Leavened

Cute coffee shop near the Metrohealth Main Campus. They have great coffee and a ton of pastries and breads baked fresh daily. I came in on a Friday morning after an appointment nearby. The place wasn't crazy busy, but it was steady with people coming in to grab a drink and some sitting down to chat and do work.When they first opened, everyone raved about their cardamom bomb pastry. It's like a flaky croissant with cardamom. Super delicious and always a good option. It's also kind of messy, so I didn't feel like getting that today. Instead I got the strawberry cheesecake danish with my cortado. The danish was really tasty. The cheesecake filling wasn't too sweet but tasted like a NY cheesecake and the croissant was soft in the middle and flaky on the outside. My cortado with a hint of cardamom was good, although I was surprised that it was served in a small glass that resembled a shot glass.This place is not the best for doing work over a long period of time. There's a long bench seat, but it has no back so you're kind of sitting in an awkward position. I couldn't imagine working here for a full day, but it's fine for a meeting or quick task

Here's the thing: Leavened makes the best bread in Cleveland.Here's the other thing: other items can be hit or miss (I've had pastries I've found overbaked, solid soup, but also delicious cookies), and service is quite often unfriendly.One bonus is their happy hour most days, where you can get that day's pastries and bread at a discount so that they don't have to carry old product into the next day. If you can swing by during that time, it's ideal to grab a few loaves of bread and store them in the freezer.The interior has minimalist decor and good lighting, so it's a good choice to pop a squat and get some work done, and since they also serve lunch, you can camp out for several hours.

I first visited in February 2024 then I visited again in June 2024. During both visits, I wanted to try a sandwich but I couldn't because, the first time, they didn't have a sandwich that I liked (only 2 options) and the second time, the sandwich that I wanted had cheese in it and I don't like cheese.SERVICE -- Warm and friendly.PASTRIES: I've tried just a plain croissant (3/5) and a blueberry cruffin (3.5/5). The croissant was fine because I didn't get a chance to take it home to warm it up and add a little butter in it so when I ate it at the bakery, it tasted okay and a bit dry. The blueberry cruffin was good but it had too much jam in it for my taste. I can't wait to try other pastries.They are known for their breads so I'll have to come visit again. The only issue is that they only have 2 sandwiches on their menu that rotates every few weeks. I love that they have different sandwich options but you may not like any of the 2 available options. So, perhaps just buy some bread and take it home to make your own sandwich.TIP -- I recommend getting here earlier so that you get fresher pastries.I will definitely visit again especially after a lovely encounter with a young Christian couple in June 2024.****GOAL of 150 reviews in 2024- 56/150 total reviews in 2024- 706 total overall Yelp reviews- Reviewed on 6 July 2024

Leavened is a beautiful space to spend an afternoon (although I could see it getting crowded quickly), with baked goods and breads galore. Their seasonal special, the Cardamom Latte, was my favorite thing I tried. The Cardamom Bun was a lovely bun, but it was a lot more sugar than cardamom, and I wasn't the biggest fan of their Pickled Veggie Pizza, which resembled more of a greasy flatbread. However, the ambience and the plethora of options means I'll definitely give their other stuff a try. Their Charred Tomato Soup and their vegan chickpea sandwich look especially appealing!

Amazing baked goods. Better bread than Stone Oven. Best pastry outside NYC. Just go.

Leavened is another spot that has been on our list to visit. It is a cute little bakery in Tremont with both indoor and outdoor seating. Leavened seemed to have an extensive variety of breads and some that may be hard to find. They have some specialty breads they on serve on certain days, so be sure to check the website. We order drip coffee, tomato soup, a cinnamon bun and a loaf of black bread. I was intrigued by the black bread and it was worth the purchase. It was perfect to dip in the tomato soup. It was so good that was what i did when I got home as well. The black bread does have a strong flavor and may not be for everyone. I loved it. My husband did not. The cinnamon bun was very good and big enough for two people. The service was good and there was a steady stream of people ordering. They offer a few outdoor table and they were all full. Parking is primarily on the street and was not too difficult to find. I would like to go back and try more of their bread options.

Lovely bakery and coffee shop in the neighborhood. The interior design is clean with lots of natural lighting, a wonderful place to study or hang out. I tried three pastries: the double chocolate chip rye cookie was delicious, more like a brownie than a cookie. It was somewhat dry but I liked the bread-like texture. The chocolate chips were abundant and rich. The cinnamon roll was huge and pretty good. There's no cream cheese frosting. Orange citrus taste is a bit strong so this would be great if you're into that. Chocolate croissant was slightly disappointing as there was very little chocolate inside: two thin slivers. It was like a thin Hershey's bar inside an otherwise great croissant. The croissant was fluffy and light and buttery.

While in town I was looking for some great Croissants and Pastries. I came across Leavened. We stopped in a little before closing. We were pleasantly surprised to find out we had stopped in during Happy Hour. A lot of the pastries we were ordering were $2.00. It was a wonderful thing since it allowed for us to try even more items. We had a bite or two of a few things and then went back for our favorites . To start with, we ordered a Cruffin, a Cinnamon Bun, and an Almond Croissant.They Almond Croissant, while flaky and buttery, was underwhelming. I expected, and hoped for more almond flavor as opposed to chopped almonds. Usually Almond Croissants are one of my favorites. This wasn't. It was good thoughSo, I went and ordered the Coffee Cake Croissant. It had a much better filling with a nice cinnamon flavor but still didn't blow my mind.The Cinnamon Bun, had tons of Cinnamon flavor. However; it wasn't soft. Granted it was towards the end of the day maybe that was why. It was hard, dense and chewy. I took it home and warmed it up hoping that would help but really there wasn't much improvement. Not sure if this is normally how it is.The Cruffin....... Unfortunately, I can't have a lot of peach and that was the flavor. I did take a few bites and it was heavenly. The pastry was flaky and tender and the jam was amazing. I would eat these everyday if I could. The Croissants are buttery and flaky and the Cruffin will make me return.

Finally.I finally was able to stop in to Leavened and left with 2 hefty bags of delicious baked goods. I'm still in the process of trying everything, but surely didn't want to forget to write this review!I was greeted immediately and the gals at the counter were super friendly. Welcomed me in for my first visit. The space is lovely and I wish I had time to enjoy a treat there with a cup of tea. Most bakeries like this do not have done in space, I was quite impressed with this. They even had some detail items!I dug into my Cruffin as soon as I got back to my office. What is a Cruffin? It's shaped like a muffinFlaky like a croissantTastes like heaven.Mine was filled with raspberry and there was maybe a hint of cinnamon in the filling? It was the perfect complement to the expertly crafted flaky layers. I tried to eat with two forks to keep my fingers clean, but that didn't work. So deliciousThe pizza roll was outstanding. Didn't need any marinara to dip, just pull apart and enjoy. Not too greasy, which is magicalI had the cheddar scallion scone for breakfast the next morning. I was afraid it would dry out overnight, but it was tender and tasty. Great balance of flavors and the texture was excellent. I can't wait to go back.

The bakery items were decent but nothing to ride home about. It would've been better if they warmed up the pastries. We got the cinnamon bun and the cheddar and scallion scone, maybe we ordered wrong. Not trying to be mean but the cappuccino was the worst one I've ever had. Loved the vibes in here though just wish the food was better!