Larsen’s Danish Bakery

I’m Norwegian on my moms side and was fortunate enough to grow up with lefse, krumkake, sandbakkels and kringla. This place has the best, most authentic treats I’ve had in Seattle. I HIGHLY recommend them and will be back! Try the lefse! It’s good hot, warm, cold, plain, salty, sweet. It’s just damn tasty.

Let me start by saying that I have a love-​hate relationship with Larsen’s. I’ve been a customer for 17 years, and for some reason (a combination of the fine baked goods and proximity), I keep going back. So what prompts the low rating, you ask? Poor service. Not always, but for 17 years, it has been a gamble every time I walk in. Sometimes painfully so.
Case in point: Last weekend, I walked in to the usually-​hopping bakery, to find that they seemed to be out of take-​a-​ticket numbers. No problem, they weren’t that busy today, and I was promptly helped by the next available person behind the counter, who was very kind. Meanwhile, while my order was being prepared, another behind the counter called out a number. Then called it again. A puzzled older gentleman behind me stated, «Excuse me, but you’re out of numbers…»
The response? «I assure you, sir, that we are NOT out of numbers. You simply have to open the lid on the red dispenser and un-​jam the roll of tickets. No, not like that! I know, it’s complicated!»
Another elderly customer to my right just said, slowly, quietly, «Oh… my… God.» We shared a look, and he was shaking his head!
It’s not always that bad. Sometimes it’s a mere lack of a smile, like I’m somehow interrupting their day. Other times, it’s incredulous, like the kid several years ago that said my $ 20 bill was a forgery because Jackson’s head was too small, and subsequently refused to accept my payment.
All that said, I have witnessed some very positive experiences with Larsen’s staff treating their customers with dignity and respect under trying circumstances. I’ve also been treated very well from time-​to-​time. Like I said, it’s hit-​and-​miss.
To Larsen’s, I say, hire good people, and good people will travel for miles to purchase your goods. Today, I can honestly say that I primarily go there for convenience. You do good business, but you’re losing more customers than you know.

I have been coming to Larsen’s since I was a kid. They always have great stuff. The Kringle is amazing as usual! Their remodel brought the bakery into the 21^st century and thankfully the taste of the pastries hasn’t changed (which is most important).

Amazing selection of top quality pastries. They have a full assortment of cakes, cookies and breads. I got a snail and it was flaky and perfect.

Sadly the new Larsen’s is nothing like the cool, old school shop bakery it was before. Breads look like they’re all made from the same dough. Donuts are smaller and just don’t taste very good. Prices are higher, portions are smaller.
The Hubs and I are sad because we live near here and like to support indie businesses, but we can’t support what Larsen’s has become.

Larsen’s has helped to make our Christmas extra special this year! I bought several Kringles and Yulekake for breakfast, and a gorgeous cake for dessert. Such excellent quality and service. Thank you for helping to make memories. My parents who grew up in Ballard have good memories of the bakery and now I am lucky to live close enough to make Larsen’s our go to for something special, or just a nice cup of coffee and a pastry done right. I am pleased every time.

We are regulars at this bakery and went in today to get two cakes from the bakery case. I highly recommend asking for your receipt and double checking it. We picked out two cakes (a carrot cake and small cheesecake less than 8 inches diameter). Our total? $ 83! He assured us this was right but after paying and checking the receipt as we walked out, it showed the cheesecake being charged for $ 46. He overcharged us $ 26…we knew something didn’t seem right!
A note on the tall male employee who tried to rip us off. He asked why we were buying the cakes, I responded saying «a family function» (we were buying the cakes for a memorial that day). He continued to ask what type of family function and asked if we were going to a «graduation or something» and wouldn’t get off the subject of what the cakes were for. I told him, then he laughed and smiled then proceeded to tell us about his aunt dying. Not really the type of conversation I was looking for…

Baked goods are great, but the coffee is consistently bitter and just short of burned.

There is a reason this bakery has been around for 40 years, It is truly fabulous. They have a huge variety of items and everything we have tried has been amazing.
They have a large selection of croissants, breads, brioche, cookies, danish pastry, cakes– even doughnuts. And they have classics that I have not seen anywhere else — like an individual sized pineapple upside down cake. And since they are a Scandinavian bakery they have all sorts of Scandinavian treats.
Being half Swedish I consider myself a bit of a Princess Cake expert. I even had it as my wedding cake (from the beloved late Scandinavian Bakery in Ballard). While theirs is not the best I have had (in this country that award goes to Berolina Bakery in Montrose, CA) — it was very good. The cake almost taste likes a pound cake and it should have more whip cream. But it was fresh and tasty and they have two kinds — one with raspberry and one with lemon.
This is a wonderful bakery!

Wonderful bakery. So much variety. So many items to try. We have been loving the Scandinavian bakeries in Seattle. It is a nice change from French/​American. We couldn’t figure out what to get. Ended up with a loaf of multigrain bread (because we needed some), a slice of princess cake, cardamom rolls (one of our favorites), cookies for the kids, and a poppyseed almond pastry (I forget the name). Quality was decent. They have beautiful bread there but I would go for one of the more rustic loaves, not a sandwhich loaf. The multigrain was fine but not as good as Great Harvest. The poppyseed pastry was excellent as were the cardamom rolls. Princess cake was decent but not as good as Hoffmann’s.
Although I’ve had better items elsewhere, the prices are really good at this bakery. The loaf of bread for instance was nearly half the price of a Great Harvest loaf. Plus, they carry day old items at 50% off.

Just gonna be damn honest, I didn’t step into this bakery. Some friends over at a dinner party brought over boxes of an assortment of some sort of Danish pastry from this place. And they were so good that I had to put up a Unilocal review, regardless of having been in here or not. Very soft texture, smooth, and hefty. The jam wasn’t too sweet, neither was the icing. It was amazing! Great pastries to bring for a crowd! It almost tastes like grandma’s home cooking.

I really, really love this place. It reminds me of the bakeries in the Midwest, which is all good in my book! I recently stopped in for a mixed dozen and the woman who waited on me, Sophia, was just fantastic! She provided excellent customer service and really went above and beyond. And that’s the standard at Larsen’s.
Eat all the donuts!

Went there last Thursday to order a Kringle. There was no line behind me. The young lady at the register was very rude and curt. She also removed the Kringle with her bare hand after having been handling the register. The Kringle was just alright – extremely sweet. It seemed overpriced for a tiny little piece too.
What really irks me about this establishment is their poor customer service. On Thursday, we asked repeatedly about their challah bread – i.e., do they make it every day, when’s the best time to pick it up, if we come in Sunday will there be challah, etc. We needed it for today. So I went back early this morning to pick up a few loaves… lo and behold they were all out. Apparently we needed to preorder the challah. The rude cashier should have informed us of this requirement when we were inquiring about the challah!
Won’t go back again.

A Seattle icon, Larsen’s never disappoints. Among the best Danish bakeries on the West Coast, the owner’s immigrated from Copenhagen and we got the benefit. Pastries are made with real butter-​you can tell-​and it’s all fresh. The star is the famous Kringle – it sells out daily and at Christmastime there is a line out the door and around the block of customers waiting to buy the luscious pastry. We’ve tried the breads, rolls, tarts and more; it’s all great. They finished a complete remodel about a year ago, but kept the familiar overhang on the door. Now the place is gorgeous; warm and inviting, modern and chic but the surroundings showcase the pastries, which are really out of this world. The staff are sweet and the coffee is great. No downside here; we’re lucky in Ballard. Ya sure youbetcha!

Weird donuts, punk rock biscuits and pie shops may get lots of hype (like cupcakes used to have, and whoopie pies kinda had, maybe… maybe not?), but it’s hard to beat the traditional neighborhood bakery, and Larsen’s is exactly that.
It’s a beautiful space, first of all. Plenty of room to roam and gaze in wonder at the breads, cookies, pastries and cakes behind the glass. The folks behind the counter are all smiles. And it smells like the warm, flaky, sweet, buttery region of Heaven.
The cherry spandau pastry I got was so, so, soooooo good. The cherries were juicy, and their tartness really popped… so glad that they didn’t overwhelm them with sugar. The pastry was flaky and light, and just the right amount of glaze and almonds to top it all off. Wonderful.
(I just may have actually ordered a second pastry too, but that’s my business.)
(It may have been a chocolate croissant, and I may be saving it for later.)

Larsen’s is a jewel in the Scandinavian community of Seattle. Besides the typical things like pastries and cookies, they offer season things for those who celebrate Christmas the skandiavisk way. Those whose heritage traces back to Scandinavia will be happy to see julekake along with other cardamom flavored baked goods.
The staff is on top of their game, even during the busy hours.
There is plenty of seating inside and has a open feeling to it. The do special orders for cakes if you are having a wedding or simply a sunday bord med familie.

Any bakery that has the Swedish princesstårta gets 5 stars in my book. Okay… it has to be good, too! And it’s really good at Larsen’s.
I feel so fortunate to be in Ballard, where there are so many delicious and tasty things (my weight would strongly disagree and cry for help here). Larsen’s is such a wonderful addition to the Scandinavian culture of Ballard, complete with amazing and delicious baked goods. Larsen’s stays true to so many Scandinavian recipes (Danish kringle, etc.), and I’m ecstatic that they make the Swedish princesstårta.
A nice perk is that a lot of their cakes can be bought whole or in slices. If I am entertaining people, I like to get a variety of different cake slices for people to enjoy. However, there are some truly adorable birthday (and other occasion) cakes.
But it’s not just the sweet treats that are amazing here. They also carry all sorts of bread that are reminiscent of Scandinavian culture. Plus, there is a refrigerator where you can get that jug of milk that you need instead of having to stop at the grocery store.
Larsen’s has undergone a major overhaul over the past couple years, and it’s pretty sleek and modern inside. Plus, it looks as if their selection has nearly doubled. They are always pretty well stocked, even at an hour to closing. There are now many chairs inside for dining, and it’s always very nicely air-​conditioned (hey, this is important). The extended hours are great, too.
I foresee many princesstårta in my future.

I want to start by saying that I love everything I’ve had from Larsen’s Bakery. Their Napoleons are my guilty pleasure and I treat myself to them whenever I need a little pick me up. That said, I dread going there.
Going to Larsens during the week is usually not a problem but it’s not always possible to do that so I try to go on the weekend instead. The last 4 times I’ve been there, I’ve had to take a number to be helped. Now I get that they are attempting to have some order in their shop but the problem to me seems that they are severely understaffed. I don’t mind a little wait but I spent 20 minutes waiting to pick up a cake I had already paid for. I don’t understand why management doesn’t staff up during the weekends in the morning.
Another problem I’ve had is picking up a custom order only to find the cake was frozen. This has happened repeatedly to me and they don’t really seem to care. I’ve specifically mentioned not wanting a frozen cake and got a frozen cake. Most recently this past Sunday, I didn’t think I had to mention it but I guess so. When we served the cake, we bit into frozen filling.
All of that said, everyone at Larsens is really nice. The people who have helped me have all been friendly and helpful. I don’t have a bad thing to say, I think this is really a management issue. I’ll still go there but I’ll make adjustments like letting a birthday cake sit overnight before serving it…

Everything here is delicious. I mean EVERYTHING.
But If i had to choose just a few things for you to try, as a first time Larsens go-​er, I would say the Kringle (sometimes during the holidays, they even have a raspberry one, which is soooo good!), the Napoleon is really good, and the twists complete a holiday brunch.
I promise you, once you try the Kringle, you will be back. If you dont like raisins, try the Stanger instead. Its the exact same thing, but without raisins.

I’ve been here several times before but recently, I had the best visit. I took two friends of mine here who had never been before and it was like visiting Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Both drivers were able to find parking spots within easy walking distance, the place wasn’t packed on a rainy Sunday afternoon, AND there were several open tables! Everyone was a winner!
The folks behind the counter were very friendly and patient, describing the goodies-​behind-​the-​glass and answering questions. One friend bought herself a chocolate mousse in an edible cup made of almonds. The Larsen’s guy suggested to her that she break off pieces of the cup to use as a edible spoon — this was a successful operation. My other friend selected a slice of their simple white cake with layers of delicate lemon curd enrobed in marzipan.
My friends enjoyed their pastries SO much that before we parted ways, they purchased treats for their respective partners. I bought a pair of Napoleonhattar (small biscuit cookies filled with a ground almond centre) and a lovely elephant ear stuffed with a cinnamon apple filling. My husband was pleased with his teatime treats.
If you have Scandinavians in your world (or anyone that likes sweet baked treats), come here. They have legit Kringle and you can buy marzipan, lefsa, or some smorkaka. You can buy beautifully iced Julekaka (bread with candied fruit, raisins, and cardamom), pfeffernusse (rum-​soaked spice cookies dusted with powdered sugar), and buttery, flaky Birkes! They have a variety of Spandau with different flavours like apricot, cherry, custard, and raspberry. If you don’t like those, you can find cheese or chocolate croissants, bear claws and cinnamony snail danishes!
They also have a rack with day old items in the corner by the refrigerator. Take a moment and peruse. I got a bag stuffed with bread loaves for under $ 2 that made for excellent sandwiches all week!