Bakery to Bakery Urban Art Walk

With nearly 600 restaurants, Pasadena rivals New York City in terms of establishments per capita. Translation: There’s a lot of food to choose from! French eateries are no exception. In the spirit of the Olympics, take a victory lap on a 3,500-meter (2.2-mile) bakery-to-bakery walk with some beautiful artdoors to see along the way.

Park at CAR Artisan Chocolate to start your flavorful journey. Founder Haris Car has been producing delicious small batch bean-to-bar chocolate since 2019. While not a traditional French bakery, the delectable croissants feature butter sourced from France, and the pain au chocolat est parfait. After you’ve satisfied your croissant and caffeine cravings, head west to Lake Avenue, then north to Union Street.

Turn left on Union, passing the picturesque Playhouse Village Park (look for the Van Halen Stage sign for a bit of history) and the best mural in town: “A Momentous Moment in Time of Passage and Landing,” is a 2024 masterpiece of birds in flight along USC’s Pacific Asia Museum, 4 blocks west on Los Robles Avenue (and half a block south).

Be sure not to miss the gorgeous plaza just north of CPK on Los Robles Avenue for a stroll among the fountains and sculptures on your way to beautiful City Hall.

At Union and Arroyo, find your next stop—Union Street French Cafe, a charming French-owned luncheonette that will transport you straight to Paris.

From crepes to croque madame to canele de Bordeaux, everything is authentic and delicious, but when you’re on a croissant kick, nothing is better than their ham and cheese version. It’s flaky with the perfect amount of béchamel—a great mid-walk snack. When you head back, take bustling Colorado Boulevard to enjoy the Pasadena sights and sounds on your way back to CAR … and your car.

The walk is dog-friendly!