Paris Bakery Cafe

Master Baker Jackie Jegat was already running two shops in Paris before he moved to California and bought a small Monterey bakery in 1985. Originally called Le Montmartre, the business eventually settled on a simpler name and expanded into the neighboring building on Bonifacio Place to handle the volume. For nearly forty years, it remained a family-run operation, with Jegat’s brother and wife managing the floor while the kitchen turned out traditional French staples. Though the founding family eventually sold the business, the daily routine remains consistent with its origins. Mornings center on the pastry case, where almond and chocolate almond croissants sit alongside apple strudels and Black Forest cakes. The operation functions as a proper café rather than just a quick stop – you see regulars settling into the tables with large glass mugs of coffee and plates of warm ham and cheese quiche or Cordon Bleu sandwiches. The kitchen’s output is substantial enough to support a separate wholesale warehouse in nearby Seaside, ensuring the counters stay stocked even when the lunch rush hits. While many customers queue up for takeout boxes of pastries, the dining room stays busy with people working through bowls of French onion soup.