[title]
Fans of Levain Bakery’s gargantuan cookies have been lining out the door of the jewel-box sized storefront on the Upper West Side for nearly a quarter century. But come February 26th, this perennial favorite amongst New Yorkers and tourists alike will have a downtown location for one of the best cookies in NYC.
Photography: Time Out / Ali Garber
Customers have been asking about a downtown location for years, say co-owners Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, but the pair pair decided on NoHo for its “amazing energy.” The bakery is located in a landmarked building and will be the sixth Levain. While it has a different layout, it’s similar in size to the Upper East Side location, which opened last year.
“We want to be sure anyplace we’re opening is really special,” Pam Weekes tells Time Out New York. “We’re not interested in having stores on every corner.”
Photography: Time Out / Ali Garber
There’s a hand-painted mural, by artist Libby Vanderploeg, depicting the surrounding neighborhoods. Besides merch on sale, a new menu item will be revealed for the opening (while Weekes and McDonald didn’t share details, they did say “it’s something we’ve worked on for quite awhile”). They’re exploring Williamsburg and opening their first location outside of New York state as well, though there are no confirmed plans at the moment.
Photography: Time Out / Ali Garber
But there’s good reason why these nearly half pounder cookies—they weigh 6 ounces each to be exact—are still beloved by countless fans and consistently ranks among the best desserts in the city: They’re seductively gooey on the inside and golden brown on the outside. They’re the size of your head and more than big enough to share (not that you’d want to). Everything, from the best-selling cookies to breads, are baked on site.
During the grand opening day, proceeds will be donated to The Lower East Side Girls Club (other Levain locations also donate any leftovers to a charity every day).
Levain Bakery NoHo is located at 340 Lafayette Street (at Bleecker) and will be opening 7am-10pm daily.
Photography: Time Out / Ali Garber
Photography: Time Out / Ali Garber
Photography: Time Out / Ali Garber