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Levain Bakery
- Nearest Transit:
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72 St (1, 2, 3)
79 St (1, 2)
72 St (A, B, C)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 8 am - 7 pm
Sun 9 am - 7 pm
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
1488 reviews for Levain Bakery
Review Highlights
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"Je t'aime Levain chocolate chip walnut cookie." In 150 reviews -
"Fruits/veggies: raisins in Oatmeal Raisin." In 178 reviews -
"What a great gem in the Upper West Side." In 54 reviews
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1488 reviews in English
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Review from Czarina S.
Valencia, CA
Believe the hype.
Best cookies I have ever tasted in my lifetime. Was it worth the calories (estimated at roughly 800-1000 per)? Yes. Was it worth the hassle transporting them on my carry on and the pain it caused to my left arm & fingers? I say hell yea, hell yea, fckin right. Oohhhhh.
You KNOW what you're looking for in a cookie. Mine happens to be chocolate chip, ooeyyy gooeyy on the inside and SLIGHTLY crunchy on the outside. Unfortunately, Levain cookies fit the bill. Love at first bite. Painful cliche, but you know it's true.
I bought 2 of each flavor and I can safely say that the chocolate chip walnut one is my fave! In the world!!!!!!111 I don't really care for walnuts on my cookies but it complemented it in a way that I'm almost thankful it's there. I MUST visit everytime. I love them so much that I might include them in future weddings, showers, baptisms of all sorts. -
Review from Derek B.
I'm usually not a cookie fan (yea I know, I must be dead inside or something) but these things are good. Be warned though, these things are big. Either make it a meal or split with a friend, or two.
Like crunchy cookies? The outsides of this thing are nice and crisp.
Like gooey cookies? The insides are gooey, melted chocolate deliciousness.
Like oatmeal cookes? They've got those too.
You haven't really had a cookie until you've had a cookie here. -
Review from Laina T.
On my last day in NYC, I made it a point to stop by Levain and see what the fuss was all about. After a $30 cab ride to and from my hotel, I'm glad I had a chance to check it out. I bought 3 of the 4 cookies that were offered to share with my coworkers: the chocolate pb chip, chocolate chip walnut, and the oatmeal.
What else do I need to say about these cookies that hasn't been said? Yes, they're huge. Yes, they're good. The cookies were moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
Here's the order of liking:
1. chocolate pb chip - almost brownie-like
2. chocolate chip walnut - a classic
3. oatmeal raisin - not enought oatmeal, too many raisins
Although the cookies were good, my coworkers and I felt that they were too sweet.
If you're in the area and you're a cookie fan, check it out. -
Review from Catherine N.
Long Beach, CA
5 stars might not be enough. Hot, crispy, gooey, melty, FAT, ginormous cookie goodness. Sweet but not overbearingly so. The chocolate chip walnut center was a bit uncooked but whatever. I'm still gonna eat it. Line out the door past closing time, so they kept having to dig in the fridge for more dough to pop in the oven to avoid a stampede. The dough ball was about the size of a small orange, so you know you're going to get one monstrous cookie. Can't decide whether I like the chocolate chip walnut or the double chocolate better. Have to keep eating until I can decide.
Also returned the next morning for 14 cookies to take home (box was so heavy!) and bought a raspberry bomboloncini. Whoa so good. It's like a jelly donut without the guilt, because the jelly is inside a super soft and delicate roll instead of a fried donut. The bread itself is not sweet but the tart and sweet jam inside plus a light dusting of powdered sugar added just the right sweetness.
I'm going to miss you when I go to LA. -
Review from Saleh A.
Manhattan, NY
Walnut cookies are pretty good!!
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Review from Sam T.
FOREST HILLS, NY
Seriously...if you haven't been here yet, what are you doing?
Ugh...Levain, these people are truly as evil as it gets and literally across the street from my job
Gotto give em props; don't try the cinamon brioche, typically not their best
Any of the cookies are amazing (other than it's not really a cookie, more like a muffin/brownie/cupcake'esque/ish kinda thing)
Beverages are great, bread is amazing...I mean come on, it's Levain. No one's doing it as good as they are right now -
Review from Alyssa R.
New York, NY
You haven't lived until you've had a chocolate chip walnut cookie from Levain.
Confession: there was a stretch when I first moved to the city that I would occasionally(?) eat these for breakfast when the delicious smell of cookies wafting down the street would entice me into the shop en route to work. Yay diabetes.
Go on a weekday and you'll skip the ridiculous line that extends down the block on Saturdays & Sundays.
One softball-sized cookie is enough gooey sweetness for 2-3 people. -
Review from Valerie L.
San Diego, CA
It's true what they say! You MUST visit Levain Bakery when you're in New York! It's located in within walking distance of Central Park.
My favorite was the peanut butter chocolate chip! The chocolate chip with walnuts was great too. It's a small bakery, and easy to miss. The cookies were chunky, yet moist at the same time. If you're not eating them right away, I recommend putting them in the oven or microwave before eating. Since they're thick cookies, it will harden and it doesn't taste the same. You need to heat them up to appreciate the flavor and moistness of them! -
Review from Matt A.
Best cookies I have ever had. I would take a bullet for these cookies...not in the face because that is my money maker, but somewhere in my upper thigh area. To have giant chocolate chip cookies that are also super moist!! Hollllllly Ballllls!
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Review from Sarah L.
Woodside, NY
Had their peanut butter and chocolate cookies. It's a pretty lethal combination and would be delicious anywhere. It was more of a brownie with an extra crispy/flaky surface. It was a little too rich for my taste.
The iced coffee was ehh.
I probably wouldnt go again unless with tourists. -
Review from Ashley A.
Fort Myers, FL
Yes. Just yes. Saying yes to these cookies is saying yes to happiness.
$4 does seem expensive, but these cookies are practically a meal I swear. I have yet to finish one in one sitting.
This tiny little bakery is a New York staple in my opinion. And these cookies make great gifts. I will never go on a plane from New York without a box of them. -
Review from Andrea P.
Ever since I left NY, I have been craving this cookie at least twice a week. This is the most DELICIOUS, life changing cookie I have ever had in my life. I honestly feel like my life is complete now.
I seriously WALKED all the way from Rockefeller to Levain (I know, I had some time on my hands and just wanted to see the city) and it was well more than worth it. You could smell the waft of freshly baked cookies the minute you stepped on the block. It's a small bakery but do not underestimate... it's LIFE CHANGING.
These $4 cookies are MASSIVE, the size of a large round scone that fits in the palm of your hand. They are heavy and HEAVENLY. Crispy on the outside, served warm with a moist crumbly inside. I don't even LIKE walnuts (I usually pick them out of everything) but I downed the chocolate chip walnut with NO problem. The walnut flavor was sort of masked under the delicious chocolate chips and buttery cookie flavor. Omg... seriously, cookiegasm. The chocolate peanut butter cookie was really good too.
I die for these cookies. Can't wait to try the other cookies next time. And my plan is to bring at LEAST a half a dozen back home next time. Seriously. Even though they are best fresh right after you buy them, SOMETHING is better than nothing at this point.
This is going on my list of "things I do NOT share". YOU MUST TRY THESE COOKIES!!!! -
Review from Amber S.
New York, NY
the best of the best.. classy , decadent and always on top! The jewel of my neighborhood. I love the cookies of course but I'm also a big fan of the chocolate brioche. Go for!
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Review from Theresa M.
Daly City, CA
Yet another place I go to when in New York. A must go. The cookies are a hybrid between a cookie and a scone. I guess that's the best way to describe them. They are huge and lasted me awhile.
All I get is:
1) oatmeal raisin cookie
2) a tall milk
This place has made me a cookie snob. Hmm... there seems to be a running theme here about my post-NYC food experiences. -
Review from Anthony G.
Indio, CA
How is it that I've been to NYC approximately 20 times and only now discovered this place? Amazing. Everything is good, but the chocolate chip walnut cookie is a must. I wish they shipped more affordably. I shall return to New York, and my first stop, last stop, and many stops in between will be Lavain's. I hear they have an awesome cinnamon roll on weekends and I must try.
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Review from Deborah G.
Timonium, MD
As of today 1480 addicted cookie monsters have Yelped about Levain. This is a-mazing!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/4/2012
The Levain Bakery has the most decadent chocolate chip cookies in the world. I found them on the web… Read more »
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2/4/2012
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Review from Alan W.
The chocolate chocolate chip cookie is like heaven in my mouth. So rich and moist! It was almost like a brownie and cookie in one.
A little pricey at $4 a cookie but worthit. I didn't see that much other than the cookies here, but that's all they need. A cold glass of milk would have been ideal to wash the cookie down. I want to try all the favors now! -
Review from Katie W.
Santa Monica, CA
Delicious cookies. My friend and I walked for hours to make it to this teeny bakery and it was well worth it! We tried both the double chocolate peanut butter cookie and the chocolate chip cookie and they are equally yummy. They're served warm from the oven and the chocolate melts in your mouth. I think they have some other bakery items as well - bread, scones, etc - but everyone was there for the cookies. It was crowded but service was quick and everyone was really friendly. If I lived in New York I'm sure I'd be at Levain at least once a week.
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Review from Steve M.
Well, back when the new UWS Magnolia Bakery http://www.yelp.com/bi... opened up a block away from me about a year or so ago, I promised my buddy Atif, http://www.yelp.com/us.... that I would check out Levain before I EVER stepped foot into the purportedly vile abode that is Magnolia.
Well, before good 'ol Atif, I had promised other, non-Yelp friends that I would do the same thing long before Mag opened up but shhhh... don't tell him! Anyhow, the reason it took me so long even though this place is completely on my walking circuit of places to visit, is that I do not posses a sweet tooth! I swear, Atif must have somehow inherited my dad's infamous sweet tooth and robbed me of my birthright! Good thing though, as my metabolism is probably about 50 times slower than Atif's and if I possessed his penchant for sweets, I'd probably weigh 400 Lbs rather than my svelte 395 by now.
Anyhow, between the beer store and the liquor store a while back, I descended the stairs down into the quaint and lovely Levain. I almost could not look at the multitude of delicacies offered because the bright smiles of their shockingly (for the UWS, that is) friendly and happy staff kept diverting my attention. It's not every day that you see such genuinely content and fulfilled employees working at a store in this 'hood! Tells you something right is happening in there. Made paying $3.75 for a freakin' cookie completely worth it!
But the cookie... Well, as I said, I do not posses my dad's sweet tooth nor Atif's, but I do know good when I taste it. This was probably the best cookie I have ever tasted in my life, bar none! From the sugar to the chips to the nuts (and I think nuts are a complete ABOMINATION in a CC cookie), right down to the butter and even the gol-danged flour, everything that could have been right about this stupid cookie was right! And for $3.75 it darned well better have been!
Lesson learned - listen to your friends. Will I now check out Magnolia less than a block away? Hell no! Why the heck should I when Levain is a mere five blocks up?! Those semolina loaves were looking pretty darned good too! -
Review from Jessica C.
New York, NY
Time Arrived: 5:30 pm Wednesday
Time Wait: No wait
Party: 2 People
Atmosphere: Small little bakery
Food/Drink: It's easy to find good cookies around town, but it's not easy to find AMAZING cookies. THIS place has amazing. The Oatmeal Raisin cookie was wonderful. The perfect blend of crunchy crumbly mixed in with warm insides. Not to mention the cookies are huge! About 3/4 size of a hand and an inch thick. Jeez.
Service: Quick
Overall: Will highly recommend it to anyone looking for the BEST cookies in NYC.Listed in: New York City
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Review from Vincent N.
Montclair, NJ
What's Levain Bakery like? Lemme put it like this: even Cookie Monster would fall into a food coma.
Believe the hype Yelpsters! -
Review from Anthony P.
Antelope, CA
Best. Cookie. Ever. I'm actually craving one as I write this review.
I thought it was definitely worth the $4 for a chocolate chip walnut cookie. It's a huge, thick cookie. It's like they just grabbed a huge handful of dough, plopped it onto a cookie sheet, and baked it. You'll get the best of both worlds: crispy on the outside and still doughy on the inside. I bought one of these and nibbled on it while I took a stroll through Central Park, and I still couldn't finish it! Prepare yourself with a glass of milk so you can devour this monster of a cookie. -
Review from Derrick W.
San Francisco, CA
Where do I even start?
Want a cookie the size of a baseball that will barely fit in your hand? Want a cookie that is freshly baked with the chocolate still melted in the middle? If you love chocolate chip cookies or just have a sweet tooth, look no further. -
Review from Wing L.
I can't believe I made a trek to the Upper west side just for cookies. They're not just ordinary cookies; at $4 each, it better not be. There is a line and while you're waiting, the smell alone kills you as you salivate for the anticipation of the sweetness ahead. Your reward? You're treated to a warm, gooey, flaky, buttery, moist, chewy, crunchy, and gigantic cookie for those who patiently wait. Am I missing any more adjectives?
I tried the chocolate and the oatmeal raisin and I couldn't finish it in 1 sitting; I actually had to save it for later and even then, the cookie still retained its freshness and softness (must be the generous amount of butter).
Love at first bite? Quite possibly. Just don't count the calories. You know what they say about big cookies? Big calories. -
Review from Mary D.
Manhattan, NY
A really small bakery with the most amazing chocolate chip walnut cookies - you have to try one to truly understand - always just backed fresh, they're huge and delicious!
Its why I go to the gym......everyday -
Review from Pinky And The B.
Manhattan, NY
I have never seen so many references to crack in my life! Wow, must be a lot of Yelpers on crack!
I have never used crack so I can't say if it is like crack or not.
I am not a huge cookie fiend, maybe because I did so many bake sales as a Girl Scout that I kind of got tired of them. I also think the whole cookie craze in big cities has to do with people needing comfort food being away from their families. I do not have that issue so it isn't a big deal for me to have cookies.
Never the less , in-between fun tests like MRI's at the HSS we had some time to kill. My husband's brother is a chocolate chip cookie fiend, He buys them for us knowing most likely we are not going to eat them and always says I got your favorite. Why he doesn't just buy them for himself I can't quite figure out.
So in-between fun tests at the hospital we went to the West side for the cookies as he was crying for some chocolate chip cookies knowing I might know where the "best" ones were.
We only took one picture. I had been here before a while back but as I said it isn't my thing really. Levain has been around since 1995 which to me is a relatively short time. http://www.westsiderag...
Levain though has been totally accepted by the neighborhood and city.
As for the cookies I have had Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal. The Chocolate Chip was quite good and better than the Oatmeal. The Chocolate Chip Cookie was very complex. Not all soft or all hard. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside served warm! I think the complexity is what made it so good!
It looks like a scone but tastes like a cookie. It tastes better than it looks in any of the pictures.
I am an Oatmeal cookie fan more so than Chocolate Chip cookies. This is the reasons for 4 stars and not 5. An Oatmeal Cookie is usually made of Oatmeal. Some Oatmeal Cookie recipes use flour some do not. But the ones that use flour also use Oatmeal. The flour in this Oatmeal cookie over powered the Oatmeal or oats. I couldn't taste it at all.
My husband's brother has a certain idea and only one idea of what the perfect chocolate chip cookie tastes like based on his childhood, some store in Kings Plaza that he claims hasn't been duplicated. But that is more about wanting a very specific kind of cookie than a good cookie.
These are good even great. At least the Chocolate Chip cookies are.The Oatmeal cookies aren't true Oatmeal cookies. The Oatmeal cookies did taste like scones. The Chocolate Chip cookies tasted like cookies and great ones at that.
Certainly worth a try if you are a cookie lover and live or work in NYC.Listed in: All The Critics Love you in…, NYC desserts
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Review from Seiko F.
Woodside, NY
I know everyone who had been there before and love to come back over again, LOVE there cookies.
Of-course! I had 2 of them (double chocolate and peanuts butter chip?) with my husband and I love them!!!
but! I loved this my first time visit this bakery... "The baguette"(with butter & jam)!!!
I visit Paris about 2years ago and I couldn't forget about the baguette I had in there ever since... I've been try the different bakery in the city to find a close one but those weren't really hit my memories of the baguette I had in Paris.
That's why I was really really happy to had the one with this bakery!
Cookies is very very good but the baguette is also gooooooooood so please give it try if you have a chance!!!
BTW, I would love to go back when I miss "The baguette" ;)Listed in: Bakeries
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Review from Emiko T.
Hands down. Without a doubt. Not a question in the world. THIS bakery is what you need to try when you come to New York. The perfect act of love that I wish I could do is send these cookies overnight to my family so that they too can be swept away in sugary bliss. I can't say what a Levain experience would be for someone who doesn't like sweets--perhaps this is their perfect nightmare. Which only goes to show how amazing Levain is at baking perfect cookies on a daily basis in a hot, tiny basement of a shop. It's a sweet factory down there (see what I did?)
Anyway, I'm updating this review to include my latest faint-inducing experience. This time I tried the dark chocolate peanut butter chip. It's as if they put layers of creamy, gooey peanut butter inside a 5 pound chocolate shot put. But no, it's simply tons of peanut butter chips melted to perfection inside the richest, cakeiest cookie dough you'll ever consume. I've never EVER had another cookie like the ones I've had from Levain. Well worth the 4 dollars. Well worth the wait if there is one. I would cry if they ever closed their doors.
Swoon the sweet tooth in your life by buying them 3 or more of these damn good desserts. I can't say anything more except that you should also prepare a pitcher of milk before eating. And get your butt down there pronto.Listed in: Best desserts in the Big Apple
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/8/2011
A cookie that makes leftovers? Who woulda thunk?
There really is no end to a Levain cookie. And… Read more »
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7/8/2011
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Review from Ray C.
Levain Bakery has the best cookies you will ever have. Ever!
My favorite is the Walnut Chocolate Chip, though the Chocolate Chocolate Chip is delicious too. I recommend getting a Walnut Chocolate Chip cookie, a bread roll (helps break up the sweetness in the cookie), and a cup of milk. Then walk two blocks towards Central Park, sit on a bench, and enjoy your delicious breakfast. -
Review from Sally C.
THIS SHOULD BE ON YOUR BUCKET LIST. And if it's not, then YOU NEED TO ADD IT TO YOUR BUCKET LIST. YOU NEED TO TRY THESE COOKIES. I REPEAT, YOUR LIFE IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL YOU HAVE EATEN THESE COOKIES.
Before I lived in NY, without fail, every time I visited, I would bring back home a dozen of these scrumptious cookies. (You can freeze them and heat them up again and they will taste fine.)
The chocolate chip walnut cookies are the BEST. They are ginormous but do not be taken aback by the size.
DO NOT SHARE or you will regret it! YOU CAN AND YOU WILL FINISH A WHOLE ONE! They are best when they are eaten fresh - the outside is crispy and delicious and browned to perfection and the inside is gooey ooey chocolatey goodness.
Best cookies I've ever had in my life! -
Review from Devon E.
Manhattan, NY
Warm and humongous cookies to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Be warned, they fill you up. -
Review from Ash C.
New York, NY
$4 for a little piece of heaven.
You can barely call these cookies... they really are more like pillows - huge, warm, gooey and soft to the bite. I've only had one other cookie that rivals this one at Little Brown on the UES. I'm also a fan of Ruby et Violette for more adventurous flavors. I'm in love.
The peanut butter cookie is awesome - the peanut butter isn't hard to the bite - it just melts in your mouth. Beautiful. You cannot forgo a chance to sample such legendary cookies. -
Review from Jonathan B.
Manhattan, NY
Located in a basement storefront beneath a waxing salon, this bakery looks like nothing special. But don't let your eyes deceive you--defer instead to your sense of smell. I was drawn in by the intoxicating aroma emanating from this place.
I purchased a chocolate chip walnut cookie, and it was exceptionally good. It was large--roughly the same dimensions as a baseball. The outer texture was crisp and crunchy, and the inside was soft, filled with gooey chocolate and large pieces of walnut. In all, a delicious snack.
However, four dollars per cookie is a king's ransom. -
Review from Sny P.
New York, NY
Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookie is absolutely yummy and gooey!!!
I have never tried anything else as I always smell the chocolate when I enter the tiny bakeryListed in: Deserts
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Review from Annie C.
Berkeley, CA
Around this time last year, I was lucky enough to spend a couple weeks in NYC. Of course, Levain Bakery was on my must trys as I've seen it on tv and countless food blogs. The small bakery is located underground and has a cozy feel to it! My friend and I grabbed a cookie each and sat on the stools with our enormously thick cookies. I chose the dark chocolate chip cookie and was in complete and utter shock how chocolate-y and gooey the center of the cookie was.. The crust is a bit crispy but when you bite into the cookie, the warm melted chocolate chips sink into your teeth.
It's been a year since I've had that cookie but I have to admit I think, dream and drool about the cookies at Levain.. If only I could get some delivered to my doorsteps right now, my life would be complete. I definitely just looked through all the yelp pictures of the cookies over and over again just hoping that one day, soon, I will be reunited with the perfect gooeyooey chocolate cookie. -
Review from Lily P.
Minus 1 star for the cost of these cookies..beyond that? a piece of heaven and exactly how I like to make my cookies...SUPER SUPER HEAVY, LARGE, and filled with amazing chips, while still very chewy....I wish this place was closer to me but then I'd just be obese. The line sometimes gets pretty long but with no real place to camp out (OKAY...there is but you really shouldn't stay and you should make room for people who are cookieless...), and fast service...you go in pick your cookies and leave within a min or two.
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Review from Alyssa K.
"Cookie" is not the appropriate term for these monstrosities.
Call it what you will: The perfect pick-me-up. A sugar rush in the palm of your hand. A PMS'ing girl's dream. Levain's cookies can do no wrong.
You'll smell the treats baking from down the block. Levain sells only four types of cookies: chocolate chip walnut, oatmeal raisin, dark chocolate chocolate chip, and dark chocolate peanut butter chip. I had the peanut butter one, and it was like I escaped to some sort of heaven for the eight minutes I was enjoying it.
Levain's cookies are how every cookie should be: served fresh, warm, soft, and gooey. Oh, and I'd say each cookie weighs at least half a pound and measures about an inch tall, so you're definitely getting your money's worth at $4 a cookie. Get one with chocolate or peanut butter chips and they'll be melting, just like how you saw in those Toll House cookie commercials growing up. They sell breads and even pizzas (?!), but everyone here comes for the cookies, and for good reason. -
Review from Kara C.
Price: $4/cookie
Highlight: Huge, Doughy Cookie
I came here looking for a danish. Yup, had the rare sugar urge, saw "bakery"... thought "danish" and followed my friend down into the basement-like tiny shop with the fantastic smell and shelved my danish dreams for an oatmeal raisin cookie. It was huge, gooey, doughy with just the right amount of sugar and I couldn't finish it... the sugar urge was short lived and was immediately replaced by a sushi urge.
It was good and I would recommend it to a sweet tooth friend and it would be great warmed and crushed into vanilla ice cream. The 3 stars are not because I don't have a sweet tooth, its because the oatmeal raisin cookie was good, but not mindblowing. -
Review from Rose C.
New York, NY
Small, cute bakery in the UWS. I got here around 5:15pm and luckily there was no line but 10 minutes later, the line was out the door. Crazy.
Anyway, I got the Chocolate Walnut Cookie. All their cookies are $4 and it's a pretty steep price to pay for a cookie but you'll forget about it after the first bite. The cookies are huge and heavy. The appearance will make you think that it's a hard cookie but it's just the outer layer that's crunchy. Everything inside is soft. Once you break the cookie, you'll see layers of soft, chewy dough, chocolate pieces, and whole pieces of walnut. Just perfection.
The plan is to try all their different types of cookies, I think there's only 4? It's hard to eat an entire cookie in one sitting. It took me 3 days! -
Review from Daniel H.
Bethlehem, PA
Maybe I shouldn't have ordered the coffee cake but it looked great. The cake had a nice topping but the rest of it was dry and unappetizing. I honestly just don't think much of a bakery that makes.... maybe only a dozen or so varieties of cookies and other baked goods but they can't get a simple coffee cake right.
On the other hand, the cookies looked good and my friends enjoyed their cookies.
