Friends

Heartlake City Café

A tiny green patisserie that punches way above its price tag.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 42618 · 2024

Pieces426

Minifigs3

Year2024

Set number42618

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The verdict

I opened this one expecting a quick, forgettable little build, and instead I got a color palette that stopped me cold.

That fresh green against the pink cherry blossoms is genuinely one of the prettiest combinations Friends has done in years. Three minidolls and a dog for thirty dollars is a real deal, and the case of macarons alone made me smile before I'd even finished the build. It won't wow anyone chasing engineering tricks, but as a shelf piece or a first solo build for a younger builder, it earns its spot.

Best for: younger builders and Friends completists who want a cheerful display piece without a big price tag

The full review

What it is

This is a small Heartlake City patisserie with a glowing oven, a display case of pastries, and an outdoor seating area under a cherry blossom tree, and it comes with three minidolls: Olly and Paisley hanging out, plus Beatriz, a new character who works behind the counter. The first thing that got me was the color story. LEGO went with a fresh, almost minty green for the building and let pink accents do all the talking through the cherry blossoms and the shop sign, and it just works. The little details sell it too, the colorful macarons, a black forest cake in the case, and those recolored cabinet doors on the oven that make it look like it's actually baking something.

The catch

I'll be honest about where it comes up short. A few reviewers who build a lot of these sets pointed out that the model takes some shortcuts structurally, meaning parts of it feel a bit loose or thin compared to sturdier sets in the line. And because this is only 426 pieces aimed at a younger audience, the build goes by fast. If you're looking for a complex, engaging construction session for yourself, this isn't it. It's also worth knowing that Beatriz's apron and skirt are recycled from an earlier bakery set with just a different skin tone, so not every printed piece here is brand new.

Who it's for

If you or a young builder in your life loves the Friends aesthetic and wants a cute display piece that comes together in an afternoon, this is a lovely pick, especially at this price with three minidolls included. If you're after a set that will keep your hands busy for hours or hold up to heavy handling, look elsewhere in the Friends lineup for something bigger.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one is quick and satisfying rather than technical. You're not wrestling with tricky angles or complicated Technic connections, this is straightforward stud-on-stud construction that a newer or younger builder can handle solo, which makes it a nice entry point into the theme. The pace is brisk enough that you could realistically finish it in one sitting, and the reward at the end is a genuinely charming little storefront rather than a pile of half-finished sections.

The real highlights are in the details. The recolored oven cabinet doors give the illusion of a glowing interior, the pastry case pieces (those little macarons and the cake slice) are some of the most appetizing food elements LEGO has molded, and the cherry blossom branches add a soft pop of pink against all that green. On the minidoll side, Olly gets a new beanie and a loud patterned shirt with pink suspenders, Paisley has a striped shirt and flared pants, and new character Beatriz wears a printed apron with the café's logo. For 426 pieces and three figures at this price point, the parts value is honestly one of the better deals in the Summer 2024 Friends wave.

Fun facts

01Beatriz is a brand new character introduced specifically for this set as the café's baker.
02Beatriz's apron and skirt pieces are recycled from Jules in the earlier Mobile Bakery Food Cart set (42606), just recolored for a different skin tone.
03The set includes a dog minifigure alongside the three minidolls.
04It launched in June 2024 at $29.99 and has since been marked as retired or retiring soon on LEGO's official shop in most regions.