Hillcrest · Bakery cafe, Patisserie

Bread & Cie

Hillcrest’s Bread & Cie combines slow-rise European loaves, French pastries and a full bread-centered café menu.

What people go for here

Loaves, pastries, grilled cheese with tomato soup and sandwich combinations recur as favorites, while service is usually praised. Peak-time bustle and the small parking lot are the main practical cautions.

  • French white, Fig & Anise and Jalapeño & Cheese breads
  • grilled cheese and tomato soup
  • flourless chocolate cake
  • cinnamon rolls and savory scones

Worth knowing: parking capacity can feel limited. the café can be busy or somewhat chaotic at peak times.

Signature bakes

  1. 01Fig & Anise bread
  2. 02Jalapeño & Cheese bread
  3. 03Grilled cheese with tomato soup
  4. 04Flourless chocolate cake

Bread, pastry, savory, cake

Bread
Fresh daily slow-rise breads include European rye, French and sourdough breads, Country Levain, brioche, ciabatta, multigrain, Fig & Anise, Jalapeño & Cheese, corn rye, focaccia, baguettes and epis.
Savory
Breakfast panini, quiche, soups, salads, specialty sandwiches, panini, avocado toast and bread-sampler plates center the café menu.

When to go

Best time: Visit earlier for the fullest bread and pastry choice and before the weekend rush for a quieter table.

Ordering

Order ahead
Call ahead or use official online café ordering for pickup; online pie preorders and catering orders are separate options.
Walk in
Walk-ins are welcome for indoor or patio dining and takeout.
Custom orders
Advance pie preorders and catering orders are available; broader custom-order policy is not published.
How it works
Counter-service bakery café with table delivery after ordering, indoor and patio dining, takeout, pickup and delivery.

The room

Inside
Indoor dining is explicitly offered by the café.
Outside
The official café page and contact copy explicitly describe patio dining.
Coffee
Official menu includes coffee, espresso drinks, loose-leaf tea and house-squeezed juices.

Good to know

  • The tradition: Traditional European slow-rise breads and French pastry technique
  • Bread & Cie is the single public café for this long-running local bakery; the separate operation is wholesale, not another walk-in branch.
  • Rotating: daily housemade soups
  • Rotating: daily quiche selections
  • Rotating: seasonal fruit in yogurt and French-toast preparations
  • Rotating: holiday items and preorder pies
  • Diet: Vegetarian café selections
  • welcoming Hillcrest café
  • friendly, efficient staff
  • comfortable indoor and patio seating

More San Diego bakeries

  • Custom cakes
  • Order ahead
  • Also on the cafe list

Arely's French Bakery Café

North Clairemont · Cakes and desserts

Clairemont French bakery-café for croissants, pâtisserie, full brunch, mousse cakes, and custom celebration cakes.

Go for: Cream puff, Croissant and almond croissant

Best for: French pastries and croissants

See the bakery
  • Gluten-free options
  • Also on the cafe list

Azúcar

Ocean Beach · Cakes and desserts

French-trained Cuban patisserie for guava pastelitos, meat pies, scones, café con leche, and whole cakes in Ocean Beach.

Go for: Guava-and-cheese pastelito, Cheese roll

Best for: Cuban pastries

See the bakery
  • Gluten-free options
  • Vegan options
  • Custom cakes
  • Order ahead

Bonjour Patisserie

Little Italy · Cakes and desserts

Little Italy French patisserie for filled croissants, vegan viennoiserie, polished desserts, coffee, and custom wedding sweets.

Go for: Chocolate-almond croissant, Almond croissant

Best for: Filled croissants

See the bakery