I finally ventured to a Levain Bakery to make my own personal assessment to determine and formulate…read moremy own opinion. Yes, the reviews are verifiably accurate and true. This location 167 West 74th Street is the original brick and mortar storefront. Levain Bakery does validate for all the hype, sweetness indulgence and fresh-baked artesian cookies and baked goodies. I am Cookie Monster from "Sesame Street" whose eyes are bigger than his stomach who becomes highly excited to engulf all cookies characteristic aesthetic thrashing, splattering every where when consuming within mere minutes. There was a short line waiting to enter for orders to be placed. Upon entering the air conditioning is at full artic chill blast and the air has a sweet aromatic odor emanating throughout. I inquired with the sales associate if the classic chocolate chip cookie contained any nuts who responded "no." I do not have any food allergies. I absolutely do not like nuts in any form. I am not allergic to nuts either. It is not my cup of tea. I am very grateful the classic chocolate chip cookie does not contain any nuts. Customer service is very attentive and exhibited who assisted me with respect, patience and perspective to explain and listen to my requests and needs as I matter. This female server was not curt and I was not rushed. I was acknowledged. I was seen. I was heard. I was not dismissed. I was respected without the standard producing a disgruntled face of reluctance to service me. I am one life in the smallest measurement. The female associate permitted me to take photos of the cookies in the display case without question which is posted with this review. Merchandise of T-shirts, tote bags, mugs, gift tin boxes are available for sale as well. This location is small as it is take-out and go. There are several steps going downward at the entrance which is not ADA accessible. There are some outdoor benches for seating, but no table. I suggest to order and consume in the comfort of your own home for full immerse enjoyment with a table. Yes, cash is accepted as that works greatly for me. Levain Bakery complies with "Prohibition of Cashless Establishments" as of March 21, 2026 where all retail and food establishments in New York State, including New York City, must accept in-person cash payments. Thank you, Levain Bakery for not giving me a red card! I was not blatantly ejected. I would surely return for another visit. Chocolate chip cookie $5.75 each One word: WOW! The interior was oozing with semi-sweetness. The cookie is gargantuan and very thick somewhat bulky. It is massive size well known weighing exactly 6 ounces (170 g) each and measure about 8-10 cm. in diameter and 3-4 cm thick. It is not a traditional flat cookie as I hoped. It is massive chewy interiors. It is soft. It is not crispy. Levain takes the classic chocolate chip cookie and make it their version. It did break apart and dropped onto my plate upon the third bite. It is amazing! I suggest warm-up the cookie in the microwave for approximately 1 minute. I purchased two (2) quantity of these delightful chocolate chip cookies. Delicious. I enjoyed mine with one glass of red wine which I did achieved equanimity state of mind. The red wine was a birthday 2023 gift from a work colleague which I finally opened with good reason. I was floating! Nota Bene: Store policy: "There are no returns on food or beverage. Merchandise (T-shirts, bags, etc.) may be exchanged within 7 days with a receipt. Items must be unworn/unused and all original tags/packaging must be included."

I have only ever ordered online from Levain Bakery and not visited the store. The cookies are…read moresimply delicious and you can taste it whether it's the first bite or the last bite. We were introduced Levain Bakery cookies when I had my little guy over two years ago. One of my friends came to visit, gave us a box and told us to try it because the cookies are delicious. I remembered how big and filling the cookies were, you'd sit in comfort knowing how the flavors pop in your mouth. Now cut to this past year, we found out after exploring the website, there are gifts sets. Our current go to is the new parent gifts. We see it as whether a bew parent or one who is going through the next chapter with more children to raise- it's thoughtful of how a package can bring a smile to some sleep deprived parents who want to eat and relax. This was a cute idea, wish someone would gift to us after our twins were born. One day we want to check out Levain Bakery. For now, happiness is explored through the website and delivered to our famiy and friends. Thank yoi for the sweetness. Picture credit: taken by my best friend who received our new parent gifts set.

For so long, the Upper East Side was in desperate need of a really good donut shop. I'm not talking…read moreabout Dunkin, although there's a time and place for that. I'm talking about an establishment that makes high-quality gourmet treats. As you can imagine, I was thrilled to see this one opening in the neighborhood last year. I have been to Caroline's several times since it opened its doors to the public. I've tried a few of their items, including the glazed twist, Boston creme, coffee donut, and strawberry filled. The glaze twist is one of my favorites. It's wonderfully sweet while not cloying, and I especially enjoy topping it with the Bon Mama berry jam I have at home. The Boston creme is truly made with love. It's sufficiently stuffed with creme and topped with a thick layer of chocolate ganache - the expensive stuff! The coffee donut is also delicious. Of everything I've tried, the strawberry filled was my favorite. You can tell their strawberry compote is homemade and not too sweet. The dough is light and fluffy and generously coated with granulated sugar. What a treat!

Another one bites the dust in the neighborhood. They are out of business. This small donut shop…read moreoffered a selection of handcrafted donuts which were tasty, from plain glazed to filled of different flavors. Yet, at $5 a donut on average it was a bit pricey for this area. I went there a few times to try it out but I could not justify paying that much.

Delicious food and good drinks. Had the watermelon mint…read moremargarita, spicy lychee tini. Both were good. For food we had the Caesar salad which was great and had enough dressing. We had the cacio e Pepe and lobster pappardelle. Wow both were delicious and I want more!

Went here for brunch on a Sunday morning and it was fairly empty. No worries about getting a table…read more Prices were fair. I went for a shrimp roll because I wanted something lighter for brunch. It was delicious but on the small side so I wouldn't recommend for someone who is hungry. The fries were way too salty. I had to rub off all the excess salt but even then it was so salty. The place is nice though and the server was good.

Hidden on the first floor of Chinah, Nani's Dough is a true hidden gem near Grand Central that…read moreserves up the best cookies in town (Yes, imo 10000 times better than L*vain). The cookies are worth every single calorie and most importantly, not as overwhelmingly sweet as the other famous cookies in town. All cookies are freshly baked and each costs $6.25. It opens at 11am but beware that the cookies sell out really fast. Sadly matcha cookies were all gone when I arrived after 1pm, but it gave me a valid reason to go back for more! ＊ Pumpkin Spice Cookie With each bite, there was a symphony of flavors bursting in my mouth--the earthy notes of pumpkin, followed by the warmth of spices, and the smoothness of frosting and crunchiness on top. The cookie had a crispy edges, while the centre was irresistibly gooey and soft. ＊ Chocolate Chips Cookie I was in awe at my first bite -- I'm not particularly fond of chocolate chips cookies, but this one is a game-changer. The choc chips cookie was still warm when I took it out. The crisp and golden exterior created a luscious contrast to the molten chocolate chunks. Truly some indulgent delights that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Wow. Went two hours after open on Friday so missed out on the s'mores Nutella cookies butttt was…read moreable to get the last two pumpkin spice, of course got the chocolate chip and the blueberry pie. The chocolate chip is one of the best I've had but has stiff competition with the blueberry pie cookie (crisp edges, softer center with gooey blueberry filling that isn't too sweet). Pumpkin spice totally reminded me of pumpkin pie and had a sweet savory combo. Nani is there himself and is super friendly. Will definitely be going back!

Love this bakery!! Great coffee, nice selection of teas, scrumptious pastries and delicious…read moresandwiches. The people behind the counter are friendly and helpful. The shop is bright and welcoming. Such a nice way to start the day!!

This place is extremely tasty. Quite expensive. $16 for two pastries. Wish I lived in France. It…read morewould cost six dollars. Oh well. The toasted ham and cheese croissant was my favorite for sure. Extremely buttery. Warm. Great ingredients The pistachio almond I kept waiting for the paste inside. Extremely sweet and it was so tasty. It was OK.

I'm not vegan but I took my girlfriend here who is and the donuts tasted great. I couldn't even…read moretell it was vegan. The vibes were very high spirits. Service was also amazing.

Amazing doughnuts. The best in NYC. I know them from their original East Harlem location…read more I wish they had another East or Midtown location.

Truly a bakery style donut. Freshly made, great fillings, with a beautifully fried raised donut…read moreshell. One donut is definitely plenty. They also served a variety of French pastry as well.

I've always wanted to try this donut every time I walked by, but is it worth $6.50?…read more Well I gave it a try today, the answer was easy! Unfortunately, the answer is NO, not worth the $6.50, maybe worth half the price. The chocolate flavor is barely there, almost nonexistent. In other words, the glaze was only for show. There is too much dough, and the glaze was paper thin, seriously!!

magic Angeles is a…read morewonderful host. birthday magic. like being in I Dream of Jeannie's Bottle

If you enjoy a little struggle with your dessert, this is the place for you…read more You're asked to surgically open your boba cup with a skewer, and good luck poking enough holes without spilling. The wood(?) straws are either too small for the bloated bubbles or immediately defeated when they clump together, so sipping becomes a full-body effort. As for the mochi donuts: one (the raspberry) was good. The other (biscoff) was impressively stale. 50/50 odds - not terrible, not great, definitely a gamble. I had been here before when it was clean, solid, and genuinely enjoyable, which makes this visit more disappointing. This time, our table had drops of tea on it, and the place was mostly empty aside from a group of very loud, older, regulars who seemed to think we were intruding on their personal hangout. Edit since I can't reply to the owner directly: when asked for a straw, this IS what the girl at the counter provided. She was also the one who told us to poke the holes in the lid and provided the skewers to do so.