The 15 best bakeries in NYC right now

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What is it: Bed-Stuy’s Dolly’s serves up what just might be the best take on the childhood-favorite Honey Bun, made with raw honey and a cream cheese glaze, alongside “XL” cookies packed with white chocolate and raspberries or big, melty chunks of chocolate. 

Why we love it: The cheesesteak and egg sandwich comes on a soft sesame seed roll, filled with beef, provolone, housemade Cheese Whiz, grilled onion and A1 aioli. It comes with a golden hash brown patty that’s worth writing home about. 

Time Out tip: After 3pm, the kitchen starts churning out special sundaes—think Cap’n Crunch soft serve layered with fresh berries and brown-butter cereal crunch, or black-cocoa cake-batter soft serve with fudgy brownies and cookie crumbs—alongside meal-making focaccia flavors like cacio e pepe and spicy salami. 

Address: 53 Rockaway Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11233

Opening hours: Mon 11:30am–2pm, 3–5:30pm; Fri–Sat, 11:30am–2pm, 3–5:30pm; Sun 11:30am–2pm, 3–5pm

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What is it? This sweet little bakery is a strong contender for Park Slope’s best croissant (and that’s a very crowded field). Favorites include the strawberry croissant, filled with strawberry jam and covered in photogenic red stripes, and the twice-baked almond croissant available Thursday–Sunday. 

Why we love it: Savory pastries are a hit here, too, with a ham-and-cheese croissant made with Berkshire ham and gruyère and rotating flavors of focaccia, including bacon, egg, and cheese, and rosemary with olive oil and sea salt. 

Time Out tip: Come by as close to 8am as you can to score the morning drop. If you plan to sit, don’t bring your laptop: only books and chatting are allowed in the few sunny spots looking out onto Park Slope’s 7th Avenue. 

Address: 422 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Hours: Tue–Fri 8am–3pm; Sat–Sun 8am–2pm

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What is it: Perhaps you’ve heard tales of Radio Bakery’s rhubarb and custard croissants, with their square-shaped dough framing slices of tart, caramelized rhubarb, or their twisted Earl Grey morning buns. Or perhaps you’ve walked past the line and thought to yourself: What could those people possibly be queuing up for at 7:15 on a Saturday morning? We hate to break it to you, but these pastries are worth the wait. 

Why we love it: Ten flavors of croissants, ranging from “cheesy pretzel bear claw” and “chocolate pb&j” to the plain “classic” and not-so-plain “triple chocolate” (made with chocolate dough, and then filled with caramelized milk chocolate and bâtons of bittersweet chocolate), give you plenty of reasons to keep coming back. Don’t miss their “Not Croissant” portion of the menu either, where you’ll find their crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside brown butter corn cake. 

Time Out tip: You don’t have to be a morning person to try Radio Bakery. They’ll probably be sold out of pastries, but you’ll be rewarded for rocking up at 11am with sandwiches filled with sweet pea and feta, spicy tofu or burrata with prosciutto on fresh focaccia.  

Address: 135 India St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Opening hours: Daily 7:30am–3:30pm

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What is it? Haute pastry whiz Tomoko Kato of Bouley Bakery and Le Bernardin has dreamed up a dessert tasting menu that spotlights French-Japanese confections. 

Why we love it: Planning a special date? Snag a couple of seats for a three-course prix fixe including an amuse-bouche, your choice of sweets and petits fours. Pair your pastries with wine or sake, or go for a classic cup of coffee or tea.

Time Out tip: If you don’t have time for the full tasting menu, plenty of the patisserie’s treats are available to go. Grab a box of macarons with flavors including yuzu, black sesame, rose and lavender mint, a box of salty almond cookies or a vibrant green slice of matcha cheesecake. (Custom cakes are available with three days' notice, too.) 

Address: 568 Union Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Opening hours: Tue–Sun noon-6pm

What is it? This bakery from Ry Stephen of Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in L.A., San Francisco and Seoul sells sweets like a milk and honey sticky bun croissant, a Meyer lemon poppy cruffin filled with lemon poppy cheesecake crème pâtissière and then topped with a teeny-tiny slice of lemon poppy cake and a carrot cake ice cream sandwich stuffed with cream cheese gelato and studded with pieces of carrot cake and walnut praline.  

Why we love it: Even the most classic treats are reinvented here, from the macadamia and white chocolate chip cookie with honey-roasted cornflakes to the old-fashioned donut with vibrant pina colada. 

Time Out tip: Twice-baked croissants—croissants filled with flavors like chocolate and chestnut cream or blood orange and raspberry, then baked again—are only available on the weekends. Their offerings change every two weeks, so no matter when you show up, you’re sure to find something delicious. 

Address: 120 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

Opening hours: Daily 8am–10pm

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What is it? This iconic Arthur Avenue bakery has supplied locals with Italian baked goods and wedding cakes since 1960. Pass a little time waiting in the shop's ever-present line by admiring the photos of famous visitors that line the walls, like Joe Pesci and Al Pacino.

Why we love it: Looking for one of the very best bites of cannoli in NYC? You’ll find it here. Crispy golden shells, chocolate-studded filling and a dusting of powdered sugar keep it classic; you can also grab a chocolate-covered shell or a colorful version with rainbow sprinkles. 

Time Out tip: Grab a sfogliatelle along with your box of cannoli. These "lobster tail” beauties are huge, flaky and filled with a sweet, citrus-flecked cream that might just make you rethink your personal list of best Italian pastries. 

Address: 580 E 187th St, Bronx, NY 10458

Opening hours: Wed, Thu, Sun 10am–6pm; Fri 10am–7pm; Sat 10am–9pm

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What is it? This long-standing family-owned business has operated since 1986, and today it has locations in the Bronx and East Harlem. Lloyd's titular item is available by the slice, by the cake or even a party-sized sheet for up to 80 people. 

Why we love it: The carrot cake, packed with carrots, plump raisins and walnuts, is worth crossing boroughs for all on its own. With a double-layer red velvet cake, German chocolate with coconut and walnut frosting and vanilla cakes layered with buttercream and strawberry or pineapple filling on the menu, too, there are plenty more reasons to find yourself at Lloyd’s. 

Time Out tip: If you prefer no chunks in your carrot cake, they’ve got you covered. You can order a carrot cake with or without nuts and raisins, so you can get all that carroty goodness with nothing in between. 

Address: 1565 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10029

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 7am–7pm; Sat 8am–6pm; Sun 8am–5pm

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What is it? Load up on homestyle sweets like fruit pies, brownies, cupcakes and red velvet cake at this snug bakery and café in Red Hook. 

Why we love it: Huge chocolate-chunk cookies, salted caramel bars layered with shortbread and chocolate and vibrant tricolor cookies are the super-classic treats Baked is known for. They’re probably most beloved for their brownies, which come in “deep dark” or “sweet-and-salty” varieties, and their brown-sugary blondies packed with chunks of chocolate and nuts. 

Time Out tip: Their apple pie, which comes piled with gooey apples and then topped with buttery crumb, is among the best we’ve ever had. You can order pies for the holidays or one of their extravagant custom cakes, any time of the year. 

Address: 359 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Opening hours: Mon–Thu 8am–4pm; Fri–Sun 8am–5pm

What is it? The two South Dakota sisters who opened Four & Twenty Blackbirds learned to bake pie from their grandma, and her expert instruction is evident in varieties like lemon chess, rhubarb custard and bittersweet chocolate pecan. Linger at one of the comfy communal tables long enough, and you're bound to want another slice. 

Why we love it: Their Salty Honey pie holds a registered trademark, and you’ll see why: it's sweetened with honey and sprinkled with flaky sea salt, with a dark-brown top that gives way to a pale yellow custard as rich and fragrant as its buttery crust. It’s a little floral, a little savory and a whole lot of “just one more bite…” 

Time Out tip: If you want to take home an entire pie, make sure to get your order in by noon for next-day pickup. (Although whenever you find yourself in a Pie Emergency, they’ll deliver whole pies or a box of seven slices same-day to addresses in Brooklyn). 

Address: 439 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 8am–6pm; Sat 9am–7pm; Sun 10am–6pm

What is it? You can always grab a great cup of coffee and a biscotti to go, but if you stay a little longer, you'll be enticed by the gorgeous cakes, cannoli and deliciously creamy deep-dish cheesecake behind the counter. Savor your goods and marvel at the Neapolitan glass ceiling and Italian Renaissance art decorating the walls.

Why we love it: Tangy, creamy cheesecake is king here, either plain, with strawberries, flavored with almond in its subtle amaretti version or packed with Oreo pieces. Grab the 10” version to bring to a dinner party or the 5” to keep all to yourself. 

Time Out tip: Their giant slices of coconut cake recently went viral, with three layers of moist, fork-tender coconut sponge, a cream cheese frosting and a heavy hand of shredded coconut on top. 

Address: 342 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003

Opening hours: Daily 8am–10pm

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What is it? If heaven has a scent, it probably smells a lot like Petee's Pies on the Lower East Side: buttery, cinnamon-y, carb-y and irresistibly delicious. Set on bustling Delancey Street near the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge, the exterior doesn't scream cozy, but once you step inside the tiny storefront, you'll want to stay all day. 

Why we love it: Co-owner and chef Petra Paredez incorporates the old with the new in her pastries, too, serving up pie varieties like wild blueberry, Nesselrode with chestnut puree and rum-macerated cherries, bright-tart Lemon Chess and Dirt Pie with crushed cookies and gummy worms. 

Time Out tip: If you like your pie with a scoop of ice cream, cut out the middleman and grab a pint of Petee’s “Slice Cream,” their housemade vanilla ice cream churned with huge chunks of pecan or salty chocolate pie. 

Address: 61 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002

Opening hours: Daily 11am–11pm 

What is it? Win Son, Josh Ku and Trigg Brown's restaurant offers inventive takes on Taiwanese-American bites. The bakery across the street brings the same energy to their baked goods, serving up truly excellent mochi donuts made in-house by pastry chef Danielle Spence. 

Why we love it: The millet mochi and fermented red rice donuts are some of our favorite takes on the NYC classic, while the sticky sesame nian gao uses activated charcoal and a white kumquat glaze to turn the black-and-white cookie on its head. 

Time Out tip: Don’t stop at the sweet stuff: after 3pm, Win Son serves up soft milk buns stuffed with fried chicken and red peppers or a shrimp patty with cheese. 

Address: 164 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206

Opening hours: Mon 9am–3pm; Tue–Wed 9am–9pm; Thu–Sat 9am–10pm; Sun 9am–9pm

What is it? The cookies at Levain Bakery are the stuff of legend: Massive mounds that stay underdone in the middle, making them ideal for cookie-dough lovers. Don’t miss the lush, brownie-adjacent dark-chocolate-chocolate chip. 

Why we love it: Thick, chewy classics like walnut chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin are fan favorites, but we like to stop by for seasonal treats like carrot cake with white chocolate chips, pecans and soft apricots and the golden, perfect-for-spring lemon cookie. 

Time Out tip: For those with dietary restrictions, they’ve got a treat for you, too. Try the vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip walnut flavor made with vegan cashew butter, gluten-free flour and all the rest of the chunky stuff in their signature cookie. 

Address: 167 West 74th St, New York, NY 10023

Opening hours: Daily 8am–8pm

What is it? Still one of NYC's top cupcake creators after Carrie Bradshaw set off the cupcake craze, this LES bakery pulls double-duty as a coffee shop where you can sip a latte and eat your sweets on the spot. In addition to its handheld treats, Sugar Sweet Sunshine also makes layer cakes, pies, pudding and cookies. 

Why we love it: Get your red velvet cupcakes “Sassy” (with chocolate-almond buttercream) or “Sexy” (with a satin Swiss buttercream), a classic Sunshine with yellow cake and vanilla buttercream frosting or a “German Imposter,” dark chocolate cake topped with a thick layer of coconut and chunky pecans. 

Time Out tip: Four flavors of vegan cupcakes—Sunshine, Black & White, Chocolate Explosion and French Toast—make it easy for the whole crew to find their favorite on a NYC cupcake crawl. 

Address: 365 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

Opening hours: Mon 8am–6pm; Tue 8am–7pm; Wed–Thu 8am–8pm; Fri 8am–9pm; Sat 9am–9pm; Sun 10am–6pm

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What is it? When Keith Cohen bought this bakery from its founding owners, he wanted to expand on the century-old kosher spot’s old-world reputation by producing cutting-edge artisan breads. While he still makes Orwashers' famous Jewish rye, Cohen has remodeled the tiled-floor shop into a sunlit café, and now sells crusty European-style loaves like Chardonnay miche, donuts filled with fruit from upstate New York and morning buns made with croissant dough. 

Why we love it: Grab a sticky bun babka or chocolate-dipped raspberry rugelach, then sit in the big window to watch the world pass by. 

Time Out tip: If your whole party doesn’t go for pastry in the mornings, Orwashers' bagels are some of the best in the biz. Get them with a simple schmear or go for the “New York breakfast,” a double-dipped everything bagel with dill cream cheese, lox, chives, onions and a dusting of lemon zest. 

Address: 308 E 78th St, New York, NY 10075

Opening hours: Daily 7am–6pm

Looking for the best cupcakes in NYC? Head to these bakeries to try one of our favorite frosting-crowned beauties.