Violette Bakehouse

I first found this bakery when looking for someone local to cater an event. She was so helpful in working with my budget and creating a plan of finger foods and desserts that would work for the number of guests and budget. She had the additional constrain of making most of the desserts gluten free and she was very helpful with that. Everything she made was beautiful and delicious. Since then, I have stopped by on a number of occasions to order patisserie from the display. Everything I have tried has been fantastic and right on par with any establishment I visited in France. I highly recommend stopping by if you’re looking for authentic patisserie or a place to cater an event.

Fantastic, authentic French patisserie. Definitely my best pick in Austin!! Beautiful cakes— incredible piece of art and enjoyable. Taste great and reasonably priced, too. My favorite is Opera (gluten free). I also love their mousses. I wish this patisserie is located in more walkable neighborhoods like downtown or Mueller. You can order online for pick up as well.

Wow so delicious omg! I had a pistachio dessert and I can't stop wishing I had more. The chocolate orange mousse dessert was divine and the chocolate rabbit was so cute I had to get it. I will be back with my gaggle of friends to try more!

I’ve been here several times now and love everything I’ve gotten. The croissants and macarons are so delicious and such a high-quality. I’ve even gifted a box in the past and it was amazing even after a plane ride. We just tried the quiche and my son thinks it’s delicious. I’m so happy this bakery is in the area, and we’ll be coming back often.

The owner seems to be working hard, and she's a real French person which I always appreciate. I had a brief conversation with one of her employees, and it seemed like they had decent working environment ("decent" for the food industry; I used to be a line cook... it's not an industry known for good working conditions) so I enjoy supporting that. Anyways, onto the actual food. Austin is a BBQ town for sure, and truthfully, you really shouldn't be going to bakeries if you're visiting Austin. Besides the kolaches that are amazing everywhere, most bakeries, while decent, are not nearly as good as the BBQ. However, since I lived in Austin for a moderate amount of time, I did stop by a few bakeries here and there. For employment reasons, I've moved around the country a fair bit, and I like spending my free time going around to bakeries (except in Austin, it was mostly BBQ here) that make viennoiseries (croissants, brioches, and other similar types of dough). I've been to close to 100 bakeries across all regions of the country, and while I've had better places, I do think Violette's Bakehouse holds its own overall. I didn't try enough bakeries in Austin to give a good ranking in an Austin context, but from the limited context, I didn't think there were many better than Violette. Their pastries are what they're supposed to be. Some bakeries croissants are more soft than flaky, but these croissants are flaky. The macarons are crisp with a slightly chewy center, and they're not hollowed. The flavor and style is fairly classic with some twists, and while I often prefer the Asian-French fusion stuff that's hot in other major cities, I will always have a spot for the classics too. Violette's does seasonal and holiday specials, and these are difficult to find in other places. For example, they offer King cake around Mardi Gras, and I have some pictures included of these cute Easter bunnies. I would have liked to seen the Halloween and Christmas stuff, but I don't live in Austin anymore. However, if you do live in Austin and want some classic French pastries, this is a great spot to try them.