12 Best Bakeries in the Lower East Side (You'll Adore) (2024)

From Portuguese pastries to croissant/muffin hybrids, there are bakeries in the Lower East Side (LES) to satiate every craving. In this guide, I use my first-hand experience exploring the neighborhood to tell you where to find the best sweets and bread, so let’s dive in!

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Best Bakeries in the Lower East Side

Supermoon Bakehouse

Website: Supermoon Bakehouse
Address: 120 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

Famous for inventing the cruffin, a croissant/muffin that’s become a viral sensation, Supermoon Bakehouse is one of the most popular bakeries in the Lower East Side. They frequently have lines out the door, and hour-plus waits aren’t uncommon on weekend mornings.

Luckily, the cruffin (which often sells out by noon) isn’t the only tool in their shed; the LES bakery gets innovative with seasonal offerings like a sweet corn & miso butter Danish or a pistachio cream and praline doughnut. Thebakery’s menuupdates monthly so guests always know what to expect.

Petee’s Pie Company

Website: Petee’s Pie Company
Address: 61 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002

Petra “Petee” Paredez was born to bake; her parents own a pie company in Virginia that’s been successful for over 40 years. Growing up at the bakery, Petee gleaned skills that helped her eventually open one of the best bakeries in the Lower East Side, Petee’s Pie Company, in 2014.

The family-run bakery is renowned for its homestyle classic pies like apple and pecan and a rotating selection of seasonal offerings. Petee’s has become a household name in NYC, selling whole pies and pie by the slice using organic flour, grass-fed butter, fair-trade sweeteners, and locally sourced produce.

Michaeli Bakery

Website: Michaeli Bakery
Address: 115A Division St, New York, NY 10002

The former head chef of Breads Bakery (anaward-winning NYC bakery), Adir Michaeli, opened his bakery in the Lower East Side in 2019. He sells traditional Israeli baked goods like challah, burekas, rugelach, and bakery classics like croissants. Vegan and gluten-free options are also available, like a popular vegan babka.

The sufganiyah (Israeli donuts) have a cult-like following; the dough is light and airy, and the fillings often rotate for fun new creations. The one thing to note is that Michaeli Bakery has limited seating, but luckily, Seward Park is less than a two-minute walk and offers plenty of benches to enjoy your treat.

Erin McKenna’s Bakery

Website: Erin McKenna’s Bakery
Address: 248 Broome St, New York, NY 10002

Erin McKenna’s opened in 2005 with a simple mission: create treats tailored to folks with gluten, egg, soy, and dairy sensitivities. The success was staggering; within a year, it became one of the most populargluten-free bakeries in New York City.

The health-conscious bakery knocks it out of the park with sweets. Items like cupcakes, doughnuts, and brownies are crowd favorites. Not only is this one of the best gluten-free bakeries in the Lower East Side, but the entire selection is also kosher, egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and soy-free.

Joey Bats Cafe

Website: Joey Bats Cafe
Address: 50 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009

Joey Bats Cafe is a Portuguese bakery in the Lower East Side, specializing in a pastry called pasteis de nata. They’re traditional tart pastries made from egg custard, baked to a soft and warm consistency. The treats are so well-made the President of Portugal popped in during his visit to NYC in 2023!

The cafe is also constantly innovating the 200+ year-old pastry, adding ingredients like chocolate and passion fruit. The success has been so great Joey Bats has started selling frozen pasteis de nata, so folks can bake them at home later.

Partybus Bakeshop

Website: Partybus Bakeshop
Address: 31 Essex St, New York, NY 10002

Founded by a musician turned baker, Partybus Bakeshop sources organic stone-milled flour and shop for their produce at New York City green markets. They sell classic treats and pastries (like top-notch cookies), but they shine with their baked bread.

Baguettes, sourdoughs, focaccia, brioche, and ciabatta are all part of the daily selection. Specialty bread, like multigrain and challah are sold on different days of the week (since they’re baked in small batches). Updated bread schedules can be found on Partybus Bakeshop’s Instagram.

Café d’Avignon (in Essex Market)

Website: Café d’Avignon
Address: 88 Essex St, New York, NY 10002

Found in the iconic Essex Market, Café d’Avignon is a full-service bakery in a convenient location. The bakery started selling its baked goods to restaurants in NYC and Boston before opening a brick-and-mortar location to sell directly to the locals.

The artisanal bakery café sells everything from freshly baked bread to savory sandwiches on flakey croissants. They offer some of the best chocolate chipcookies in NYC, along with full and half loaves of bread (that they can slice in shop for you).

Ferrara Bakery & Cafe

Website: Ferrara Bakery & Cafe
Address: 195 Grand St, New York, NY 10013

Opened in 1892 Ferrara’s has been a neighborhood staple for generations. The secret to their success lies in part thanks to the Great Depression, when in order to reduce waste, the Italian bakery started baking small batches multiple times a day. Since the treats were always fresh, Ferrara’s popularity grew.

The family owned business, now in its fifth generation, continue the practices that have made it one of the best Lower East Side bakeries for more than 100 years. Although Ferrara Bakery & Cafe is widely known some of the best cannolis in NYC, their sfogliatelle (also called lobster tail) is their true specialty.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery

Website: Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery
Address: 195 Grand St, New York, NY 10013

Opened by two former Magnolia Bakery employees, it should come as no surprise that Sugar Sweet Sunshine’s banana pudding ranks among the best in the city. There’s a wide variety of pudding options available, like red velvet, chocolate chip, and lemon trifle.

The Lower East Side bakery also offers a wide range of additional sweets, like stellar cupcakes and bundt cakes. And for those wondering what spurred the bakery’s bubbly name, the owners sawsugar sweet sunshine loveetched on concrete as they went to tour the space that later became the bakery.

Doughnut Plant

Website: Doughnut Plant
Address: 379 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

Serving some of thebest doughnuts in New York City, Doughnut Plant offers an unrivaled variety of flavors. Their case is overflowing with options like seasonal fresh blueberry Sourdoughnut and the forever-classic chocolate sprinkle, making this one of the sweetest bakeries in the Lower East Side.

There are vegan and gluten-free options; everybody will find something to satiate even the pickiest sweet tooth. I recommend trying their signature crème brûlée donut, a viral sensation filled with vanilla bean custard and individually torched to caramelize the sugar topping.

Harper’s Bread House

Address: 271 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

A small stop and go Lower East Side bakery, Harper’s Bread House is not only quick it’s delicious. Their egg tarts rival the most popular bakeries in the Lower East Side and for less than $2 are a deal too good to pass up. My favorite item at Harper’s Bread House is the coconut cream bun, which pulls apart beautifully and is filled with a coconut cream that can be ate by the spoonful

There are a plethora of other unique pastries too that you won’t find at any old run-of-the-mill cafes. Pork buns, mango cake and pineapple bread only scratch the surface of what’s available at the affordable Lower East Side Bakery. For those who want to try onigiri (rice balls wrapped in nori) Harper’s Bread House has some of the best. Just note, this bakery is cash-only!

Insomnia Cookies

Website: Insomnia Cookies
Address: 164 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Insomnia Cookies is a standout dessert spot in the Lower East Side, open late to satisfy those late-night sweet cravings (open until 1AM nightly). Their extensive cookie selection includes flavors like red velvet, double chocolate mint, and vegan birthday cake, complemented by brownie options.

Don’t miss their cookie ice cream sandwiches, featuring flavors like vegan birthday cake. Baked fresh from open to close, Insomnia Cookies is a top bakery open late in the Lower East Side.

Best Lower East Side Bakeries (Post Summary)

Here’s out list of the best bakeries in the Lower East Side

1. Supermoon Bakehouse
2. Petee’s Pie Company
3. Michaeli Bakery
4. Erin McKenna’s Bakery
5. Joey Bats Cafe
6. Partybus Bakeshop
7. Café d’Avignon (in Essex Market)
8. Ferrara Bakery & Cafe
9. Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery
10. Doughnut Plant
11. Harper’s Bread House
12. Insomnia Cookies

Best Bakeries Lower East Side (Map)

More Lower East Side Articles

Where to Eat:15 Flavorful Lower East Side Restaurants in New York City (Everyone Must Try)
Things to Do LES:15 Things to Do in the Lower East Side
The Best Cafes:15 Essential Coffee Shops in the Lower East Side (You’ll Adore)
Satiate a Sweet Tooth:15 Breathtaking Bakeries in the Lower East Side (You’ll Love)

More Bakeries to Try

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Best Bakeries DUMBO: 10 Delicious DUMBO Bakeries to Try
Bakeries Brooklyn: 10 Balling Brooklyn Bakeries to Taste
Best Gluten Free Bakeries NYC: 10 Glutenous Gluten Free Bakeries in NYC
Best Bakeries Tribeca: 10 Tantalizing Tribeca Bakeries to Try

And there you have it folks, my roundup of the best bakeries in the Lower East Side.

Hope you found it helpful!

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