Vive La Tarte

Oh Vive La Tarte. I feel like they’re so underrated and that not enough people know about them! A beautiful spacious bakery that opened up within the last year or so for one who enjoys coffee and both the sweet tooth and one who enjoys more of the savory. I find myself thinking about going to Vive La Tarte at least once a month, but unfortunately, they’re so out of my way, I don’t get to visit as often. I work semi close-​by and think of going there for breakfast, but then I remember they open at 8AM. I start work at 8AM.
I’ve had a number of their donuts. A little on the greasy side, but they’re always crisp on the outside from the sugar coating and is always filled with a delicious custardy filling. Their tarts are always scrumptious and if you see the strawberry tart with custard, get it. It’s to die for. The crust is buttery and the combination of their custard and strawberries is what keeps me up at night. I’ve had a number of their focaccia and they’ve all been tasty. My most recent was the pancetta and egg. I brought it home and ate it the next day — still good. Popped it into the toaster oven for a few minutes and threw some arugula on it and it was one of my better breakfasts at home.
Vive La Tarte has different pastries in the morning and later in the day. I believe additional pastries come out at about 11:00AM so if you’re in the area all day long, I won’t judge you if you’re there twice in one day.
Metered parking out front, but come early in the mornings. You won’t have to pay for parking before 9AM and if it’s a weekend, there’s plenty of parking.

My favorite thing about this place is how spacious it is! It really is huge and very open. There’s a variety of seating: bar area, this gym looking bleacher area, and a few wooden tables. Even with all this, there is still plenty of space, giving it sort of an old gym look. The staff here is also very welcoming and kind, which definitely was a bonus.
I got the hazeulnut caramel filled donut and a mocha. They serve Sightglass here, which isn’t really my favorite, but the donut was nice! I was never really a big fan of cream filled donut but the hazelnut was nice. There is a bit too much cream for my taste but it was delicious nonetheless. I just really love the vibes here and was able to get some work done while grabbing some dessert and coffee.

I had high expectations given the great reviews here and was hoping that the croissants would be close to the ones in France (I know I’m dreaming :).
I wanted to try their butter croissant, but they were sold out. I was disappointed with the 2 sweet croissants i ended up getting — orange blossom and hazelnut. They were very ordinary and don’t even come anywhere close to Neighbor’s pistachio Blackberry croissant or Thoroughbread’s almond croissant. I will come back though to see if they’re plain croissant is really as good as people say.

I went to a few bakeries/​sweet shops during my visit to SF and I think this one tops the list. I was impressed by everything.
Setting: I came right before it opened and was the first to place an order for the day. The space is huge and welcoming. The goods are laid out nicely and one can see the whole baking process. There is plenty of places to sit or mill around.
Service: Friendly, Knowledgeable, Efficient of course I was the first one there
Food: I got the breakfast focaccia and a hazelnut croissant to go. They were spectacular. The croissant was flaky, warm and scrumptious without being too sweet. The focaccia, once heated up a tad, was the perfect start to a morning and kept me full for quite some time. The pancetta and scallions were my favorite part. I only wish the egg was a little runnier, but this was my own doing since I ate everything at the office. It is a must get.
I want to try this supposed amazing cheesecake and the other pastries that look great. When I am back in town this is a must stop for me and it would be the first bakery I go to in the city. There is also a brewery a couple doors down (best of both worlds?).

Ordered a cheesecake for my sister’s birthday recently. She wanted it from another place in SF, but they were closed on Sundays, and I didn’t want to have it sitting in the freezer for two days. Viva La Tarte was clutch!
The cheesecake had the lettering piped on top in chocolate. The cheesecake itself was awesome. I liked that it wasn’t extremely dense and thick. It had a very airy, light, creamy texture to it which made it really easy to eat. The crust is a whole different creature, too. I could eat the crust like a cookie if they made it! Even the leftover crust held together and was still crunchy after two days in the fridge.
Since it’s only a block away from work, I have a feeling I’ll be returning anytime I need pastries for meetings.

Best coffee, tea and pastries in SF! Omg and you must try their quiche! The atmosphere is relaxed & is wonderful if you’d like to meet a client or even a friend over coffee and a small bite. Parking is super easy as well.

Walking by this place the first time, I would have never guessed it to be a bakery. There’s so much open space that I thought it was just a really cool start-​up or perhaps a photo studio. I was lucky to have found this on Unilocal when searching for a place that sells donuts within my vicinity.
Yes they have donuts! I got some vanilla custard ones for a co-worker’s birthday but what I really wanted to get was the cheesecake. They didn’t have any the first time I came in the morning so I came back again a few days later in the afternoon and lo and behold, CHEESECAKE! The cheesecake is so light and fluffy that I wanted to cry on the spot at how delicious it was.
Me: Look, they serve Sightglass coffee.
Friend: Really? *gets up to look*
Me: *eats another bite of cheesecake*
I really love the ambiance of the place. The kitchen is completely open so you can watch them bake. Lots of open space and my favorite part is how they turned these giant steps into seating by placing flat cushions. Very zen-​like and I feel like I can almost sleep there or do yoga. I kid but you can probably bring your laptop and work on the top step since there’s an outlet there.
Good focaccia and even better desserts. Cheesecake is definitely my favorite but the lemon meringue was also good.

SOMA needs more places like this!
Never would I have expected something like this to be in the area. Came here with a friend for lunch, and I was already amazed at the setup of the interior. The restaurant itself already won me over, and I haven’t even tried the food yet.
AMBIANCE
Everything is really open and spacious with clear visibility of the kitchen and its food preparation. I was just really in awe at the Pinterest styled décor. Very trendy and inviting, and gives off the modern feel. The most eye-​catching piece was their tiered seating w/​mats against the wall. Basically provides a nice view of everything, but it might be a bit uncomfortable to eat while sitting cross-​legged.
SERVICE
How this place works is that you’ll select your items in the back display. There is full visibility of the food and prices, and the workers are really attentive. After you pay, find yourself a nice seating area, and they’ll bring everything over. I honestly thought they’d serve the pizza they have out, but they’re nice enough to heat your slice back in the oven for a bit before serving it to you. So kind!
FOOD:
Their food was amazing too. Looking over online pictures, it seems to me that depending on the day or times you go in, they’ll have a different selection of baked goods for sale.
1) Pancetta, Ramps & Farm Fresh Egg: (⁴⁄₅) Sunny side up egg on top of a pizza? YES.
2) White Truffle Mushroom Ragout: (⁴⁄₅) Smothered with lots of baby arugula.
3) Lemon Meringue: (⁵⁄₅) A sweet well-​balanced dessert.
4) Cheesecake: (⁵⁄₅) Great cheesecake. That crumbly graham cracker crust though.
Not even disappointed in the slightest. I gotta try their donuts next time.

If it’s your first time here you’ll probably be overwhelmed by the number of delicious looking choices on display. Here’s my take — get one of the pastries.
* breakfast foccacia — $ 8 for something good but not great, a lot to pay for a savory breakfast that isn’t filling enough to take you through lunch
* croissant — $ 3.50 is amazing! Light, buttery, flakey. Probably one of the best you can get in SF (tied with Neighbor Bakehouse, and waaay better than Tartine, Mr. Holmes, name-​that-​pastry-​shop)
If I came back I would just get anything made with that laminated dough. And I’m 100% sure of my recommendation even though I didn’t try the quiches. I’m not sure I will ever be able to pass up a really good croissant. Feel free to challenge me. I’m always up for a croissant challenge.

I’ve been to Vive La Tarte twice and I haven’t been disappointed. My coworker and I split the egg and pancetta focaccia and the burrata focaccia. Both were absolutely delicious! The burrata came with a bright tomato sauce, and the egg/​pancetta one was very savory.
We also got our own desserts. I got a passion fruit doughnut, and it was a sweet way to end my lunch.
I love their space. It’s not a lot of seating, and I don’t understand why there’s stadium seating, but I really like the fact that you can see the kitchen. And it’s very clean.
I’ve had their cheesecake the first time I visited, which was recommended by one of the employees. I recommend it too. It’s perfect.

Have you ever followed advice from a moron?
Well I have, (does that make me a moron too) and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I was talking about donuts with someone one day and they mentioned that I should try the donuts at Vive La Tart.
When I first walked in, I was taken aback at how neat the place looked inside. I felt like I was in some advanced European kitchen factory where high end pastry was being churned out like clockwork. The open space is very warm and inviting, and the wood motif only reinforces the relaxed, modern vibe.
I will say though, that the stadium seating inside is a bit disturbing. Has anyone seen what’s on the street outside in the surrounding area? I couldn’t bring myself to sit down there, and it honestly kinda grossed me out. This is San Francisco, one of the dirtiest cities in the world. Don’t people realize what they’re stepping on and subsequently sitting on? No thanks.
I tried the pancetta quiche ($ 6 — 7.5÷10) and though that I might need to get the spinach quiche ($ 6 — 7.5÷10) as well because I was pretty hungry. The quiche were delicious and reheated nicely. I do think that $ 6 is a bit much for a slice of quiche, but then again this is San Francisco and closets rent for about $ 1500 per month. The texture of the quiche wasn’t too eggy and the crust was delicious and flaky. Personally, I would have added just a pinch more salt to the quiche, but that’s just my personal preference.
They had run out of earl grey and Speculoos donuts, so I paid for my quiche and ate back at my office because the other tables were full and I refused to sit where other people put their dirty feet.
A day or two later, I wanted to complete my experience at Vive La Tart so I went in at about 9:30am for a donut. The Earl Grey donut ($ 4 — ⁸⁄₁₀) was the only flavor available, but I selected it without complaint. The donut was very light and fluffy and the filling was custardy with very subtle notes of Earl Grey. My wife bakes often using Earl Gray tea, so I’m used to isolating its notes and flavor in other baked goods. The best part about the donut is that it wasn’t overly sweet. It was light, filling, and went perfectly with a nice cup of hot tea.
While I didn’t try the Speculoos donuts, I was very pleased with my experience at Viva La Tart. I have no complaints about this place, other than the unsanitary seating options.
Unfortunately, there’s a place about a 20 minute walk away that has my absolute favorite donuts ever, and they also sell cruffins in the morning, so Vive La Tart certainly has some competition.

Walked by this place because it was near my office and the huge open minimalistic and clean styled bakery definitely caught my attention.
My co-​worker and I tried the cheesecake and the fruit tart and.
OMG the cheesecake was freakin a m a z i n g! I couldn’t contain my reaction with my first bite and had to burst out with a loud «mmmmmm!» The texture was airy and fluffy and just faintly sweet with just the perfect cheesiness… but… the crust of this cheesecake made it even more incredible!!! cinnamon-​y, sweet, salty — Seriously, perfection!
I couldn’t say the same about the fruit tart, which was just mediocre. The crust was very doughy and it tasted undercooked but the fruits were really fresh and good!
They get their coffee from sight glass, which is only a block away but still great to have with the pastries. I have yet to try their savory pastries and their watermelon basil drink looks refreshing! I will definitely be back. esp for that cheesecake.

What started off as a lunch for one, ended with a lunch for two. Two seats to enjoy each other’s company. Two hungry bellies to fill. Two slices of pizza to indulge. Sometimes, two is better than one.
Pancetta Egg Pizza– Nice crispy crust, soft bread, good toppings. The egg wasn’t runny but still a good addition to the pizza
Artichoke and prosciutto pizza– Not as flavorful as the Pancetta pizza. Again, good crust and soft bread but lacked flavor
Large space, plenty of seats, open kitchen, friendly service, good pizza.

Running errands typically suck and drains the energy out of you! So occasionally, we have a ‘pick me up’ in the afternoon to get through that rut… where oh where is the nearest coffee? Oh, we’re by Sightglass! Let’s go there!
We turn on to 7^th looking for parking.
ME: Don’t drive so fast after we pass the furniture store!
HIM: There are cars behind us, I can’t drive any slower.
ME: OK.
With no luck, we turned left on Howard. Still looking for parking, I yell out «Vive La Tarte! I have that place bookmarked!» But as usual, my husband is driving too fast to park. It also might be because he has coffee on his mind. Men, one track minds! JK.
Anyhoo, We try looking for parking one more time on 7^th. With no luck again, we turn left on Howard. At this point, I only have one thing on my mind… I really wanted to try Vive La Tarte! I suggest going there and that they must also have coffee.
We park. Meter is broken, doesn’t accept coins and Pay By Phone is not working… of course. So, I go in by myself while he waits by the car. No sense in turning it into a $ 75+ tarte run (or whatever tickets are these days).
I ordered three different focaccia breads:
1. pancetta, green onion, farm fresh egg
2. house pepperoni, fior di latte mozzarella, marinara
3. white truffle mushroom, burrata, arugula
Each one had a lot of flavor. We ate them the next day, the focaccia was a bit hard (even after putting them in the oven). Perhaps they’re best eaten that day?
We also ordered a slice of cheesecake and a strawberry tarte.
Two days later, I suggest to my husband that we should eat the sweet stuff… He happily agrees — he has the sweet tooth, not me. He takes the cheesecake out of the refrigerator and starts to munch on it, while I sit on the couch watching TV. When all the sudden I hear,
HIM: F*@K, you have to try this.
I get off the couch and walk over…
ME: Oh my god, that is GOOD!
HIM (with his mouth full): It’s so…
ME: light, airy, and with so much flavor AND it’s not too sweet. AND the crust, it’s soooo good!
HIM: EXACTLY!
We ate the entire thing within minutes. I typically take one or two bites, just to try the dessert, but this time I kept on eating!
We tried the strawberry tarte the next night. It was just ok, BUT we probably just waited to long to eat it.
Next time we go to Vive la Tarte, we’re buying an entire cheesecake!
Staff was also so friendly. It’s always nice to have great service along with your great food.
Vive la Tarte also caters and hosts baking classes/​events. You must try it!
Happy eating!

Huge open space, but not a ton of seating if it did get more busy. Has some bleacher/​stadium-​like seating, which I have only seen at one other coffee shop (in Boston). Kinda cool. We tried an almond orange croissant? There’s not really that much almond or orange flavor in it, but a good croissant still. Also got this foccacia bread with pancetta, and an egg on top. That was pretty good too. I would love to try their desserts next time!

Overview: One of the largest and most open spaces in San Francisco. Minimalistic, classy, inviting and chic. The French owners are absolute darlings, incredibly warm and welcoming individuals. The display counter is neat and simple, and each cup of coffee is made to order.
Tartes: Yes. Incorporating seasonal ingredients, the pastry chefs make each tarte with incredible attention to detail. The crust is warm and flakey and the filling (whether savory or sweet), are wildly decadent.
Coffee: French pressed to perfection. I believe they were featuring a local coffee roaster for the month, not sure if they rotate vendors or keep a consistent menu. Regardless, the barista took the proper 5 minutes to make a beautifully, hand-​crafted cup of dark roast. No vending machine coffee here.
One downside is that there are no outlets for you to camp out. This is more of a space to exchange thoughts, enjoy the SoMa scene, and step out of your day-​to-​day, white noise infiltrated lives.

«Vive la France!» were the famous words uttered by the French when the French Revolution occurred back in 1789.
Who would have thought that today I would be hollering, «Vive la Tarte!» with the same amount of enthusiasm.
I walked into this bakery not necessarily expecting much, but on the same note, I was definitely allured by the tempting aroma of bready goodness and the strong scent of coffee permeating into the streets of SoMa.
And you knowwwww the streets of SoMa usually don’t always have the most pleasant of fragrances. Welcome to the city.
But, with Vive la Tarte, oh what a pleasant surprise!
Upon walking in through its doors, you’ll notice bleacher style seating to your left, and modern cafeteria style seating to your right.
When you approach the counter, you’ll be able to see all they have to offer in the way of house-​made pastries, pizza, and a slew of other oven-​baked goods, depending upon the time of day. (Usually the more savory bites are saved for after 11am).
Menu items:
Rhubarb Tarte — perfectly sweet and not too tangy in the slightest. And NO rhubarb desserts are not only for the elderly.
Spinach quiche — chocked full of spinach and cheese, this would even please Popeye the Sailor Man.
Jalapeño and cheese quiche — a gluten-​free option and full of flavor.
Carrot cake — being one of my all time faves, the cake, itself, is dense and full of fresh grated carrots keen to the eye. The frosting is slightly sweet and a great accompaniment to the cake. Perfect combo.
SF Cheesecake — light and airy, oh my goodness… I’m preeeettty sure I can eat 20 of these in a row because of how fluffy and wispy these were. Just beautiful.
Chocolate and plain croissants — baked in-​house and incredibly flaky, yet moist.
Chocolate and banana filled donuts — Need I say more? Donuts are a sinful treat to begin with, but this place takes it to a different level. The filling gushes into your mouth and the outer donut is soft, delicate, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Artichoke and prosciutto pizza — Like OMGeeeee… The crust was chewy and bready and with the tanginess of the artichoke and smoked saltiness of the prosciutto, I was in absolute heaven. They even warm it up right before serving.
Coffee is great; beans provided by Sightglass. They even create agua frescas here for those hot summery days.
With such a fantastic new jewel here in SoMa, I’m ready to start my own revolution!
Vive la Tarte! Long live the Tarte!

Wow. Just, WOW. The outdoor seating out front, the stacked benches to the left with individual cushion seating, the custom bench, the warm wood tables, the chairs with paper clip legs, the open kitchen, the white walls… everything is so white… I love it!
I love the way they lay out their food at the counter. My eyes were drawn to every pastry and pizza as I was going down the line. But their cheesecake though… damn… That’s all I wanted! But I told myself to hold back… So I had a iced tonic coffee instead. It includes tonic, two shots of espresso and an orange peel. It was something new for me, but it was delicious!
My company ordered a quiche with a side salad and also an espresso bean donut. I wasn’t able to try the entrees, but the donut was extremely spongy and perfectly sweetened with powdered sugar. The downside was that it didn’t taste like espresso too much… and my company made it open and clear. The person behind the counter kindly told her that she was given the correct donut as it is labeled and reassured her that the espresso is noticeable if you had taken a bite out of the vanilla bean one as well. They offered to give us another espresso donut.
Little did we know, the person she was talking to was the owner of Viva La Tarte, Julia. She expressed her concern and offered a free piece of cheesecake! OH WHAA?!
And let me tell you… Goddamn that was so delicious!!! It was cheesecake heaven! The cheesecake was so moist, divine and the crust was perfect. I don’t have anything bad to say about it!
I have tried many bakeries before but I want to give Viva La Tarte 5 stars because they truly deserve it. Julia treated us like her friends rather than customers. She has a warm heart and I can feel that she is genuinely here to serve the community with her delicious treats! Her husband designed the interior which I admire him for as well! The other workers behind the bar were also very friendly and helpful. They have friendly staff, super delicious desert and an amazing environment to enjoy the treats in! I think I just found my new addiction.

Vive indeed.
They serve these decadent donuts with a number of delicate fillings that will have you loving them when being devoured but then hating them when realizing the caloric count on these suckers are probably astronomical (I mean it’s so totally worth it but still).
They also serve this breakfast focaccia that’ll have you wishing that you could start off every morning with this beautiful balance of crispy bread, generous sprinkling of pancetta, and perfectly baked egg with gooey yolk center.
My only dig are the flies. They come so dangerously close to some of the food that I worry they’re gonna do a little taste testing (or worse). Gross.
Anyways, Vive La Tarte has the potential to be awesome.
Just beware of the fly food? grub? fly by?
Just look out and make sure there aren’t any flies near by.

Omg I had the best croissant ever in my life today!!! I woke up this morning craving a warm cappuccino and a simple pastry to go with it. I stumbled upon Viva La Tarte while Unilocaling for the perfect bakery, and made the best decision to actually go and check it out.
My first impression was that the space is so open and so unique it makes anyone who passes by want to take a second glance. Pastries they had included burratas, quiches, danishes, cheesecake, and really all the carbs you will ever need in your life. I tried the almond and orange blossom croissant, and LOVED IT. The almond and orange blossom filling was already tasty enough. The salt on top was what made the whole thing worth coming back for.
I’m coming back again. Very soon.