Sweets by Shayda

I'm a stickler for something sweet, so the fact that this place has the freshest and yummiest sweets I've ever had was awesome. I didn't feel like it was overly sweet. The macarons are great. The raspberry macaron was amazing. The croissants are awesome! Everything was great like literally everything was great..

An exceptional little bakery in downtown Durham. A great place to stop by for one of their many baked goods and a cup of espresso. Quick friendly service too!

I stumbled across this place recently and it's a hidden gem. Ever since I had traditional butter croissants in France, I've been on a quest to find bakeries in the US that are comparable.

Until now, I was disappointed. Sweets by Shayda makes the best authentic French style croissants I have ever had in the US, and honestly might be just as good or better than the ones I had in France. Dozens of layers, super flaky on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside. They're truly amazing. If you view US croissants as fake crescent shaped loaf bread like I do, you'll truly appreciate this place. They also have a great selection of macarons, cakes, and coffee.

The staff are very friendly and everything I've had has been awesome. I will be back... many times.

I love it here! Their desserts are perfectly balanced in their sweetness and beautifully decorated - it's a great spot to get yourself or a loved one a special treat.

This time, I got the lavender lemon mini mousse cake and a latte and sat by the window, and it was spectacular and so unique. I loved that the pearls on the cake had a soft crunch, and I can honestly say I've never had anything quite like it. I'll be back!

A special taste of France right here in the Bull City. Many macarons to choose from and the pastries and small cakes are expertly baked.

If you have a sweet tooth this place is heavenly! The owner is very friendly and helpful. We tried the almond/chocolate croissant, different macarons and the Paris pistachio pastry and they were all so delicious. They also serve espresso drinks including lavender latte my favorite. Such a great spot. This bakery is a must try!

We made a stop at Sweets by Shayda on a friend’s recommendation. We were warmly greeted and customer service was great. They have a great variety of Macrons in compare to the pastries. We tried Red velvet, Birthday cake, Pistachio, Tiramisu & Mango coconut. All Macrons were fresh and full of flavors. For us Tiramisu and Birthday Cake were top 2. I also tried Hazelnut Pastry which was lightly sweet , crunchy & flavorful. Would love to stop by sooner.

Light, delicate, yet flavorful macaroons! The cakes are very tasty as well. As you walk in, you are bombarded by the wonderful smell of butter and pastries. It was a clean, well maintained shop! The person helping us was kind, and very knowledgeable about the flavors of the macaroons. If you want a light dessert, this is the spot to get it!

I visited Shayda at her new store today and was very impressed! She's got so many flavors of macarons and several other delicious pastries as well. If you like espresso she can hook you up with that also. Do yourself a favor and stop by today!

Very cute shop with a great selection of desserts. The princess cake is phenomenal. They also serve a pretty good cup of cappuccino.

The owner is very nice and very patient with my uncertainty.

The macaroon cake might be the most delicious sweet I've ever had. I couldn't believe what I just put in my mouth. Soft, silky smooth cream, surprising raspberry filling on top of the fresh strawberries...just wow. Paul Hollywood would be proud, I'm certain!

They also kindly made me a decadent iced mocha.

It was all worth the sugar headache.

Normally when I come back to an establishment the 2nd time, it was because the 1st time experience was really good. Although this time was not quite what I expected. I'm a college student who is initially from Chicago, but has been living in Charlotte for the past 12 years. I love a good bakery and being in Charlotte for so long, there's so many to choose from, whereas now living in Durham, I'm trying to find the good ones. I don't have a car on campus, so if I want to get around somewhere I simply just Lyft or Uber. The cake macarons, rather the strawberry or the raspberry are very very good, so good that I wanted to order me some to pick up the next day. When I placed the order over the phone, I paid over the phone. When I asked when was the best time to pick up my order, I was told 11 AM the next day. I felt ordering ahead would be perfect because I could just hop in a Uber, grab my stuff, and come right back on campus. Here we are the next day and I decided to come a little bit later than 11am, just in case somebody was running behind with something. I didn't want to drag it out too long, because I just assumed my stuff would just be sitting there waiting. Keeping in mind the whole purpose of me paying for the order the night before, was so she knew this was a legitimate order and not somebody wasting her time, calling a bogus order in. When I got there, 3 people where currently in the store working including the owner. I said, "Hello, I'm here to pick up my order for......". I told them my name and she responded with "I'm working on it now". I then responded with "How long is that going to take, because my Uber is outside". She walks down from where she was and I repeated to her that my Uber was outside and she informed me that it would be about 5 minutes. She then proceed to ask where the car was parked but never explained why that had anything to do with anything. I also want to note, she walked away as if she was bothered by the fact that I communicated to her that my Uber was outside and the fact that I asked how long it would take. Given the fact that she told me that it would be ready at a certain time, I didn't feel like I was rushing her. I figured I could just come in and grab my stuff and go and it wasn't the case and it messed with my Uber bill. Unfazed, she went back to completing my order that she communicated would be ready at 11 AM. I'm all for supporting quality, over quantity. I guess I could say next time I'll call before I head over. Maybe that would make a difference, maybe it won't. Deserts where very good though.

Guys. If you want the GOOD FLAKEY AF QUALITY CROISSANTS. look no further. Shayda's has the BEST croissants and the BEST desserts. My favorite is the hazelnut crunch. Did I mention she has WARM almond croissants on the weekend mornings?? It's amazing. You can tell her ingredients are the best. French butter? You got it. High quality chocolate? Right here. Macarons? On point. So many different flavors and all of them SO GOOD. I heard they bake a whole cheesecake TO PUT INTO their fillings. Now that's legit. Oh they also have espresso drinks.

Been wanting to try this shop for a while and finally stopped by this morning, smells wonderful once you walk in! Super friendly staff, and a wide variety of sweet treats! We tried macaroons, croissants and 2 very amazing delicate desserts! One of them was a raspberry macaroon cake and that was one of the best desserts I have ever ate! So delicate, light, not overly sweet, but also fruity, it was AMAZING! The croissants are so flaky and light, absolutely delicious! I cannot wait to go back!

I stopped in on Saturday morning and got a six pack of macarons, and an iced vanilla latte. They had so many fun macaron flavors to choose from, but I tried: tiramisu, key lime, cotton candy, birthday cake, cinnamon toast crunch, and pumpkin spice.

If you are like me and love a good photo opp, there is a beautiful flower wall to pose in front of with your treats, and the shop is dog friendly. Need I say more?!

I’ve been to 42 countries. My child has been to 23. Dining delights has come with each destination. Last summer we found several exquisite & delicious treats at Sweets by Shayda that tops them all.
My daughter celebrated her birthday last week. Only the best would do. Hands down, Sweets by Shayda is it! Shayda constructed not one but 2 masterpieces in record time. Lemon Lavender cake and Lavender Vanilla cake. Absolute perfection.

Have been enjoying these delicious treats at her brick and mortar store and the Chapel Hill farmers market. The ingredients are high-quality, and the preparation is amazing. Traditional and inventive flavors and combinations. Highly recommend!!!!

Amazing pastries in a spacious modern interior cafe. Having been to almost every single French bakeries in New York City, I can confidently say that this place is on par with most of the modern/luxury bakeries in NYC. I got to try their chocolate - hazelnut crunch pasty and it somewhat reminded of the chocolate cake I tried from La Maison du Chocolat, but it was more rich in flavor and content. Macarons were packaged in a beautiful box and I liked how creative the flavors were (lavender, birthday cake, pistachio etc). However, to be honest, they weren't the best macarons I had - some of them were overwhelmingly sweet and it would have been better if they outside was crunchier (like ones from Ladurée). Regardless, I can guarantee that their pastries are one of the best, and it's worth a visit even just for that.

10/5!

This place opened in covid otherwise it would be much more well known, popular, and busy.

We are talking NYC/SF/Seattle level fresh morning croissants. Come at 10am for the good good.

As well as a beautiful cortado.

Great vibes with rose wall and high ceiling.

Delightful barista.

Another new amazing Durham place.

Bull city!

Everything they make here is absolutely delicious! Additionally, the service is super friendly. They also sell beautiful and delicious chocolates now as well :-) Definitely recommend!