Nestled in Echo Park, this charming bakery and café serves up delightful pastries, quality coffee, and light lunch options, all with a cozy outdoor vibe.
"Valerie is tucked away up Echo Park Avenue, into the hills and warrens of single-family homes. The pastries, chocolates, and other sweets are a highlight at this daytime cafe, but it would be remiss not to try the savory breakfast and lunch options as well. The petit fours are a standout at the bakery, available in flavors like ginger, chocolate, Champagne, and espresso. There’s limited seating on the sidewalk to enjoy pastries, frittatas, and sandwiches on-site, but luckily, Echo Park Lake and Elysian Park are just a few blocks away if the move is a picnic." - Rebecca Roland
"Sometimes, a simple box of chocolates is the best gift — something to enjoy over a few weeks with an espresso or after a filling dinner at home. One of Los Angeles’s most adored chocolatiers, Valerie, is now celebrating 20 years of business with a 31-piece grand assortment. The box features almond fleur de sel toffee, mint toffee, black pepper truffles, scotch truffles, liquid caramel bon bons, almond toffee, and 72-percent cacao bon bons, so there’s something new for every day (or hour)." - Matthew Kang
"Valerie Confections bakes up an impressive line of vintage cakes including Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake, an iconic slice of sponge cake with coffee whipped cream and bits of honeycombed crunch. — Cathy Chaplin, senior editor" - Cathy Chaplin, Eater Staff
"Self-taught baker and confectioner Valerie Gordon opened this little neighborhood cafe in 2013. Though chocolates and jams are Valerie’s specialty, this third location introduces savory, “French-Californian” fare. From soft scrambled eggs to colorful salads, the menu is inspired by the recipes Valerie makes for her family at home. Whatever your fancy, cozy up on the charming patio with a cup of tea and a book, and call it an afternoon. And don’t forget to pick up an Echo Park mug and box of chocolates on your way out!" - Ludlow Kingsley
"This Echo Park sweet shop has shown they can pivot with the best of them, transforming into a mini-market selling prepared foods, petit fours, and pantry items like salad mix, rice, sugar, baker’s flour, sauces, and pastas. Available for curbside pick-up and limited delivery. Order through their website. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Team Infatuation
