Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

THE BEST: Pastries in New York


Recommended Posts

Two more bakeries to add to the list, both of these are more neighborhood than destination.

Of the two I tried yesterday on the UWS, I still find Columbus Bakery 474 Columbus Ave. (@83rd), superior. It is my regular when I go to Manhattan. Their croissants are good, nothing amazingly outstanding, but reliable.

Lower on the scale is Georgia's Bake Shoppe, 2418 Broadway (near 93rd). I sampled a raspberry brioche, pain au chocolat, chocolate souffle cookie, currant danish, and chocolate cake with ganache filling.

The first taste of the chocolate cake turned me off. It had fridge smell. You know that taste of refrigerater coolant air that food acquires when it has been sitting unprotected in the fridge. A subsequent taste overpowered the first, but ultimately I decided the cake was only slightly better than Entenman's chocolate, a standard higher than twinkies, but not worth a trip around the corner.

The other items were ok, but not sparkling, except for the currant danish. They had gotten this one right -- moist eggy-buttery dough, good sprinkling of currants throughout, a good piece of pastry, though to be sure one equalled in many Starbucks throughout the country.

I have not done a croissant crawl so I can't compare the Columbus product to others across the City, but it is a respectable nosh. Still it does not match the croissant of Duc du Lorraine in Montreal, which may very well make the best croissant and brioche in North America. The only one to compare - - as far as I can say - - is no longer in business, the much lamented Bonte of Lexington Avenue.

Edited by VivreManger (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...
Not to forget Patisserie Claude in the village although good frenchman that he is he closes one full month in the summer (July I think). Must tries in my opinion are Cafe Sabarsky and Petrossian, maybe Payard for the experience.

I absolutely agree with Patisserie Claude on W 4th St. No frill small shop, but what Chef Claude freshly bakes every morning surprises me every time I walk in. He delivers the most authentic French basic pastries in town, which make me feel that I were back in Paris. I believe Chef Claude takes one-month vacation in August.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Is it me or is there a definite lack of good REAL french patisseries in NY?

the one's left tat immediately come to mind are in the city...

Payard (the best remainin)

Ceci-Cela (good)

Patisserie Claude (good)

Bouley Bakery (disappointin)

on long island, I can't think of any....Mondrian, Jean Marie & Payard Manhasset are no more...

This thread mentioned Petrossian & Fauchon...so i'll have to take a look...Lady M is Japanese but still good....LPQ is belgium....Bouchon is american (?)...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread mentioned Petrossian & Fauchon...so i'll have to take a look...Lady M is Japanese but still good....LPQ is belgium....Bouchon is american (?)...

Petrossian and Fauchon are better than Payard, which has, IMHO, declined in recent years. I would also recommend "Financier" on Stone street, for both quality and value. Not as quite as good as Fauchon, but only half the price.

Bouchon is good, but incredibly expensive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Petrossian and Fauchon are better than Payard, which has, IMHO, declined in recent years.  I would also recommend "Financier" on Stone street, for both quality and value.  Not as quite as good as Fauchon, but only half the price.

Bouchon is good, but incredibly expensive.

i second fauchon and financier. cannot speak to petrossian or bouchon, as i've never tried them, and haven't been to payard in a few years. recently, i've been enjoying these little cookies called abricotines from fauchon. they are a sandwich cookie consisting of two soft, macaron-type cookies with very fresh apricot jam between them, then half-dipped in dark chocolate, which is then dipped in slivered almonds. it is all i can do not to get some each day i'm in midtown. then it is all i can do not to moan aloud as i eat them. the high price tag ($39/lb, i believe) prevents overindulging.

can't believe it's not butter? i can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread mentioned Petrossian & Fauchon...so i'll have to take a look...Lady M is Japanese but still good....LPQ is belgium....Bouchon is american (?)...

Petrossian and Fauchon are better than Payard, which has, IMHO, declined in recent years. I would also recommend "Financier" on Stone street, for both quality and value. Not as quite as good as Fauchon, but only half the price.

Bouchon is good, but incredibly expensive.

Does anyone remember Dumas and Bonte patisserie? Those were wonderful pastries.

A recommendation...This is not a fancy French place but Andre's Hungarian pastries on Second ave. bet. 84th & 85th makes an excellent apple strudel and Dobosch torte. Their croissants look good as well. Apparently Andre's mother used to work at Mrs. Herbst's. How many people remember THAT bakery...ah those greasy pastry squares filled with smothered cabbage and the chocolate meringue cookies with sprinkles! And then there was Leonard's. Best prune danish and those savory cheese sticks with caraway or poppy seeds..I could go on.

Ithink that this thread left out Black Hound in the East Villiage. It's not French but it is quite good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone remember Dumas and Bonte patisserie? Those were wonderful pastries.

A recommendation...This is not a fancy French place but Andre's Hungarian pastries on Second ave. bet. 84th & 85th makes an excellent apple strudel and Dobosch torte. Their croissants look good as well. Apparently Andre's mother used to work at Mrs. Herbst's. How many people remember THAT bakery...ah those greasy pastry squares filled with smothered cabbage and the chocolate meringue cookies with sprinkles! And then there was Leonard's. Best prune danish and those savory cheese sticks with caraway or poppy seeds..I could go on.

Ithink that this thread left out Black Hound in the East Villiage. It's not French but it is quite good.

i remember bonte, but, sadly, i never once went in.

your mention of dobosch torte reminded me of cafe sabarsky, which i'm sure has already been mentioned in this thread. excellent viennese pastries. i'm going on thursday!

and completely forgot about black hound, despite the fact that i picked up an excellent german chocolate cake there last week. i feel that they do a better job with american style cakes. i ordered a bûche de noël from them last year and was disappointed with how dry it was, especially when i'd ordered a much better, less expensive one from financier in previous years.

can't believe it's not butter? i can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

i have to add a new fave here Madelines on 23rd street (tween 6= 7th).

The specialize in macarons, which are beautiful and go over well very light- many exotic flavors, etc etc.

But the basic pastries are just wonderful fruit tartes, croissants plain or with chocolate or chocolate-almond or pistachio, shortbreads, merangues, tiny finacier cakes... All very very fresh and all well made, I believe, on sight.

I am addicted to the madelines- the orange and coffee walnut or lemon- are sublime. I also buy the mini pain au chocolate or croisants often too. They also have a bit of seating and a lovely selection of teas as well. I would say they are up there with the best mentioned in this thread. Yum. :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm also a fan of Madeleine. Very good macarons in a lot of interesting flavors. I took some of the pastries to my pastry-deprived parents in Virginia on my last visit and they loved the croissants and brioches--almond brioche was particularly good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The macaron flavors are good but they are kept too cold in a refrigerated case, so the centers are always chilly. I've found they improve when left to warm up to room temperature. The bakery is also doing a bit of renovation right now, and was extremely warm and stuffy when I stopped in the other way. Luckily, the benches outside are very nice.

"I'll put anything in my mouth twice." -- Ulterior Epicure
Link to comment
Share on other sites

the madeline cakes are definately kept at room temperaure, and i know this because they are always in my mouth before i leave the store.

the macarons need to be kept cool for the filling they say, and many people get them boxed so they need to hold for a while... but yes, room temp is better.

the brioche is next on my list to try. and the shortbread rose cookie.

The macaron flavors are good but they are kept too cold in a refrigerated case, so the centers are always chilly. I've found they improve when left to warm up to room temperature. The bakery is also doing a bit of renovation right now, and was extremely warm and stuffy when I stopped in the other way. Luckily, the benches outside are very nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
  • 3 months later...
  • 1 year later...

some quick updates in case somebody reads this thread (as I did)

Payard's - closed now. Opened up a new chocolate shop with pastries at a different location.

Fauchon - closed now.

Petrossian - tried a pain au chocolate and tart. As described by Vivremanger, tart was a puff pastry base, mine was puff pastry base, frangipane, jam, and fruit Really liked this. They have regular tarts too, did not try. Macarons are nothing special, tried a few.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

some quick updates in case somebody reads this thread (as I did)

Payard's - closed now. Opened up a new chocolate shop with pastries at a different location.

Fauchon - closed now.

Petrossian - tried a pain au chocolate and tart. As described by Vivremanger, tart was a puff pastry base, mine was puff pastry base, frangipane, jam, and fruit Really liked this. They have regular tarts too, did not try. Macarons are nothing special, tried a few.

Couple of others that I went to this time around

Madeleine Patisserie (la maison du Macaron) - Excellent macarons, they are in the same class as PH's.

Macarons are expertly made - soft, not too crunchy, without a 'gap' between the shell and inside. Great flavors. Croissants have a wonderful buttery flavor.

Kee's chocolates - Creme Brule chocolate is awesome, almost pastry-like. You won't see anything else like it

in any chocolate shop anywhere. Lots of interesting flavors. Macaroons nothing special, would not get again.

La Maison du Chocolate - went to the one on Madison. Supposed to be 3 locations total in NYC? Excellent as you'd expect, if maybe less innovative.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...