The East Village Bakeries Worth Lining Up For
Long known for its punk bars, late-night eats, and gritty dives, the East Village of today has never been sweeter. Spend a few minutes walking around the neighborhood and you’ll see it firsthand: lines of eager New Yorkers spilling onto sidewalks, queuing for pastries with the same devotion they once had for designer sample sales. From century-old institutions still churning out cheesecakes and cannoli to modern imports layering pandan, pistachio, and passionfruit into the mix, the East Village is a carb lover’s dream. Whether you’re craving a viral cinnamon roll, an impossibly flaky croissant, or a Harry Styles–approved cake adorned with fresh flowers, here’s where to find the bakeries worth lining up for below 14th Street.
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Ninth Street got a major upgrade in 2022 when Malaysian-born husband-and-wife team Seleste Tan and Mogan Anthony debuted Lady Wong. Inside the pastel-hued patisserie, glass cases gleam with technicolor tarts, Swiss rolls, cakes, and endless kuih (bite-size Southeast Asian sweet and savory snacks often made with rice flour, coconut, and palm sugar). Fan favorites include the sesame matcha sponge and rainbow pandan cake, and you’ll be dreaming about their lemon-calamansi sponge layered with passionfruit curd and coconut mousseline cream.
332 E 9th St; T. (646) 422-7189
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Since 1894, Veniero’s has greeted East Villagers in search of classic Italian pastries. Inside this landmark, cases are stacked with cannoli, cheesecakes, biscotti, and tiramisù. Everything is crafted with the finest ingredients and without additives, staying true to tradition and time-tested recipes. The space itself hums with nostalgia—from the stained-glass ceiling overhead to the kind of warm, no-nonsense service that feels straight out of another era. A true East Village icon.
342 E 11th St; T. (212) 674-7070
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Opened in 2022 in Cooper Square, Librae is NYC’s first Bahraini-owned bakery, blending Middle Eastern flavors with Danish technique. The rose pistachio croissant, za’atar labneh morning bun, and salted tahini chocolate chip cookies have all built cult followings, while the date-fermented sourdough loaves draw daily devotees. The real surprises are the inventive sandwiches, like the Black Lime Tofu—stacked with roasted tikka tofu, garlic toum, arugula, scallions, and pickled chili. Tip: Don’t leave without ordering from the drink menu. Pair a creamy iced matcha latte with a delectable dirty chai sticky bun or a few of their beloved tahini chocolate chip cookies, and you’ll understand why the crowd outside never seems to let up.
35 Cooper Sq.
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Looking for the best chocolate chip cookies below 14th Street? Run, don’t walk, to The Pastry Box, a shoebox-sized, nut-free bakery on 12th Street in the East Village, where the cookies are thin, salted, and boast an addictively chewy center. Tiara Bennett, a classically trained pastry chef who worked at Maialino and Café Boulud, opened the shop after running a successful pandemic-era bake stand in Bed-Stuy. Also on the menu: brownies, black-and-white cookies, loaf cakes, and seasonal desserts that sell out fast. Plus, there’s a quarter-pound version of the chocolate chip cookie for those who prefer their indulgence oversized.
515 E 12th St; T. (646) 429-8717
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When this Danish import landed on Second Avenue in 2021, it quickly became one of the East Village’s most buzzed-about bakeries. The minimalist café is renowned for its naturally leavened sourdough loaves, glossy croissants, and signature cardamom buns with caramelized edges and spiced, pillowy centers. Seasonal pastries rotate through, and the coffee program is as serious as the baking. Yes, there’s a lengthy line at peak hours, but the payoff is worth it—especially if you manage to snag a cardamom bun still warm from the oven.
152 2nd Ave
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Step into Copenhagen at this bright and airy Scandinavian bakery founded by Sebastian Perez and Sebastian Bangsgaard. The convivial and cozy joint is always busy, which makes sense once you bite into their gooey, perfectly spiced cardamom buns and wash the deliciousness down with a coffee. Also on the menu are seasonal doughnuts, chocolate chunk cookies, and open-faced sandwiches piled high with toppings like smoked salmon with whipped ricotta, pickled red onions, and capers. Then there’s their showstopping veggie sandwich on focaccia, stacked with avocado, hummus, radish, greens, pickled carrots, tomato, and chipotle aioli—it’s an elevated avocado toast that just might change your life.
441 E 12th St; T. (646) 478-8441
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From Lucie has been an East Village hotspot for cake obsessives and TikTok creators since French baker Lucie Franc de Ferriere opened its sunflower-yellow doors in 2023. Her cakes are instantly recognizable for their whimsical, highly Instagrammable aesthetic adorned with fresh flowers. But even without the petals, every slice delivers. Highlights include the floral vanilla cake, a gluten-free carrot cake with fromage frais buttercream, and a chocolate cake layered with salted dark chocolate espresso buttercream. Glitzy features in Vogue—and whispers that Harry Styles is a fan—only add to the allure. But one sublime bite is all it takes to prove the hype.
263 E 10th St
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In the East Village and craving cinnamon rolls? Skip the Cinnabon on 14th and swing by Sunday Morning on Avenue B. This snug spot, created by Armando Litiatco and Ahmet Kiranbay, serves up ten rotating flavors, from classics like sugar glaze and cream cheese frosting to head-turners like Blueberry Lemon Curd, Strawberry Earl Grey, Pistachio Mascarpone, and Bananas Foster. No matter what you pick, everything’s gooey, glorious, and guaranteed to have you coming back to try them all. Don’t be fooled by their “open until 4 PM” hours—doors close once the flavors sell out.
29 Avenue B
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This much-talked-about bakery opened in 2023, transforming what was once a Dunkin’ Donuts into a bright, modern space. It’s the creation of pastry chef and Gramercy Tavern alum Miro Uskoković and his wife, Bon Appétit senior food editor Shilpa Uskoković. Pronounced “honey’s,” the menu is all about nostalgic American favorites reimagined like a viral cinnamon roll, a pistachio-flavored Rice Krispies treat, and an open-faced PB&J made with house-ground peanuts. There’s something for everyone, including savory picks like corn muffins and a kale-bacon scone. And don’t miss the salted triple chocolate chip cookie—it’s a knockout.
67 Cooper Square; T. (646) 918-6324
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LÀ LÁ Bakeshop isn’t your average bakery. This modern Vietnamese spot, imported from Toronto and opened on Second Avenue in 2024, is known for flavor profiles that are as savory as they are sweet. First-timers should try the salted egg yolk roll cake, filled with sweet-and-salty custard and crowned with pork floss, salted egg sauce, and salted egg crumble. Their buns are just as tempting, from the aptly named Butter Garlic Cream Cheese Bun to the lavender-hued Taro Lava Bun stuffed with house-made taro cream. And their Vietnamese iced coffee menu is reason enough to make LÀ LÁ your new favorite downtown spot.
73 Second Ave; T. (646) 705-2774
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From perfectly flaky croissants to their elegant éclairs, Petit Chou has been a magnet for pastry lovers since opening on 1st Avenue in 2021. Owner and head chef Bassim Nasr keeps the spotlight on choux pastry, with signature standouts like the pistachio éclair, filled with rich pistachio cremeux that’s as close to perfection as pastries get. Seasonal menus keep things fresh, and everything on the current fall lineup—like pumpkin spice danishes, pumpkin cookie butter cake, and apple pie puffs—is a 10/10.
229 1st Ave; T. (917) 475-1620
WORDS Alex Catarinella
PHOTOGRAPHY Josh Withers on Unsplash