Our Favorite French Bakery Is Right Around the Corner in Gulf Gate

Warm baguettes, buttery croissants and challah worth planning a morning around. Why Ooh La La French Bakery is our first stop.

Some of our favorite vacation mornings start the same way: a short walk or golf cart ride to Ooh La La French Bakery in Gulf Gate, a bag of warm bread and a coffee to go.

This is a real neighborhood bakery. The baguettes have that crackly crust you hear before you taste, the croissants shatter into buttery layers, and the challah makes the best French toast you will ever cook in a vacation kitchen.

Gulf Gate itself is one of Sarasota's best kept secrets: a compact village of local restaurants, pubs and shops a few minutes from the Siesta Key bridge. Our Casa Azul home is right in the neighborhood, so breakfast is practically delivered.

Our tip: pick up an extra baguette, some cheese and fruit, and pack a sunset picnic for the beach that evening.

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