Seylou Bakery

"Any baker will tell you that working exclusively with whole grain flour is an exercise in insanity. And yet Seylou succeeds in not only doing, but nailing, the impossible. You won’t find white flour, granulated sugar, or instant yeast at this Blagden Alley bakery, where locally-sourced grains are freshly stone-milled in an open kitchen, and baked into one-of-a-kind, naturally-leavened loaves, doughnuts, muffins, cookies, and cakes. Leaving with some pain au levain in your totebag should be mandatory, but it’s not the only reason to stop in. Unsurprisingly, people who are serious about bread can make a seriously mean sandwich. There’s a new one most every day—on a recent visit a generous slick of labneh anchored lamb merguez inside an heirloom wheat baguette—and it always lives up to the dictionary definition of the word “special.” Though most days it closes after lunch, Seylou opens its doors from 5:30-8 every Wednesday for pizza night. Whenever you go, order confidently—though the menu changes regularly, it does not seem to miss. photo credit: Nina Palazzolo photo credit: Nina Palazzolo photo credit: Nina Palazzolo photo credit: Nina Palazzolo" - Allison Robicelli

"A bakery known for its almond croissants, located in Washington, D.C." - Nancy DePalma

"Let’s be real — the coffee at your convention center meeting probably sucks. If you need a fresh brew, plus whole grain breads and pastries baked to perfection inside a giant oven, then book it across the street to Seylou. This bakery is hard to miss and it debuted as D.C.’s only whole grain bakery, mill, and coffee bar. The “financiers” (French almond cakes) are impeccable. Go for: A quick bite or coffee Distance from CC: 0.3 miles" - Tim Ebner

"Unique among D.C.’s bakeries, Seylou is the first and only D.C. bakery to operate an in-house mill. The Blagden Alley bakery is committed to the traditional ways of baking as owner Jonathan Bethony mills whole grains and ferments his loaves before popping them into an imported, wood-fired oven. The result is some of the post impressive loaves of pain au levain, einkorn, and others. Plus, the bakery’s whole grain sourdough becomes the base for pizzas each Wednesday night. Pre-orders and delivery available through the website." - Tierney Plumb, Stephanie Carter

"Charbel Abrache at Seylou Bakery makes my favorite croissant ever. They use local ingredients and flours that are milled in-house. The variety of grains adds a real depth of flavor to the baked goods and requires less sugar. Seylou was our office while we were building out Oyster Oyster. I fell in love with the bread and pastries. Plus, having delicious baked goods in any meeting is icing on the cake." - Rob Rubba