Hungarian Pastry Shop
“Maybe the best thing I've ever put in my mouth :-)I love it it's next to St. John's Cathedral too.”
“I went around 9pm with a friend and it had a few older folks relaxing and reading, and a few Columbia students studying quietly.”
“The scenery provided us to gaze upon the St. John the Divine Cathedral in the shade of the awning.”
Hungarian Pastry Shop
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Good for Working: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Inexpensive
8 reviews
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My friend and I dropped by this place after dinner because he heard during his Columbia years that it was famous. Something must have changed because the baklava looked decent but was horribly stale. The phyllo dough lost all flakiness, which makes me wonder how long it had been sitting there. For $5 bucks, it was pretty horrible.
We asked one of the girls what they did with leftover cookies at the end of the day. She replied, "We just leave them here." If their baklava is any indication of their cookies, I'm not surprised.
The popularity of this location makes it near impossible to decide what you want to order as a first time visitor. All of those people standing in line make it tough to see the pastry case, and there doesn't seem to be a menu of the items with pricing anywhere. Since I didn't get to pre-decide my order, I chose a tasty looking slice of baklava, a quarter lb. of rainbow cookies, and an orange juice/ I felt a little rushed, and didn't even get to see what was in the pastry case to the far right. I wanted to ask about the different coffees, but did not want to hold up the line. Some paper menus by the door would really improve ordering efficiency.
For dining in, you place your order, find a seat, have your treats brought to you, and pay at the end. My baklava was generous in size ($4.50), but was too sweet. I have a sweet tooth but this fillo pastry was too heavy on the sugar; it completely overpowered the flavor of the honey. My mouth tasted like nothing but confectioners sugar for good twenty minutes after eating. My dining partner really enjoyed her almond croissant, which was large and flaky, as it should be.
However, the rainbow cookies, taken to go and enjoyed later that afternoon, were the star! The cake was very moist and, unlike many places that skimp on the jam, these little babies had the perfect amount.
My order: a slice of baklava, a 1/4 pound of rainbow cookies, and an orange juice came to $10.00. Not too shabby.
My advice, skip the baklava unless and until they cut back the sugar a bit, order the rainbow cookies, and grab a seat on the patio with the Columbia students. I'll definitely be back for more rainbow cookies!
So charming! A short walk outside Columbia's (beautiful) campus and a place of repose from the biting cold this January. Came here for a cup of Hungarian coffee (no whipped cream for me, but I'm sure it was great in it) and an almond horn (absolutely delicious, crackly almonds encrusted on slightly sweet pastry with a perfectly toasty crust!!), as well as hot chocolate and biscotti. Service is quick, atmosphere is homey, and the eclectic art on the walls adds to the feeling that you're in someone's kitchen… as does the limited seating.
No wifi but I think that adds to the lovely atmosphere… this is a wonderful place to catch up and for a conversation.
According to my mentor, it's been around for decades! Tried and true. 🙂
My friend was boasting as to how deliciously simple this pastry shop was, and opted us to give it a try as a mid morning snack. Why not right?
You walk inside, and immediately to your left is the counter and their display of specialty pastries, as well as their whiteboard covered in specials of the day and season. Not looking for the extra calories? Grab a Hungarian drink instead – coffee, tea, hot, or cold – just ask!
Sitting inside or outside; you can pick your poison. Due to the weather, we grabbed a table outside and the waitress would bring out to us our cherry strudel, chai iced tea, and cake. Just want water? Grab the pitcher next to the cashier and pour yourself a glass and take it with you. The strudel was not loaded with sugar and let the natural ingredients shine. The chai iced tea totally caught me by surprise – it was clean tasting, and really refreshing.
The scenery provided us to gaze upon the St. John the Divine Cathedral in the shade of the awning. Lots of foot traffic, so it's great to people watch too.
Would definitely come back and possible be a little more adventurous next time.
Stopped by here on a Saturday morning for a quick meal/pick-me-up to start the day. Simple interior with pastries sprawled on display and a chalkboard menu up top and to the side.
Between two people: two large Hungarian coffees, a croissant, and a spinach pie ($12ish altogether). The coffee isn't milky (the way I like it), but has enough strength and added cinnamon to make for a balanced drink. The croissant was fluffy, yet not as buttery/flaky as other places I've been to. The spinach pie was lukewarm, which took away from the flavor. Everything tasted better with the coffee, giving it that warm kick that was needed.
Cash only establishment, good turnaround time, not too crowded. Would come by again to try the sweets.
Charming spot but packed to the brim on any winter weekend afternoon, such that it was terrifically hard to squeeze into a table if you're wearing a puffy winter jacket. It's hard to fault even the roaches of Hungarian Pastry Shop, because the place is so soaked in Columbia lore and any mutter of, "It's not that gr-," is usually confronted with finger snaps.
That said, my hot chocolate was bizarrely watered down. It was brown water with the barest hint of cocoa. I kept trying to drink through the foam and reach that promised hit of sugar but no dice. The mocha Napoleon was much, much better: thick layer of creamy custard on top of puffy, flaky phyllo, though the hard shell of brown sugar right on top was unnecessary.
Cash only. You pay at the counter when you're finished.
NEXT TIME: baklava, Russian coffee (espresso, whipped cream, hot chocolate), dobos torte, pumpkin spice cheesecake
There's no pretense here, and quite possibly the best croissant I have ever had was found here. I am surprised it isn't reviewed higher. The place is very down to Earth, there is no WiFi, there is no rush. You order, the waitress calls out your name, your coffee and sweets come and you sit.. you consume… you take it all in. Just like how a coffee shop should be. The walls are adorned by post modern art, the bathroom is filled with revolutionary quotes. It is a Bohemian paradise.
I've been a fan of the Hungarian Pastry Shop since my college days as a Barnard student. Though their almond bomb, the first dessert I tried there, was an utter disappointment (too dry and hard), their baklava is tasty and well-textured (flaky on top, more crumbly on the bottom). I enjoyed their tiramisu too. Their hot cider drink is a nice choice during the fall months.
This isn't an ideal place to camp out and do work, but the lack of Wi-Fi and outlets shows: that's the probably the point– this spot is meant to be a place to take a break from your laptop or phone screen and read a book, journal, or chat with people. It's a homey place to be on an overcast, rainy day, and it's best to wear layers while going to this place, because it can get too warm inside at times.