Levain Bakery
Levain Bakery
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
8 reviews
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Got the Choco-Chip Walnut cookie (there were many other offerings like double chocolate, choco and peanut butter, oatmeal raisin cookies as well as breads, and a fruit tarte) and an iced latte. First off, the coffee that they use is amazing! I took a sip of my iced latte (mind you the coffee is washed out by the milk and ice) and was so pleasantly surprised by the kick the coffee had — wooot!
Now the cookie — I usually am someone who will eat half of a cookie/pastry and save the rest for the next day but I COULD NOT STOP EATING THIS COOKiE! This cookie was my lunch for the day given just how rich and dense it was… very buttery, just as a cookie should be
It was a bit too heavy and I definitely felt stuffed but its good to treat yo'self like that every once in a while — definitely could have split it with someone! The cookie was $4 (or maybe $4.50, cant remember bc I was chocolate wasted) and the total came out to $8.50 for the cookie and good sized iced latte.
Will definitely be coming back to try the other baked goods and the amazing coffee!!
Still one of the best chocolate chip cookies around. So buttery and moist and a good portion size too. Can't get enough of this. I've introduced multiple friends to this and everyones loved them! Will definitely continue to come here. I hope it doesn't lose its charm or try to expand too large.
I came here and they were actually closed but the cashier was nice enough to still allow me to order my cookie without any problem at all.
I had the walnut chocolate chip cookie and myOHmy it was so rich in flavor and really chocolatey. I must say that I loved it and it was the perfect little treat after a very long and hot day in the area.
Now, the place is very tiny and there's not enough room for a big crowd even. You're able to basically see the whole shop immediately upon entry.
When I come back to the area I would definetly come again if I'm in the mood for some dessert.
Okay okay, Levain I see you.
It's worth getting a cookie if you've never had because it is truly one of a kind, and it's pretty damn yums.
When the lady handed me my cookie (chocolate chip walnut), I was immediately impressed by the sheer weight of the one cookie, like a small brick in my hand. I was also about equally impressed by the sheer price of the one cookie ($4 for one cookie?? Duude.)
Upon biting into it, I can see what the fuss is about: it's golden and crumbly on the outside, and soft with an almost cookie dough consistency on the inside. The ingredients are also clearly high quality, and it is neither greasy nor too sweet (although nevertheless very dense). Overall a pretty awesome cookie, and I'm glad I tried it.
My only caveat is that honestly I've had yummier cookies for a portion of the price. But maybe that's a personal preference thing.
Definitely worth trying at least once, but don't know that I'd make it a habit. Would come back if I was craving a damned good one-of-a-kind chocolate chip cookie courtesy of Levain in the city.
Amazing cookies – the chocolate peanut butter cookie was life changing.
Delicious brioche – both the plain and the chocolate chip.
Surly cashier – not so great. I am just going with the assumption he's having a bad week or rehearsing for his role as "disaffected hipster cashier" in the next Lin-Manuel Miranda Broadway hit.
Seriously go there and eat the yummies while helping this guy rehearse his part.
Mmm mmm mmm! I've lived in NY for a while, and the stories I heard about the cookies from Levain Bakery were told like urban legends.
I finally tried them one measly afternoon day when my brother offered me a bite of a chocolate chip walnut cookie. I semi-willingly took it (he had made identical cookies the night before), and enjoyed the flavors that filled my taste buds. However, after retreating back to my little cave, he called my name again, this time offering me a dark chocolate cookie (with peanut butter chips inside). This is where the urban legend ends, and I tell you that this is NO ******* FICTIONAL TALE. Holy moly, the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies from Levain are INCREDIBLY delicious. I had less than 1/4th of the cookie, and I spent the entire day daydreaming about what it would've been like if I had the entire thing.
Since that day, I have had to restrain myself from entering the bakery (my MIL lives a block away from one), and it's been tough. I always share the cookie (they are gigantic), but we always get the same one – dark chocolate peanut butter chip. Seriously, if you're going in, just get a whole box of the DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHIP COOKIES – unless you're allergic, of course.
I've had bites of all their cookies. Here's the lowdown: I like my brother's chocolate chip walnut cookies better. Levain's are good, but they have an after-taste that I don't really like. They're nothing to die over, and if I can have them at home, that's all the better for me. Their oatmeal raisin cookie is good. It's simple and not to oatmealy and not to raisiny. But 'good' isn't worth $4. Their dark chocolate chocolate chip is great, but it can be a little much. It also doesn't have the same delicious consistency as the dark chocolate peanut butter chip… which brings me to this… If you want to try a cookie that tastes like a brownie and cookie and heaven all at once, buy this cookie. I willingly hand over my card every time I see the cashier wrap one of them in a bag for me.
Alright, now that I got the food out of the way: if you're driving here parking should be easy to find as there is tons of street parking in the area. If not, there's the train station down the block and several buses that stop nearby. The bakery is tiny, but they do have a couple of seats if you want to hang out for a bit. It can get crowded, so I suggest waiting outside until it dies down a little bit (trust me, they won't run out of cookies). The cashier is always the same (at least when I go), and she's so kind and attentive! $4 may seem like a lot for a cookie, but it's totally worth it.
I've wanted to try Levain Bakery for years. I meant to visit the last time I was in New York but it never happened. We purposefully chose the location in Harlem because we felt it wouldn't be as crowded as the location on the Upper West Side. Great choice because we waited in a very short line for our cookies.
The cookies are all laid out in a display case. The selection isn't huge, but they have 4-5 cookies to choose from. They have chocolate chip and walnut, dark chocolate, dark chocolate and peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin. I had the dark chocolate and the chocolate chip and walnut. I know I'm repeating what others have said – but these cookies are huge. Like, enormous. They're very thick and probably weigh a pound each. They have a crisp outside and a gooey inside. The chocolate chip cookie was very good texturally but I felt it needed salt. It was a little one-note for me and that one note was sugar and sweetness. The dark chocolate was very good. It reminded me of a brownie. The dark chocolate bitterness paired well with the sweetness of the cookie. I ate it the next day and the inside was still soft and gooey.
If you're a cookie fan, then definitely check out Levain when you have time in the city.
Walnut chocolate-chip cookies from Levain will always have a special place in my heart. Something about them is seriously so addictive. I usually go to the Levain on 74th, but occasionally stop by this one whenever I'm in the area. The selection of baked goods offered here is pretty much the same as its 74th street counterpart. The only difference is, there's no line!! There is a catch though. Less customers= cookies not as fresh and piping hot. But if that's not an issue for you, come to this spot stat to satisfy your chocolate-chip cookie cravings.