Lillian Bakery & Cafe: Come for the Sweets

Lillian isn't in a particularly inspiring location, but often great coffee shops are found in places like this

927 E Arques Ave #161, Sunnyvale, CA 94085

Style and Character:6
Service:6
Tea: 8
Food: 8
Value: 7

Date of visit: 2019-01-19

Note: This shop appears to be "Lillian Bakery & Cafe" not "Lillian's Bakery & Cafe". Leaving off the possessive form of Lillian is not a mistake.

Even in the evening the cases had a full selection of sweets

Like so many businesses in the Bay Area, Lillian Bakery & Cafe is in a nondescript plaza that is totally inoffensive and totally forgettable. As we walked toward Lillian, I started to remember the place even though I was pretty sure we had not shopped there before. Scott reminded me that months ago we had tried visiting Lillian, but found it closed. It was one of those situations where Google Maps said they were open, but they were not. That was annoying. I was hot and thirsty.  But this time were open, and we had our chance to try them out.

When you walk into Lillian it's obvious that this place is about the sweets. Two large displays show off an array of cakes, cream puffs, Turkish delight, and other treats with a generally Middle Eastern or Mediterranean feel. Late in the day these sort of places often have very depleted selections, but there was lots to choose from; the display cases were full.

We purchased a couple of Turkish delights. If you're not familiar with Turkish delight, think of it like gummy bears but its real food, and has real character. Don't  misunderstand, its still gummy candy, but the flavors come from ingredients you could by at a farmers market and can satisfy adult tastes. The sesame seeds on the outside of one Turkish delights were really aromatic and flavorful. The hazelnuts in an apple-hazelnut combination were nice full hazelnuts, but personally, I would have preferred if the apple flavor were stronger. Maybe I'm to used to unsubtle artificial apple flavors.

If I were to go again I would try the balaclava and the cream puffs. If any readers have the chance to give those a try at Lillian, let us know about how it was in the comments.

While there is seating, the general impression is that Lillian's is geared towards a mostly to-go crowd. The woman behind the counter was about to put our order into a clam-shell container when we stopped her and asked to have it to eat-in. The decor is OK. Clean and tidy, but not terribly memorable. The display cases filled with confections is probably the best decoration to the place.

The overall mood the Saturday evening we were there was quiet and low energy. The service was not rude, but standoffish.

We ordered tea, a black tea with saffron. I don't think I tasted the saffron, but saffron is a flavor I might miss. I'm sure there was saffron in it; I'm probably simply lacking the sensitivity to taste distinctly. Didn't catch the brand of tea, but it was good black tea. They also serve Verge Coffee.

They sell trays of treats that would be great if you're inviting guests over for tea, or if you want a nice layout for desserts at your dinner party. I suspect this is the best way to use this business, buying a set of baked goods and sweets to take away and enjoy in a social settings. Some places you come for the food and the setting, for Lillian Bakery & Cafe I think it's best to just come for the food and find your own setting.