We know the holidays are stressful. Are you feeling unprepared for your family gathering or holiday shindig? Not to worry – there’s no shortage of bakeries in the Big Apple. These represent some of the city’s variety, and are the top of their field in their category. By Valerie Stivers.
See Also: The 9 Best Cupcakes in New York City
Balthazar Bakery
Some of the specialties of Balthazar Bakery. (credit: balthazarbakery.com)
80 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 965-1785
balthazarbakery.com
Reviews & more info
This tiny storefront attached to Keith McNally’s unstoppable Soho bistro serves some of the best pastries and baked goods in New York. It’s the only place in the city to get a perfect cannelé—a fluted little fireplug of sweet, eggy dough with a smooth, dark caramelized exterior.
Billy’s Bakery
A patriotic tart from Billy's Bakery (credit: Billy's Bakery).
184 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 647-9956
75 Franklin Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 647-9958
billysbakerynyc.com
Reviews & more info
There are a dozens of white-washed, pastel-styled, quaint little bake shops in New York City, but we think Billy’s cakes are the best. The frosting has just the right ratio of butter to sugar, and the crumb is dense and moist without being dreary. Our favorite? The banana cake with cream cheese frosting.
City Bakery
The City Bakery pretzel croissant, which they liken to a unicorn. (credit: pretzelcroissant.com)
3 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 366-1414
thecitybakery.com
The City Bakery took the classic New York deli concept and elevated the ingredients. Its loft-like, balconied dining room in the Flatiron district has a great prepared salad bar, serve-yourself entrees, mac-and-cheese and organic yogurts. But the real centerpiece is the enormous horseshoe bakery counter serving cookies, muffins and a notorious, chewy, salty, stretchy pretzel croissant.
Fairway Market
(file photo credit: Clipart)
Multiple locations throughout the city, for more info check out their website:
fairwaymarket.com
Reviews & more info
Most of Fairway’s breads are good without being great, however its baguette is a thing of beauty. It belongs to the chewy-crust, soft (rather than fluffy) phylum of great baguette. Start ripping off hunks in the bag and you may just not get it home.
Veniero’s
The cookie tray from Venieros. (credit: venieropastry.com)
342 E ast 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 674-7070
venierospastry.com
Reviews & more info
Cupcakes are serious business in New York, with hot debate over whose are too sweet or not sweet enough or too gourmet or not gourmet enough, etc. Sugar Sweet Sunshine’s classic plain cupcake (pink, blue, yellow or green frosting) gets our vote for delivering a just-right blast of super-sweet icing on a dryish, crumbling cake. The best.
V&V Bakery
(file photo credit: Clipart)
61-19 Roosevelt Avenue
Queens, NY 11377
(718) 476-1669
The 61st and Woodside subway stop in Queens is known for the great taco and tamale carts under the overpass on Roosevelt Ave. A few doors further down is V&V bakery, a traditional Italian bakery short on atmosphere but beloved for its Irish soda bread, biscotti, mini-eclairs and Napoleons.
