Best Bakery Restaurants in Upper West Side (10024)
8 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: December 2025
Our Top Pick
Levain Bakery - Upper West Side
Oversized, ultra-dense cookies that helped define the modern NYC cookie craze.
Notable Picks
Levain’s original Upper West Side shop is a basement-level bakery famous for six-ounce cookies that draw steady lines for most of the day. The tiny space focuses on a short list of ultra-rich cookies and a few baked goods, making it a go-to stop for serious dessert runs before or after a walk in the neighborhood.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
What Makes it Special: Oversized, ultra-dense cookies that helped define the modern NYC cookie craze.
8.6
Modern Bread and Bagel is a 100% gluten-free, kosher bakery-café where bagels, cinnamon buns, and pastries are made with serious technique rather than marketed as substitutes. The Upper West Side location doubles as a brunch and lunch spot, with baked goods, sandwiches, and breads that draw both gluten-free diners and everyone else.
Must-Try Dishes:
Gluten-Free Bagels, Cinnamon Bun, Chocolate Babka Loaf
What Makes it Special: Serious gluten-free baking that feels like a destination café, not a compromise.
8.4
Mille-Feuille brings a distinctly French patisserie style to Broadway with laminated pastries, macarons, and coffee served off the lobby of Hotel Belleclaire. Regulars use it for morning croissants, mid-day sweets, and light snacks where the focus stays on classic French techniques.
Must-Try Dishes:
Almond Croissant, Macarons, Chocolate Croissant
What Makes it Special: French-trained baking with croissants and macarons that feel close to Paris standards.
Janie’s Life-Changing Baked Goods is a compact Upper West Side bakery built around its signature pie crust cookies and nostalgic cakes. The shop leans into rich, layered cookies and seasonal flavors that have earned citywide attention and steady takeout traffic.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pie Crust Cookie, Caramel Apple Pie Crust Cookie, Pecan Pie Crust Cookie
What Makes it Special: Inventive pie crust cookies turn classic pie flavors into handheld desserts.
8.2
By the Way Bakery is a small gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher bakery where layer cakes, bundts, and cookies are baked in a narrow Broadway storefront. It doubles as a go-to for celebration cakes and everyday sweets for those avoiding gluten or dairy without sacrificing flavor.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, Sour Cherry Cake, Coconut Cloud Cake
What Makes it Special: Gluten-free, dairy-free cakes and cookies that feel like classic bakery treats.
Vibes:
Comfort Food Classics
Family Friendly Favorites
Sweet Treats Escapes
Birthday & Celebration Central
Billy’s Upper West Side outpost leans into old-fashioned American baking with cupcakes, banana pudding, and cakes that feel geared toward parties and everyday cravings alike. The small Columbus Avenue shop works as a dessert stop after dinner or a pick-up spot for celebration desserts.
Must-Try Dishes:
Banana Pudding, Chocolate Cupcake, Coconut Cupcake
What Makes it Special: Cupcakes and banana pudding aimed at classic, crowd-pleasing American flavors.
Worthy Picks
7.9
Chip City’s Upper West Side location is a late-night cookie shop built around rotating oversized flavors from chocolate chip to s’mores and limited-time collaborations. It’s more of a grab-and-go dessert stop than a café, with long hours that make it a common detour after dinner or a movie.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chocolate Chip Cookie, Chocolate S'mores Cookie, S'mores Crookie
What Makes it Special: Rotating oversized cookies and crookies served late into the night.
7.8
La Farine Pâtisserie et Café is a newer French-style bakery on Broadway that pairs croissants, cakes, and breads with espresso and an upstairs seating area. Locals treat it as an all-day stop for coffee, pastries, and light bites with more room to sit than many neighboring bakeries.
Must-Try Dishes:
Butter Croissant, Almond Croissant, Signature Cakes
What Makes it Special: French-inspired pastries served in a two-level café with space to linger.