Berolina Bakery & Pastry Shop
🇸🇪 SWEDEN / HISTORICAL: A pan-European bakery in the northern reaches of Glendale has a distinct Swedish flare that should be thoroughly investigated.
🇸🇪 SWEDEN
📍 3421 Ocean View Blvd.,
Glendale, Verdugos.
🅿️ Tiny parking lot
🥤 No Alcohol
🌱 Vegetarian Friendly
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📆 Original Article 25 May 2020
Despite being around since the 1960's, it was in 1991 that Berolina Bakery & Pastry Shop switched to its current ownership, a married team with roots in Stockholm, Sweden and Antwerp, Belgium. The couple had met in California four years prior to this and moved to Sweden together, but came back and transformed their new purchase into the European baking specialist it is today.
Overlooking a section of Verdugo Road in the northern foothills of Glendale, the bakery has the feeling of belonging to a bohemian town many miles away from the big city. Groups of cyclists and outdoor types roll in with all their equipment and take a break, enjoying the pleasant outdoor seating especially during months that are not blazing hot.
While the café does have a strong Swedish and Scandinavian flare, on any given day the general "European" term holds true as the racks are stocked with Bretagne-style pastries, while Brussels waffles are a breakfast favorite. Grab a bag of Norwegian knekkerbrød, a toasted bread cracker, or Swedish limpa, a fragrantly sweet rye bread filled with anise seeds and orange zest. If you are feeling super-extravagant, try Swedish princess cake, known as Prinsesstårta, full of thick cream and jam and topped with marzipan.
The Swedish-style cinnamon bun ($4.05, above) is so light it almost floats off the plate and is nothing like the sticky sweet versions more often found in airports or shopping malls. A layer of crunchy crumbled sugar gives an enjoyable texture to the roll.
Come in the morning to take advantage of their breakfast sets, of which the simple Scandinavian breakfast ($9.75, above) provides the best sense of transport to your friend's cabin in the woods outside of Stockholm.
It comes with coffee and very fresh orange juice, a bread roll and Danish of your choice, and slices of havarti cheese. The poppy seed roll pairs nicely with the cheese, and the coffee is surprisingly good for a Swedish café. The Danish is just as light and delicious as the cinnamon roll, and for the price the set is quite a steal.
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