Whether you prefer sweet or savory, baked goods abound in Greenpoint. This list of the best bakeries in the neighborhood will leave you hungry and in constant search of a snack — be it yeasted, frosted, cake, and cookie.
You won’t have to look far because Greenpoint boasts some of the best bakeries in the city. Here’s a round up of the top choices.
Ovenly
Ovenly has a few locations throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan with a cult following. The Greenpoint outpost (31 Greenpoint Ave.) is small with a few tables outside. What the bakery lacks in square footage, it more than makes up for in taste.
Breakfast at Ovenly is outstanding. Try the whole wheat banana bread and the blueberry cornflake muffins. They offer a few gluten-free options, like the Pistachio Cardamom Bread and some vegan options, like the Apple Muffin with Quinoa Streusel.
What gained Ovenly the cult following is the cake. The Brooklyn Blackout Cake is a fan favorite. But if chocolate isn’t you thing, try the Vanilla Cake with Lemon Curd & Lavender Buttercream. It has just the right amount of lavender and lemon flavor.
Each month, the bakery debuts a new cupcake flavor. This month, in honor of Earth Day, Ovenly has citrus olive oil cupcakes with buttercream frosting, sugared sage, and dark cake crumbs that look like dirt. They are a surprising invention that taste wonderful but not too sweet.
The Greenpoint location is open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 6pm.
Bakeri
Bakeri is a women-owned bakery with locations in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Bakeri’s Greenpoint location (105 Freeman St.) boasts gorgeous floral wallpaper and whimsical handwriting. But even without the magical ambience, this bakery would be worth a trip for the mouth-watering food.
Bakeri offers croissants, baguettes, cookies, plus several lunch items like sandwiches and salads. Menu highlights include the flavorful biscuits and the apple cider flowers, which are small but pack a punch.
Bakeri also offers cakes for special order. The two flavors currently featured are German Chocolate and Coconut Carrot Cake.
The Greenpoint location is open every day 8am to 3pm.
Charlotte Patisserie
Charlotte Patisserie (596 Manhattan Ave.) is a small oasis on busy Manhattan Avenue. Upon entering, the cozy bakery transports you to France.
The chef is a Grand Diplome recipient, who trained at the French Culinary Institute, so all of the menu offerings are authentic and delicious.
The patisserie is known for buttery croissants, savory quiches, macarons, and cakes. But they also serve great French lunch items like the croque monsieur, which is rye bread, ham, gruyere, and béchamel.
Charlotte is open Monday to Friday 8m to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Moe’s Doughs Doughnut Shop
Moe’s Doughs (126 Nassau Ave.) is a classic bakery with no frills that serves some of the best doughnuts in Greenpoint. They offer many specialty doughnuts like a Nutella Sandwich doughnut, a Snickers doughnut, and a Doughnoli, which is a cannoli doughnut mashup. The classic doughnuts are what keep locals coming back for more. Favorites are the classic glazed, the strawberry frosted and the many varieties of jelly doughnuts.
Moe’s also offers many breakfast sandwiches and lunch items like burgers and chicken fingers. It is open 6am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday.
Peter Pan Donut and Pastry Shop
Peter Pan (727 Manhattan Avenue) has been a North Brooklyn staple for over 60 years. Many Greenpoint locals flock to this old-school bakery at all hours of the day because it starts serving at 4:30am.
Pre-pandemic, counter seating was offered with a view of the many varieties of doughnuts. It is the perfect place to try a classic old-fashioned doughnut. Other menu highlights include the Honey Dip, which is glazed, the chocolate frosted with sprinkles, and the red velvet.
Peter Pan is open Monday to Friday 4:30am to 8pm, Saturday 5am to 8pm, and Sunday 5:30am to 7pm.
Jaslowiczanka Bakery
Greenpoint’s Polish history has given the neighborhood the gift of many delightful Polish bakeries. One of the best and most authentic is Jaslowiczanka Bakery (163 Nassau Ave.).
When entering the tiny bakery, customers are greeted in Polish and most of the neighbors respond in kind. Multi-layered cakes and cheesecakes are plentiful in the front counter. Behind the counter, varieties of breads and rolls are plentiful. Try one of the Polish Babkas in flavors like lemon or blueberry.
They are open every day from 10am to 7pm.
Cafe Riviera Bakery
Another popular Polish bakery in Greenpoint is Cafe Riviera (830 Manhattan Ave.). This one is bigger and more crowded than Jaslowiczanka. In fact, every time I pass by, Riviera has a long line outside.
Riviera offers traditional Polish sweets plus French and Italian pastries. Local favorites include the Polish doughnuts and the colorful macarons. They also offer several varieties of cakes to preorder. The Black Forest cake is popular.
They are open everyday from 8am to 9pm.
She Wolf Bakery
A list of Greenpoint’s best bakeries would not be complete with mentioning She Wolf Bakery. From the classic pullman to the baguette, She Wolf wows every taste bud. But, my personal favorite loaf is She Wolf’s sourdough. It’s soft on the inside and hard and crunchy on the outside and perfect with just about anything.
She Wolf Bakery is a wholesale bakery that supplies fresh loaves to restaurants in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. After rave reviews from diners, She Wolf started baking bread to sell at greenmarkets and other spots in the area. You can grab a loaf of sourdough or a baguette nearby at Eastern District (1053 Manhattan Ave.) or Achilles Heel (180 West St.). On Saturdays, She Wolf sells bread at the greenmarket at McCarren Park.
Magnolia Bakery
When you think of Magnolia Bakery, you probably think about its West Village location or maybe another one of the outposts that have popped up throughout Manhattan. But Greenpointers don’t need to leave the neighborhood to get their cupcake fix… because there is a hack. Uber Eats and Seamless offer delivery or pickup from a very hidden parking lot on Humboldt Street. It’s a limited menu, but you can get the classic cupcakes, mini versions, or the banana pudding at 758 Humboldt St. or delivered to your door.
You forgot Serena Bakery at Humboldt & Norman. Excellent Polish cakes & bread!
And how about the new La Bicyclette Bakery on Driggs.