Downtown Desserts with a Difference
Whether you’re craving a warm slice of banana bread or a buttery chocolate babka, those with a sweet tooth are in luck in New York City. We suggest sticking to Lower Manhattan, home to several much-loved bakeries and specialty dessert spots. Some are so good that they’ve been around for decades, such as the nearly forty-year-old Chinatown hole-in-the-wall Kam Hing Coffee Shop, known for their fluffy, inexpensive spongecakes, and the Italian pastry shop and East Village icon, Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe (est. 1894!).
Then there’s the inventive downtown newcomers turning out everything from Instagrammable croissants stuffed with unexpected ingredients and crispy cardamon buns to dairy-free, soft-serve crowned with euphoria-inducing toppings. Below, we’re sharing some of our favorite newish downtown spots, all of which hit the sweet spot.
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Morgenstern’s BANANAS is not your typical no-frills soft-serve ice cream parlor. This is obvious when you arrive at the store’s unmissable banana-yellow exterior on the once gritty Rivington Street. As for the head-turning menu? Everything is dairy-free and made in-house at this one-year-old spot. Seriously, everything: from their quirky soft-serve flavors (like coconut Thai tea, yuzu poppy seed, and the on-brand banana vanilla) to their Instagram-friendly toppings such as rainbow rice crispies, peanut butter chocolate cheerios, and mango jelly. There’s even a honeycomb dip. Sure, it’s an inoffensively gimmicky joint, but the soft serve is bananas. (B-A-N-A-N-A-S!)
2 Rivington St; T. (212) 209-7684
If you’ve ever noticed the lines spilling out of Librae Bakery’s door and wondered if the wait could be worth it, the answer is absolutely. Open since 2022, this Bahraini-and-women-owned bakery with “Middle Eastern roots and Danish technique” offers baked goods that will change your tastebuds’ lives forever. There’s something for every palate, including feta dill scones, salted tahini chocolate chunk cookies, and house sourdough made with fermented dates. Librae’s most popular pastry, the “Rose Pistachio Croissant,” is a major social media star. Perfectly flaky, filled with pistachio custard, and artfully topped with dried rose petals, it almost looks too pretty to eat. Another must-order is the “Loomi Babka Bun.” It’s tangy (thanks to the loomi, or dried lime) and often sells out. Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find sandwiches, hot and cold coffee, tea, and espresso drinks, plus head-turning seasonal beverages like a tahini date latte.
35 Cooper Sq.
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Thanks to social media, locals can no longer gatekeep this lovely hole in the wall, opened in 2019 by Greg Rales, formerly a head baker at Flour Shop. Surprisingly, the lines usually aren’t too crazy at this convivial bakery tucked away on East 1st Street, but the baked goods are always crazily delicious. Here, it’s all about cookies, loaves, and ornate cakes. Everything’s made with unexpected ingredients and without overprocessed ingredients or preservatives. Most importantly, everything tastes like heaven. For proof, try Red Gate’s version of the beloved Oreo, made with real butter and black cocoa and served warm. For a rich and chocolatey alternative, albeit in loaf form, go for their black cocoa and bittersweet chocolate-heavy “Midnight Banana Bread.” As for the cakes? They’re the menu’s showstoppers. The “S’mores Cake,” for instance, is reminiscent of the sweet and savory campfire staple with a salty graham cake layer, a salted chocolate ganache filling, and a toasted marshmallow meringue topping.
68 E 1st St; T. (646) 870-5553
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There’s no place like Lady Wong, the popular Southeast Asian dessert spot helmed by pastry chef Seleste Tan and chef Mogan Anthony, a Malaysian-born husband-and-wife duo. Nestled on East 9th Street in the heart of the East Village since 2022, this snug, sun-filled patisserie’s glass case is packed with rows of multicolored tarts, swiss rolls, layer cakes, and various kuih, or bite-size snacks commonly found in Southeast Asia. You can’t go wrong ordering any of the following deliciousness: the taro ube tart, the rainbow pandan cake, the sesame matcha cake, and the mouth-watering-inducing list goes on. Frequent customers are especially obsessed with the durian seri muka (a Malaysian sweet made with steamed glutinous rice and pandan custard) and the lemon citrus sponge cake, which is layered with calamansi (Philippine lime) and passionfruit curd, and topped with coconut mousseline cream. In other words, run, don’t walk to Lady Wong.
332 E 9th St; T. (646) 422-7189
What else is there to say about the eternally buzzy Nordic coffee shop and bakery, La Cabra? Opened back in 2021 in the East Village, it’s one of the most popular spots for great coffee, baked goods, and people-watching in all of New York City. So popular that a second location opened in Soho last spring. But La Cabra really does make an exceptional cardamon bun. It’s a crispy-crusted and wildly flavorful 10/10, and you can order it at both locations. Not a fan of long wait times? Then don’t forget to set an alarm: both locations open daily bright and early at 7 AM.
152 2nd Ave or 284 Lafayette St
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Located at the edge of the Lower East Side near Chinatown, this compact and cozy bakery was opened in 2019 by Israel-born Adir Michaeli, a former executive pastry chef at Breads Bakery. The warm and friendly spot may be pint-sized, but the number of baked goods offered is massive. Here, you’ll find Jewish classics like phenomenal chocolate and poppy seed babka, challah, burekas, rugalach, and more. We’re big fans of the chocolate-covered matzah. And don’t even get us started on the addicting hamantash, a triangular-shaped pocket pastry filled with ingredients like chocolate, prunes, or Nutella. Don’t sleep on the indulgent pies, killer chocolate chip cookies, and tasty donuts. Expect sweet dreams no matter what you order.
115A Division St; T. (646) 360-2284
WORDS Alex Catarinella
IMAGERY @lacabrabakery