stop!

Ordered the passion fruit/mango Buche de Noel. It was nice but super underwhelming given the price and the reputation. For $71 I was expecting more extravagance in terms of appearance and decoration and a much stronger passion fruit punch; mango was definitely the main flavor. The texture contrast was also missing as the cookie layer did not go through the whole cake. I was looking for a wow dessert for the Christmas dessert table and this was not it.

Was craving a little sweet treat after some studying and Praliné did not disappoint. Great place to do some work and indulge in one of their pastries. Clean and spacious location. Au Pain Chocolate {4/5}: We got the last one in the case and it was still very flakey and buttery Pistachio Macaron {3/5}: Standard macaron, did not have the slight chewiness that I prefer with my macarons and the flavor was subtle Canelé {4/5}: Good size and a nice caramelized outside with a great tender vanilla center. One of the better canelés I have tried

Cozy cafe just off Mass Ave near Central Square. Great selection of baked goods and patisserie. The cafe au lait was a bit milkier than I expected but am planning to try out the other espresso-based coffees next time. The croissant was delicious- very buttery, a tad sweet, quite rich, not in a traditional croissant shape. Will be back!

I had a pistachio croissant from Brooklyn 2 weeks ago and I am chasing the flavor. When I knew I would be in Boston I thought probably some great croissants in the big city. I was going to be at MIT so my research began. It lead me to Praline's. Upon first glances I thought: clean, modern, nice employees and delicate desserts. A few things were already sold out but it was also 2:20pm. So I purchased a croissant and kouign amann. The Kouign was interesting in a good way! Shaped like a rose, hard on the outside soft inside like a croissant is supposed to be. The caramelized topping came off in a sheath and coated my back teeth which I didn't like as well as the hard exterior. I would eat this again even with the downfalls because of the flavor. The croissant- nothing to write home about. Needed to be softer and more flavorful.

A cute place to grab a sweet treat! The baked goods are pretty good- I'd recommend any of the croissants espevially. If you're looking for something a bit more filling, the salmon roll sandwich is a must get. The service is always quick and friendly, even on weekends when they're a busier. There isn't a ton of seating room, so I wouldn't recommend if you're looking for a place to sit and study for long periods of time, but great for a quick trip.

The bakery items are amazing! We have been coming to the Belmont bakery for years and now are also going to their bakery in Cambridge. The cakes are delicious to order for a birthday!

Though beautiful, the pastries and drinks at Praliné were unfortunately underwhelming. It's a beautiful spot to study or stop in for a quick bite, but the chai, the latte, the pear tart, and the pain au chocolat were unimpressive for a supposedly authentic patisserie. I felt that the pastries weren't fresh (perhaps because I came in around noon) and the drinks were lackluster. I'd return to try other menu items though, and likely for the array of French import items (jams, biscuits, etc.) they have on the shelves too.

Cute little cafe/patisserie tucked away next to central square. Came here at around 4pm on a Sunday and a lot of pastries and sandwiches were sold out already but they still had a few left. We got the croque monsieur and lemon meringue which were delicious! There are only 4 or 5 tables and a handful of barstools so not much seating area but it was clean and tidy. There was only one girl working at the time but it wasn't too busy so not much of a wait.

A really lovely almond croissant with tons of caramelized pieces and almonds. The sandwiches were nice but weren't as fresh since they were in the display case and reheated with wilted greens. They could probably use a nice mustard or fresh greens. I'll definitely be back for pastries though!

I found this spot by chance as I was passing through the neighborhood running errands. I stopped by and immediately fell in love with the decor - it's very light and airy, but still kind of cozy. I can see myself hanging out here with a friend, catching up over pastries and coffee. I've stopped by a couple of times now, as I often try my best to make a point to whenever I'm in town. The staff is phenomenal. always friendly and always more than happy to make recommendations. I've had many of their sandwiches and pastries, as well as drinks, and I can't say that I've ever not been impressed. This is a great spot for quick, light lunch with plenty of options for desert. It's always a pleasant experience to sit down and enjoy my food and drink here. My biggest surprise were the macarons - I usually am not a fan of macarons because I generally don't like eating a blob of sugar, but all of their macrons are very light, airy, and not overly sweet. Anytime I visit now, I have to pick up some. One additional note - they have a limited selection of French pantry items for sale, with a nice variety of loose leaf teas. Overall this place is a 5/5 from me, would recommend again and again.

I placed an order for delivery on 2/6/14 for Valentine's Day. I am currently in Hawaii and I wanted to surprise my girlfriend in Boston with the tart cakes that Praline is known for. I called this morning ahead of time, roughly around 7am their time (2am HST my time) and wanted to confirm they would be able to deliver the order. They confirmed. Later during the day, I get a call hours later while I am at work with them asking what I want to do since I didn't come to pick up the order... they said they already sold out of the pastries and would be able to make more tomorrow. I was given excuses of how they didn't receive the order on their end or that a delivery driver wasn't able to pick up the order, but wasn't given a direct answer or resolution for what happened. In conclusion, my girlfriend didn't get her pastries that I looked forward to her eating on Facetime for Valentine's day. It sucks how this type of service was displayed from a company that is known for top tier customer service. I will not be buying any pastries from them again. I also just got a voicemail from Grubhub saying that the order will be canceled... I am not sure why Grubhub is canceling my order but it seems Praline and its management is unable to resolve issues like this on their own. Sorry if this seemed like a very targeted post, I am just super frustrated that I prepared weeks in advance for my girlfriend and Valentine's day for me to receive this type of customer service.

Stopped in for a quick bite and tried the kouign amann and cannele. The pastries were delicious! The kouign amann was crispy and flaky on the outside, delightfully sweet on the inside. The cannele is made with just flour, milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla (according to the website), but it packs a unique custardy flavor on the inside. Definitely nothing like I've had before! Will probably try the macaroons next time I'm here. The lady behind the counter was so kind and quick to take our order. There were relatively few seats available inside on a Friday early afternoon; it seems like a nice, quiet place to get some work in.

I come here whenever I'm craving a chocolate croissant, which has been about five times in the past month. Their caneles are also amazing, with a perfectly caramelized exterior and a creamy custardy interior.

5 stars no doubt I based in nyc, and this shop easily excelled at many bakeries considered as bakeries of the year in nyc. Clean and on-point tastes, zen and serene ambiance, diligent and professional staffs, need say more?

This cafe has a nice ambiance--super cozy, clean, and comfy. I like that it's also well lit and has comfy seats. I ordered the almond croissant and while it tasted good, I was a bit disappointed by the texture. The croissant was extremely soggy, with no flakiness or crunch at all :/ Would come back for the vibes, but I'd get another item to eat.

Super expensive for what they offer as specialty items. However their Paris Breast was amazing. Not impressed with coffee.

Oh wow their chocolate caramel tart and chocolate coffee cake are so good. I am usually not a fan of dark chocolate but a milk chocolate person, but for these it is great. Coffee cake has so many layers and delicious. I also tried croissant. It was really crispy and amazing.

The desserts on display are so pretty and tasty to look at, but I think it's because they've been displayed outside for a little too long. By the time we got our cake it was kind of stiff. The one we got was a lot of rich flavor and chocolate. The inside of the place is rather clean and modern. It's a nice place to just sit and chat with a friend.

Been twice for almond croissants and enjoyed it both times. Very nice spot. I had my pastry to go both times but there is some nice seating inside that would probably be great for a bit of work. Owners seem friendly as well. Overall a very solid patisserie in Cambridge. Much tastier than Area4 Cafe down the road in my opinion.

I've seen this place before in passing but the times I went by it wasn't open. I was in the area this afternoon to get a foot massage, and thought- AHA! Now is my chance. I wanted to grab a little something for myself to eat after dinner, and a small gift for my boss and her husband. I had a hard time making a selection for myself but once I did, I could not have been more excited... I chose the blueberry tart. For my boss, I snagged a box of something I'd never heard of (Calisson? but they looked pretty). Once I got homemade and opened the box to take a peek at my pretty little tart... sadly, it was not blueberry. It was almond pear. FARTS. I was so crushed I almost fell to the floor: I was specifically craving blueberry and I had no desire to eat pears. I tossed it in the fridge with a sour face and a broken heart. Fast forward to just now... after dinner. I took the tart out and took a bite. ET VOILA! ENCROYABLE! the tart was the tastiest dessert I've had in a long time... the crust is so buttery and the texture is dense yet light (don't ask me how). The top edges are caramelized with a delectable crunch. The flavors are subtle yet distinct. I'm truly impressed. I am giving 4 stars due to the mistake on the flavor- but if I get other items in the future I might revisit.

When I think of a hidden gem, I think of Praliné. It's such a beautiful little place and every pastry I tried is so good. I also love how they have imported goods on display, as if I've stepped into France. There's some seating and the people at the counter were kind enough to share what they suggested. I think their pastries make a perfect gift for people and a nice treat for yourself.

TL:DR: They accused me of stealing the caneles that I produced a receipt for, three times. Then refused to apologize. I ordered 24 caneles back in early March for a birthday dinner and everything went fine. On Friday, March 31st, I ordered another 18 caneles for a party. I called and spoke to the owner, who charged my credit card $60 to accept the order. I asked if they could have them ready between 1-2pm the next day. I showed up at 1:30pm the next day and the girl at the front desk seemed confused that I was picking up an order and not ordering one canele. I showed her my email receipt. There was a lot of commotion behind the counter. The owner came out and I explained again that I was there to pick up my order of 18 caneles and I showed him my email receipt. More commotion behind the counter. He boxed up 3 caneles and handed them to me. I said, "I ordered 18." Again, I showed him my receipt. Then he told me that they would bake them and it would take "5 minutes." Um ok. Finally, the girl handed me a box and said, "Did you order 20 caneles?" I said, "no, I ordered 18." She held the box out and said, "well here are your caneles!" No one asked me to pay, because I had already showed the receipt three times! I'm driving home and my phone rings. It's the owner screaming at me that I left without paying and that he has "checked all the cameras!" I tried to tell him again that I paid the day before and that he was the one that took my order over the phone. He wouldn't listen. He kept screaming, "There is no record of you paying!! I've checked all the receipts! You didn't pay!" I told him that I could forward the email. He said, "that was from a month ago!! You have no other receipt!" I told him I would have to pull over. I pulled over, called him back and emailed him the receipt with him on the phone. The whole time, he is still screaming at me, not listening. Finally he saw my email with the receipt and instead of apologizing, he insisted it was fraud!" He hung up. Then he called me back and admitted he was wrong but refused to apologized properly. I spent roughly $130 at his business in the past month, but he will not get another dime from me.

What's not to love about French pastry done right? Usually, I just get coffee and a pastry. But I shouldn't say just. We're talking real well done French pastry. Butter. Good methods. Today I tried a sandwich and a butter croissant with my cortado. Wow. Poulet basque. Great sandwich on a crusty baguette. The butter croissant was moist and flaky and buttery. The cortado was bold and kicked just hard enough. Great counter to the food. The three items came to $20.33. Not an everyday lunch price, but easily a go-to treat. The man at the counter was polite and quick. The tall French lady (the owner, I think) was cordial and lovely. I want to hang out with her and bake things. Good stuff.

Excellent croissants and coffee. Came here for breakfast, the sandwiches look amazing and will have to come back here for lunch. Great service and wonderful atmosphere.

Dropped by around 6pm close to their closing time. They were out of some macaron flavors but still had a decent selection. Most of the pastries and tarts were gone by this time. I got a 4-pack of macarons ($11): espresso, blackcurrant violet, raspberry, and caramel. I enjoyed all of them. For the price ($2.75 ea) I thought the quality was good. The blackcurrant violet and raspberry macarons were filled with fruit preserves-- I'm used to raspberry macarons being tart but these were more sweet than tart. The blackcurrant violet filling was pretty tart, which really helped cut through the sweetness of the almond cookie. This one was my favorite! I highly recommend the caramel macaron for any caramel lovers out there! The middle of the macaron was filled with this thick, chewy, creamy, and toasty caramel filling. The espresso macaron had a whipped filling with plenty of espresso flavor. I loved how the espresso flavor complemented the almond flavor. Looking forward to trying their other pastries sometime!

Best almond and chocolate croissants! The macarons were not as amazing as expected but good.

Very nice ambience! Truly love their desserts but most importantly, they have teas and juices shipped straight from France! So lovely! I highly recommend going their for a nice coffee and an eclair. Staff really helpful as well!

Came here for the second time. The staff is friendly and helpful. I've tied their coffee opera, passion fruit mango raspberry tart, leek quiche and Mediterranean salad. All of which were just as good as their customer service. I raves about this place after my first visit and I'm glad I came back a second time!

Yummy desserts! We had the passionfruit tart, crème brûlée, and a chocolate hazelnut desserts. Not too sweet but they hit the spot after hot pot! Will come back here again. It's a nice spot to hang out or do your work.

Great place to stop by for dessert. I've tried several things from their store such as the croissants, kouign amann, and their canelés. All of them were delicious. Selection is not huge but they have a nice assortment of popular French pastries. They also offer drinks and sandwiches and have had enough seating available the times I've stopped by. Overall, good patisserie in the Central Square area.

Perfect. Perfect, perfect perfect perfect. Everything is perfect. And they gave us a small espresso cup for milk for our little one. You should go here and sit and drink and eat and sit.

4 stars for the hazelnut opera cake - creamy & light hazelnut crème with a crisp & crumbly hazelnut-cookie base topped with a thin layer of caramel. 3 stars for the ambiance - nice French patisserie with plenty of seating. 0 stars for the café au lait which might have been the worst cup of coffee I've had in a long time, including the free coffee pods I have at work.

This place is super cute, and has adorable pastries! Had a coffee and some dessert with a friend and (surprisingly, the place was empty??) Well anyway, the decor is elegant and the chairs are comfortable as well! Pastries include, croissants, eclairs, macarons, and other sweets. Maybe slightly pricey but I think worth the atmosphere of the cafe. I had a small tea and the hazelnut opera. Both were great!! Would recommend to others.

In most any other area besides Central Square, this place is probably a 4. But when you're down the street from Flour, Mariposa and Fromaggio, you really gotta step it up. And maybe not charge $5 for a dense slice of cake being sold as an almond croissant. You can look at the pictures and see what this place specializes in: Instagram pastries. To be fair, I didn't try any of them. But if the croissant isn't any good, why trust the marzipan Eiffel Tower?

Food is very good. Pastries are very good also. I would go back there again. Service was great. Ambiance ok for a pastry place.

I had my heart set on a croquembouche, the traditional French wedding dessert, for my daughter's wedding and must have called every French bakery in the Boston metro area (we are from another city). Finally I found Praline. They went above and beyond to make my dream come true. Their croquembouches were beautiful and delicious. They packaged them to make them easy to pick up and set up. The guests raved about them. I wish we lived closer. I would make them my regular bakery. If you live in Boston, you should!

Lovely little place with delicious desserts. We had the lemon meringue tart ($5.75) and the chocolate croissant. The lemon tart was probably the best I've ever had -- flaky buttery shell, tart smooth lemon curd, and pillowy toasted meringue. Delightful! The croissant was quite good as well, at least a 4/5. The inside of the shop is really elegant with nice seating options. We came around 1:30pm on a Saturday and many of the desserts were sold out -- we'll have to come earlier next time! I'm definitely looking forward to returning and trying some of their other exquisite pastries -- the raspberry passion fruit tart was sold out and sounds amazing. The prices are pretty standard for similar bakeries in the area (like Tatte) and totally worth it for the quality.

When I get homesick and crave a taste of France and/or Bretagne, I drive all the way to Praliné from Metrowest, and it's always worth it! Their pastries are refined, made with quality ingredients, and every bite is delicious. Even in France, Praliné would be a top patisserie. I am ever so grateful that they are here! They also make cakes to order for special events--I got a fraisier (the French equivalent of a strawberry shortcake) for a graduation party and it was spectacular in every sense of the word. Their macarons are the best I've had in the US. A different experience from all the other places you can find them--the way they're supposed to be: crunchy outside and soft inside, with a creamy explosion of flavor in the center. A macaron is not supposed to be dry and crunchy like a French meringue--as the ones from Whole Foods or Tous Les Jours sadly are. Side note for reviewer Ben B: Praliné is a genuine French patisserie. This means that their specialties are pastries and not viennoiseries (known in the US as "Danish" although they're from Austria). An almond croissant is not a pastry, it's a viennoiserie. And although Flour Bakery has excellent traditional American and English pastries, I encourage you to try a French pastry at Praliné for a more sophisticated experience.

The warm and gentle glow, the soft click of the door latch, the French decor, the delicate and numerous scents, and the warm smiles of the employees greet you with ambience so enticing you feel as though you've been swaddled in velvet and silk before you even reach the counter. The food is beautiful and every bit as tasty, from the perfectly sweet and tangy Raspberry Passionfruit Tart to the meltingly buttery Leek Quiche. Even the items that look overcooked (like the Almond Croissant) taste fabulous. The bakers here know what they're doing, and the service is always friendly and attentive. The small selection of packaged goods only adds to the fun and the ambience, from Duck Confit to Marzipan. The only beverages I've had here are the Iced Masala Chai Tea Latte and the Casablance Black Iced Tea, both of which demonstrated a complexity of spice, floral notes, and an ideal quantity of bitterness. If you haven't been here, you must come, and if you have been, I'm sure you'll be back. See you there!

So happy that I found this place and finally found time to go. The French pastries I got were really good. I will be back for sure.

We discovered this bakery on a walk and ordered two things. Both were delicious! We ate one there and one at home. Yummy. Much more refined delicious flavors than your average bakery. I also liked it because even though all the tables were filled it wasn't noisy. The staff was helpful and courteous.

Such a cute shop/cafe tucked around the corner from Mass Ave in Cambridge and definitely worth finding. The coffee was delicious and the pastries are something I still dream about. But the macrons were hands down amazing!!!! One bite and it took me back to being in France. I'll be visiting Praline each and every time I'm in Cambridge/Boston.

Amazing! Like walking into Paris in the middle of Cambridge! The almond chocolate croissant was so delicious! Almond, ham and cheese and chocolate croissants also top notch. They have great coffee too - enjoyed my latte! You can also pick up imported French goods like Mariage Tea which is hard to find!

Surprisingly the iced Lattes here are decent and better than what you would get at Starbucks.

Just wow. That was hands down the best ham &cheese quiche i have ever had, ever. Good coffee too, if i lived here i'd be here daily.