Lower East Side Specialty

Exotic pastries are the specialty at this Lower East Side bakery, where owner and baker Ry Stephen dreams up unexpected croissant pairings. Favorites include the NYC, filled with lox, cream cheese, and capers, and the Spinach Pie Twice Baked, with spinach, olive-oil-baked broccoli rabe, sautéed onion, chili, béchamel, and cheddar cheese. There are plenty of sweet creations, too, like the rhubarb, strawberry, and basil cruffin (a croissant-muffin hybrid), or the spiced peach-apple pie brioche doughnut, filled with peach-and-apple pie filling and whipped cream, topped with piecrust crumbs and white chocolate. Even pastry obsessives can usually find something here they’ve never seen before.

This ice cream place is run by Nicholas Morgenstern, a classically trained pastry chef (he was formerly head pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern) who turned out to be a whiz at crafting elevated flavors. Using only the highest quality ingredients, if you're craving a creamy and non-processed—treat, this is the spot. Beyond the scoops, the shop on Rivington is incredibly charming: The exterior is painted royal blue and the inside is set up like an old-fashioned parlor with counter seats and a window ledge. Note: It's cash-only here.

What's extra special about this Lower East Side standby is that it has a lot of respect for personal space—there are individual-size tables lining the walls with just enough room for a laptop and a cup of coffee (a giant leather couch is also available if you’re okay with sharing). In the warmer months, the large French doors open up to create a garage-like indoor/outdoor space.

There are 98 varieties of tea and a long menu of vegetarian and vegan goodies and sandwiches available at this (teany) tiny Lower East Side haunt.

There are 98 varieties of tea and a long menu of vegetarian and vegan goodies and sandwiches available at this (teany) tiny Lower East Side haunt.

This long-standing, family-run institution on Houston Street draws huge crowds for smoked fish, bagels, and other exquisite deli items. Besides doing great catering, they now have a café deeper south in the Lower East Side.

This long-standing, family-run institution on Houston Street draws huge crowds for smoked fish, bagels, and other exquisite deli items. Besides doing great catering, they now have a café deeper south in the Lower East Side.

For many years Mark Israel’s plain glazed doughnut recipe was enough to draw crowds to this Lower East Side foodie destination, but more recent additions, like Mexican churros, house-made jelly filled doughnuts, and cake doughnuts have made Doughnut Plant legitimately legendary. While you can find Doughnut Plant on the menus of many hotels and restaurants throughout NYC, we like to make an early morning pilgrimage to their original, Grand Street location.

For many years Mark Israel’s plain glazed doughnut recipe was enough to draw crowds to this Lower East Side foodie destination, but more recent additions, like Mexican churros, house-made jelly filled doughnuts, and cake doughnuts have made Doughnut Plant legitimately legendary. While you can find Doughnut Plant on the menus of many hotels and restaurants throughout NYC, we like to make an early morning pilgrimage to their original, Grand Street location.

You wouldn’t know it from the cute, unassuming exterior, but Erin McKenna revolutionized healthy baking (sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s true). Inside the bubble gum pink, ‘50s-inspired interior, you’ll find punk rock girls serving delicious cupcakes, cookies, and pastries, many of which are gluten- and sugar-free.