Renaud's Patisserie & Bistro

Wow!! The croissant egg, ham and cheese sandwich was delicious!! The flavor was exceptional! I've had my share of croissants and the waistline to prove it but never have I had a croissant as perfect as theirs! Crispy, flaky ends and soft warm bread in the middle! So why did I give it 4 stars you ask, well due to the lack of seating. There was no where to sit and the staff doesn't help clean tables quickly. I will be back and hopefully I won't have to take it to go!

. I am visiting Santa Barbara with my daughter for the weekend. After dropping her off for her appointment, I decided to get breakfast here based on the previous reviews. The ambiance of this place is nice. Most of the seating is outside and primarily for couples. The place has gas heating but the owners had not turned it on eventhough it was foggy and quite chilly. In my opinion, they should have lit up the heaters without the customers needing to ask. The place was packed with the locals many of whom were there with their dogs. If you are not a big fan of dogs, this is not the place to be.

The food itself was mediocre at best. I ordered the Renaud omlette with sourdough bread, side of fruit and a cappuccino. The omlette was overcooked- a sin considering this is a French bakery! The cheese filling was overdone (too much cheese). The sourdough bread seemed to be something you get in a grocery store and not something you expect in a bakery. The jelly that was provided definitely come out of a bottle!! Ireally am bewildered as to why there are so many 4 and 5 stars given to this restaurant. If I had to rate it on just the food I would give it a 2. However, the ambiance deserves a 4, so I gave this restaurant 3 stars.

Amazing delicate delicious pastries coupled with outstanding service. Perfect combination.

Cozy little French cafe in downtown Santa Barbara. Excellent croissants and pastries and good sandwich options on home baked breads. Coffee was quite good. A really relaxed outer patio to have good conversation or just enjoy time alone. A lot of locals come here and make for a village feel at this gem of a cafe.

We found this place because my friends told me to try their almond croissant. It was indeed one of the best croissants that I have ever tried for any kind. Also, if you visit there, try their macaroons as well. I really liked them.

I recommend this place for a nice brunch in SB.