#17 of 201 Destin Restaurants

Bon Appetit French Bakery and Cafe

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Bon Appetit French Bakery and Café — Where to Go for European Pastries to Remember
Local Expert's Rating:
4.5 / 5
The Bottom Line:

Whether you want a quick lunch made to order or need a full box of rich, flavorful pastries, Bon Appetit French Bakery and Café is always poised to help. They start each day bright and early to fill their cases with amazing European pastries, croissants, and more. Then, they promise to keep everyone going strong all day long with soup, salad, and sandwiches galore.

- The FloridaPanhandle.com Local Expert Team

Right along Mary Esther Cut Off Northwest in Fort Walton Beach, you will find the quaint Bon Appetit French Bakery and Café. Although this little eatery does not look like much from the outside, the delectable array of pastries are sure to blow you away. The second you walk through the doors, you will see glass cases filled with European treats, including macarons, eclairs, and rum balls, just waiting for your order.

You can trust that the bakery staff starts their day ultra-early to bring all those treats to your table and keep them coming all day long. They don’t stop there, either. Alongside the pastries, they make plenty of French bread, croissants, and other baked goods. While they supply most to the restaurants across Fort Walton Beach and beyond, they reserve enough to fill up their café patrons each day.

Using that fresh-baked bread, they create sandwiches to order, made using your fillings of choice. To snag one of these superb sandwiches, you do have to visit on a weekday from 10:30 am to 2 pm. During that time, you can order the soup of the day as well, which changes each day of the week. They start with tomato Florentine and end with potato leek to always keep you on your toes. You can also treat yourself to a crisp salad made with fresh, local vegetables and many other awesome toppings, including tuna, chicken, and hummus.

Pastries that will keep you coming back include:

Éclair
Available in both mini and large sizes, their Eclairs are absolutely to die for. They start this treat by making the light and airy pate a choux pastry, then fill it with crème patisserie. To round out the flavors, they dip the top in chocolate and let it set up before serving them up in style.  

Chocolate Swiss roll
With its rich triple chocolate flavors and light texture, the Chocolate Swiss roll is what dreams are made of. To create this incredible pastry, they take a chocolate sponge cake and spread it end to end with chocolate buttercream frosting. Then, they roll it all up and cover the entire thing in Swiss chocolate sprinkles. For the full experience, get a Hazelnut Swiss roll as well.

Strawberry Tart
When you want the bright flavors of fresh fruit paired with a light and crumbly pastry, only the Strawberry Tart will do. They make this exquisite treat using a tart shell filled to the brim with custard. Then, they pour strawberries tossed in a sugary glaze right over the top. As it is one of their most popular menu items, their tart comes in many other flavors, including Lemon Meringue and Chocolate Raspberry.

In addition to all their pastries, sandwiches, and other items on their menu, they keep their shelves full of imported goods. During your visit, you can purchase all your favorite staples, including fruit preserves, pickled vegetables, and condiments.  

Insider Tips:
– Many of their mini pastries are available by the dozen. They have a two dozen minimum, however, and they must be ordered 48 hours in advance.
– If you want to order in advance or just save some time in the morning, use their online system to submit your selections. All croissant orders must be placed by noon the day before to make sure they make enough for everyone to enjoy.
– If you are a local business owner, ask about their wholesale deals on bread and pastries to bring their delightful flavors to your storefront. Upon setting up a wholesale arrangement, they will happily deliver their goods to businesses along their many delivery routes.