Craving freshly baked treats? Head to this tiny bakeshop in HSR this weekend

Walk down 19th Main in HSR Layout and you’ll notice a small, quiet corner with the kind of warm wooden interiors and buttery aroma that pull you in almost instinctively. That’s Louie Bakeshop — not your run-of-the-mill neighbourhood café, but a little patisserie with a story crafted as delicately as its croissants.

The name Louie doesn’t come from Paris, as one might assume, but from an album. Back when founder Mithuran Chakravarthi was working as a baker in Kuwait — fresh out of culinary school and at the cusp of change — he found himself listening to Kenny Beats’ Louie. Something in its art, its visuals, the mood of it all, echoed the vision of a bakery he had been carrying quietly in his head.

That spark became Louie. But Louie isn’t just a personal dream realised. It is also a deliberate attempt to create balance and joy in an industry often known for its grind. He wanted a workplace where bakers could have fair pay, time to breathe and a chance to create out of love rather than necessity.

On our visit, we began with the classics: a butter croissant so crisp and flaky it shattered beautifully at the first bite and a pain au chocolat with just the right ratio of chocolate to pastry. The pain suisse was richer, flakier and quite indulgent. To balance all that sweetness, the mushroom melt arrived — gooey, earthy, the sort of savoury bites that make you reconsider what a simple toastie can be.

The bakes pair effortlessly with Louie’s drinks menu. While the usual cappuccinos are present, it’s the more unexpected sips that shine: a spiced filter coffee that warms from within, a tangy kombucha that refreshes instantly and an ice-shaken latte perfect for late Bengaluru’s sunny afternoons. The choco-chunk cookie and a slice of lemon loaf made their way to the table too — one very decadent and ready to dunk in our coffee, the other light and zesty, like a citrusy punctuation mark at the end of a meal.

Meal for two: ₹500 onwards. At HSR Layout.

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