Cult East Village Bakery Opens Permanent Hub for Its Croissants and Sourdough

Sourdough bread and croissants at Izola.

A buzzy bakery that got its start as a cottage business has a spacious new spot to call home. After a quick renovation of the former Modbom space, Izola rolled open its 4,200-square-foot bakery and café this week just a few blocks from its original spot on 13th Street.

First launched in June 2020 during the pandemic, Izola won a cult following for its flaky croissants and its unique way of delivery in its early days when the bakery would lower its baked goods down to customers out of a third-floor window. Pastries would often sell out, so the new East Village outpost has a pre-ordering option through its website. The counter-service cafe offers coffee and tea, plenty of seating, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. with weekend hours forthcoming.

Front doors to the bakery and cafe.

Its acclaimed croissants and wild sourdough bread are back on the menu, made with ingredients like Normandy butter and Valrhona Grand Cru dark chocolate. In addition to original chocolate, almond, and Tahitian vanilla knot croissants, the team plans on expanding into other inventive flavor profiles with croissants using ingredients like ramen, bulgogi, chicken cordon bleu, and carnitas with chicharrónes.

Bakery and cafe.

Sweeter options will include s’more croissants and a date shake croissant with Medjool date ice cream. Each month, a new croissant and sourdough bread flavor will drop. “We want to bring joy through food to our customers,” co-owner Jenny Chen tells Eater.

Bake Bar and indoor cafe.

Designed by Heleo Architecture and Design, the airy, sunlit restaurant encompasses a roomy interior with bright orange café tables and chairs with a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that slide open like garage doors onto its large outdoor patio warmed by heat lamps. The Bake Bar features counter seating for ten people with a full view of the baking process that starts when baskets of dough are brought up from the bakery’s prep area, its underground Izola Vault. A team of bakers oversees its four proofing ovens, three large croissant ovens, and three sourdough ovens shipped from San Sebastian, Spain.

Overlooking the dog park and playground in the adjacent Fault Line Park, Izola can seat 250 people comfortably in the space, which can also be reserved for private events.

Outdoor patio space at Izola.

Also in the works is Izola Main, a zero-emissions dough production facility being built in City Heights. While their original bakery produced approximately 1,000 croissants daily, the goal is to create 20,000 high-quality croissants per day to supply a dozen Izola locations throughout Southern California; the company is looking for investors as they expand across the region. Izola is likely next heading north; co-owner Jeffrey Brown tells Eater, “We’re in discussions about opening the next location in La Jolla.”

Sourdough bread loaves.

Moroccan black olive chocolate croissant.