“What’s NoVa?” you may ask. While most people may confuse NoVa with the commonly known abbreviation for the local community college, it also stands for Northern Virginia. It’s a completely different region compared to the rest of Virginia—the people, the places, and the food are all unique.
Why not spend winter break by going around, sampling all of the delicious goodness that NoVa has to offer? Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to 7 NoVa bakeries that you need to visit.
Shilla Bakery
Photo by Kristian Ko
Shilla Bakery is a Korean bakery, popular with the locals, that sells fresh bread, pastries, and assorted drinks. There are only 6 locations in the United States, four of which are located in Virginia.
The Swiss Bakery and Pastry Shop
Photo by Kristian Ko
This bakery is a Swiss and German bakery that offers traditional treats that range from bread to tarts. They can also box up your treats for easy transportation, which makes it easier for me to take my time taking artsy pictures at home to upload onto Instagram. #noshame
Buzz Bakeshop
Photo by Kristian Ko
This bakery is on a whole new level of delicate treats (maybe it’s because the owner used to be a ballerina?). This place combines both aspects of taste and visual aesthetics to deliver a completely new experience. With its beautifully decorated cupcakes and cookies, this bakery will definitely be a buzz among customers.
Sweet City Desserts
Photo courtesy of sweetcitydesserts.co
For all the romantics out there, this is a perfect place to visit. Sweet City Desserts offers the usual cakes, cookies, and pastries and may seem like any old bakery. But get this: Sweet City Desserts offers a full-service tea option that includes dainty tarts, cookies, and, as the option suggests, tea.
Sweet Berry Frozen Yogurt & Gelato
Photo by Kristian Ko
This is another NoVa favorite. Based on its name, it seems like just another gelato place. However, this place also sells crepes and waffles. Toppings include, but are not limited to, gelato, cereals, brownies, syrup, and fruit.
Voilà Pastry and Cafe
Photo by Kristian Ko
Another European-style bakery, the Voilà Pastry and Cafe offers an assortment of breakfast pastries, traditional French pastries, and cookies. They also serve different types of coffees and teas that are uniquely decorated to please the eye. #eyecandy
Manoa Bakery
Photo by Kristian Ko
Next on the list is another Korean bakery called Manoa Bakery. Although this place sells the typical Korean desserts, one aspect that separates Manoa Bakery from the rest is its popular shaved ice dessert, patbingsoo. Covered with your choice of cereal, fruits, or even macarons, this is a popular Korean dessert that is a favorite among many.
So if you are ever in the NoVa area, stop by and take some time to absorb the scents and flavors that these bakeries have to offer.