The Almond Thief in South Hams

Stopped for coffee and pastries. Everything was really good, I had to buy more when I left to take away. A good little selection of toys too, which kept my daughter entertained when she'd finished the pain au chocolat that was as big as her face!

Bitter coffee, burnt bread & overcooked croissants… what happened..?

We came across The Almond Thief by chance whilst staying at Staple in Dartington. We bought the seeded loaf during our stay and it was delicious especially as toast. Also enjoyed the breakfast bun (orange and bay pastry) wow, now that was delicious. The staff were good at making coffee and it was a great way to start our day before we headed off to do some local walks. Really appreciate the fact it is dog friendly so we could sit inside and watch the goings on of the bakery. Thank you to the staff, you are all doing a great job! Kyele W.

Ok so I HATE HAVING TO DO THIS.. but you can’t expect me not to.. I walked in this place at 1:00pm on a Thursday. 2 young good looking staff great… but honest I didn’t buy anything because they were casually just letting flys dance all over the food… I mean blatantly breeding ontop of the food…. I looked over at the staff and she was buisy, the other girl walked past buisy…. I’m glad about that because I would have hated to have to say no I am not buying because of the flies…. The whole shop opens like a garage door, that’s all good for the staff on a hot day,, but all the prep surfaces all the flies insects and dust blowing in…. It’s soo unhygienic and a complete off put…. Swear to god, the appearance of the place needs major work…. Felt more like a small scale industrial kitchen/garage… and the FLIES OMG sort that out it’s gross and I will get your place checked soon for hygiene… it was gross… sorry your probably really lovely people and it’s private owners…. But jeezzzzz come on… flies flies flies…. Close the wall to the caffe and use the door… get aircon if it’s warm but you can’t leave half the kitchen uncovered it’s really off putting

Lovely staff, great food and drink - so pleased to have Almond Thief on our doorstep!

Superb bread, delicious food and real Italian coffee. Check current opening times before visiting.

What a find. Amazing value and such high quality bakes.

Fabulous fresh, delicious sourdough bread. Heavenly pastries, reasonable prices. Friendly and helpful service.

Delicious artisan baked goods and coffee. Quirky indoor seating area and outside bench seating.

As you would expect perfect coffee at this working bakery and café. Watch them bake in this industrial space. Perfect sourdough. Perfect sausage rolls. Portuguese custard tarts are simply melt in the mouth divine.🇬🇧🇳🇿

I make a point to find the best coffee I can and the cortado here is about as good as you can get

Simply delicious- amazing bread, great coffee. If you get there early enough there’s scrummy breakfast goodies too

Great coffee and bakes when they have them, but their food availability is very hit and miss. We arrived at 11.30 and they were sold out of most items except cookies and loaves of bread, hadn’t got anything available for lunch, and yet they are open until 2. That’s not untypical. It‘s the kind of place run very much on their terms- if you happen to be there when they have decided to make some food available, it will be delicious. If not, you will go hungry.

What a lovely spot!! Kind staff, delicious coffee, and next-level pastries. Highly recommend!

Sausage rolls are deliciously tasty 😋 best I’ve ever eaten. Sesame seed loaf 👌

Wow so disappointed I've just been down for a pastry to find the covered in wasps. These should be covered to prevent cross contamination. Im very tempted to report this to the eho. This will be the last visit I make to this "bakery"

Lovely coffee and pastries Always a good way to start the day :) Ambient with good music Bring those savoury sandwiches back they were lush!

The best bakery (and coffee) in Britain?

Overall good, but feel most products seem to be overbaked for my liking

Good coffee and even better pastries. I recommend the Orange Bun!

The best pastries in the WORLD! Great coffee too.

Looks like a warehouse but it doesn’t matter - the food and coffee is lovely. Thx

Bakery with some seriously good artisan bread, bakery and good coffee. Also great musical selection and service.

Excellent sourdough bread and the pain au raisin were great too

Man, this place is popular on Saturday morning. Queue to the door for the 30 mins I was there. Amazing pastry and fab coffee. Worth joining that queue......

Needed bread, had been here before so stopped & bought! Good premises, usual positive vibes we note in Totnes... Bread lovely as well.

Everyone in our house loves the Almond Theif. The sourdough is the best in the South Hams and my children love all of the pastries, especially the Pain au Chocolat.

Amazing bread and coffee but......... NEEDS MORE VEGAN OPTIONS PLEASE!

Best sourdough on earth! Update: although I still really believe this is the best sourdough, I’m dropping my rating due to a few recent visits. The cafe feel that this place once had is completely gone. The inside is just a place to order. There’s a few tables scattered outside, but I can’t imagine this will bode well in the winter months. So unfortunately we won’t rush out again to visit…. Maybe if we’re in the area I’ll pop in to grab a loaf, but that’s it.

Best sourdough bread and chocolate cookies!

Amazing food, the morning bun is genius

excellent bakery and great coffee, quirky little find great take away as well as eat in or outside lovely

I'm surprised that a bakery in that location could do so well but it just goes to show you that they have great bread and coffee. They often have new types of sweet rolls and the employees are always friendly.

Some of the most amazing pastries I've ever had!

Used to love coming here but has declined. There is a limited supply of items and often run out. The coffee is good but seems to take an age for their baristas to make. Shame as used to be great but now just expensive and slow and service quite unfriendly. I know they supply a number of shops in Totnes, Dartmouth and probably other areas so perhaps that is their main focus these days.

The BEST ever Pain au Chocolat. Lovely coffee bread everything! Will be back 🌞

Noticed the sign on the side of the road so did a quick U-turn and picked up some great coffee and pastries, delish!

Amazing coffee.. fantastic pastries.. heavenly bread! What more could you ask for? Well maybe a parasol for the tables ..but .if they go up it's bound to rain!

Never tasted a bun like it. Try the morning bun, it'll change ya life.

Didn't go in,but slowly walked past.the smell of coffee and baked goods was mouth watering and it is busy. Says it all really.

Best pastries in South Devon, but make sure you pre order on the website the day before. There is often a big queue and they sell out FAST

Incredible sourdough!! We get this delivered once a week and it's always incredible! It also freezes well if you can't stomach an entire loaf!

By far the best sourdough I have ever bought! The sesame is out of this world!

Great pastries and great coffee! 100% worth the trip

Bakery selling great bread and croissants

Best bread in the world. The Sprouting Rye Sourdough is on another level - croissants too. Couldn’t recommend highly enough 🔥

Best pastries and bread not forgetting the coffee!

We were fortunate enough to visit the Almond Theif bakery this morning and were greeted with such a welcoming and friendly team. If your a croissant lover your in for a treat - their breakfast buns are to die for ! Absolutely Definitely will return.

Terrible service, the bread had not raised properly yet they still sold it to me full price. That place is a joke. A Baker who's not opening before 09:00 in the morning is not a real baker. Learn your trade.

Scrumptious! Love the ability to order online, to avoid missing out. Sadly there are still a couple of old favourites missing (Semla buns and hazelnut croissants please)

The croissant was so good I wanted to blog about it and I don't even have a blog.

Incredible bread, superb coffee and overall a fantastic business that continues to go strong.

Consistently banging every single weekend.

Amazing freshly baked sourdough loaves and croissants, highly recommended!

The bread is amazing and pastries are beyond!

The best bread I've ever had, but get there early as it sells out quickly.

Great sourdough , nice people. Probably the best bread in the West Country.

Absolutely amazing super tasty sourdough and the extra treats we brought where just on another level 😍🤤

Outside, people are greedily ripping open paper bags and tucking in while walking down the street or scoffing in their parked cars. You just can’t help it. It’s that delicious! The food here is one in a million. Baking to the highest level, it’s really artisanal and it feels very “bespoke” and inventive. The sourdough is great but that’s just the start. The “breakfast buns” are like croissants in muffin shapes with beautifully flavoured sugars or sometimes piped with divine creme pat. There are other things I’ve never seen before like Creme brulee bread and butter pudding, a slice of burnt sugar custard heaven. Can’t wait to dive into the Bostock tomorrow.... a buttery brioche slice topped with something frangrant like frangipane. We come to Devon on hols each year and will make a special trip to Almond Thief, it’s that good, and we stock up big time. This year, we did click and collect which was seamless. Well done Almond Thief, you are amazing! We are looking forward to coming back next year!

Simply one of the best 'artisan' cafés I have had the pleasure to frequent. The Pastels de Nata are really the best you will ever try. The sourdough bread baked on the premises is superb - try the sprouted rye loaf - simply fantastic!

Must visit on weekends only. Great Portuguese tart, morning bun, sausage roll, savoury cheese swirl. Good coffee A little pricey, but quality excelllent. Hidden gem in an industrial estate

We travel 10 miles to buy their bread and exquisite pastries. Incredible taste and lovely people. Try them out, you will be so spoilt, pastries will never look the same again!

A very wet day in partial lockdown. Recommended to The Almond Thief by my daughter who is living locally. No cakes for vegans but would have loved to have tried the bread which looked amazing. Their coffee was excellent and would run back there anytime I was in the area.

Queued for 30 minutes for pastries, after arriving 20 minutes after it opened. Once we got to the front, they told us they were sold out of almost all the pastries but hadn't written sold out on any of their menus or boards, or tried to let people queuing know in any way. Really poor to let customers queue for so long without making it clear the food they're queuing for has sold out.

To get croissants, pastries and coffee this good outside of London is rare or impossible. Everything is hand-crafted and deeply considered. A real gem.

the bread is amazing, the service good, the music funky and the food much too good for me to resist all kinds of amazing delicacies from fresh locally poached eggs on toast with kimchi to croissants to die for and the most delectable pastries.

Great coffee, people, danish sweet rolls and huge sandwiches.

Rustic alternative space, a bit off the beaten track but worth it for that great coffee you've been craving.

Great food and coffee, new fave brekkie place

A quick pitstop to buy pastries as we drove past. A low-key relaxed place, full of happy customers and selling wonderful bread and croissants. We'll be back!

Really nice selection of breads nice cafe polite helpful staff

Amazing coffee and cakes, and super laid back

Such a gorgeous spot - the bread is so delicious as are the cardamom buns! We met the lady who bakes the bread and it was so lovely to hear how everything is handmade with love! Will be back for sure!

Excellent food in a very relaxed atmosphere. Dog and baby friendly, warm and comfortable with odd bits of furniture. But it works. Not a cheap cafe but not over the top for the quality of food. Definitely different and well worth finding.

Omg the bread is to die for really was the best loaf I'd had in a while and I'd say to any bread lovers try this place out

Tasty and creative bread! I wish I could have it every morning!

Great coffee, inventive pastries and fabulous bread. Issues with parking persist however.

Top quality sourdough pastries and coffee, also offer really nice brunch / lunch menu.

Loved the atmosphere, Totnes vibe, fantastic food, staff xx

We were briefly wrong footed by the brewery sign on the old window but having misread one little redirection sign and driven round the block we got back to the old premises and finally say a biggish message on the wall of another unit beyond the T junction and to the left. Same sort of spirit, bigger room, unchanged social clientele and a pleasant place to snack and carry off the goodies.

The atmosphere is ultra casual but the chaos, babies, wobbly benches are all worth it! Fabulous artichoke bruschetta, amazing thick, rich chick pea stew. Really really good.

Love the ambience of the quirky cafe. The sourdough bread is extra special, the ham and cheese toasties delicious and the music always catches my attention. The new premises are far more spacious, a great place to cycle to, friendly staff.

Some of the best bread around, the sourdough is to die for. Only complaint is that the cafe and the bakery share a queue, so you could be waiting for you bread for a while.

Great bakery with real bread and pastry to kill for. The menu is simple but the food is tasty and unique. Mostly vegetarian.

Always busy. Super quality. Get there early if you want a wide selection! The mustard and herb swirl is to die for!!! Great for families.

Returned again, the café having recently relocated. It retains its shabby décor, vibe and open bakery/kitchen. Absolutely delicious cakes, melt in the mouth Portuguese and cooked food from the short menu. The best sourdough ever. Doggy friendly. Excellent coffee. They are after all in the Independent Coffee Guide.

Excellent coffee and wonderful pastries. Looking forward to trying the whole menu!

We’ve heard a lot about The Almond Thief and were keen to visit. It’s quite hard to spot it on the industrial park but we got there in the end.On entering we were bombarded by a swarm of wasps, which was quite unsettling. As we walked to the counter we encountered more wasps, crawling ALL OVER the goods for sale on the countertop - doughnuts covered in sugar - pastel de nata etc - the wasps were having the best times of their lives. But I definitely decided then and there that I wasn’t ordering a cake. I don’t expect the wasps to be harmed or killed, but I don’t think it’s too much to expect the cakes to be covered by a net? I don’t know who would want to be eating anything that dozens of wasps had been crawling and defecating on.We ordered from the menu, not initially realising it was a vegetarian cafe (which was great for me!) + when the food arrived the portions were very large and it was really tasty food, freshly made and really delicious. I do agree it’s expensive for what is essentially, for example, a cucumber and houmous sandwich. But it was tasty and I’d pay for it again.Reading other reviews here, I have to agree with the atmosphere and “vibe” of the place. It’s trying too hard to be “not cool” cool. The tables and chairs aren’t comfortable. The staff aren’t particularly friendly. It isn’t somewhere I’d hang around in - we ate and left, which felt very much like a dine and dash. We paid £15 for two sandwiches, one coffee and one drink. Not eye watering, but the experience left us underwhelmed and wondering what we’d missed, having heard so many people rant and rave about the place.

Lovely bread served by the healthiest looking people ever!

Possibly the best bread I’ve had (white sourdough)? I’m a bread snob, and a coffee snob. Love this place.

Trendy over rated cold coffee burnt pastries

Visited The Almond Thief due to a friends recommendation and on first sight I was reluctant to go in. It’s on the outskirts of Totnes on a trading estate and looks less than hospitable. Once inside it’s a working bakery which looks like serving food is an afterthought.....but somehow it just all works. The food / coffee is great, homemade and fresh. For what you get I didn’t think it was wildly expensive. Amazing place to people watch and make sure you stock up on fresh bread. Yes it’s Quirky but it’s great. I think they are moving to bigger premises so looking forward to visiting again soon.

Fantastic coffee, great ambience and the sourdough sandwiches are to die for. I really enjoyed my visit to this bakery- great service, friendly staff and the relaxed atmosphere made for a really enjoyable lunch.

As we drove up outside our 1st impression was that we were unsure whether to go in - as it is essentially a small industrial unit!

This place was super impressive, following recommendations by their neighbours across the way at Pip and Me. We're not from the area, and was told to go by for some nice coffee and good food, and they did not disappoint. I had the roasted tumeric sandwich with a peruvian origin coffee, and it was absolutely amazing. Their sourdough was delicious, and people saying it was burnt is literal jokes. I'd 100% recommend this to anyone in the area looking for something to eat or drink. For three of us, who all had food and three drinks, including one sourdough baguette and one sourdough loaf, it came to about £25. Not bag at all considering some places charge £8 for food alone.

Fantastic bread, best sourdough ever and the pastries are incredible

Great staff. Lovely bread, pastries, coffee.

A small choice of mid-priced and very tasty artisan food, bottled local fizz and coffee. Primarily a bakery so it has an industrial feel (though relaxed).

Lovely place with good coffee and fresh baked ‌bread. Cakes were delicious too

This surely is one of the best outlets in the South West for sourdough bread, cakes and pastries. and the coffee's good too. Not easy to find as it's on a small trading estate. Plain wooden tables and benches. Quite a gem.