CIA Bakery Cafe

What a treat to get a lunch at Savor! I can't for a quick lunch with a friend and ordered the Smoked Salmon Tartine. It was a beautiful slice of hearty but tender rye bread absolutely buried under whipped cream cheese, thick slices of smoked salmon, arugula, capers , olives, and caperberries! And pretty little flowers too. Delicious. Not terribly filling but very tasty. Next time if want to try their pho or a burger! It all looks so goodService was ok, our server seemed a little nervous and didn't seem very knowledgeable about the menu. I'd definitely hope to come back before cafe season ends!

This might be my new favorite brunch in town. Not only does this win my French (from someone who's French born and raised) stamp of pastry and food approval but it's also so conveniently located and the perfect Sunday outing with friends and your furry friends. Win. Win. Win.I ordered a Swiss cannelloni au gratin with chicken, manchego, salsa verde and cream... I'm still not able to describe just how good that was. So rich, yet not too heavy. Deeply flavorful (think Italian and Mexican flavors). Creamy with a kick. Finished that dish quickly.We ordered a couple other dishes for the table, including their croissant sandwich, which was one of the best croissant sandwiches I've ever had. The ratio cheese to croissant was perfect. And the croissant even better. We also got their mussels and fries, which was a great, refreshing dish to share in between bites. Those flavors transported me back to France. Now let's talk real foods. Desserts. Their sweets are to diiiiiiiiie for. We had their kouign amann (my favorite French pastry), a buttery caramelized pastry with multiple layers that eventually just melt in your mouth in one bite. We also ordered their concha, surprisingly moist and not too dense or sweet. A food I used not to like until I tried theirs. The Fusion and marriage of the French, Mexican flavors is something I had never tried before and something I am now craving.Overall fantastic food, service and drinks at a reasonable price for the quality of the food you're getting.

Yum! I had no real expectations, I just figured we would get some pastries and be on our way...we'll I was wrong! The breakfast menu has unexpected combinations, a good variety, there is a tea service and even fresh juices! We had the best poached egg with smoked salmon atop a hash brown and a cheddar biscuit. There was also a side salad served with it, the tomatoes and arugula were fresh and not soggy at all. The lightest, perfect dressing on top.Tea was great, as well as the delicious pastries. Tip: buy bread here! We saw baguettes and more! Will definitely be back, service was great

My expectations were higher than the food quality, taste, and portions that were given. I love the concept of having culinary students working at their own restaurant. The interior is modern and well organized with a cute mini bakery stand inside. It's great that you can buy baked goods within the cafe at a separate kiosk. Our server was very friendly and treated all of well and attentively. The downside was the food being not so great. The Brie sandwich I got wasn't too bad, but the fries were overly salted. My friend got the salad and added chicken which cost $16 but literally was few pieces of broken baby lettuce and dry chicken. Portions were not impressive. If I were to go back, I will only get the baked goods.

Better late than not at all for this review given our experience at the CIA Bakery in San Antonio was a wonderful one when we visited last year. Having been to the Apple Pie Bakery Cafe at the CIA in Hyde Park, I suppose it is heresy to say I liked this San Antonio outpost bakery better. But there you have it. I did. If you're in San Antonio, look for this gem in The Pearl complex. Well worth the visit and the calories.THE DRILLOrder at the counter inside from either the sweets selection in the bakery case or from a selection of soup, salad and sandwiches posted on the chalkboard above. If sweets they'll serve them up to you at the counter for you to take to your table in or out, or in a to go box for take away. If savories, seems they'll deliver to your table when ready.SEATINGThe space is small inside, but there are a few tables there and more outside on the sidewalk and patio surrounding.SERVICEVery friendly counter person who knew all the goodies in the case very well and could help us narrow down our choices. FOOD / VALUESo many good choices of sweet temptations, which is what we were after to take away, and only so many calories to invest. We loved all three of our take away items, which were carefully and beautifully boxed. Big woohoo here that they make alfajores! These delectable Peruvian cookies filled with dulce de leche are uber difficult to bake at home and super delectable as made here. Also, if they have the Monte Alban Oaxaca ($3.80) do not pass it up! Hazelnut dacquoise, hazelnut chocolate cris, dark (72%) chocolate ganache...it IS as good as it sounds. We thought all items were a great value for how delicious they were.TH'S N THAT:1) ACCESSIBILITY: Level in and throughout. Standard height seating in and out.2) PARKING: Pretty ample parking in an adjacent lot.3) RIVER TAXI: You can get here by car and park in the adjacent lot. Or you can take the River Taxi from downtown San Antonio through the Museum Reach to get here. We did that one day. Or you can take the River Taxi from the Pearl here down through the Museum Reach to downtown San Antonio. We did that one day too. Point is, use the River Taxi. Great fun. http://www.yelp.com/biz/rio-san-antonio-cruises-san-antonio#hrid:uT8_CBTmPQkL-odl8rlO5w/src:self4) IL SOGNO OSTERIA: Is just across the parking lot from CIA. Our meal at Il Sogno as outstanding. One of the best dining experiences ever. A tip...don't miss it! http://www.yelp.com/biz/il-sogno-osteria-san-antonio#hrid:J0_gPggV5jfKm-ctD2BSaA

The overall atmosphere is very nice and welcoming. There is a great display of the pastries and other food they have available. I ordered the brioche french toast to go. Boxed up nicely and came with containers of butter,syrup, fruit preserves and something that looked similar to nutella. I only added the fruit preserves to the french toast and it was fantastic! I would definitely recommend if you are a fan of french toast.S'mores Log (not pictured)- It looked nice, but it wasn't what I was expecting. It was decent.Staff was okay. Their customer service was not something I would rave about.I will be returning while the shop is still up and running. There were other items that looked worthy of trying.

Holy cow ! I just tried a pastry and it was absolutely delicious The best I've had !!! A vendor brought some for the office ... definitely going to have to stop by this bakery soon .

Wonderful indoor and outdoor seating bakery at the Pearl. The atmosphere was calming. I tried out two Scones and a latte and they were quite delicious. The two scones I tried were the Manchengo sausage and the Orange cranberry. Both are different ends of the flavor spectrum and should not be put together, however I was adventurous today.The Manchengo Sausage Scone was a delicious square scone with a little kick and bits sausage with every bite. The Orange Cranberry scone was a favorite of mine. Even the birds came over to try out my food! Filled with oranges and cranberry, I throughly enjoyed this slightly sweet, tangy, and delicious scone.Employees were very friendly and attentive. I ordered and they asked if I was going to sit inside or outside. I elected outside and they brought my order to me. They even checked on me to see if I needed anything else. They also have a lunch menu and I will return to try them.

I waited eagerly for the bakery to reopen this year and each time I've gone the staff and students have offered excellent service, wonderful food, and divine presentation.

Best place Ever! My husband and I spent our 26th wedding anversry there in 2021... I M so pleased we did, because the love of my life passed away that April. What a wonderful memory I have of being there with him!! We had the 4 course dinner yet had to take half of it home with us.... Best place ever, and I will be retuning this year with friends.! If I lived there, I most likely woulding eat anywhere else!!!!!