New York City's Best Cafés and Bakeries

Kopitiam is a delightful Malaysian café serving meals throughout the day, with a special focus on breakfast. The café offers a variety of dishes, including kaya toast with coconut jam, and soft boiled egg with broth, paired with sweet coffee. As a fast-casual eatery, Kopitiam provides a daily gathering space for lovers of Nyonya cuisine, a hybrid of Chinese and Malay flavors.

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Maria Nilsson

Foodie, Stockholm – Stockholm, Sweden

Charming Malaysian café perfect for breakfast.A small, charming Malaysian café perfect for breakfast: kaya toast (with coconut jam), very soft boiled egg with broth and sweet coffee.

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Davelle is a traditional Japanese café, well-known for its carefully crafted breakfast and lunch dishes. The venue is particularly appreciated for its comfort food, including distinctive milk toasts with fun patterns, prepared meticulously by two young Japanese women. Ensuring accessibility and inclusion for all customers, Davelle operates from 8AM-5PM on weekdays and 9AM-5PM on weekends.

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Maria Nilsson

Foodie, Stockholm – Stockholm, Sweden

Two young Japanese women cooking Japanese comfort food and making these very explicit and beautiful milk toasts with fun patterns. All very carefully done.

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Crema BK is a family-owned café in Brooklyn, known for its specialty coffee and house-brewed chai. The café offers a chic ambiance and is recommended for a pleasant stop before a visit to McGolrick Park. With its friendly staff and quality beverages, Crema BK has established a reputation as a welcoming neighborhood spot.

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Randy Moon

Restaurant Owner – Los Angeles, USA

Good coffee from nice folks in Greenpoint. It's a good stop before a walk through McGolrick Park. Photos courtesy of Crema BK.

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Ashbox is a quaint café known for its authentic Japanese home cooking, offering a limited seating area and to-go options. Their menu features a range of meals including the popular nori wrap with mustard greens and varying daily specials. Open from Monday to Saturday, Ashbox is an ideal spot for those craving genuine Japanese cuisine in a cozy setting.

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Randy Moon

Restaurant Owner – Los Angeles, USA

Criminally underrated Japanese "real food" in Brooklyn.Criminally underrated one woman Japanese “real food” cafe at the northern tip of Greenpoint. Go for a nori wrap w/ mustard greens, a vinegary drink, and whatever the daily special is.Photo credit: Ashbox.

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Absolute Bagels is a popular bagel shop known for its delicious bagels that are worth the wait in line. According to extensive research by many visitors, it's a must-try spot for bagel lovers. Many customers have expressed their satisfaction with the taste and quality, making sure to revisit on their subsequent trips.

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David P. Leja

@thegastrojourney – Palma, Spain

It feels like you are obligated to have at least one bagel when you visit New York. We did an extensive research until deciding this was going to be the place to try a bagel in NYC. We can't tell if it's the best in the city, but one thing is sure, that bagel was super good and we will have it again on our next visit!

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Bakeri in Williamsburg is a popular spot for breakfast and bakery delights among local creatives. Despite its small size, it's well-known for its delicious baked goods, including standout options like cheese-ham croissants and apricot muffins. Whether you're grabbing a quick takeaway or settling down at the communal table, you're sure to be part of the vibrant crowd that frequents this bakery-café.

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Mika Ihamuotila

Foodie – Helsinki, Finland

Brooklyn’s favourite breakfast and bakery.Bakeri in Williamsburg is a wonderful tiny bakery-café where hunderds of Williamsburg creatives start their mornings either by picking up their takeaways or by enjoying breakfast in the long communal table in the small space next to the oven and kitchen. Unbeliveably delicious baked stuff makes it natural that everyone in Williamsburg know the place despite its small size. Try the amazing cheese-ham croissants or the apricot muffins. Just follow the colourful crowd inside or at the table by the street.

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Abraço, located in the East Village, is known for its fantastic pastries and perfect coffee. This establishment, which is a local institution, has a warm and inviting atmosphere. A must-try at Abraço is their olive oil cake, highly recommended by visitors.

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Daniel Modlin

Food & Wine Editor – Austin, TX

The best coffee shop in NYC, by far.Abraco is an east village institution. No computers allowed. Used to be no card, but the pandemic changed that. What it didnt change is the amazing vibes, fantastic pastry, and perfect coffee. Whatever you do, get the olive oil cake!!!

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Russ & Daughters Brooklyn is renowned for serving some of the best bagels in New York. Known for their fresh, perfectly small bagels with a shiny crust and chewy interior, they have been a beloved institution for over a century. Whether you're picking up an order or enjoying their offerings onsite, you can expect a delightful experience with their signature bagels paired with silken slices of lox, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes, and onion.

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Joshua David Stein

Writer – Brooklyn, United States

The freshest and best bagels in New York from a century old institution.The original Russ & Daughters is on the Lower East Side but their bakery is situated in the Brooklyn Navy Yard where you actually watch your bagels made. They come out, fresh as day, perfectly small with a shiny crust and chewy interior. Paired with silken slices of lox, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes and onion, it's the closest thing to heaven on Earth.

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