A Visit to Left Bank Pastry in Olympia

October 10, 2023

A Visit to Left Bank Pastry in Olympia

A Paris-Brest pastry from Left Bank Pastry.

All road trips call for a stop for treats. On my family's trip to the OR Coast, we stopped in Olympia, WA at Left Bank Pastry. This French Patisserie is a bright and airy shop with lots of seating. But most notable is the sweeping display case, filled with pastries and goodies. They had a large selection, each option more mouthwatering than the next. I finally decided on a Paris-Brest and a classic Almond Croissant.

A Paris-Brest has been on my foodie list for a while now, and most bakeries don't make them. I was happily surprised to see them at Left Bank Pastries, primed and ready to indulge in. A Paris-Brest is supposed to look like a bicycle wheel, with a ring of choux dough and a creamy praline filling. The one I tried had lots and lots of chocolate filling, making one thick and dense pastry we couldn't stop eating. There was also a layer of caramel that paired beautifully with the chocolate. This pastry was invented in 1910 to commemorate the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race from 1881.

The Almond Croissant I had was pretty standard. It wasn't the best I've had, but it was still a great croissant. The Paris-Brest was the standout for me and made it worth the visit!