Champagne French Bakery Cafe

Ok, this place is super cute. The brunch menu is excellent and the pastries are delicious. I had a 1/2 sandwich (brie) and 1/2 quiche (spinach and goat cheese) and it was filling! I didn't have room for the lemon tart that I ordered, but best believe that I brought that home and indulged. The lemon tart had a tender crust/shell, and a smooth and creamy, sweet and tart filling. It took over 20 minutes for us to get our food, which is a lot, but it did not detract from my overall experience here.

My first time coming into the cafe. The smell as we walked in was horrible, it reminded me of vomit. It smelled sour and cheesy at the same time. Not a smell you'd like when walking into a French bakery. There's a good amount of seating inside and out. A little dim, no warm feeling. The smell outweighs anything though...one step in and I immediately wanted to leave. The croissants looked pale and undercooked. The tarts looked dry and some of them were missing that beautiful glaze. Some were under filled. The presentation looked sloppy and wasn't uniform throughout the case. This doesn't meet French bakery standards at all. While the Napoleon seemed flaky and beautifully layered-- the proportion of cream looked way too much. The prices in my opinion were a bit pricey for what I saw. And strange, most of them ended in .49 (example, $6.49). My family wanted some pastries to enjoy with their hot coffee (bought at Mostra). They ordered 1 fruit tart and Black Forest cake. - Black Forest Cake $7.49: Nothing to rave about. It's ok for a Black Forest Cake. The chocolate cake part was average and not as dark as I like it. And usually you'll get Black Forest with cherries but this is unmistakably raspberries because it was seedy and tart. On the other hand, my great uncle enjoyed it. - Fruit Tart $7.39: Not bad. The tart shell is not super buttery but nicely uniformed from base to outside. The pastry cream was nice and texturally smooth. The fruits on top were yummy. I especially liked the strawberry. This one had a glaze, but I don't think it was apricot jam..it probably was a simple syrup? Overall, it was okay but I don't think I would come here again. That first walk in smell wasn't pleasant and the interior didn't feel super inviting. Not particularly somewhere I'd go especially when I know there's better French bakery's and cafes around.

The girls who work here are nice. That is the end of the nice things I have to say about Champagne Bakery.It was my first time here and probably also my last. Mediocre tasting, small portioned food at a pretty expensive price for what it is. The establishment is not very clean (crumbs on vacated tables but everything has been cleared away so not sure why it wasn't cleaned). The silverware has not been dried properly so they appear dull and maybe also unclean. The display case is also dirty. The hygiene aspect is actually the least of my concerns. My boyfriend and I ordered french onion soup and there were MASSIVE pieces of bread in the soup, which is problematic because it makes the already small soup bowl appear full when a good chunk of it is bread. Very little soup was a huge disappointment for me. Please see pictures. ALSO MY GRILLED CHEESE WAS BURNED ON THE BOTTOM.If you like Champagne Bakery, the food is alright. However, I think there are much better establishments that are cleaner with better food for the same price or less :)

Went for lunch on a Saturday. It did take a while to get the food and to be honest but the looks of it I thought it was going to be disappointing. But I was pleasantly surprised that it tasted very good. I got the garlic chicken panini. The bread was very soft and good.

My most favorite bakery in San Diego. Their princess cake is the best in my opinion. Carries a perfect combination of chocolate, sweetness and crunch. Love it!

The staff were efficient and kind throughout my experience. The location had a nice outdoor seating area for customers to utilize which I enjoyed. I ordered a cappuccino with almond milk and can say I was impressed by the amount of foam that was achieved. The sandwich was tasty and toasted to perfection (the chive cream cheese was a nice touch). The portions were also a good size in my opinion (not too much food, just enough to fill you up and get you fueled for your day). All-in-all it's a nice spot for a casual breakfast and I would go back to try some of their pastries.

Fast service ! Outside and inside seating available. Unique sandwiches and good salads. One of us dropped our mimosa & the waiter was happy to bring another one free of charge. Oh! And the macaroons are so good :)

Food is always fresh and tasty. It's very casual dining for breakfast or lunch. Parking could be difficult on weekend.

Will not recommend this place if you are looking for good tasting French dessert / pastries like eclair and napoleon. The Napoleon for instance doesn't look elegant (see photo)... was not flaky / puffy at all, was not glazed with fondant toppings or icing, and did not use pastry cream, instead it seemed like it used whip cream as a substitute for the pastry cream. The eclair is just okay. I thing great about it. Not as crispy as I expect it to be but not soggy as well. The service was great but I just can't give this place a better rating because their Napoleon did not meet my standard.

We just spent a few weeks in Paris. These are the BEST croissants in San Diego!!We were eating next door at the Greek place(not recommended) and I just grabbed a few croissants for the next days breakfast. So glad I did! They were light, large and delicious. Since paris is so far away, this will be our next choice!