Viktor Benes Bakery Tarzana

Introduction / Overview

For decades, residents across Southern California have recognized the name Viktor Benes as synonymous with fine European-style pastries and exquisite cakes. The Tarzana location of Viktor Benes Bakery, situated inside the popular Gelson's Market, continues this legacy, offering a selection of baked goods that blend European tradition with Southern California style. This bakery provides a daily dose of indulgence, serving everything from morning coffee cakes to dramatic, special-occasion showcase cakes.

Viktor Benes Bakery is well-known throughout the San Fernando Valley for its extensive and tempting array of sweet and savory treats. It serves as a convenient stop for a quick, high-quality sweet fix, offering pastries that are often described by patrons as excellent. The bakery takes pride in its unique creations, which stand out for their rich flavor and traditional craftsmanship. Its history is tied to the famous Alligator pecan coffee cake, a signature item that has maintained its status as a local favorite for generations, drawing in customers who appreciate a classic, high-quality baked good.

While the core offering is a wide variety of freshly baked goods, the bakery also specializes in celebratory cakes. Whether you are looking for an individual pastry slice to brighten a random weekday or a multi-tiered cake for a birthday or special gathering, Viktor Benes in Tarzana aims to deliver products that are moist, rich in flavor, and perfect for the occasion. This dual focus on daily treats and special-event desserts makes it a highly valued local resource.

Location and Accessibility

The Viktor Benes Bakery in Tarzana benefits greatly from its strategic location within the Gelson's Market at 5500 Reseda Blvd, Tarzana, CA 91356. This placement offers customers the convenience of combining their grocery shopping with picking up freshly baked items, making it a highly efficient stop for busy California residents.

The bakery's location on Reseda Boulevard provides easy access from various points in the San Fernando Valley, including Encino, Northridge, and Woodland Hills. Its positioning inside a full-service market means customers can often find complementary services nearby, such as the market's coffee bar, which is perfect for pairing with a freshly baked muffin or scone.

Accessibility is a key feature of this location, designed to accommodate all members of the community. The facilities provide necessary provisions to ensure a comfortable and hassle-free experience:

• Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: The entrance to the market, which houses the bakery, is designed for easy navigation by all patrons.
• Wheelchair Accessible Parking Lot: Ample, well-lit parking is available, including designated spaces for those requiring easier access.

The nature of the bakery’s operations leans toward a 'Quick Visit' model, making it ideal for Californians seeking to grab their favorite pastry, slice of cake, or freshly baked bread without a long wait.

Services Offered

Viktor Benes Bakery Tarzana provides a comprehensive range of services centered around European-influenced baked goods and custom celebration cakes. Their offerings cater to both casual, everyday indulgence and significant milestones, ensuring quality and variety for their diverse customer base. The primary services provided include:

• Takeout Service: Offering a wide array of ready-to-go baked goods, pastries, and slices for immediate consumption.
• Signature Pastries and Slices: Serving famous items such as the Napoleon Slice, a popular choice that is considered 'well worth it' by many customers, and individual slices of cakes like the Chocolate Parisian, a rich cake often featuring chocolate mousse.
• Celebration and Showcase Cakes: Providing high-quality, moist, and rich cakes for birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions. This includes custom cake orders designed to meet specific client needs.
• The Famous Alligator Coffee Cake: Baking their signature item, the Alligator, a scrumptious coffee cake filled with delicious pecans, available in various sizes from large to bite-size for parties or individual treats.
• Cookies and Sweet Treats: Offering a large selection of cookies, including shortbread cookies for holidays, rugelach (often praised as the best chocolate chip variety by customers), florentines, cinnamon hearts, and more than twenty other varieties, often sold by the pound.
• Artisan Breads and Rolls: Baking a variety of fresh bread, such as six-grain and monkey bread, as well as dinner rolls and specialized breads.
• Other European-Inspired Desserts: Including items like fruit tarts (sometimes compared favorably to competitors), mini eclairs, brownies with walnuts, chocolate truffles, and various Danish pastries (like the chocolate chip strip or cherry danish).
• Savory Options: Providing items such as mini quiches, a popular savory option for customers.

Features / Highlights

The Viktor Benes Bakery in Tarzana stands out due to several distinguishing features that have secured its place in the local community as a go-to spot for fine desserts. These highlights focus on their specialties and the convenience of their services:

• The Alligator Coffee Cake: This proprietary, pecan-filled coffee cake is the bakery's most famous and beloved feature, maintaining an iconic status in the Southern California bakery landscape.
• Highly Praised Specialties: Beyond the Alligator, specific items like the flaky and creamy Napoleon Slice and the rich, decadent Chocolate Parisian Cake are consistently highlighted as 'must-try' delicacies by regular patrons.
• European Influence: The bakery is known for its creations with a distinct European influence, providing fine delicacies that offer a unique flavor profile often sought after by connoisseurs of traditional baking.
• Convenience of Location: Being housed within Gelson's Market allows for extended operating hours aligned with the supermarket, typically 6 AM to 10 PM daily, ensuring customers can access fresh baked goods early in the morning or late in the evening.
• Fast Payment Options: The acceptance of both debit cards and NFC mobile payments simplifies the transaction process, catering to the need for a quick and easy 'grab and go' experience.

Contact Information

Customers located in California seeking to contact the Viktor Benes Bakery in Tarzana for general inquiries, placing a cake order, or checking on product availability can use the following information. It is important to note that the bakery operates within the Gelson's Market, so the phone number provided is often a direct line to the bakery department within the store.

Physical Location:

5500 Reseda Blvd, Tarzana, CA 91356, USA

Phone Contact:

Phone: (818) 343-7400

Mobile Phone: +1 818-343-7400

What is Worth Choosing

Choosing Viktor Benes Bakery in Tarzana is an excellent decision for those in the Southern California area who prioritize flavor, variety, and the convenience of a quick visit. What makes this establishment particularly worth choosing is its enduring commitment to high-quality, European-inspired baking traditions, evidenced by the multi-generational popularity of its specialty items. Patrons frequently describe their products, like the Napoleon Slice, as consistently excellent and worth every penny.

The sheer variety of baked goods, from their numerous cookie options and various danishes to their full line of coffee cakes, ensures that every craving can be satisfied, whether you desire a classic German chocolate cake or a trendy chocolate babka. For a truly unique experience, trying the famous Alligator coffee cake is a rite of passage for many living in the region.

However, it is worth noting that while many customers rave about the quality of the specific pastries and the taste of the cakes, the overall customer experience at this specific location has received mixed reviews concerning service and freshness consistency for some items. While the positive feedback on the product quality, especially on featured items, remains strong and encouraging, customers who prioritize impeccable service should keep in mind that experiences can vary. Despite any occasional reported shortcomings in service, the bakery remains a cherished local institution primarily for its beloved and delicious signature baked goods, making it a must-visit for any cake or pastry aficionado in the San Fernando Valley.

Viktor Benes Bakery Tarzana

5500 Reseda Blvd, Tarzana, CA 91356, USA