Follow the scent of freshly baked pastries through Victor Heights’ charming Alpine Courtyard to find Bakers Bench, an all-vegan viennoiserie from Jennifer Yee. The Culinary Institute of America-trained baker began experimenting with plant-based butter alternatives while working at Echo Park’s Konbi before opening Bakers Bench as a Chinatown kiosk in 2021. The bakery has settled into its new home (literally a former house) with a menu of fruit-filled Danishes, yuzu poppyseed scones, chocolate chip cookies, and some of Los Angeles’s best croissants. A single bite of any of Yee’s pastries will change the minds of even the staunchest vegan butter naysayers.
Picking up a box of pastries to take to a picnic at the neighboring Los Angeles State Historic Park, or for a casual daytime croissant and coffee.
Set in Victor Heights’ restaurant hub, Alpine Courtyard, Bakers Bench is surrounded by banchan shop Perilla, coffee shop Heavy Water, burger joint Cassell’s, and, in the evening, Baby Bistro. Build-your-own meal with dishes from each spot, including cream-topped cold brew, gimbap, a side of fries, and more.