Eclairons

Review! Arlington, Virginia // French & Lebanese bakery + coffee shop // feels like Europe

on a cloudy day

the ELEVATOR PITCH

Once upon a time, just next to the Potomac River in the land of Rosslyn, there lived Eclairons. Falling in love with this bakery is sort of like a fairytale, where you’re the prince and Eclairons is Cinderella, and you didn’t expect her to be at the ball because she’s always hidden away by her stepmother. But that night you run into her on the ballroom floor, a meet cute of the most romantic kind, where her personality absolutely captures your heart!

To an ordinary pedestrian who’s walking by for the first time, Eclairons’ exterior appearance may give off the false impression that she’s offering a beauty service like hair or nails (so I’m not saying this is a downtrodden brick-n-mortar—you can see that for yourself—I just made the mistake of judging a book by its cover). Even when you get close enough to read the fine print of “coffee,” “breakfast,” “lunch” on the windows, you won’t know until you’re inside just how spectacular Eclairons’ pastry cases are.

There’s a feeling of luxury and connoisseurship and effortless intentionality that exudes from the well-lit pastry cases and evenly spaced-out cake slices and entremets. The basket of baguettes seem perfectly placed next to the piles of croissants, the refrigerated pre-made provisions are beautifully labeled and organized in their own section, and the baked goods—bars, cookies, etc.—are daintily stacked and hold their own against their “fancier” sweet treat neighbors. Everything is presented “just so,” reducing any barrier to purchase and making the consumer experience smooth and seamless.

Once you learn that Chef Toni Srour—founder, mastermind, etc. etc.—has had 40 years of baking and management experience, it’s no wonder that Eclairons is the way she is! Having immigrated from Lebanon at age 26, it seems like there hasn’t been a single moment in Chef Srour’s journey where he took a pause in baking. In Beirut, Lebanon, there was Patisserie Maurice (est. 1963); then after moving to Alexandria, Virginia, he operated a wholesale business called Maurice Pastries, Inc. (est. 1993). Now, he currently owns and operates two retail locations that offer similar menus: Pastry Xpo Cafe in Falls Church, Virginia (est. 2008) and Eclairons in Arlington, Virginia (est. 2020).

This treasure trove of a bakery seems to do it all, and do it all pretty darn well. Chef Toni Srour has created a third place that seems to cater to every person and every occasion. Come here for a grab and go breakfast, afternoon coffee and dessert, pre-order a special occasion cake, or eat a satiating lunch! Bring your children for a treat, meet a friend over a hot cup of something, talk some business and do some work, or just come here to feel like you’ve teleported to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in Europe somewhere. It’s otherworldly in the most quaint and charming way possible (plus it doesn’t hurt that the service staff have European accents, at least when we went 👀).

What we tried from the menu~

honest reviews to follow! 👇

Almond Croissant: not the twice-baked kind, and was refreshingly moist & buttery, which made the entire croissant quite “limp” like a soft brioche roll. The almond frangipane filling was very good with the perfect sweetness. I kind of missed having frangipane on top for the slivered almonds to stick to, though! (rating: 8/10)

Manchego Quince Croissant: never had a fruit-cheese pairing in a croissant and very much enjoyed it in this (hilariously, I didn’t know what “quince” was and from simply looking at the croissant I thought the quince jelly was prosciutto, so was caught off guard when the croissant was sweet!). The croissant itself was crispy and flaky. Loved! (rating: 9/10)

Chocolate Praline Cheesecake: delightful, and had more of a hazelnut-y/Ferrero Rocher vibe than I had anticipated (the best turn of events I could’ve asked for as I love Ferrero Rochers). I also LOVED the chocolate shell, but that’s never hard for me to love. :) (rating: 10/10)

Pistachio Éclair: the cream was not too sweet/overpowering, which was great! Only con was that the pistachio flavor was faint/mild and left me wanting more. The choux was light and perfect! Usually my husband hates cream because it’s either too bland or too sweet, but this one struck the perfect balance and won him over to the concept! (rating: 8/10)

Pistachio Latte: uses house made syrup; it’s a drink where the espresso flavor doesn’t dominate (possibly because the drink volume is so large); the pistachio flavor here came through more than it did in the pistachio eclair for me, however, I would’ve preferred stronger flavors over all, so that kind of tells you how mild the pistachio flavor is in the eclair lol. (rating: 8/10)

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the RÉSUMÉ

address // 1737 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209

operations //

• Monday - Thursday, 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM

• Friday, 7:30 AM - 8:00 PM

• Saturday, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

• Sunday, 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM

logistics //

• free parking available in the lot out front, but limited

• take the metro to the Rosslyn stop, then walk a couple of blocks

• there are a couple of bus stops within a block of the storefront

amenities //

• 2 bathroom stalls, no changing tables though…

• free public WiFi, plenty of outlets; good for remote working! yay #WFH

• semi-accessible (i.e., tables are accommodating to wheelchairs, but the ordering counter is standing height)

• plenty of indoor seating

• handful of outdoor tables, uncovered

• additional services: catering; cake preorders

vibes // clean & sleek modern with a sprinkling of French bistro chic in the marble tables and wicker chairs

menu //

• beverages ($3.50 - $8.00): coffee (drip, cold brew); espresso (americano, latte, cappuccino, macchiato, etc.); chai, matcha, hot chocolate, hot tea; pistachio shake

  ⭐ dairy-free milk options available (oat, almond, etc.)

  ⭐ house made syrups available

• viennoiserie / pastries ($5.00 - $6.50): various croissants (chocolate, ham & cheese, butter, almond, pistachio, etc.), & danishes

• patisserie ($3.25 - $8.00): macarons, tart, cheesecake, éclairs, tiramisu, entremets, various cake slices

• baked goods ($3.25 - $6.00): brownie, bars, cookies, alfajores, biscotti, sables, muffin, scones

• boulangerie options: baguette loaves

• food food ($10.00 - $16.00): hummus, baba ghanoush, grape leaves, ratatouille; sandwiches, paninis, & toast; chicken shawarma wraps & burritos

  ⭐ gluten-free, vegetarian options available

  ⭐ breakfast & lunch menu available

recs // come here and order their croissants if you like BUTTERY; the eclairs are great to set your standards high ✨

• next time, I would totally try more of their entremets and food food!

site // Eclairons

~ cath!!