Renaud's Patisserie & Bistro

What a wonderful little gem of a bakery. They have a very nice outside patio and several tables inside. The menu is perfect for a patisserie. The baked specialities are superb and vary from bear claws to eclairs. The service is on the slow side as they seek perfection in every dish and presentation. The best French patisserie in Santa Barbara.

Ordered the cheese, ham and egg croissant sandwich for $15-$16 and also ordered the raspberry tart for $9 and coffee. Weather was great, sat outside and nice ambiance. Will always come back.

Outdoor seating is great for those of us still wary of sitting inside. The food is good, and service pretty quick. Get here before 8am when it starts to get busy.

Great pastry shop with unbelievable flavors. We tried the Exotic, the Bomb, the Raspberry Tart, and the Pecan Pie. The Bomb was the best and the biggest surprise. I was hesitant due to thinking it would be overly sweet. Yet, it was a light and fluffy take on Nutella or a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. Definitely worth buying. The Raspberry Tart was everything I hoped it would be. The Pecan Pie had me thinking of Mexican style caramel with the basics of pecan pie. I could see my mother loving this pastry. The Exotic was fruity, tangy, and delicious. I did wish the pistachio was more present than the dragon fruit. But there I was still able to eat it all without issue. I loved this place. You would be doing a disservice to your taste buds if you didn't order multiple pastries.

Great place for lunch We had some delicious desserts and sandwiches The chocolate eclair and passion fruit tart was delicious and good balance of flavors , not too sweet

Best place to have breakfast or lunch or just have a relaxing tea with a delicious pastry 👌🥰 this is a must when in Santa Barbra 🤩

A fantastic place to indulge in authentic French pastries. My local brother from another mother met up here to have a nice morning coffee and yummy food. The quiche was out of this world! All of the pastries we tried were superb. Will definitely be back when our travels find us in Santa Barbara.

Great place - I had a really delicious omelette with potatoes that were perfect and good coffee too.

I preordered a decadent cake for Christmas. We've had these cakes before and they are excellent. This time the cake was stale. It had obviously been sitting in their refrigerator for a while. Disappointed, especially since it's an expensive, but usually worth it, cake.

Cute French Patisserie right next to Harry's bar near Los Positas and State. Nice area outside to enjoy your breakfast/coffee. Cute inside area as well. You can order at the table with a QR code or go to the counter and order. I had a wonderful morning bun that was like a rolled croissant with cinnamon and sugar and a late. The morning bun was heavenly with coffee. Not too sweet but could taste the buttery croissant flavor. We loved this place so much that my girlfriend and I had our coffee here both mornings we were in SB. We are looking forward to next time. The prices here were also great. There are some bakeries in Fresno charging more for their product than this place, and they aren't as good.

Very disappointed in the extremely over baked crust on the 9.5" caramelized apple pie I bought just before Christmas. I understand they have a lot to make and sell, and maybe that's why I received it frozen, which I didn't expect. I also didn't expect it to be really bitter. I assume because of the very dark (burned?) crust. To make it more unappealing, because it was frozen and thawed out, the additional moisture made the crust mushy. So it was a bitter and mushy apple pie. I have had many things from this bakery before- the croissants are amazing- so it was a shock to me. Totally embarrassing to serve my guests this for dessert on Christmas, and since I had such blind faith in the quality, I didn't have a backup!

I needed a Bouche de Noel on Christmas Eve and I completely forgot to order it in advance. I hoped and prayed on Christmas Eve afternoon that Gelsons would have just one more left for me and they did!! Renaud's really came through for me and made the perfect Christmas Eve family celebration. It was perfectly decorated and was the highlight of our dinner. Thank you Thank you!!

The pastries are so good, literally to die for. They're so beautifully made too. It seems like the baker puts lots of time into putting them together. I'd suggest the sticky bun. The macaroons were really delicious. The apple pie pastry was just okay. The place is clean, service is quick, and parking is easy . Ambiance is nice.

Niçoise salad was delightful. Of course, the desserts NEVER disappoint here. Would definitely recommend coming here on repeat

Such a cute little spot to enjoy breakfast or lunch! They have fresh pastries and a spacious front patio. They have a self service kiosk to order drinks or food from their menu. Took a little bit of time to get my food, but I'd say it was mostly worth the wait. Their chicken sandwich was most savory and hot.

This place definitely has cheesy chain vibes but the food was a-ok. The place gets busy and I found the ordering system to be wonky. They advertise being able to order from your table by scanning a QR code but that was nowhere to be found. So, if you get there during a busy period, you have to wait in line to order. The patio seating is also limited, so if you're in a group of more than four it can be tricky. I ordered the egg, ham and cheese croissant with breakfast potatoes. It's a generous portion that I was happy to share with my husband. We also ordered a yogurt bowl which was presented nicely, but just too sweet for our personal taste. As far as croissants go, I think they're good and everyone else at our table enjoyed all of the sweet items they ordered.

One of the few pastry shops open until 4:00pm in SB. We arrived at 3:15pm and were told that the kitchen was closed and that we could only order pastries and they could not be warmed up. There is a kiosk screen on the counter when you first walk in that you can place your order. While I was using the kiosk, the man at the cashier was taking new orders in line. I ordered a 16oz hot chai latte, a cinnamon hazelnut roll and an almond croissant. The chai latte was perfection. I love that there was a lot of cinnamon topped off. The hazelnut cinnamon roll was so flakey and buttery. The cinnamon flavor was not overbearing but just right. The almond croissant was flakey with light almond, slight sweetness and buttery flavor. Great pastries from what you would expect from a specialty bakery. Highly recommend. They have indoor seating but you know the drill; when in SB you must enjoy the beautiful weather and fresh air. So we sat on the patio seating.

The most consistent and delicious place for breakfast in SB! The coffee and the breakfast is so fresh & delightful. It keeps me coming back.

Macarons: ok. I've had better but it comes in nice boxes. Croissants: I'm looking for the best croissant in California. This one is a close one for 1st or second place. It comes down to preference. It has the correct texture and taste. It falls slightly in buttery taste (like a smidge 3 percent). If you like fluffier texture, you'll prefer the slightly more dense/layered croissants from Bree'osh. Both good and I would have both any day. The Bomb: too mousse for me. I prefer more texture. The crunchy hazelnut on the outside added crunch factor but it was stale. It

The desserts are delicious! Service was wonderful and everything very fresh. We really enjoyed the croissants and my son the cookies. Highly recommended a few are looking for a sweet treat in the area!

Best quiche in town! Renauds is outstanding and all of their dishes are such quality. Truly loved and enjoyed by the SB community. Special shout out to Jean as well - she always makes magic happen!

Renau's is so delightful; the employees are very friendly and knowledgeable and the establishment is clean and welcoming. The food is delicious and the desserts are delectable. I highly recommend visiting!

French breakfast, yes pls! So delicious! Perfect cappuccinos, almond croissant and ooh la la the quiche Lorraine AMAZING! Staff was friendly! Merry Christmas‍

How can it get any better? The perfect cappuccino and a beautifully flakey croissant. A delightful patio space with interesting people sketching, laughing, and having a merry day. Got here just as they were closing. The gentleman was polite but I used the touchscreen to order so that he could prepare for closing. My order was simple and he seemed grateful. But I missed the wall of cookies and take aways.

Self order, which was efficient and fine. The almond croissant was great. The chocolate croissant was ok. The veggie quiche was excellent, good flavor, crisp, tasty crust. The omelette was big! And very fresh and tasty. The hazelnut mini dome cake was very very good too. Morning bun like a rolled up churro. Next time, I would get the omelette, almond croissant, morning bun and oh, the mocha was delicious, if a tad on the sweet side.

Wow, that pain au chocolat was hiding behind the counter and not in the glass pastry case. I almost missed ordering it! And, thankful I looked behind and up to see it. That pain au chocolat was perfection. Airy, flaky, not too buttery, everything it should be. I bought the almond croissant for a friend. It's taking everything in my willpower to not eat it myself. It is generously topped with almond slices like I've never seen anywhere else. Yes, I'm a Francophile and I do go hunting for French patisseries everywhere. The only thing this place is missing is a lovely patio that Caje across the street has. A perfect combo would be to get this croissants here and bring it over to that patio to go with your hot beverage. Shhh! Don't tell anyone this plan I've got cooked up for my next visit to Santa Barbara.

Upper State Street convenient. This is a local favorite location but it's low-key... relaxing, and very quiet for the early morning. Something I appreciated. It felt like just being in Europe at a nice café only tropical. As you can see in the picture, the breakfast sandwich was delicious.... And the potatoes were all kinds of amazing good.... This humble item continues to fascinate me with its possibilities. Some of the most delicious breakfast potatoes I've had! They're known for the bakery items, desserts. As usual, I focused on savory! It was just the perfect meal to start the day. The coffee and everything that they make is of a very high quality! A must! -G

Best chocolate croissants I've ever had. Super buttery. I wish they were in LA. I crave these and think about them a lot. LOL LOL Sat outside. Only been here once pre-COVID. Got a meal here.

The staff here is very sweet and the food is SO GOOD! The fried egg sandwich is one of the best I've ever had--especially because of the quality of the bread and the addition of the mushrooms. The french toast was also really tasty because of the bread. Sooooo soft it melted in my mouth!

Renaud's is my go to for their desserts, but we decided to go have breakfast. Beautiful patio and the food was so good. It's what you would expect from one of Santa Barbara's premier bakeries. Fresh bread, high quality ingredients and homemade sauces!! Deelicious! What a great way to start the weekend!

NO signage - Came to this location today due to the 60cent non dairy charge vs 90 cent at their other locations. Even without the Axxess discount this is better especially when ordering a number of latte like drinks. However NO Signage. no updates on their website. 1. They raised their prices to 90 cents per non dairy drink. 2. Yet they did not add Axxess back into the system at this location No signage. Too high of non dairy milk upcharge. No notification of the 50% upcharge. Says they accept Axxess but they do not at Loreto plaza. Be transparent Good pastries. Great deserts. No vegan options.

Black forest yule log (over the Christmas holidays), ordered from the Gelson's location. To. Die. For. Perfection.

Nothing beats their almond croissant! It is delicious. It had been a while since I dined in and while I enjoyed the table service it was a bit disjointed. We put our initial order in but after a while we wanted another mimosa. The server we asked suggested we use the QR code to order through their app. Alas, alcohol was the only thing we couldn't order with the app. I flagged another server down and success, or partial success. They only had one cold split of Prosecco remaining so my spouse and I split it of course. Still, no complaints about the latte, juice or pork sandwich. While not a complaint, I ordered the Croque Monsieur but ended up wishing I'd ordered the Croque Madam. The sandwich was a bit dry without the egg. It was still good but next time . . .

My wife and I are now semi-regular customers of Renaud's as we love the food, pastries, and ambiance. We both feel that we get a genuine French breakfast experience every time we have our morning coffee and croissant sandwich at Renaud's for a reasonable price. I would like to point out that the gentleman who takes our order at the front desk, Alfonso, always makes sure that we get exactly what we need and sometimes offers suggestions for new things to try out. Alfonso makes us feel welcome, always checking from table to table to ensure customers are happy, making this a great better breakfast experience every time we visit.

Incredible brunch/lunch food! Ham, cheese, and egg on croissant melts in your mouth! Egg, tomato, mushroom, cheese, and egg on thickly sliced sourdough is hearty and tasty. Side potatoes are perfectly soft inside with just the right texture skins outside. Seasoned with garlic or something. Outdoor patio seating is great for some sun.

This place by far has the best almond croissants!!! Flaky buttery goodness! Also ordered their fried egg sandwich, egg, ham and cheese croissant, and omelette. All were standard but the croissant itself from the sandwich was also amazing. Was disappointed with the fried egg sandwich though. For some reason, the pain de mie it came on was covered in lint so was too grossed out to eat it. Ended up eating just the tomato, egg, and bacon. Would be back for their croissants/pastries.

Busy as usual but well worth the wait. The macarons here are by far some of the best I have tasted. Came here for brunch today and breakfast was like a dream. The iced chai tea had the perfect balance of chai and sweet and the avocado toast was crunchy & savory. The Pain Aux Raisins needed more raisins. Next time I will order it warmed. A must try in Santa Barbara !

Thank you Renaud's Patisserie & Bistro for always being consistent in service and product no matter what location we visit. In Santa Barbara this is a must stop and try something. There is a reason the Renaud's is always voted best of Santa Barbara french bakery. Stopped at Renaud's uptown for brunch, always done just the way you order. Great service and love the outdoor seating. And of course one must get a chocolate or almond croissant or a fabulous cookie. Special occasion or holiday don't forget to order your pie or cake. Anything chocolate is the best. Thanks again Renaud's

So yummy. I had to still my daily almond croissant bc it was sticking to my hips. Folks are nice and great rewards program. Outside seating is great too.

Stopped here for a quick bite before we continued on the way to cemetery The breakfast croissant for me, and fried breakfast sandwich, for my husband, were good. First time here. We've been to Harry's next door and thought we were going to eat there but found out Harry's didn't open until 11am. We were an hour too early. But decided to go into Renaud's. We will be back.

Selections are great! Staff is friendly and professional. They even play relaxing music while You enjoy your pastries! What a good spot!!

This review is only about the pastry and not the small restaurant itself. We walked by the display of baked goods and things looked absolutely delicious, so we purchased two almond croissants and a raspberry rugelach and a chocolate rugelach to take home. Beyond disappointing. The almond croissants had almost no flavor and way too much butter. They were pasty rather than flaky. We shared one ($7 each mind you) and threw the other away. The raspberry rugalach and the chocolate one almost tasted the same and they were greasy. Definitely not going back.

This is the last time I eat at Renaud's. We ordered using the fancy online system. We were quite excited to be able to customize ourselves and pay our tabs separately. It seemed like a great system...but it never went to the kitchen. When I asked a staff person about our order he said, "Oh, it doesn't work." Yet there is a sticker, right on the table, with a QR code, telling you to order. "You have to go inside and tell the cashier." I stood in line (the place was understaffed on a Tuesday at 1-2 PM, prime lunch hour), and asked about our order and was told again, "It doesn't work." The cashier was unapologetic and made no effort to make me feel better about the generous wait time we had allowed for the small understaffed location. I had to pull up the order on my phone for her so she could enter it. I did tell her all the things we had requested, but our modifications (plain baguette, not garlic bread, iced chai not hot) did not all make it into the order. Having arrived at 1PM, asked at 1:40 about the order, waiting in line, and then waiting ANOTHER 30 minutes, our salad, sandwich, and two drinks arrived by 2:30. One drink was hot instead of iced and it was all delivered to us one bit at a time, not altogether as a meal, even though the cashier had to re-enter it all as a whole order. I had a salad, and while the greens were fresh, the chicken was very dry. Overall, the food was just meh-not worth the money and definitely not worth the wait. Perhaps their pastries are good, but I can't recommend the lunch items, service, or systems they have in place for taking care of their customers.

I love their pastries. Almond croissant was tasty. My favorite is peach mint tea. This cafe is in the plaza so you can stop by Gelson's for grocery shopping after having a tea

Renaud's is a great spot for pastries, breakfast, or lunch. I got a salad with salmon that was not only delicious, but also huge. And also affordable! I think the quality to price here is really good value. The people there are always nice and helpful. When we were eating lunch, it was sunny and warm. But it was a little breezy, so the patio heaters were also turned on. To me, that's the ultimate luxury and it was very comfortable.

We were visiting Santa Barbara and used Yelp to find this Patisserie. There are three locations but we went to this one twice during our four day trip. You know it has to be good if someone goes twice in four days! My husband and I had the most delicious quiche Lorraine we've ever had. The quiche is creamy and light and full of flavor! Everything about the quiche is so good, including the crust. We loved it so much that we returned to have it again. It comes with potatoes or fruit. The first time I had the fruit with it and I will say that it was amazing fruit! Not just the run of the mill either...it was plum, peach and honeydew....all very sweet! My husband and the potatoes and they were so flavorful. I had an iced peach mint tea to accompany my quiche and it was fabulous. All the pastries looked wonderful but we resisted. There is usually a line so be aware of that. It is so worth it though!

Wow what a great place to eat. The bakery is also fantastic. Whenever we are in Santa Barbara we eat here. TheirFrench toast for breakfast is absolutely out of this world. The almond Croissant Ooh La La. They do have water cell service inside the restaurant. It's small so the ambience Is OK.

Ooh la la! It was only 8am and there was already a line outside the door! That's when you know a place is really good for something. I've been wanting to try the croissants here for so long and finally last weekend I did! I had the almond croissant ($5) & it was super good and tasty, although halfway through it did get overwhelming sweet. But I do love the amount of almonds they put on the top, they pack it in! Plus the portion size is huge! I definitely want to go back and try the chocolate croissant.

Great spot for breakfast and the prices were pretty reasonable. The quiche was smooth and creamy with a crispy crust. But I believe Renaud's is known for pastries. The wife spent about $50 on cookies and baked goods. Everything we tasted was great.

One of the best patisseries I've been to outside of France. Whether you get the plain croissant, the almond-studded one, or the pain au chocolat, all their pastries choices are delicious. Renaud's can be found in Loreto Plaza along State Street and Las Positas. It shares parking with many businesses such as Gelsen's and Chaucer's, but there's plenty of spots. The bakery menu consists of muffins, macarons, cookies, quiches, chocolates, cakes, pies, petit gâteaus, meringues, and other breads and packaged sweets. Their drink selection is extensive, serving various cold beverages and coffees. They also have a bistro menu if you're planning to stay for breakfast or lunch. You can find everything from omelettes to Croque Madame. A few Yelpers have expressed some disappointment with the food, and I can echo this sentiment. Their sandwiches tend to be hit or miss, and I've had a few inconsistent experiences that convinced me it's best to go elsewhere for brunch. But their croissants are consistently solid. Renaud's almond croissant is generously encrusted, and they don't skimp on the filling. On my most recent visit I opted for a regular croissant, which was just as amazing. The outer layer is beautifully golden, while the inner layers are perfectly buttery, flakey, and puffy.

BEST croissants in town, so flaky and buttery and delicious. Ask for the raspberry jelly, it's so delicious.

Renaud's in 5 words: French flavors, American portion sizes. Renaud's in 6 words: everything tastes delicious, every single time. Renaud's in 7 words: my favorite brunch place in Santa Barbara. There are so many things that I can say bout Renaud's that I felt a need to restrict my word count. Otherwise, I will sit here and praise all day. Everything I have ever tried here was delicious, with enormous and delicious croque monsieurs to quiche Lorraines that were so fluffy that I can never have quiches elsewhere again. Even the desserts are delicious. Oh! And the freshly squeezed orange juice! It does hurt my pockets because at about $8 a glass, they are more expensive than some large bottles from the store...but so worth it! They taste just like freshly squeezed oj from europe and bring me so much joy that I by myself the juice as a treat after a hard week. My other favorite thing from Renaud's is the salad that comes as a side with the food. The dressing is so perfect and it complements all the dishes so well! Honestly, I even like the water from this place. This is definitely my favorite brunch- no, just all around my favorite food place in SB!

I love you Renaud's but no potatoes, no decaf, and no service? Dodging other patrons, staff, "waiters"/bussers, to carry my full cup of coffee across the restaurant. Single restroom for everyone. Maybe its time to expand--your service, location, and potatoes! Second time I came and no potatoes. Live and learn...? Other patrons have caught on--they picked up their phone order and sat right down to eat it. Hoping it's at least 2 stars today. We'll see.

Enjoyed the new nighttime wine experience at Renaud's in Montecito (Friday/Saturdays only). Lots of choices - 2, 4, or 6 ounce pours, individually or in flights, with food paired to wine or a la carte. Most fun was the mystery trio, which we were not skilled enough to guess (no free Champagne, darn). Dinner food was excellent! Wines from France, Italy, & US. Staff was very attentive & accommodating. We plan to return with different groups of friends.

Come for the pastries not the food! Unfortunately on my latest visit I was left very unimpressed with my breakfast. Not only was it overpriced but it was skimpy and tasteless. I ordered the 1 2 3 which comes with a slice of French toast, 2 eggs, and 3 slices of bacon ($13). When it was brought out the bacon was missing! I quickly pointed it out to the server and she looked very puzzled, but proceeded to head into the kitchen to get it. When she brought it out they shorted me a slice. Yet again another fail. My cousin ordered the eggs benedict ($13). It came with dry overcooked bacon, fruit and a baguette. Absolutely nothing special about it! My picture says it all. Where's the hollandaise? The pastries is what you want to come here for! They have the best almond croissants in town. I have yet to try the other pastries but they are beautifully displayed and I'm sure well worth the purchase. Even though my breakfast was a let down I might come back to try their lunch menu. I have the Axxess card and it's a BOGO offer. I'm all about a good discount! Overall great pastries but save your money and get a full breakfast meal elsewhere. I promise you will get more for bang for your buck!

Absolutely fabulous! Must search my phone for photos and add after but always delicious the best almond croissants I've ever had... it's truly another pastry animal altogether. You've likely never fully lived until you've had one... even if it's soooooo not on your eating plan like mine (whoops, thx enzymes) it was worth the consequences! I do wish they had some gluten free and dairy free selections. I hope they will have them soon. Nice location with dog friendly patio tucked in then end corner of the parking lot in Loreto Plaza by Gelson's for years has been a go to for locals... A lot less dreamy in description without worthiness but I will aim to post some better photos for y'all who haven't been there! I went to high school just up the street so I've had my post office box there about 25 years! Love to fequent many other businesses in the Plaza like Federal drug and other awesome iconic spots like Chaucer's bookstore and some changing businesses over the years. So this is absolutely somewhere I am near often!!! The food is well loved and the service is definitely adequate or better in my experience lately. Depends on the day the person etc. Renauds is a slice of French pastry heaven in a foodie town...Tarts, croissants, macarons etc. all gorgeous! One of our well loved places that anyone visiting or living here should frequent for a bite even if you just grab a single macaron it's worth it. Tarts etc. gorgeous single or quadrupled in a box. Delightful.o Great as gifts for others if it's not on their food plan also...and if it's they will beyond thank you for it. ;) Cheers!

Wish I could Rate 4.5 because they are so close. 5 stars for French ambiance, ample indoor/outdoor seating, and attentive friendly staff. Solid croissants and other pastries. Coffee satisfies. Quiche and breakfast sandwiches delicious. Had to knock off points for a service issue- didn't get my coffee until after our food was delivered and counter ordering was slow. Definitely try this place if craving a European experience, but not if you're in a hurry.