Sweets by Shayda Cafe

Sweets by Shayda is the BEST. Not only are the sweet treats absolutely gorgeous AND delicious, Shayda and her team are a breeze to work with. My husband ordered an anniversary cake with a few loose ideas and Shayda made the most beautiful cake (I actually shed a few tears over it because it was so incredible). Shayda greeted us and wished us a happy anniversary as soon as we walked into the shop to pick up the cake, which was so sweet. If you need anything specially made or just in the mood for a treat, Shayda's is the place to go. :)

A lovely small bakery where macaroons are the star. I don't live in Durham, so I searched online for a downtown bakery. I was impressed with the photos and reviews. Our party had carrot cake (tasty with crushed pineapple between the layers), lemon lavender cake (a pretty molded presentation was heavier on custard/curd than cake with a delicate lemon bite and only a hint of sweetness), pistachio ??? (it wasn't cake, it was bread...like a croissant...and it didn't pair well with the pistachio filling which was like a pistachio cream cheese-like mound. Pretty to look at but disappointing on taste), opera cake (lacked rich chocolate flavor and sweetness but suitable as a complement to coffee), birthday macaroons (delicious). Only a few tables for indoor dining. A lovely floral photo/selfie backdrop.

We have always loved Shayda's desserts, especially her macarons and carrot cake! When it came time to pick a bakery for our wedding, we knew exactly where to go! Shayda was so sweet and listened to everything we were looking for on the big day! We asked if she could make a specialty dessert from a family recipe and she made it happen! Everything tasted amazing and we couldn't have gone to a better bakery for our wedding day!

Just unbelievably great cakes! Plus ice cream and espresso! I split a piece of carrot cake and opera cake with my son-in-law. Dreamy…

I recently heard of this local woman-owned bakery, and stopped by to get one of her vaunted croissants and a piece of cake. The carrot cake with cheesecake filling was so good that I ordered a 6" whole cake for a friend's surprise birthday party. It was beautiful and delicious, dense and moist. A hit indeed for which I received lots of compliments! I was a bit concerned about the size, as there were 10 guests -- but when I opened the box, I discovered it was so TALL that there was plenty and the guest of honor even took some home! The almond croissants are out-of-this-world, and Shayda's Viennese Opera cake is one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life. We're lucky to have 'Sweets By Shayda' in Durham because its less expensive than a trip to Manhattan or Paris. 💚

I'm a stickler for something sweet, so the fact that this place has the freshest and yummiest sweets I've ever had was awesome. I didn't feel like it was overly sweet. The macarons are great. The raspberry macaron was amazing. The croissants are awesome! Everything was great like literally everything was great..

I cannot say enough good things about this magical place. As a pastry chef myself, finding a good macaron is HARD. I found out about this place last year and ordered some things for my bridal shower brunch and I've been hooked since. Everytime I come in town I have to get at least a dozen macarons, a croissant & whatever else catches my eye. I'm already thinking about getting more.

We stopped by Sweets by Shayda for a coffee and decided to try the Raspberry Macaron Cake—and we were pleasantly surprised! This delightful treat delivered a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. The crisp and chewy macaron shells sandwich a rich, creamy filling and fresh raspberries, making each bite a burst of texture and taste. The swirl design on top added a charming touch, and the gluten-free note is a thoughtful bonus for those with dietary needs. At $8.50, it’s a bit of a splurge, but well worth it for a quality treat. It pairs beautifully with a coffee and makes for an elegant dessert. Highly recommended for macaron lovers and anyone looking for a unique pastry experience.

I was introduced to Sweets by Shayla via TooGoodToGo. I got a surprise sweets bag. I received an assortment of colorful macarons. The flavors were delicious and well executed. They were the highlight of my day tbh. Service was short and sweet. The ambiance of the sweet shop is very light and airy. Beautiful location with parking out front.

Parking is along the street or where ever you can find it. We lucked out and got a park in front of the store. It is so cute in side. There a few tables to sit, but they were full when I dropped in. My daughter loves macarons. We picked 6 ($16). They had other pastries and coffee. A selfie wall full of beautiful pink flowers is located in the front. The owner seems to be nice, maybe shy. She has a wonderful concept and her desserts are amazing. They are well packaged and made it safely home without being damaged through the ride. My daughter quickly opened the box of macarons as soon as she could. I'm not sure if they all made it through the night. She said they were delicious. We will definitely be back.

Our treats were SO good!! Also got an iced coffee and that was perfect! Such a cute little place, would definitely recommend:)

Taste of Carolina - Durham Food Tour - 23 Dec 2023 Wow, Taste of Carolina really delivered some excellent bites in Durham today. Our agenda today included stops at: Toasted, Boricua Soul, Queeny's, Bull City Burger, sweets by Shayda. All restaurants did an excellent job. There were six in our party. Here are my individual notes. Toasted - Toasted has been thriving in Durham for over a decade. They offer unique soups and toasted bites/panini's. We were served a cauliflower soup and an avocado crustini. I loved the cauliflower soup. It was surprisingly creamy and tasty. Two In our party loved the avacado crustini, Boricua Soul - This place is special. The husband and wife owners have a captivating story to share about the historical and Philosophical origins of their culinary adventure. They served us a "lunch box" with perfectly prepared Puerto Rican roast pork, greens (soul food) , Mac & Cheese (soul food) and tostones (Puerto Rican). It was a huge bite and was the favorite stop for 5 people in our party. Next time we attend a Durham Bulls game we plan to eat here. Queeny's - is a friendly, creative bar / pub. They served us upscale nachos and a glass of dry cider. The nachos were very popular. The dry cider was interesting and unique. They owner made us feel welcome and encouraged us to try the many well designed drinks and bar foods. Bill City Burgers - The owner do an outstanding job describing his unique commitment to serving only Greason fed beef raised locally and making every item served here in house by his team of chefs. The burgers were excellent. They were bursting with beefy flavor and cooked perfectly. Be sure to try the deep fried pickles. So unique and loved by all. Two in our party picked this stop as their "Best Bite" selection. Sweets by Sayda - our last stop offered devine French Pastries. Macrons, croissants and other delicacies were shared. Share these pastries with those you love. They will treasure these treats. Lastly, I would like to share our deep appreciation to the folks at "Taste of Carolina" food tours. Our hosts had to manage finding a fifth stop today since their schedule included a venue who had to close due to kitchen staff all falling ill. In addition, I was recently released from the hospital due to foot surgery. These made waking very difficult. Our hosts did everything possible to make sure I was included in all of the stops. We plan on doing these Taste of Carolina Tours in the future: Hillsborough, Carrboro and Winston-Salem.

Such a cute sweets shop!! I'd say some of the best macarons I've ever had ! If you're in Durham, stop by !

If I could give this 10 stars I would. Hands down, the BEST, macrons we have ever had! We got a 12 pack of macarons because it was so hard to decide. We went with (left to right): s'mores, champagne pop!, salted caramel, red velvet, birthday cake, tiramisu, strawberries and cream, raspberry, lavender, strawberries and cream, dark cherry cheesecake and lemon. Honestly, it is so hard to describe how good these are other than they aren't like the slightly crunchy ones we have gotten at other macaron shops. They are like biting into little clouds of paradise. So light, so full of flavor and not overly sweet. Pure perfection! Let's just say that they are so good, we have no shame in driving from Fuquay Varina to get some. lol

The pastries were excellent as well as the croissant and the petit pain au chocolat. Top quality!

I have been drooling over this place on Instagram (IG) for months and just needed the right time to go. Well for a New Year's Eve treat was the perfect time. My mom and I went in and so many things looked amazing. We selected 3 pastry items and I got 6 macarons. Parris Brest with pistachio cream - I wanted more pistachio flavor but the quality was top notch Opera Cake - a stand out for sure, such a strong flavor with a lovely cream. Lemon and Lavender mousse cake - the lavender was subtle which I prefer and the texture was divine. Overall, the macarons were a perfect consistency, the Tiramisu was lovely and coffee heavy. The Chai spice had some nice nutty notes. The others were lacking the robust flavor I would have wanted but overall were good. Overall, it is a place to try for decadent desserts that are beautiful and baked to perfection. I will be back to try more.

On March 3rd we made what has become a now regular trek to downtown Durham to get some of the cakes there. Our favorites are the Opera cakes. We also enjoy the creative selection like the items in the photos below including an Eclair and a Hazlenut cake. We actually have yet to try the namesake Macarons. The opera cake in particular is so hard to find with a flavor like I was used to getting in France back when I traveled there regularly. So its really a treat for me. We are generally getting to know what Durham offers, coming from North Raleigh. Shayda is definitely worth the trip and is now one of our key regular stops in Durham along with Pizzeria Toro. Metered parking is available easily across the street during the weekday afternoons when we usually come. The staff is great to talk to about what is being made. Shayda is always there to answer any questions as well. Really everything we have tried is excellent so we keep trying more. The ambiance is classic french cafe actually and so I usually get a double espresso to go with the opera cake I usually order. Its rarely crowded when we come so getting a table has been easy so far. We often get things to go for guests coming over as well. Lovely family bakery. So fun.

This is a cute little dessert shop in downtown Durham! The inside décor is absolutely ahhh-dorable. There's a flower wall to cross off of your Instagram bucket list. I ordered a box of the macarons, and I was so impressed by the number of flavors. There was birthday cake, pistachio, smore's, rose, lavender, jasmine and so many others. I'm so glad the person helping us was patient because I had so many questions on which ones to try! All of the flavors were delicious, and I thought each macaron was a good size with a good ratio of cookie to filling. I would definitely recommend Sweets by Shayda if you're looking for a tasty treat.

Really excited to have another good dessert place in town! We came here on a whim after eating lunch in downtown durham and wanted some desserts. We ordered a variety of pastries and enjoyed everything. We love that the pastries are not too sweet! My favorite items are the passionfruit chocolate mousse and the chocolate hazelnut crunch. The chocolate mousse was smooth, rich, and velvety. The passionfruit flavor was just enough, so it didn't overpower the chocolate but actually enhanced it. The hazelnut crunch contained a lot of hazelnuts, and the name doesn't lie because you get a crunch with every bite. There was a subtle chocolate and hazelnut flavor, and they balanced each others well. We were immediately assisted when we entered, and our order was fulfilled in a timely manner. We got our order to go, but there were seatings if you wanted to dine in.

A variety of macaron flavors and the three I tried were all delicious: s'mores, mango and coconut, and birthday cake. The shop also sells pastries and coffee.

This is the cutest little bakery. If you love macarons, this is your new place. They are yummy! Please check out the massive variety of macarons and pastries.

I stopped in on Saturday morning and got a six pack of macarons, and an iced vanilla latte. They had so many fun macaron flavors to choose from, but I tried: tiramisu, key lime, cotton candy, birthday cake, cinnamon toast crunch, and pumpkin spice. If you are like me and love a good photo opp, there is a beautiful flower wall to pose in front of with your treats, and the shop is dog friendly. Need I say more?!

Shayda is amazing!!! Everyone in this cute little shop is so nice and caring. Their macarons are some of the best I've had ever..... and I have frequented patisseries in DC and NYC. The floral flavors especially (rose, lavender, etc) are exceptional without being overdone. I have enjoyed ordering special occasion cakes from her (ex. buche de noel for Christmas was incredible!) and will continue to recommend this business to everyone!

After reading all of the wonderful reviews, I couldn't wait to have a taste of this place. The shop is small and cute, with a very instagram-esque pink rose wall. There are at least 5-6 small tables on one side of the wall if anyone wants to dine in. We came to try macaroons, one of the cakes (Rose cake), almond croissant, and their coffees. I thought the rose cake was a bit disappointing. Unless you had a bite of the strawberry jam, located on only one half side of the cake, it just tasted like whip cream surrounded by a thin wall of white chocolate. For 8 dollars... this was not worth it. It's cute though! For the macaroons, I thought the flavors were really hit or miss. I really enjoyed the Earl Grey and Coffee flavored ones, and the smores where the "burnt" spot was located had a lot of flavor. But the birthday cake, champagne, and even nutella just all tasted the same ... vanilla and sugar. Now for the best part of the whole order - the almond croissant. If I come back - it would ONLY be for this magical pastry. It had the advantage of coming fresh out of the oven, but OMGOSH this was the best almond croissant I have ever had. It was flaky, crispy, warm, a little gooey in the center from the delicious almond filling, and basically perfection in a croissant. The only thing that could make this better is to lose the powdered sugar on the top. Taste: 3/5, but croissant alone is 5/5 Presentation: 4/5 Recommend to a friend?: No - unless for almond croissant Consistent: 1st time Cost: $$$ Parking: Street parking, or parking deck within 20 feet

A great find on our trip. We loved the chocolate croissant, the hazelnut chocolate pastry, and all 6 macaroons we tried. Super friendly people and the place is immaculate.

The people at the bakery were extremely friendly and helpful. Croissants, macaroons, and a chocolate passion fruit mini cake were purchased. Everything we tasted was truly awesome. I can not wait to go back and try more items!! There is also a beautiful selfie wall of roses just inside the door!

Just randomly walked by after walking through Central Park. It was the only store that was open in that little area that we saw so we went in, and was pleasantly surprised how good this was. Lavender lemon cheesecake.

Perfect pastries, custom cakes, coffee, service, and, of course, macarons. Not to miss in Durham.

Brought my friend here because he is getting married and wanted to bring some sweets to his future wife when he introduced her to us (he is from out of state). We came at 9:15, which is 15 minutes after they opened on a Saturday. The good thing is that the sweets are amazing. We got a ton of things and spent a bit of money here. This place is not a cheap bake shop, it's more of a bakery you come to when you want to splurge. We got a ton of macarons, 2 macaron cakes, and 2 miscellaneous sweets (red velvet mousse & something else that we gave to a friend). The macarons were light and fluffy. The sweets were just delicious.. the red velvet mousse was light, creamy, and had a caramel that was probably the best caramel I've ever had. We really really enjoyed the food but I have taken a star away for service. We (all 3 of us) thought that the people "helping" us were kind of cold... I'd like to think that it's just because it was a Saturday morning & they were just waking up but we just felt like we were an inconvenience to them (we were the only people in the store, the whole time). Overall, we would like to come back. The sweets were really good.

Newest business to the Durham food scene specializing in French pastries. They are currently soft open until 10th Jan (12-4 PM) and fully open starting 11th Jan. They have a wide variety of pastries such as croissants, princess cake, eclairs, but the macarons were the highlight. I got half a dozen macarons and a vanilla-caramel eclairs and it was amazing! Both the pastries tasted super fresh and flavorful. They store is beautifully decorated and there are some tables to sit inside. There's paid street parking outside the store, but the parking is free on the weekends, but there's also a parking deck nearby. Cannot wait to go back to try some of the other pastries they have to offer.

These are hands down the best macarons in RTP, heck I'd even go far as saying they're as good as the ones I'd had in Parisian bakeries or at Laduree locations. There's a perfect crust to the macaron and just the right sweetness. The flavor shines through and isn't overpowered by sweet at all. I could finish all of the box in a sitting if I wanted. The plain croissant is also so perfect, the right amount of flake, no unnecessary sweetness and I can't wait to try more pastries and flavors. I am surprised more people aren't raving about this place, it's to die for.

I have been shopping with Sweets by Shayda since she was at the Chapel Hill farmers market. If you want high quality patisserie's, then Shayda is your girl! She has a wide variety of macarons! She just opened up her store front in downtown and you bet I will be back! Her bakery is so spacious. I sat inside with my friend and we ate our macarons at a safe distance from everyone. Shayda also offers hand sanitizer! I'm so exited to go back and try more of her goodies. As someone who can't eat gluten, I am so happy we have an amazing shop like this!

Pretty pricey for average sized desserts. The carrot cake ($8) was really nice, though the pineapple inside it only added confusion.

If you want fantastic macarons and delicious French pastries this is the place to come. I was recommended to this place by Offline for my monthly try this and fell in love. If you want recommendations I suggest the Tiramisu Macarons and any of her Mousse cakes. Since it's around Valentines Day we purchased some bon bons and can't wait to try them. It is a little pricey but if you know the work that is put into making a macaron then it makes sense.

We ordered a chocolate hazelnut crunch cake and grabbed a few macarons while we stopped in-holy cow!!! Each flavor was intense-the wafer light and crisp and the crème smooth and wonderful: salted caramel, lemon, lavender... each one was just great! And the cake... wow. Almond layer that was moist with a subtle crunch to the bottom, a chocolate layer, creamy hazelnut and chocolate inside, a fluffy and flavorful frosting-Not too sweet, and the crunch!!! Seriously might be the best cake I've ever had!!! Went back and tried the almond chocolate croissant, and it hits the mark, too. You have to try this wonderful bakery!!! You wlll be in love!

This is a brand new establishment, although I believe the owner has a following from her previous popups or farmers market stand. We visited the very first weekend they were open so the offerings were not extensive just yet (we're sure they'll get there). We enjoyed our coffees, croissant, and a delectable hazelnut crunch pastry. They had a wide variety of macarons and some other pastries as well. One of the decorative features is a wall covered with fake flowers, which looks pretty cool. This is the only French pastry shop in the downtown area in the same structure as the new-ish parking deck. I'll have to go back and get an eclair (one of my favorites) at some point. Follow them on Insta for great pastry pics and temptations.

Just visited the new space in downtown Durham to pick up some macarons and was not disappointed. There were fewer flavor choices available than their instagram posts showed but still 8-10 choices. Super friendly guy helped us out and hooked us up with a large macaron/cream cake as well as 18 macaroons. Just starting to dig in but all of it is great. My personal favorites so far are the lavender and the raspberry but looking forward to dig into the rest of them. Highly recommended

Omgggg the Pineapple Carrot cake is amazinggggggg! I am so happy I tried this. I love the Nutella and vanilla macaroons. I work right next door and I come often to see what's new.

The best macaroons I've ever had. Full of flavor at first bite. The carrot cake is perfect. I will definitely be back

This shop is incredible!! The tiny cakes are delicious. We had - the chocolate hazelnut one. The cake isn't too moist, nor too dry. The crumbs add a fun crunch. The top has an unexpected mousse. It looked simple but way surpassed expectations. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the mini cakes, simple looking or not. - the pumpkin. The white chocolate pairs so well with the pumpkin spices. The caramel core oozes out and isn't overly sweet. The mousse texture is unforgettable. Also the macarons - don't pass these up! These are more dense (but still light) than the ones you would get from Costco or Wegman's, and I would happy choose one of Shayda's over others I've had in Paris. The texture makes it clear they were handmade by a trained professional. I tried the tiramisu, pistachio, and passion fruit chocolate. Each one brought out the flavor of the ingredient more than the sugar inside the cookie. Wow!!! Ask Shayda about her story - she trained in Paris at one of the top cooking schools, trading out her career in professional services to chase her dream. And I'm glad she did!

Amazing macarons with impeccable texture and delicious fillings. My current favorites are chocolate passionfruit and key lime- OMG try them. The tart zing against sweet cookie/chocolate pairing is out of this world. Also, and even better, my favorite pastry of all time is an almond croissant, and my opinion is that Shayda makes the best almond coissant in downtown Durham. Pastry texture is perfect, there is enough but not too much almond paste and the paste is just the right texture, it is full of flavor, and sweet enough without being too sweet. The others I've tried nearby just don't quite check all the boxes. Thank you, Shayda!!

Hold up... wait a minute... why isn't everyone talking about this place?! The pastries and sweets here are insanely good! We were looking for some nice pastries and this place was nearby but boy we were not ready for how delicious everything would be. Ordered a couple of pastries and 3 macarons. I usually like macarons but don't LOVE them so I wasn't ready for the spiritual experience that was having the champagne macaron - hands down the best macaron I've had in my life. Looking forward to visiting again and again in the future!

Was able to stop in this adorable shop in Durham and was not disappointed. The macarons were absolutely delicious and there were many to choose from. The inside was adorable as well and they even have a fun "flower wall" for Insta pics. Definitely stop in if you're in Durham!

The best pastries available in Durham, by far. The macarons are excellent, as are the other pastries, such as the Opera cake and Paris-Brest. During fall, they make a delicious pumpkin-shaped pastry that is one of my favorites. Everything here is on par with what you would get at a good patisserie in France. The only downsides are that the items are expensive (most small cakes are around $8) and the selection is not very wide.

The macarons and the pastries are delicious and beautifully created. They are on the pricier side but worth buying. They also have beverages and coffee drinks. The space inside is quite cute and enough seating for 10 or so people. There is street parking around the establishment. Overall, I would visit again!

My co-worker and I just stopped by this place. Unless you want to become addicted, steer clear of it. I've had macarons before, but these are just unbelievable. The crisp of the cookie is just right and the filing is delicious. They have so many flavors, lavender, Nutella, strawberry, jasmine (yes, I said jasmine), double chocolate, birthday cake, s'more, it's too many more to name. I haven't tried the other desserts, but if they're as good as the macaroons I'm in trouble.

Guys. If you want the GOOD FLAKEY AF QUALITY CROISSANTS. look no further. Shayda's has the BEST croissants and the BEST desserts. My favorite is the hazelnut crunch. Did I mention she has WARM almond croissants on the weekend mornings?? It's amazing. You can tell her ingredients are the best. French butter? You got it. High quality chocolate? Right here. Macarons? On point. So many different flavors and all of them SO GOOD. I heard they bake a whole cheesecake TO PUT INTO their fillings. Now that's legit. Oh they also have espresso drinks.

This is the cutest coffee shop, there is a huge selection of macaroons and pastries. I purchased a croissant, iced latte, and macaroons. We actually got to meet Shayda and she was wonderful to speak with. I look forward to returning and hopefully spending some time with coffee and a good book!

Bought some sweets here today and WOW. Not often does a dessert taste just as good as it looks. Ordered a cake for an upcoming birthday and have never been so excited

I had the opportunity to visit Sweets by Shayda this past weekend and it did not disappoint! The space is itself has a great vibe and she has a beautiful floral wall which can be a great backdrop for pictures. Shayda herself was there and working on her pastries while we were there. She's incredibly kind and humble. We tried a variety of macarons and chocolate croissant - everything was delicious. They also offer espresso drinks. Looking forward to visiting again!

This sweet shop has the best macarons I have ever had- and my husband used to bring them from Paris. The eclairs and the lemon tart (with gorgeous piped meringue with pearl accents) are amazing!

LOVE the rose, lemon, and lavender macarons baked fresh every day at Shayda's place!

We've stopped by here several times to grab a box of macarons before catching a show at the Carolina Theater, and have had consistently good experiences every time! We've tried a number of different flavors and have yet to find one that we don't like. The Earl Grey with the lemony filling is one of my personal favorites. We've never tried their other pastries, but they always look tempting. If I wasn't GF I'd be all over them!

Brings me back to Paris France with authentic styles of pastry and that I had in France missing some of that yummy stuff I'm so happy to find Shayda's shop in Durham - highly recommend

Soo many delious items! Got a box of macarons, which were soo tasty & fresh. Got a chocolate almond crossaint, which was absolute heaven. Also got a cortado coffee & it was perfection. You gotta check this place out!

Unbelievably delectable! Shayda has mastered the art of desserts!! The staff is always very pleasant and the shop is pristine...I highly recommend you do not pass this by

YUM highly recommend this place. The macaroons are so good and pistachio flavor was amazing. Workers were kind. Couldn't of asked for more.