The original Mona Lisa bakery on 86th St was the best-of-the-best throughout their opening in the 90s and well into the early 2000's. It's the only place my immediate and extended family bought pastries from, especially for holidays. Then they shut down and moved to this location, and it's been downhill ever since. There are many, many far better bakeries in the area - but today I tried to give them a second chance. Anyone who claims these pastries are "fresh" have no clue what they're talking about. The cannoli cream was dried on the outside (and as someone who used to work at a bakery literally filling cannoli, I can tell you that this means they've been sitting around for at least 8 hours. All the reviews stating their desserts are stale are accurate. Also, I've never had a cannoli shell taste cinnamon-flavored - not even like someone was a little heavy handed with the cinnamon, but that it was intentionally flavored to taste only like cinnamon (which couldn't be farther from how cannoli are supposed to taste). What an unfortunate fall from grace. On a positive note, I hear the breads are still decent. I'll update on that if I'm ever desperate enough to return here lol read more

I stopped by Mona Lisa Bakery last week while I was in the Dyker Heights area. I noticed the facade of the bakery first, think very old school Italian. The inside is pretty much the same with the wall lined cases of baked goods. The woman behind the counter greeted me right away. I ordered a regular cannoli [$3], it was delicious. The shell was fresh and crunchy. The cannoli cream was thick and sweet. Overall it was a good size, though I definitely could have gone to town on a bigger one. I didn't try any of of the other pastries or cookies. Despite other reviews, I think I would the next time in the area. read more

Mona Lisa Bakery - Regular cannoli [$3] - Bakeries Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I ordered a Birthday cake. It was not decorated at all. It looked like a child wrote Happy Birthday on the cake. The cake did not taste good. I ordered vanilla cake with buttercream filling and chocolate icing. I did not get buttercream filling. I think they gave me vanilla icing. I would not go back here. I would not recommend this bakery to anyone. read more

The pastries were good. They tasted fresh enough to me but who knows. They do not have names or prices marked for their goods and it's strange having to ask the price for each item and not being able to properly compare and add up in your head on the spot. They do not have plastic utensils in case you might need them. They have coffee and tea though. read more

I asked the counter woman for a minced pie, and she asked me, what was that? I told her it was a traditional holiday pie and she replied, well I never heard of it. Then when I received my charge statement, I noticed I was charged more than my receipt stated. I called and asked, and I was told we add a transaction fee. I asked why the policy isn't posted somewhere in the store and why it isn't on my receipt. The girl was very honest and said, I don't know. read more

Such a shame it's a beautiful bakery but the desserts suck I got cannolis they were stale and cream was very dry. I also got the disappointing lobster tails wich was very sad to see they had plain whip cream instead of French cream the desserts look old fashion and seem cheaply made I wouldn't recommend read more

What a great little bakery with so much history - since 1963. They have shelves upon shelves of breads, cookies, pastries, desserts and they all looked amazing. I got a half pound of cookies and there wasn't a bad one in the whole box. Such buttery, flaky goodness. MMMmmmMmmm read more

Italian bread is OK, everything else is stale. There is an older lady that works there on Sunday afternoons, she's rude and always gets my order wrong and really seems like she doesn't want to be there, I actually feel bad for her. Last time I'm buying anything from this place. There are other way better Italian Bakeries in the area. Villabate Alba is the best Italian Bakery in the neighborhood. read more

Bread here is very good as are the muffins and the cookies . The cakes are a bit lacking though . They look great but the taste is not there. read more

Twisted bread is worth killing for. Simply amazing. You need to get it early in the morning

This used to be the place in the neighbourhood to get all your bread, treats, pastries, coffee, rolls..ect. Sadly they hire and fire girls every other day and no one knows what they are doing anymore. Old soggy pastries and moldy sesame seeds on bread is sad. Pidgeons often get in the store in summer months when they leave the door open and they crap on the bread. Sometimes there is loud rap music blasting in there. Go 5 blocks to tasty pastry instead . read more

See all

This used to be the best pastry bakery in Brooklyn. This last trip there was a huge disappointment. There is nothing worse than bringing a box of pastry to someone's house as a gift and it being so awful that nobody wants it. The sesame seed cookies had absolutely no taste. The rainbow cookies were dry and tasted like wax.... Is there a shortage on almond paste? They were out of numerous items that we wanted to purchase. I just found out they changed ownership this month. Obviously something went wrong with the bakers. If they don't figure it out soon and go back to what they used to produce I imagine they would go out of business soon with the other competition in the area. So disappointed. It looks good but it does not taste good. read more

Mona Lisa Bakery - Mixed pastery - Bakeries Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Love their brews. But yesterday I decided to buy 2 lobster tails. When I came home, I had to throw them away because they were stale The salesperson should know how long their pastors sit on their shelves and should not be selling bad stuff. Now to everyone - do t buy pasties there read more

High quality baked goods! The bread is great, the 7 layer cookies are great, the italian cookies are great! The prices are a little higher compared to other bakeries in the area but it's worth it. Pizza dough is pricey at $3 a pound but when your wife wants to make foccacccia the high price is a-ok with me! It gets crowded during holidays read more

Mona Lisa Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I went to this place recommended by a colleague of mine who is Italian. I was disappointed in their breads. I normally buy from Il Fornaretto. I love their Olive and prosciutto bread, as well as their other confections. Sadly, I did not like the Olive bread from ML; they use those rubbery olives from California that come canned. Il Fornaretto uses real Italian cured black olives. Over all, did not like this place's breads; too chewy; crust not crispy enough. Their pastries were some ok and some not. Those lobster tails were not crunchy, as in some other Italian Bakeries in Brooklyn. The canelonis were not bad. Overall, I will not visit again, unless something changes; but it seems loads of people are enamored with their breads; so, so be it. As a businessman, I hope the best for this business. One last note; expensive like hell for the quality! read more

Best Italian bread and cookies in Brooklyn! I have to bring both whenever I visit family out of state.

The breads are delicious HOWEVER the cheesecakes are all sour. They are gritty to having large sour curds and the give no refunds or returns. The good reviews are fake plants please TRUST the bad reviews. WHY WOULD THEY NOT GIVE REFUNDS OR RETURNS. read more

I've always found their cookies and baked goods to be just okay, good but nothing special. Today I went in to buy a few pastries and had the rudest person wait on me. She asked me if I wanted a box or bag, since they are pastries and tend to be a bit messy I naturally asked for a box. I then hear her mutter something to herself and then said I'll give you a bag! I think not, Of course I replied no, I will take a box. I mean was a supposed to lick the pastry off the bag. What kind of customer service is this. Where do they find these rude. obnoxious individuals. I will never frequent this bakery again. Like I said it was just okay but is in the neighborhood and was convenient. I would just as soon go to LaBella for baked goods and do without the attitude. read more

what can I say, but AMAZING...... I grew up eating their breads and cookies. my mom's uncle owned(s) the bakery. I am not by any way gonna give a bull post.. it's amazing.. I miss the cookies and bread since moving west.... I love you guys even though I don't know you personally, and we family... keep up the traditions and memories.... read more

First off: WHOA it smells good in here. And it's great to see a classic Italian bakery in the same place for half a century doing what they do best. The assortment of cookies, pastries, danishes, breads, cakes, muffins, cupcakes, brownies, more cookies, and gelato... Are you KIDDING me? I took me an hour to decide what I wanted. And for hot plate large batch coffee, the Lavazza they offer tastes pretty damn good. It's a good thing they're far from my apartment or I'd be 500lbs. read more

Disgusting! I will never go back! Tonight for Easter we purchased pastries and couldn't believe how expensive they were and how old they were!! My son tried a fruit tart and told me it tasted funny. After trying it myself, he was right. It tasted freezer burned! The napoleon which was $3.50 was so small and it was so old that when you tried to cut it, it was like rubber. Cheesecake we purchased was old as well and did not even taste like cheesecake. I can't imagine selling old pastries and cakes for Easter! They should be embarrassed! Never again. read more

My daughter had special ordered a cake from this bakery for her birthday. When she picked up the cake, it was NOT the cake she ordered. I immediately called the bakery ( it was on a Saturday night) and informed them of what happened. The employees of this bakery worked hard to rectify this situation, and I met with the owner the following day. The cake we had ordered somehow disappeared, even though the owner and his wife showed us pictures of the cake that we ordered. Yes, we were given a full refund, but I was very disappointed by the fact that the cake my daughter wanted and ordered was nowhere to be found, and all that the owner offered were lame excuses. Would we patronize this bakery again? NO WAY, there are other bakeries in my neighborhood that will get my money from now on. read more

Small bakery with very traditional italian bakery items. We didn't have too many items but what we had was good. Cookies and cupcakes were good, but we would specifically call out the canoli's, they were excellent. The filling in them was perfect and I wish we had bought more of them. If you crave a canoli definitely try them here. read more

I have not been to this bakery, but I was fortunate enough to have a friend bring a box of Mona Lisa's sesame cookies to a party. Everyone kept claiming how good these cookies were. I doubted, because it looked like an ordinary cookie, shaped in a S, and covered in sesame seeds. But after I took my first bite, I truly was surprised at how delicious these treats were. It had a crumbly texture with a subtle but noticeable sweetness to it. Delicious alone or with a cup of tea or coffee. I will definitely make a trek out here just to order a box of these. It's well worth it! read more

Mona Lisa Bakery - Sesame Cookies - Bakeries Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Had a wonderful cake. Was able to use a $4.00 off coupon. Keep an eye out for their coupons! Service was good, cake was great. This is the real Italian Brooklyn bakery experience. Prices are a dollar or two higher than other bakeries, but their ingredients are top notch. read more

This is a wonderful bakery, great space and tasty goodies. I had a cannoli tasting contest with cannolis from all over Bensonhurst and the majority my attendees chose Mona Lisa's cannolis. They aren't visually the most appealing but the taste is phenomenal. I also love their red velvet. Red velvet is such a trend now but so few places get is right. Mona Lisa has a wonderful cream cheese frosting and the cake is moist. All of their bakery items are above average. The space is large and clean and the workers are usually friendly. My only gripe is that they are a little pricey compared to other Italian bakeries in the area. read more

The best rum baba I ever had. It was made with a delicious cannoli cream instead of a custard cream. It is to die for! The rum was just right, not too weak and not too strong. The breadsticks are so airy and crunchy! I love it with some tuna fish salad but also with some salami wrapped around it. Yum!!!! read more

Went in to try some cookies and cannoli. Server was super nice and very helpful in explaining what their specialties are. It's a very small store but had a large selection of pastries, danish, etc. I was told they are famous for their bread so I bought a loaf and will let you know once I try it. I bought a black and white cookie, three mini cannoli and an assortment of cookies. The cannoli shell was a little soggy and overall didn't taste very fresh They were already made. I prefer places that fill them to order. However, the flavor of the cream was very good. The black and white cookie was overcooked, dry and just meh. Cookies were tasteless and very disappointing. Certainly not worth the calories. I live on Long Island but was raised in Brooklyn, and I like my desserts. I can't say anything knocked me out and there are better choices in the area. read more

AVOID. AVOID. AVOID. AVOID if you are looking for italian cookies. No almond paste cookies. The three color cookies tasted like they had been sitting for days. The butter cookies have a weird CHEMICAL taste to them. It leaves a film in your mouth that doesnt go away. We smelked the bottoms and they smell like the cookies were baked on soapy cookies sheets. Quite a disaster. Go somewhere else and thank me afterwards. We threw away our $6 one pound box. read more

The cookies are delicious when they are fresh. Too bad they don't bake them every day. This place is hit or miss, some days you'll get stale pastries and if you're lucky you get them when they happen to be fresh. On a more positive note, the bread is always fresh. read more

Gotta get that large loaf of twist bread. Im also fond of their cheesecakes and prosciutto bread. Friendly service, smells like heaven when you walk in. This is the best of the best of Dyker Heights and an old school Brooklyn experience. read more

1. great Italian bread 2. Great cookies and pastries 3. Workers are always nice 4. Reasonable price for quality stuff. Always here getting cookies. Great place read more

Growing up in Brooklyn, if it was your birthday (or any other special occasion) and someone came bearing a box from Mona Lisa, you knew they loved you! Great pastries, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods. You can just expect that anything coming from this place is fresh baked and totally yummy! The shop itself is clean and inviting. Give this bakery a try! You won't be disappointed. read more

Purchased cream puffs to round out a Valentine's Day pastry platter...the custard cream was good, but sadly I had to discard them due to the stale tasting pastry dough. Ruined my platter idea and it is sad that a pastry shop/bakery cannot get pastry right. The rainbow cookies seemed fresh and had a nice flavor but I am accustomed to having a thin layer of jelly in them to add texture and these did not have that so I will not be buying these again either. In all, will most likely only be buying bread there if anything. Also, they had no Napoleons...what is up with that? Will not be recommending this place. UPDATE - The one thing that was tasty and seemed fresh was the fennel Taralli (pretzel/breadstick) and I would buy those again, but if not for those, my recent experience here would not even merit one star. read more

so i called my friend one morning and made him get out of bed to drive to bensonhurst so we could go on a cannoli crawl. this crawl involved trying 8 different cannolis from different places in the area. this one needs to be prefaced. my coworker recommended mona lisa bakery and said that their cannolis are amazing so perhaps we went on a bad day. our results were: stale shell, old ricotta, pistachios on the sides were weird, we threw this out. we did not throw out any cannoli on this crawl except for this one, neither of us typically throw out food but we couldn't handle it. The shell was definitely stale and old. The ricotta did not taste fresh, it was sitting for at least a day or more and just wasn't good. pistachios on the side? i feel like you should be asked this before you actually get it. they just make it like that. overall, i would try it again only from the high recommendation from my coworker but only if i'm in the neighborhood ps: cannoli crawls make you a snob for things that most people wouldn't recognize in a cannoli read more

This place has great pastries, cookies and cakes. Place is pretty clean, prices are a little higher than some other nearby bakeries. But their baked goods are of a higher quality. If you would like to able to sit down and have a cup of coffee go to their location on 86th and 15th avenue. read more

The cookies taste amazing but I've had better. The selection is alright. It lost a star because I didn't find the selection worth the money and people there seemed to be allergic to smiling that day. read more

Delicious cakes, cookies, and fresh baked bread but most of all i come here for some of the best coffee in town! Everyone here is super friendly! read more

Been coming here for years. I cannot give 5 stars because of my issue with the staff. Not rude just so unfriendly and sad looking. I almost feel bad to ask for something else. The bakery is solid and I have never bought anything that was not fresh AND DELICIOUS. ..just the counter girls...wet noodles...sorry. read more

Omg I tried their red velvet cake and it's to dieee for! I thought I had the best red velvet cake when I tried cakeman raven but this place kind of whooped their ass. I think this place is truly another Brooklyn gem. The cake was moist and chocolately just like a how a red velvet should be and the cream cheese frosting was amazing. It was $35 and it was huge and def worth every crumb. read more