Founded in Taiwan, 85°C Bakery Cafe is a global chain offering coffee, bubble tea, cakes, baked goods, desserts, and more. The brand started in 2004 and has expanded to over 1,000 stores worldwide. 85°C Bakery Cafe has been nicknamed the “Starbucks of Taiwan” due to their popularity.
Their expansion to the US has been well-received since they arrived in 2008. Their stores have been known to have line-ups with items frequently being sold out.
85°C Bakery Cafe is best known for their sea salt caramel coffee, which is a sweetened Americano with sea salt whipped cream and caramel sauce.
The name of the brand was inspired by the founder’s belief that 85°C is the ideal temperature for coffee.
85°C Bakery Cafe Seattle International District
I visited the 85°C Bakery Cafe location in Seattle’s International District earlier this year and at that time it was in the soft opening phase.
The smell from the outside was so inviting and on the inside it was absolutely intoxicating…the sweetness of eggs, butter, sugar and boba in between.
Like many bakeries, it’s self-serve in terms of picking up the items you want. You grab a pair of tongs, a tray and have fun choosing!
I really enjoyed the selection of their baked goods which are modern and slightly elevated. There are danishes, puff pastries, savoury breads, sweet breads, toasts with Asian and European influences.
Coming in late in the day, a lot of the items were already sold out but I managed to get my hands on some goodies: 85°C Coffee Bun, Espresso Bun, Taro Danish, Red Bean Bun and Mocha Bun.
Not surprisingly, there was a lineup for the checkout.
All the items were very reasonably priced with the buns being $2 – $3 each.
The breads were wonderfully delicious being moist, buttery, and pillowy soft and light. For the buns with filling, the bread to filling ratio was good.
Overall Impression
I really enjoyed all the baked goods I got from 85°C Bakery Cafe. I brought some of them back home to Vancouver and they lasted in the fridge very well for even a few days. Given the great quality, taste, and value of the products I tried, I’d definitely revisit 85°C Bakery Cafe. I also enjoyed the selection of their baked goods which were modern and slightly elevated. Hopefully, they will expand to Canada in the future. Rating: 5/5
85°C Bakery Cafe – International District
501 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA
www.85cbakerycafe.com