After years of working in some of America's most iconic restaurants, Chef Tova du Plessis decided to go back to her roots when she opened her first bakery. She took inspiration from the fresh baked bread and pastries she would make alongside her mother as a child. Her food reflects her heritage while being heavily influenced by her technical training.
Essen Bakery is a cozy neighborhood spot where a big city can feel like a small town. We buy freshly roasted coffee beans from Elixr, our favorite local roaster. Fridays are extra busy as people trickle in throughout the day for a challah or sweet for Shabbat. Saturdays and Sundays are crowded and lively as fans from all over the city and the country make their weekend complete with a slice of babka.
Essen Bakery is a cozy neighborhood spot where a big city can feel like a small town. We buy freshly roasted coffee beans from Elixr, our favorite local roaster. Fridays are extra busy as people trickle in throughout the day for a challah or sweet for Shabbat. Saturdays and Sundays are crowded and lively as fans from all over the city and the country make their weekend complete with a slice of babka.
Services
Our delivery zone includes South Philly, Center City, West Philly, Fairmount and Northern Liberties. We do not deliver to New Jersey. If you are unsure if your address is in our delivery zone, please send us an email. If you are outside our delivery zone, you can still place an order for pick up and select the pick up option at checkout.
Reviews (19)
Bob Z.
Jan 20, 2022
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Clarissa V.
Dec 19, 2021
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I'd show a picture but I already ate it.
I got the chocolate croissant and it was flakey and crusty and buttery soft layers inside with a little chocolate chunk in the center.
Delicious and happy to have only spent $3.50 for a chocolate croissant and not $5-6 like some others.
I biked around picking up one from each place and this was a great one !
I got the chocolate croissant and it was flakey and crusty and buttery soft layers inside with a little chocolate chunk in the center.
Delicious and happy to have only spent $3.50 for a chocolate croissant and not $5-6 like some others.
I biked around picking up one from each place and this was a great one !
Clare D.
Oct 02, 2021
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I've purchased pastries here several times and am always impressed. Every item is put together with great care and the best ingredients. If you've never been here before, a good starter pastry is the apple danish. I'm a fangirl of Tova and her work. She's a four-time James Beard-nominated pastry chef (frickin' amazing). The flakiness of the apple danish is among the best I've had in Philly and somehow Tova makes her croissants and pastries less greasy than other croissant shops (including my favorite shop down the block). Today I tried a newer item, the sweet potato
Cheryle C.
Sep 08, 2021
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Manta K.
Jun 24, 2021
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*Edited to complete review, did not realize the entire review text did not post!
I had heard great things about Essen bakery, so when I walked by it, I had to stop by and try. Essen still has covid protocol in place so all orders are placed at a window and there are a few tables outdoors.
I ordered a babka slice and a chocolate chip cookie. The babka was really good and tasted very fresh. The cookie was huge and had a sprinkling of sea salt which added a unique flavor to it.
The service was great, the person who took my order was friendly and recommended their favorites.
Few things to know
I had heard great things about Essen bakery, so when I walked by it, I had to stop by and try. Essen still has covid protocol in place so all orders are placed at a window and there are a few tables outdoors.
I ordered a babka slice and a chocolate chip cookie. The babka was really good and tasted very fresh. The cookie was huge and had a sprinkling of sea salt which added a unique flavor to it.
The service was great, the person who took my order was friendly and recommended their favorites.
Few things to know
Rosie S.
May 27, 2021
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The pastries here are very quality and the coffee is good. The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is it can be an ordeal to get anything from this place before it sells out. I found that the only way to get what you want is to order it online the previous day at literally 8am or else most of the stuff sells out. I'm not sure if this is always the case but in the few times I went here, this was my experience. I tried to stop by on a Saturday morning before 11am and they were already sold out of everything. That being said, if you plan accordingly, the pastries are extremely good
Adam S.
May 05, 2021
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I can't remember having Jewish baked goods this good in the Philly area. Currently, I've only tried the Rugelach and Babka. Both were full of flavor and moist. Even after several hours being stored (a rarity in my experience). I'm definitely looking forward to trying their Jewish apple cake in the future. I only wish the bakery was larger so there would be a place to sit and eat. Otherwise five stars. Recommend.
Leah M.
Apr 03, 2021
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I stumbled across this bakery using the app Too Good To Go. So glad I did. Although the bakery is slightly out of the way for me when I want some bagels or bread for a special occasion I can see me making the trip. Items that I received were labeled as surplus or possibly day-old however I found the bagels fresh which they remained for a few days and quite delicious. The hot cross buns were a hit with the entire family. In the next few days I will review the menu to see their daily selection. It looks as though I would need to get there early as they have short hours and may sell out quickly.
Stephanie R.
Jan 17, 2021
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Essen has become one of my favorite bakeries in the city! The homemade pop tarts (weekends only) are so flaky and fresh with plenty of jam inside (and a glaze on top). The cinnamon buns have so much flavor and are really delicious. I haven't tried the babka or rugelach yet but they are on my list to try!
The prices are very reasonable especially for the high quality you are receiving. The staff is extremely friendly and all covid precautions are being taken. Hand sanitizer is available for all customers right by the window.
I do recommend going on the earlier side or ordering online-sometimes
The prices are very reasonable especially for the high quality you are receiving. The staff is extremely friendly and all covid precautions are being taken. Hand sanitizer is available for all customers right by the window.
I do recommend going on the earlier side or ordering online-sometimes
Lindsay V.
Nov 24, 2020
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Tia M.
Nov 19, 2020
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Back in the days before COVID-19 I made a few attempts to get baked goods from Essen, but always showed up too late in the day. It has been a huge boon during COVID that you can order ahead and pickup your baked goods. Where do I start? I am a huge fan of their pastries, especially the pop tarts. The mixed cookies were a big hit in our recent order. The apple cookies were my favorite but my husband and kids fought over what seemed to be salted chocolate chip. The bagels and challah are the best and I'm excited to try the cinnamon rolls for the first time tomorrow. This bakery is worth the
Yulia F.
Oct 22, 2020
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Omg, was walking back from my eye doctors appointment to the car and happen to see this place so decided to check it out. So glad I did! I ended up getting the chocolate babka and it was to die for!! It was really really good according to both me and my hubby! I wish I got more goods because this place isn't really close to me, but I will definitely make a trip to this area for this!
Linh C.
Oct 11, 2020
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Essen Bakery is a great place to get your baked good fix. I enjoy the chocolate rugelach and their poptarts. The chocolate rugelach is not too sweet and have a deep, rich chocolate taste to them. The poptarts seems to have a revolving set of flavors. I've have the guava. It's a bit more sweet than I like but it was super flakey and crunchy and had a great fruity flavor.
Tip: Items run out fast, so I recommend ordering online the day before to guarantee that you get the item that you're interested in.
Tip: Items run out fast, so I recommend ordering online the day before to guarantee that you get the item that you're interested in.
Elan C.
Aug 27, 2020
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I've been meaning to try this bakery for a while now after seeing several articles about it online. I ordered a lox bagel and a slice of babka. The lox bagel was yummy, but I wish it had more of the fixins like tomatoes and onions. But if you like heavy lox, this is a good choice for you! Personally, I preferred the babka over the lox bagel. It was soft, fresh and not overly sweet. I'll definitely need to go back to try the rugelach and apple cake.
Angela L.
Jun 14, 2020
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Tip: eat the bagels fresh! Deliciously soft yet fully of texture from the yeast for a chewy bite. Top it off with their home made cream cheese, fluffy and light, and you're set for a happy morning. But you know what? If you leave without trying their Babka, that is the greatest regret you'll have if you came to this bakery. Most babka I've had from other bakeries left me with a distasteful or apathetic feeling towards this sweet bread, but Essen has (in my opinion) perfected a moist yet perfect balance of sweetness and richness of chocolate with bread. Is it addictive? Yes, but no
Marcus D.
Feb 18, 2020
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1. The bagels are fantastic. Ever since the original H&H in NYC closed we've been on the lookout for a bagel as good. At Essen we finally found it.
2. The cinnamon hazelnut babka and chocolate babka are so good it's hard not to get a slice every time. You can see why it's their signature item.
3. If you like lemon then the lemon poppyseed swirl is for you. This quickly became one of our favorites.
2. The cinnamon hazelnut babka and chocolate babka are so good it's hard not to get a slice every time. You can see why it's their signature item.
3. If you like lemon then the lemon poppyseed swirl is for you. This quickly became one of our favorites.
Karen X.
Nov 23, 2019
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My friend and I made the trip to Essen Bakery in Passyunk on a wintery Saturday afternoon. It's a good thing we walked because the treats we had inside were truly decadent.
The bakery was warm and inviting after our long hike and we settled into one of the three two-seater tables in the nook of the bakery. There was quiet music playing overhead and the whole ambience was very cozy. We ended up splitting a chocolate babka and sweet cream cheese babka. The sweet cream cheese babka was pretty good, but the chocolate babka was nothing short of amazing- chocolatey without being overly sweet
The bakery was warm and inviting after our long hike and we settled into one of the three two-seater tables in the nook of the bakery. There was quiet music playing overhead and the whole ambience was very cozy. We ended up splitting a chocolate babka and sweet cream cheese babka. The sweet cream cheese babka was pretty good, but the chocolate babka was nothing short of amazing- chocolatey without being overly sweet
Ajay B.
Jul 25, 2019
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Essen Bakery is probably our favorite bakery in the city! Located on Passyunk, this little gem is a must-stop spot. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to head in and grab breakfast the other day.
My wife and I got the za'atar croissant sandwich and the combo of the chocolate babka with a coffee. (The combo of the babka and coffee was $5 and the sandwich was $5.50)
The sandwich is what we always come for and for great reason! It is delicious. That's all that needs to be said. The coffee is fresh and the babka is very good (I personally prefer the cinnamon one).
Overall this
My wife and I got the za'atar croissant sandwich and the combo of the chocolate babka with a coffee. (The combo of the babka and coffee was $5 and the sandwich was $5.50)
The sandwich is what we always come for and for great reason! It is delicious. That's all that needs to be said. The coffee is fresh and the babka is very good (I personally prefer the cinnamon one).
Overall this
Retna S.
May 18, 2019
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