Mara's Italian Pastry

Mara's Italian Pastry is exactly the kind of business San Francisco needs more of--it's owned and operated by a family (from Italy, even!) their offerings are fresh, authentic and unfussy (gelato and cannoli? Yes, please!). The prices are decent as well, you can grab a pastry and a real espresso for way under 10 bucks (then sit at a cute table outside to enjoy North Beach culture). My recommendation is Raspberry Rings. They're huge, like as big a a child's head huge and so good. Like so good you'll intend to "get one to share" and immediately regret having to give up even a crumb. You won't be able to finish it all in one sitting, but I guarantee you'll want to tuck it away "for later". Again, the fact that this place exists and thrives is everything I love about San Francisco..it endures. I love trendy places, food fads, pop ups and insta-worthy decor as much as the next person-but they come and go. Mara's is reliable, steadfast and truly good. It's also the oldest bakery shop in North Beach, so even if you don't believe me, it's the facts.

Great place to go for tourists to be ripped off! Used to go here - just went today and was charged $9.95 for one cannolo pistachio! Eff this place!

I went here recently and this is the visit that made me decide to not return: the guy behind the counter with glasses is literally rude and cannot be bothered which is funny considering you work at the counter, sir. I go in and mind you, their menu and glass display DOES NOT indicate pricing ok, so secondly, that's a turn off, thirdly I see that some of their cakes come from diandas in the mission so that was also like a "that sucks" moment. The icing on the cake no pun intended, was when I asked what certain pastries were cuz as I said, nothing is labeled not even pricing, I got the biggest sighs from this man like he was expecting me to know wtf everything was! Like ok I see cannolis, we all know them well but damn, what is that gelatinous green cake covered with cream, COULD IT BE panna cotta sir? Enlighten me. Idk he was so bothered so I just left and he looked all dumb founded but honestly you're not missing out by ditching this crusty spot. There's Victoria and Stella's up the street.

A must visit whenever I'm in north beach! The pastries in the window are so enticing, it's hard not to grab something after walking by. Staff are kind and friendly, and the shop interior is so cute and cozy. Right next to club Fugazi and open until 11 so i love to stop in after seeing a show.

Was galavanting around North Beach before a Broadway show & decided to stop in Mara's. They have an amazing selection of baked goods, I wanted to try one (or two) of everything! Opted to take home a few different focaccia (the pieces were huge!), some cannolis, an almond croissant & a pistachio pastry that was to die for! Definitely check this place out if you're in the area, they have a variety of Italian sodas & coffee drinks as well!

This is a small pastry shop that carries a large variety of beautifully crafted desserts. We came in for some tiramisu and tried a whipped cream eclair as well. The tiramisu was wonderful and satisfied the creamy cravings and the eclair offered a different texture between bites of tiramisu. There is limited seating available but the space offers a very home-y feeling, an intimate space for cute little dates. Service was very quick as well! I think I would come back to try other pastries or for the tiramisu. The price came out to about $19 for the two items.

Okay, so I've been to Mara's about 37 times now but oddly enough this is all the pictures I have. The best thing about Mara's is the visuals that draw you in. Nothing is as beautiful as a fresh array of pastries sitting in a clear glass window. Talk about marketing genius too. Establishing a few things off the bat. Yes it's too expensive and yes some of the items are hit or miss. The variety is great and there are some unique offerings you can't get at the other Italian bakeries. Will I ever claim this is one of the best bakeries in the city? No. But I feel loyal to Mara after the plethora of experiences we've shared. To judge this place is hard because it really depends on what pastries you like. Some things they do better than others. But as is life. This is my go to Italian pastry spot in North Beach and you are talking to a guy who eats a lot of pastries.(4.5 Stars)

Excellent fruit tart but some of the other offerings seemed old - and too expensive compared with direct competitors like Stellas - which is also open late. The fruit tart was excellent. Cute little berries all glued together to perfection. Price was a little high but I'm forgiving - if I had tried just this one item I would give the shop four stars. The pine nut cookie seemed very very old. It was stale and chewy and stuck to my teeth in a horrible way. I noticed it had this overpowering almond extract and I didn't like it. It lacked a pure taste that you would get at Tartine (the best bakery in SF). The rum cake was beautiful but I suspect it wasn't very fresh. I know there is difficulty with keeping things fresh when the hours of operation are so long but I suspect this was more than 24 hours old. I picked it up and it leaked and oozed sugary syrup. It was an unpleasant experience. Taste was good and the filling was great but it just wasn't presented well in the soggy wet tiny paper that it came with. If it would come in a clear plastic cup with a fork I think I would be more forgiving - but this was horrible. Variety was outstanding - five stars for this... Usually bakeries try to have as much variety as possible as it statistically increases the amount that any given patron orders. Its not working here. Neighboring bakeries have lines but none here. I would slash offerings and only put out what is most popular.In general I would come for gelato and the fruit cups. After I bought mine there was only one left and everything else seemed to be in full supply even though it was late at night. Really have to take a hint. Prices are way too high. A cannoli can be found for half price around the corner - a couple desserts for $16 is something that only Tartine can get away with. I would go to Stellas or Cafe Greco if you need late night. Stellas is where the locals go and cannolis and cookies are way fresher as they have enormous turnover. Cafe Greco has a great European style cheesecake. Try those. There is this app 'To good to go' I think this bakery needs to sign up for it in order to minimize food waste and ensure freshness. To the store owner: your welcome for a review with an embedded business analysis.

$19 for 2 day old pastries. When asked if the price was correct, the cashier stared at me rudely as though I was impeding on her free time. I'm pretty sure she made up the prices dependent on the crowd she was serving. At least the cannoli wasn't completely soggy

Decided to give Mara's a shot even though my go-to is Victoria Pastry. I was charged $19.95 for a half-pound of various Italian cookies. The lady working the counter quoted me low 20's for 1 pound of cookies. I left the shop thinking the box felt a little light but didn't think too much of it until I got home and weighed it myself. Ripped off. I'm a local but it doesn't make a difference. Mara's bakery, don't rip off your patrons. It's not cool and it gives North Beach a bad reputation. Anyone reading this do yourself a favor. If you want fresh Italian pastries or cookies without being price-gouged go to Victoria Pastry down the street.