Long-Awaited Flora Bakehouse Opens in Beacon Hill
Owner Nat Stratton-Clarke and the team behind Cafe Flora and Floret have just opened their third cafe concept: the long-awaited Flora Bakehouse.
Flora Bakehouse opened its doors to the Beacon Hill neighborhood on January 23rd, marking a bright start to the new year amidst the ongoing pandemic.
Stepping up to the glass bakery case it was sensory overload – appropriately named and beautifully decorated unicorn horns (gluten-free), focaccia loaf, and smoked cheddar and chive scones. Although tempted to surrender by debit card and request one of everything, I finally settled on the bakehouse breakfast burrito (vegan), a lavender fields oat milk latte, and a blueberry pecan muffin (vegan and gluten-free).
If I had to guess, I would say the breakfast burrito was inspired by Café Flora’s Rancho Colorado Scramble – seasoned tofu with beans, sweet corn, and roasted potatoes – a standard vegan option.
Fairly priced at $6.50, this mondo-burrito was delicious and yielded two servings, even for a person with a healthy appetite.
Side-note, in case Stratton-Clarke happens to stumble across this review – I’d love to see some variation of Café Flora’s turmeric-heavy, roasted vegetable tofu scramble on the Flora Bakehouse menu.
In true Flora/Floret fashion, Stratton-Clarke and his team have designed a beautiful space, complete with a dreamy cotton-candy pink subway tile that serves as the base of the bakery cabinet and forms an ‘L’ shape service counter.
Painted mural inside Flora Bakehouse by ceramic artist Carolina Silva
Don’t bother asking where you can purchase the whimsical floral wallpaper on the back wall because it’s not actually wallpaper but rather a mural from the well-known maker and ceramic artist Carolina Silva.
Given the current COVID-19 restrictions, Flora Bakehouse does not offer indoor dining, but even in post-pandemic times, indoor seating appears to be sparse. The good news is: at the street-level you can catch a glimpse of what is presumably Beacon Hill’s only commercial rooftop patio, which will hopefully open soon, weather and pandemic permitting.
In the meantime, if you are meeting someone for a socially-distanced gathering, I suggest walking across the street to Cleveland STEM High School and enjoying a warm beverage on the school steps or in the courtyard.
Another option is to pick up your order and walk/drive/bike to the nearby Jefferson Park, which offers unmatched views of the Olympic Mountains, the Seattle skyline, the Puget Sound, and endless entertainment, including the Beacon Hill Food Forest, a skatepark, tennis courts, and lawn bowling.
Lastly, I would like to formally apologize to the Café Flora staff, whom I pestered for months, asking when the long-awaited Flora Bakehouse would open.
If getting over to the new Flora Bakehouse isn't convenient, pay a visit to Stratton-Clarke's two other vegetarian and vegan-friendly ventures: Café Flora, in Seattle’s Madison Valley neighborhood; and Floret, the pared-down but equally delectable sister restaurant located inside Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Flora Bakehouse is located at 1511 S Lucile Street on Beacon Hill in South Seattle, and is open daily from 7am-3pm.
Looking for more deliciousness nearby? Don’t miss my vegan guide to Beacon Hill!
