LeoNora Bakery

I went to LeoNora Bakery, on Saturday, ⁵⁄₁₄ at 10:30am with my little girl, to pick up 2 dozen croissants for a brunch that I was hosting for my daughter’s First Communion celebration. I was excited to go there having heard about the great treats. I was instead shocked and unimpressed with the rude customer service. The woman behind the counter was dismissive and cold. She was comfortable declaring that there was no price break affiliated with ordering a dozen (or two dozen, which is what I intended to purchase.) I ordered the croissants, and watched her all but «throw» the pastries into the box. Major turn off.
The croissants were delightful, and my guests enjoyed them. Even so, I WILL NOT BE BACK TO PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM THIS SHOP AGAIN. If business is so good that you can afford to treat your 1^st time customers spending over $ 55 for croissants, you have just lost one customer and I expect that you will lose more in the future if you continue to treat folks in the neighborhood this way.

LeoNora is probably my favorite bakery in Virginia… Sadly I don’t go often enough. I lived in Arlington when it opened a few years back and would often stop by for a baked treat (croissant, pain au chocolat, quiche) after yoga or Pilates on the weekends. My husband fell in love with their pain au chocolat and cinnamon buns.
I returned last Sunday to pick up some desserts for a dinner party and got an amazing selection — lemon curd éclair, passion fruit meringue pie, apple pie and berry tartlet. I also got a pain au chocolat for good measure! Everyone loved the desserts; but my husband and I devoured the croissant without sharing it…
We were in Paris last year and have been unsuccessfully searching for a bakery with croissants on par with the ones in France. LeoNora is definitely in the same category as the ones we ate across the pond! I’ve been dreaming about it all week and want to go back for more. Too bad I don’t live closer…

Since returning to the US from France, I’ve been on a mission to find the best and most authentically French croissants and baguettes in the DC area. LeoNora is great for croissants and so-​so for baguettes.
For regular butter croissants, LeoNora absolutely hits it out of the park. Their croissants are on my very short list of absolute best in the region. The shell crumbles correctly and the inside is as light as it’s supposed to be. ¹⁰⁄₁₀.
The almond croissants are delicious on their own terms, but inauthentic. Real French almond croissants are quite different from normal croissants; they’re flat and mushy. LeoNora’s are normal croissants with almonds & almond paste added.
The baguettes are not bad, but definitely not up to the same level as the croissants. The inside is too dense and not flaky enough. I’m not a baker but my guess is LeoNora uses too many preservatives to get the real French baguette interior quite right. Oh, they’re far better than a typical American grocery store baguette, and they’re still the best option I’ve found so far on the Virginia side of the Potomac, but there are definitely more authentic baguettes in DC.

That is one of the best tasting croissant i have had in northern virginia, the barista was wonderfull, she gave me a free water)

I stopped by this cute bakery on a whim after passing it for years. I was not disappointed! The storefront is small but packed with yummy sweets and savory treats. Most of the space is for producing baked goods for other places, which means kids can be entertained by scenes of a functional bakery. I had a delicious cappuccino and grabbed a pastry for later. The staff were friendly!

Best almond croissant I have ever tried! It’s also the biggest croissant I have ever seen. It is made fresh daily.

Wonderful independent bakery. We always enjoy their delicious bread and pastries (even if a bit pricey) and recently got a birthday cake. Always nice to see small businesses doing well in the neighborhood and providing high quality products.

Very cute little bake shop right near the Clarendon metro. I’ve tried the croissants and the brioche and loved both.
The cakes and tarts all look delicious. Would love to try one for a special occasion!

The croissants (I’ve tried the almond/​plain/​chocolate) are exceptional in texture. Fluffy yet moist, they’re the opposite of those dried out pastries that crumble and flake into your coffee when you dunk them. These wrapped and plumped pillows of pastry will slightly stretch before they give to your tear. The taste of honest-​to-​goodness, real butter will please you. They are decadent in size, so you really ought to share. One off note, I wasn’t a fan of their ham and cheese croissant. :-/​
This bakery is a hole-​in-​the-​wall operation now owned by, the mafia of Clarendon, proprietors of North Side Social and Liberty Tavern directly across the quiet side street.
They’re just not set up for a comfortable in house visit unfortunately. Don’t plan to lounge over coffee for any decent length of time. Your best bet is to take out your pastry in a paper bag, and grab coffee where they have decent seating. You know North Side Social won’t begrudge you bringing in their sister operation’s pastry.
Their desserts look delectable too. Will keep you updated should I need a sugar hit.

This is a tough one for me. I actually really like most of what they have to offer, and have recommended the place many times to friends. However two issues have caused me to give a low rating. First is the lack of consistency in their products. Take a look at the rack of croissants and the color and size will be all over the map. And having eaten more than my fair share, the texture and consistency tends to be as well.
The second is just general poor management. It feels like a place with a good product, but absolutely no idea how to run a business. Case in point this morning, when I showed up at 7 am to grab a croissant for my wife’s birthday breakfast. I found their hours listed from 7 – 7 on weekdays, and this was corroborated a few different places online. However, when I showed up the door was locked, and I was told they only opened at 8. I can back at 8, and the door was still locked until about 8:10 when they finally opened for the day. I mentioned the discrepancy with the hours online, and the cashier casually admitted that they knew about it, but didn’t seem to concerned with fixing it.
They did mention though that they were recently bought by the group that owns liberty tavern, Northside, and Lyon Hall. So I can only hope that the business savvy that they possess brings this place up to par, because they really do have some delicious products. It’s just the general carelessness I’ve seen from the staff that’s been so off-​putting.

This is long overdue but I have been meaning to write and talk about the amazing birthday cake I got last year. It was for my son’s 1^st birthday and we were having about 30 people, mostly adults so I wanted a delicious cake! We got a 12 inch 3 layer cake, chocolate and buttercream icing, it was moist and delicious. It fed everyone with a lot left over which was fine because I got to have more cake! Pick up was a breeze and the ordering process was easy to place the initial order.
I had a bit of difficulty when it came to the decoration, I ordered with someone behind the counter and she told me Carolina would be in touch. She called later but we couldn’t communicate on what I wanted so I went in person and explained and drew pictures. Carolina was brisk and seemed to get annoyed with me when I didn’t understand but in the end we got the colors and decoration written down. Price wise, I was a little miffed because they had JUST raised their prices (and I mean earlier that week) so what I thought i would pay was more and they wouldn’t give me the cheaper price.
All in all I would recommend this place and certainly go back, their croissants and cream puffs are amazing!

here is always time for a quick dessert, even when the day is full of things to do and people to see. Today is all about being productive. Paid some bills, returned an order from ASOS, doing laundry, and later getting some routine maintence done on my car at Midas. On the way back to my car after dropping off my packages at the US Post Office in Clarendon, I decided to stop by LeoNora Gourmet Bakery.
After hitting up Boccato Espresso & Gelato a while back, my friend Jackie recommended I visit LeoNora. She knows I have a sweet tooth. It was a tad warm today, and inside the bakery it was even warmer, they are baking… so it’s understandable. The young woman behind the counter was friendly and sociable. I had my eye on several desserts in the case so she helped walk make my decision.
I walked out with two treats, one unknown (I forgot what it was after taking a bite), and a mango mouse cake. I got the mango mouse cake the second she mentioned it. It was moist, fluffy, and covered in coconut shavings. I despise coconut, but the shavings were just a light coating, and added some great texture to the cake. The second cake, which I will call Opera (the only thing listed on my receipt), was a rich caramel-​esque cream on top of a chocolate wafer and rolled in nuts. A total stand out, it’s definitely going to be the highlight of my day! I might even save some for Max.
The bakery was cute, and intimate. Seating for two on the inside, and maybe 6 – 10 on the outside. It doesn’t quite seem like a place I would go to sit down and read, but it looks like a great place to go after lunch for a small treat — or on the way home from work. They have a selection of drinks but it was a little too hot to get anything not iced.
If you’re looking for a decadent dessert, celebrating a special night with the boo, or looking for a quick treat to share with friends I would definitely recommend LeoNora Gourmet Bakery. They cater, so check out the shop if you have a special day coming up.

Small bakery shop in its outer austerity… Huge on passion and what they do!
Tucked away from the main drag of the Clarendon/​Arlington restaurant-​bar scene is a little bakery shop that definitely whips-​up baked goods on an exceptional level.
This place saved me last weekend! As usual… given my bad habits of always planning late, I walked in needing to order a custom birthday cake… on a one day noticed. On top of that, I had the audacity to make special request for the cake!
I came into the store excited… all over-​place in decision paralysis… wanting a custom birthday cake with all kinds of filling and icing combinations that I thought would be best.
I was able to specify the type of cake, draw my own take on the design and even provide a photo of a cool cake I found online as a reference! The LeoNora Bakery staff were very welcoming to my request, even though it was last minute and they already had several orders to fulfill by the next day. Carolina (the owner herself) contacted me to confirm my order and tweak my request. This was a huge plus for me… because I was all over the place in my request. We negotiated on a Strawberry Vanilla Butter Cream cake as the final product. The cake was perfection at best, made from scratch and was available the next morning at the time I requested.
The cake was tripled layered, with fresh strawberries crowning both the top and sides of the cake. In addition, there was an strawberry whipped-​buttercream filling that was outstanding… and finger-​licking good in between the cake layers!
In all, an easy going process and at a price that was exceptional as well; given such a last minute request. Within the store I also noticed all of the cool gourmet pastries, breads and cookies that are made daily. So, I couldn’t help but to buy something «to-​go.» I bought a miniature Raspberry Cheesecake! It was the BOMB… so good that I tried to take it home to eat later after dinner… but sadly that poor pastry didn’t make it passed the first stop light on my way home before I devoured it! It was just that good. LOL
In addition to gourmet pastries and cakes, they sell the full gamut of espresso and coffee drinks. The shop is small and no seating inside. There is an outdoor seating bar and free Wi-​Fi to enjoy your goods while there.
I am definitely a fan and can’t wait to return to try more items. Thanks Carolina and the LeoNora Bakery staff for making me the «Host with the Most» and producing a birthday cake that was a «BIG» hit with everyone at the party!

LeoNora is definitely by far my favorite bakery in Arlington. I have a big passion for baking and am really good at it myself, so I wont give any place higher than 3 star easily. Their croissants, especially the almond, is fantastic. Very much similar to what you find in a local bakery in Paris.
They are humble, friendly, and very pleasant. They have two pastry chef and it sounds like they know what they are doing.
I highly recommend trying their almond croissant, almond pear tart, and basically all the other heavenly stuff they have :)

This is long overdue!
A friend of mine recommended LeoNora Bakery for my wedding cake after having a great experience herself for her wedding. LeoNora is a breath of fresh air compared to several other bakeries in the area. I was pleasantly surprised with my cake tasting appointment – Carolina was very professional and kind, the cakes were amazing and their prices are very reasonable for such high quality desserts.
Carolina was very prompt with our correspondence and was always available via e-​mail and phone when I needed to make some last minute changes to cake size. The cake itself looked like a floral art piece! I personally find wedding cakes to be bland or undesirable, but my wedding guests raved about the cake as well as my Husband and I.
I always recommend Leonora to my friends and clients and look forward to ordering a cake again for upcoming special occasions. :)

Holy moly!
After reading all the reviews about their croissants, a Saturday morning croissant seemed like a perfect way to start my weekend. The shop is tiny and nestled alongside Liberty Tavern.
When visiting France, I spent every morning having a croissant as I started my day out sightseeing. The croissants were just so stupendous there and I have not really had anything even close to real French croissants since leaving.
Well… LeoNora Bakery brings a little bit of Paris to Clarendon. The croissant was still warm. It was light, fluffy, and mouthwateringly buttery. It was just a bready piece of heaven. The croissants were $ 2.50 a piece, so not the cheapest ever, but worth every penny.
I will definitely be returning to try some of their other treats and probably some of their breads. If you have not been to LeoNora Bakery yet, pop in to grab a quick snack, you won’t be disappointed!

Gonna have to give it 1 star based on my experience with the staff. Unfortunately, I never got to taste the product.
So, after reading some of the reviews, I decided to use LeoNora for a birthday cake… sight unseen because I was in a bind.
So, I gave them a call and spoke with a woman. I told her that I had never ordered from LeoNora. So, I would definitely need some help. especially since this would be done by phone. I need to remind you that I called READY to order/​READY to buy cake.
So, I told her that I needed a cake for 20 people and that I wanted a yellow cake with raspberry or some kind of filling. So, she says ok. then asks for my name and contact information… which I give her. Then I tell her that I wanted to put Happy Birthday on the cake… that part of the conversation took about 5 mins or longer. We get past that and she says ok thanks and was about to hang up. Hol up!!! Hol up!!! What about the color of the cake? What kind of icing? So, she says well didn’t you want the «traditional». What traditional? What is a traditional? This did not feel right… so, after that 10 min conversation… I said never mind and called another baker. :(

About a 3.5: My husband and I made a quick stop at LeoNora Bakery while we were in the area. The name is derived from the owner’s (Carolina) mother’s and aunt’s names (Leonor and Nora). This gourmet bakery offers breads (French, French with seeds (yellow & brown flaxseeds and sunflower seeds), Pain de Campagne, sourdough, brioche, and challah), pastries (croissants, eclairs, madeleines, etc.), cakes, tartalettes, individual desserts, customized wedding & birthday cakes, and quiches. I was particularly looking for some eclairs and banana bread, but they were out; so, instead, I had a slice of their Spinach and Gruyère quiche. It was already hot and ready to be consumed, and I liked the melted, slightly crispy top — it was filled with a lot of spinach, a dense egg filling (but, it was a little too ‘scrambled egg-​ish’ for me), and a subtle hint of the gruyère. Sam, one of the staff members, was in the kitchen, making bread and such, which I thought was pretty cool, but he paused to come out to assist me! Just the idea of the place having a full-​working kitchen, baking things fresh daily, is so awesome. I’d love to come back and try their breads and their desserts (especially the famous eclairs!). Limited metered-​parking can be found up along Irving (which is also a One Way street).
+ask for Sam: D
+freshly-​baked breads
+desserts & pastries

This place is a hidden gem!
My boyfriend surprised me and took me to LeoNora Bakery. We miss waking up in France and going to the Boulangerie, which is exactly what LeoNora has given to us in Clarendon.
What we ordered: We were pretty excited when we arrived, so we ordered quite a few items. We started with their Ham & Cheese croissants, rosemary and cheddar scones, pain au chocolat and one of their food-​filled baguettes. UNBELIEVABLY GOOD.
The lady who served us was extremely sweet and helped answer all of our questions. She even told us the history of how LeoNora got started and great suggestions for our next visit to LeoNora. We will be back and often too!

I purchased various baked goods for a tea party I was hosting. I ended up buying too many things, so we ate them over the course of a week. They were out of eclairs when we visited. Cream puffs and tiramisu were delectable. Madelines were perfect with tea, even better warmed and served with apricot fruit spread. The only item that is best fresh is the opera cake, and at room temperature. That ended up being my boyfriend’s favorite. This will be one of my go-​to places for baked goods for future tea parties.
Parking is somewhat limited.