Arelys French Bakery

This was our second time visiting this place. We were visiting family in San Diego and wanted a nice sit-down spot.
This time, we dined outdoors, which was a great change of pace. The wait staff was pleasant and patient. Even the other patrons were friendly. The service was quick and courteous.
We enjoyed everything we had there. We recommend the French toast (brioche OR croissant style) even the kids' meals are abundant. We also had the protein meal plate, but it can be made as a sandwich if asked. Also, save room for dessert!!

Pre-ordering items for a birthday celebration should be simple and easy, right? Not at Arely's. They advertise themselves as a French bakery, but actually is a restaurant with a bakery side business, consisting of two cases with the cash register in the center. Upon arrival you wait in line while the restaurant customers pay their checks. Even after getting to the counter and telling the clerk that we are here for an order, she proceeds to process two more restaurant customers in line behind us. Finally, she goes to get the cake and can't find it. Comes back and we repeat the info. Now she has the cake, but where is the rest of the order? She doesn't know because there is no written order. We tell her what the order consists of and off she goes to find it. Turns out we get only some the scones we ordered because they are already sold out for the day. Ask why they were not set aside for our pre-order. Doesn't know. Instead of being in and out in 5-10 minutes, we are there for 25 minutes and leave with incomplete order. So, why bother with a pre-order for this level of service?

I later call the manager and complain. She blames it on a new clerk who doesn't understand what to do. That is bullsht. The EXACT SAME THING happened to us a year ago. Obviously, this business is clueless about how to run a business. Needless to say, we won't be back to Arely's "French Fiasco".

I love this place & highly recommend it.

But today.... You get 1-star...

My omelet is burnt & tastes like shit.
My food is cold & rubbery.
The potatoes are under cooked.

Today they are not busy, so there no excuses.

Cook: would you eat this shit? Would you pay $16 for it?
Then why are feeding me this?

A pretty cute French bakery which serves breakfast and lunch as well. When we went there on a Thursday morning, the restaurant was packed and needed 15-20 minutes for an indoor seat. It's so popular. We shared 4 different dishes and we all agreed the sweet dishes are much better than the savory ones. So I recommend the stuffed French toast and fruit crepes.

Experience here was just meh and weird vibes. Did not like that there was shredded cheese in my turkey croissant, thought that was odd.
Was in a hurry to leave this place so didn't ask if they had anything else or cheese alternatives. Only good thing was the hash browns. Won't be back.

What a cute little bakery! The pastries looks delicious and I've had a few. They have a good menu consisting of omelets, quiches, crepes, sandwiches, paninis, steak, seafood and pastas. Staff is super friendly and helpful if you need recommendations on which pastry to get. They definitely have the support of the locals around here because they've been in business for 20 years! Will be back for sure for some more pastries.

I've stopped here a number of times and my experiences have been mostly mediocre. Service is OK, but food is quite meh. They have a wide selection of pastries and one would have hoped that a French cafe would have good croissants, but no :(. While they look good, I'd rather have Costco croissants. They would be freshener and more enjoyable

I don't know how I have gone so long without knowing that this gem of a restaurant was in business. I have been getting massages down the way for years but only recently did I find out about Arely's. I have been by to dine in three times in the past five weeks.

On my first visit, I came in late on a Saturday morning. It was bustling with people. I was afraid I would have to wait long but I was lucky and I only had to wait five minutes. I was seated at a high top table next to the window so I could watch the people walking by. Saw lots of cute dogs. I was seated, ordered and ate within 30 minutes.

I got the grilled chicken panini as I love the combo of chicken, Swiss cheese and mushrooms. It came with a small side salad. It was great! I got a blackberry iced tea and it complemented it nicely. The chicken was flavorful and went very well with melted cheese and sautéed mushrooms.

I liked that the restaurant is smaller -- 40 people can fit inside and maybe 15-20 outside. Location is in the middle of residential in the Clairemont Town Square shopping center next to TJMaxx. If you come on the weekend, be prepared to wait as it is extremely popular. If you dine in, you will check in with the hostess stand inside the restaurant. You can marvel and drool over which pastries to take home as there are two huge cases in the front area. By the time your wait is up, maybe you have decided in what to take home. There are so many to choose from, you may end up with a box of goodies. I have tried the Jesuite and almond croissant. Both were solid choices.

Out of my three visits, I was served by Gretchen twice and Wendy once. Both women were quick, polite, welcoming and friendly.

On my second and third visit, I got the Florentine croissant with home potatoes. The Croissant was fresh, flaky and buttery. It was one of the best I have ever had. The home potatoes were well seasoned and cooked the way I like so they had some bite to them. There was no need for ketchup. Had a huge portion of the scrambled egg with spinach mushroom that the egg was flowing out the side of the croissant.

During my third visit, I brought my mom with me. She ordered the Quiche Lorraine which she thought was excellent. Her thoughts - Good sized portion. Good combination of cheese and bacon. Well seasoned. She liked the side salad with raspberry vinaigrette. She also enjoyed the refreshing mimosa with cranberry.

Excited to keep exploring the menu.

If you want fantastic baked goods, it's hard to beat Arely's. The food is always tasty and fresh regardless of which item you choose and the ambiance is very pleasant. Perfect place to catch up with a friend over a scone and some coffee.

The absolute best pastries in San Diego! The food is amazing, great service and all around cool vibes. Highly recommend.