BAKERIES
Here are some of our favorite spots for picking up freshly-baked treats to go.
Also see out guide to hot chocolate, doughnuts, over-the-top sit-down dessert destinations and all sweet treats, plus fun family activities in each neighborhood.
DOWNTOWN
Eataly NYC Downtown
The 40,000 square feet outpost of Italian marketplace Eataly is focused on bread, but you can also find delizioso pizza, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, pasta, rotisserie chicken, chocolate, gelato and (post-pandemic) weekend kids cooking classes.
Choose from five restaurants, nine take-away counters (including gelato), two caffès, and one wine bar. Shop more than 10,000 high-quality imported Italian and local seasonal products spread over the f , including salt, extra virgin olive oil, dried pasta, fresh truffles, aged balsamic vinegar and a mix-and-math Venchi chocolate bar.
Watch fresh pasta shapes, gooey mozzarella cheese and other products being made.
Look for more than 500 signs that tell the story of different products, from ancient tradition to modern place in Italian cuisine, plus a cool pasta shape map of Italy. Shop for kid-friendly kitchenware and books.
Levain Bakery NOHO
Everything is baked on-site throughout the day at this Noho outpost of the legendary UWS bakery, from an array of rustic breads to the world-famous, super-gooey, six-ounce cookies in four flavors: Two Chip Chocolate Chip, Walnut Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip & Oatmeal Raisin (plus a gluten-free chocolate chip option). The whole wheat walnut raisin rolls are also yummy (and a little healthier).
Daily 7am – 10 pm
Dominique Ansel Bakery
French bakery Dominique Ansel has delicious classic and post-modern pastries and specular seasonal desserts like hot chocolate with a blossoming marshmallow flower, frozen s’mores and milk in a chocolate chip cookie cup.
If you see a line down the block it’s probably for a cronut, the rightly famous croissant-doughnut hybrid pastry with flavors that change monthly (which can be pre-ordered online) . Go right to the counter for anything else. Healthy options like salads and a yummy avocado toast also available. Limited seating in the back and in a seasonal courtyard.
Essex Market
Sample fresh, affordable, and high quality food and other items from 40+ small businesses in this Lower East Side fixture.
Shop vendors with individual stories and distinctive personality for delicious treats like cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine, cheeseburger empanadas from Dominican Cravings, ube ice cream from L.E.S. Ice Cream Factory and many more diverse options.
Lots of tables available at the light-filled mezzanine with a view to a demo kitchen, or sit outside on the Essex Market Street Seat on Broome St. on the southern end of the market. If you are 4 people or less, sit down for a memorable meal at over-the-top pancake emporium Shopsin’s.
Engaging displays by the entrance tell the market’s history that began 1818 as a covered market on Grand Street between Essex and Ludlow streets. In the basement, find 20+ more vendors at the Market Line, spacious bathrooms and a Tenement Museum exhibit ‘An America Potluck’ featuring evocative ethnic food
Mon–Thu 8 am–8 pm
Fri–Sat 8 am–9 pm
Sun 10 am–6 pm
Individual vendor hours vary
Le District
Mangez on freshly made croissants, crepes, frites and more delicious treats in a French shopping district within happening Brookfield Place. Take your treat to the terrace for a view of the French-in-origin Lady Liberty.
Ladurée Soho
Escape to Ladurée’s pastel Parisian wonderland, where the only stress is choosing among the 25+ colorful flavors, from salted caramel to strawberry marshmallow – plus chocolate covered macarons, fancy French ice cream, macaron ice cream sandwiches, sorbets and more sweet treats.
Get your treats to go or dine on casual yet sophisticated French fare including salads, sandwiches and croissants in h ornate dining room or magical garden.
Other, smaller locations without seating include 864 Madison Ave (at East 71st Street) and carts in Hudson Yards and Columbus Circle.
Monday- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
Wednesday-Friday 10am – 11pm
Saturday-Sunday 9am – 11pm
UNION SQUARE/FLATIRON
Dominique Ansel Workshop
Pastry legend Dominique Ansel’s newest shop is a celebration of croissants, located inside the pastry production kitchens in Flatiron. Stop in for a taste of all different types of croissants and breakfast viennoiserie – pain au chocolat, ham & Gruyère, Chocolate Hazelnut S’mores Danishes, Pistachio Swirls, Raspberry Riz au Lait Cubes, Brown Sugar DKA (Dominique’s Kouign Amann) and more rotating options.
Monday-Friday 8 am – 4 pm
Saturday-Sunday 8 am – 6 pm
MIDTOWN
Angelina Paris NYC
Travel to Belle Epoque France at an outpost of an iconic Parisian tea room and dessert café founded in 1903.
Get pastries, macarons, the iconic Angelina hot chocolate and the signature Mont-Blanc (meringue, light whipped cream, chestnut cream vermicelli) to go, or sit in the gorgeous dining room for brunch (served all day), afternoon tea, sweet treats and savory brasserie classics: Niçoise salad, Croque-Monsieur, onion soup, or the Angelina Croissant filled with scrambled eggs and cheese, ham, or smoked salmon. Light and modern seasonal dishes, from seasonal vegetable soup to a vegan quinoa salad, include gluten-free and vegetarian options, but the hot chocolate, served in a dramatic presentation, is worth the indulgence.
Keep the Parisian vibes going at Bryant Park across the street.
Monday-Friday 8 am – 8 pm
Saturday-Sunday 9 am – 7 pm
Kitchen closes thirty minutes before close
UPPER WEST SIDE
Levain Bakery
Everything is baked on-site throughout the day at this legendary bakery, from an array of rustic breads to the world-famous, super-gooey, six-ounce cookies in five flavors: Two Chip Chocolate Chip, Walnut Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip & Oatmeal Raisin (plus a gluten-free chocolate chip option).
Other options include sour cream coffee cake, brioches, whole wheat walnut raisin rolls are also yummy (and a little healthier).
Outposts also in Harlem, the UES, NoHo and Williamsburg.
Daily 7 am – 9 pm
Alice’s Tea Cup
Enjoy scones in rotating flavors as magical as the decor, sandwiches, salads and treats with optional fairy wings and glitter at a whimsical tea house inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Choose from hundreds of teas served in charming mismatching pots and cups.
Gets crowded on weekends; reservations recommended. Go early to beat the crowds (or take the scones to go for a Central Park picnic).
Also in the East 60s.
Wednesday–Sunday 11 am – 6 pm
UPPER EAST SIDE
Bel Ami
This small, authentic French café and patisserie tucked away off Madison Avenue serves delicious, not-too-bitter hot chocolate, plus delicious pastries, sandwiches, macarons, hot chocolate and more. Limited seating among cute decor in a pretty historic district