Reviews of The Hungarian Pastry Shop (Bakery)

Benjamin Sagan

These are some of the best croissants on Earth. Do NOT miss them! The other pastries and such are excellent too. Be aware though that they only accept cash.

Jam Yoo

I love this historical Hungarian pastry shop around Columbia University on they don’t have Wi-Fi which is rare for a café and it’s actually incredible for anyone who can use if you need serious work done here is the place to go to write and think and read and with great pastries and amazing coffee. the front is very small but there’s actually a lot of seating inside and a rustic and what an old decorations are always a charm

Hung-Yi Ou Yang

Amazing pastries. Love the cheesecake and almond croissants.

Corey Cherrington

Delicious pastries and great coffees offered here. Lots of seating and a welcoming environment generally. Would definitely go back here, and am actually planning on doing so!

J. T.

A nice, cozy, rustic coffee shop and bakery. I usually come here whenever I want to just lose myself in a crowd of people. A great place to relax. The service is amazing and the pastries are even better! Although, it does get rather crowded so be wary if you elbow one or two people while trying to get to your seat.

todd thomas

It was love at first pastry. Napoleon pastry, to be precise. I have yet to find another spot uptown that makes me feel lost in time like I do when I'm here! The staff are all cool and kind, and I enjoy the academic energy from the students abound.

Justin Lee Miller

Terrible pastries. I’ve been coming here for almost 2 decades. Decent coffee. Great location. Cash only.

Pimnipa Kangsanan

Good place to hangout with great pastries and beverages. It should be noted that this place is packed with Columbia students who occupy the seats for hours, so getting a seat here is quite unlikely. Also, they do not offer wifi and their lighting is pretty dimmed.

richard duenas

Thousands of Columbia students can't be wrong. This place rocks. One of the best and longest running institutions up there. The espressos are great the pastries are magnificent, and the vibe is palpable. Park yourself in a seat and enjoy.

Michael Abboud

I love the intimate atmosphere of this place! My 'usual' is a cappuccino and almond croissant in the morning - the croissant is always warm and fresh, and the coffee - excellent! Service is wonderful.

Rodolfo Nunez

Great place for coffee and pastries

Kipchirchir Bitok

This place accepts cash only. When you get there, you go to the cashier, order what you want and they'll bring your order when ready. If you need water, they have a self-serve water container with glasses next to it. They have a wide array of pastries. Try their Venice coffee or Hungarian coffee. They are interestingly tasty. The cream puffs are delicious and so are the croissants. The croissant was slightly on the salty side ... Delicious!

Christopher Williams

A wonderful place as relevant today as in the 80s or earlier. Atmospheric, with wonderful coffee and sweets.

Sa Pa

If you come here, make sure to tip generously! Otherwise you will be chased by an angry waitress! We didn’t know we were supposed to tip and we were already outside when one of the customers told us that the waitress wants to speak to us. We went back and paid the tip but she was still very angry. She could have politely asked for the tip right away or this should have been written on the bill beforehand to avoid confusion instead of making a scene. The food is amazing though but the rudeness at the end really ruined the experience! Not coming back.

Anita Herring

Fantastic hot chocolate and pastries. Was very busy so just grab a seat where you can. Well worth a visit

Kellye Jackson

Delicious soft, buttery croissants fresh out of the oven! If you add on the fruit jam, it's to die for. Minimal seating.

Ian Nicholson

The best place. Everything I've had there is great. Not in a fancy self-conscious cooking channel sort of way, in a simple this-is-what-we've-done-for-decades, take-it-or-leave-it sort of way. The atmosphere is perfect for a rest or for reading, busy and packed but somehow still calm.

Paul Rigano

Amazing!! Wonderful staff (I think family owned?), very comfortable ambience, public restroom, outdoor seating when it's nice. Only downside is that it's cash only, but there's an atm just a thirty second walk down the block. This place is great if you're looking for someplace chill to get a little work done, or to catch up with a friend over coffee and pastries.

Pablo Jorquera

The best pain au chocolat! The atmosphere is relax and comfortable to a good talk, to study or to work. The refill coffee is so good.

Patti P

It reminds me of a mom and pop bakery. The best of the best.

Alyssa Jones

I like the pastries here! It can be a good place to meet up with a friend or two, but that’s highly dependent on your timing, since it can be impossible to get a seat during peak hours. Coffee is on the bad side but you can get whipped cream with it to make it more palatable. Cash only. Has a bathroom. Pay as you leave. No WiFi, which is probably for the best.

Barbara Pearl

What a delightful place! Their pastries and coffee are delicious, and the variety of desserts seemed endless. I was there in mid afternoon with a friend I rarely see. It was delightful how well welcomely the staff was and how long they let us sit and chat. Barbara Upper East Side

Sivan Mor

I love this cute unique place in the UES. All pastries are fresh, quick service, service outside at the table. Amazing coffee - don't miss it, it's really good! Combine a quick bite with a walk near St. John's Cathedral right across the street, and find the 'sing for hope' piano....what a blessed morning with great food & music.

Emre Yalchin

Delicious pastries with rich variety. An integral piece of daily life in NYC, especially for Columbians.

German Santos

Very good place to go to try out various coffee drinks and baked goods.

Wesley Tansey

Great pastries. Great staff. The lack of wifi makes it work since otherwise people would just sit there all day and take up seats.

K. Harrison

Simply the best! Austrian Prince cake!

Kyuwon Lee

This low-key, European, classic bakery cafe stands as a true intellectual hub for the in-school and the general local. You'll be able to feel that the creative and critical energy radiating from those regular comers are as dense as the physical setting of this place.

G C

Pastries are really good. I love the feel of this place. Very chill

Jose Valerio

Really good, too crowded on weekends. Don't go here to study, in and out , get your baklava and leave! Great coffee!

Hugo Scheithauer

The most wonderful pastry shop in Morningside Height Great coffee and tasteful pastries

surfingduck

Pastry great but inferior coffee should go to Joe's for that

Ju No

Disappointing; Their poppyseed strudel had too much sugar in it. It was nothing like the one I had in Budapest.

Shiv Vidhyut

Delicious, cheap food! Desserts are the one to go for, but their beverages and assortment of snacks are worth it!

Jason Sanders

This is a very cute neighborhood gem that offers respectable coffees and pastries. If you can find a seat, it's a really great place to relax and enjoy an afternoon treat. Note that this place's affordable prices and proximity to campus means that it's usually packed with Columbia/Barnard students. If your plan involves finding more than a couple seats, you should probably have a backup plan as well.

Daniel Shang

Cheesecake is amazing! Wished i have discovered this place earlier.

Defne Arslan

I love the atmosphere, the wonderful desserts and the staff. I love sitting outside especially- very nice view of the cathedral. Unfortunately - contrary to what one might expect- this place has neither outlets nor WiFi. It is also cash only. As far as I understand, the refills on coffee and hot water are free (I’ve never gotten one). If you have some reading to do, or just want to sit and write, it is a nice and quiet place to be. Their cookies are amazing.

Andrew Berisha

Great, vibrant cafe! Delicious coffee and laidback atmosphere. Good place to have a conversation, grab a quick breakfast, or get lost in your work.

Hafeez Poldz

Beautiful place to enjoy your breakfast. Danish Cheese and Coffee. Positive atmosphere.

Shubham Chavan

The Cheesecake I've ever had.

Ethan Parrish

super fast delivery. Appears all good for the $

David Fischer

Stopped in and loved it. Superb pastries and great selection of teas!

Gino Capone

Nice authentic Hungarian baked goods so much to choose from

Viridiana Flores

Service can be a little rude when you're a foreigner but the pastries are good. Try the cherry pie!

Brian Cota

Always nice, especially when you can find a seat.

Michael Mahoney

Great atmosphere - kind of bohemian with a great selection of pastries and coffee/tea.

Wahab Wahab

everything baked in house and service is great too

Tsadik Kaplan

Excellent strudel, apple and poppy are favorites. Ice cold Eastern European girls who work there, so be prepared for a death glare or two.

Swathi Chandrasekaran

Cash only place which caused a hassle for me but there's an ATM just around the corner. Fantastic pastries and really good tea available. It's a nice and cozy spot that was pretty calm the day I visited. Great place for coffee-chats.

Danny Onatsky

Enjoyed cappuccino and pastries at the Hungarian Pastry Shop. Fresh cooked bakery items along with great coffee! Small shop but has several tables with fast turn over! Good place to recharge electronics. Nice cozy bakery and our cream cheese pastry tasted similar to one we had in Budapest!

Steve Llano

The best little coffee shop in the city. Delicious and authentic pastries as good as the real thing in Europe. Have a Napoleon, a poppy seed Danish, or the Sacher Torte. Coffee is excellent and endless. They don't mind it if you work here, but tables are hard to find. Get here early if you plan to do some typing. A hangout for Columbia university students to study and work, it won't be crowded until around midday.

MONICA D MORGAN

The auroma from the street says it all.

Eva-Lynn Podietz

Had iced tea and a humantasch. Hadn't been there since I worked up here 25 yrs ago. Still the same

Ruth van Wijk

The food and coffee are out of this world. Rub elbows (literally) with the locals and students in the crammed dining area, and soak up the old-school NYC neighborhood vibe. The murals and framed art alone are worth the trip.

Mauricio Portillo

Coming back soon, very soon, great chocolate cake!!!

El Sha

Very good. I like a Dobos torte whis ganash and caramel. But! Where is Esterhazy???

Cindy Hsu

Omg. Awesome pastries! So many selections and the cafe is such a great place to hangout with friends! Be careful that it's cash only! Definitely coming back again soon. The pumpkin cheesecake is so good. 100% recommended.

Vinayagam Kulandaivel

Exotic pastry place on the way neighborhood. Great collections of pastries., Cakes and cookies. Excellent service and hospitality.

Mackenzie Crow

Cash only! Lovely service and lovely pastries!

Echo Wu

Great place to bring a book to read in it's cozy space among other readers and cafe patrons. This cafe offers many types of strudels and traditional Hungarian pastries.

MorganB Music

This was such a treat to find. The staff was welcoming and I was able to find a quiet table in which to enjoy my lunch. Will definitely come back.

Inge Karlberg- Stannik

EXCELLENT coffee and pastries had to be shared so as to enjoy each one! Seating was a little tight, but friendly and welcoming.

Tina White

Been going here since 1990. Still love it.

caleb clark

A new york classic. The cheese Danish is to die for

S. Luckett-Gatopoulos

Love this place and I make sure to visit every time I’m in NYC. Try the prune danish!

Chandell Gadbois

Very good pastries and a cozy interior. The patio also looked nice.

Rebecca Sealfon

This longtime New Yorker considers its current incarnation a contender for the best bakery/cafe in Manhattan. The Hungarian Pastry Shop is a long-time Columbia University and probably Cathedral of St. John the Divine institution, a bohemian refuge where it's easy to imagine someone in the corner quietly writing the next Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. After all, Columbia has a top MFA program and according to an exhibit at the front of the bakery, famous literature really has been written there. But it's not only for writers. Countless Columbia couples spent romantic evenings there on a student budget and generations of children, including myself, were taken back for the excellent cookies and sweet pastries. After years of declining quality, the bakery changed ownership and has regained its magic touch. The Austro-Hungarian and Greek focus of its coffee and dessert menu is a refreshing change from NYC's prevailing obsession with French pastries and Italian coffee drinks. I've ordered wonderful things there, such as the Hungarian coffee, I haven't seen anywhere else. The bakery can get a bit crowded during peak hours, but for a good reason - there's no place like Hungarian.

Srna Sunic

Wonderful little hole in the wall, servers work diligently so even when there is a crowd, there is not much of a wait. All of the desserts I have tried have all been yummy and unique. Hot chocolate is also very good! Love the atmosphere, good to work on an essay or check emails. Bathroom always clean.

Katie Lee

don’t buy the flourless cake. it’s really sad. but the cheesecake is pretty good. cookies were fine.

Greg Baumann

A favorite place for a weekend morning

Sophie

fantastic treats and coffee. Lots of tables to sit at

Doug Burns

Great neighborhood cafe. It's one of my favorite spaces in the area. I've met incredible people here, studying or writing or just generally working on all sorts of things that draw them out to a little cafe bakery that serves coffee late and keeps seats open and doesn't have WiFi or outlets but you work around it because it's worth it. Get some of my best work done here.

Hsiung Leu

This is old bakery is like a landmark in this neighborhood and has hardly changed a bit. This was the place where I tried my first Florentine cookie... It was delicious then as it is now. The almond horn is great as well.

Dmitriy P

Their pastries are on point. Service is a little slow but the food is great

María Fernanda Ahumada

I love this place! The food and beverages are delicious. I wish we could pay with cards.

Patrina Huff

Long time staple. Reasonably priced desserts and a quiet spot to read or meet with friends. Some ups and downs with staff.

César Rodríguez

Sweet and reasonably priced for the neighborhood. Welcoming place for all ages. A great place to sit and work!

Kobi Rav

Cash only, price but good - the mousse cake is

Samuel Thomas

Nice place. Nice crowd Nice environment Great food and the best coffee Nice service.. cash only Makes you want to comeback ... One of the best .. must go

Hannah Litello

Over-rated and some servers provide poor service! ...New to this spot and several purchased items tasted temperature preserved (either frozen at some point or refrigerated, dry and a bit old). Also purchased some drinks and server was annoyed when I asked for sugar substitute. Disappointed with experience. :(

Casey Conrad-Davis

I went to study in the morning and it was a cute environment with outside seating and dim lit inside tables. A few other people were studying there while others brought their families to eat from campus so can get loud. No outlets on the wall.

William Bender

Unique bakery and pastry place. Good blend of variety of customers. Excellent pastries, not too sweet and friendly staff. Prices cost a little more if you eat it there versus takeout. Popular and crowded. Ex-wife's favorite place to go. Should give 4.5 stars because of price...

noman man

I like the variety of the pastry . Good prices.. would be there more often if they had Wifi, so I could do my work

Guillaume Lesueur

Our favorite spot for a sweet snack and coffee in upper Manhattan! Just try the strudel or the napoleon cake... If you want to stay, be ready to wait until a table frees up as this place is often packed.

Kris Ed

Very very nice ambiance here. Low lighting, soft music. I love that the seats are comfy and the pastries are homemade. This place is often crowded especially when school is in session! This place is also cash only so be prepared to have a lot of cash if you want to purchase items off the menu. This spot is definitely worth your time!

Stacey Meadows

Amazing local spot! If you want to get a seat you'll need to get here early, but there are plenty of nice public spaces around the church, park, and Columbia University to take your sweets to go. I LOVE the hazelnut log (no idea what its ACTUALLY called) -- we not longer live in NYC but went here daily when we did, and now go out of our way every visit to stock up on goodies.

Camilla S

It's been there forever. The pastries are better than ever. An institution for Columbia students and neighborhood folks. Many books have been written there, and their covers grace the walls. Coffee's a little bitter, but you don't go there for the coffee.

Jamila Nicholas

Cheese cake heaven. We have tried all the flavors. They are all good.

Aleksandra Jakubczak

Nice vibe for studying, chatting with a friend or anything else.

Hannah R

The cutest ever and so delicious. Very cozy, view of the cathedral. Pastry shops and cathedrals are two of my favorite things so altogether yes I recommend it highly

Roz Martin

Any good pastry shop puts STARS in mah eyes

Eric Mazariegos

best chocolate and almond croissants in the uws. this place is totally the opposite of Joe coffee on CU campus—Dark, warm cozy lighting, chill. coffee is sub par but the experience is great. perfect study spot (though no WiFi). pricing is standard.

Steven DeGracia

Amazing food and staff!

Efrain Rodriguez

The dessert and coffee is delicious!

Aria Chiodo

Classic cafe/bakery--hard to find thesr days. Inexpensive coffee in real cups (!), delicious pastries, and a low-key atmosphere of students and writers.

Adam Pierce

Coffee was best I ever had. Tables dirty. Staff extremely busy, but very nice.

Ravi Sachidanandam

hungarian delights, very rich pastries and cakes, worth a visit

Vanna Valdez

Delicious chocolate croissants, cakes and cookies.

Aydin Baltaci

Delicious bakery and desserts with unlimited coffee with St. John's majestic view opposite the street. Waiters polite and friendly.

Vidal Nikko Luchana

What a great place to go to for coffee and pastries! The customer service is perfect! I totally recommend to go here if you're checking out saint John's Cathedral.

Alaa Alali

My visit last week was very nice .. great atmosphere & pastries & is great for friends gathering

Collin Anderson

Always love coming here. The tourists don't know about this place and the pastries are amazing.

Robert Macnaughton

Across from St. John The Divine, and the pastries are divine. Love how they tie the to-go boxes up with the string from above!

Taylor Clark

Great service and food! The location is very nice too, feels cozy and perfect for people watching. Their pastries are delicious too!

Giulia Canfora

Very nice atmosphere and good selection of pastries!

Diego Chiri

Love this place

Jose Sales

Good pastries n polite and professional server thank you!

Becky Bowman

What's not to love?! The best, sweetest pastries to pair with drip coffee and outside seats.

Taylor Piske

It's always a surprise stepping off of the noisy street into the Hungarian Pastry Shop cause it's so quiet and soft in there. Nice spot to read, fairly easy to find a place to sit. Love the pastries, especially their napoleon. Coffees are wonderful as well. It's a Columbia spot - made evident by all the trendy looking students typing out papers, discussing culture, and writing their scholarly graffiti on the bathroom walls.

Jeffrey Horwitz

Nice local bakery. Popular with students. Table service available

Mikelle Young

I wanted to love this place....but the baklava just wasn’t that good. I was hoping for the best, but I’ve had better many other places. Soggy, too much nuts, just not that good. The coffee is really good though and it’s super cute on the inside. So much art. Cozy space. I think their apple pastries look better, maybe I’ll try that next time. Just missed the mark on the baklava.

Sarah Gibbs

*Cash only* Tasty pastries and coffee with a cozy atmosphere.

Charles Greene

The warm rustic shop bustling with patrons from every walk of life is enough to put me at ease. Throw in pumpkin cheesecake and a spiced apple tea and I'm sold.

Emma Flaherty

Best croissant I've ever had! Lightly crispy on the outside yet soft and expansive dough on the inside. I will definitely be going back. On top of that, the service was friendly too! **This is a cash-only place.**

Karthik Mahalingam

Great vibe. Good food. Many authors who wrote books sitting in the coffee shop. Cash only!

Merih Uctum

Popular pastry shop, delicious pastries, friendly service, usually crowded.

Murat Çolak

Great place except the grad student vibe :(

Megan Sips

Delicious coffee (i got a russian, which is espresso, hot chocolate, and whipped cream), and great pastries. I loved loved loved the raspberry tart cookie. Would definitely recommend stopping in to grab a quick sweet!

Jay Goldberg

Really cramped inside, and a persistent, annoying high-pitched wine coming from somewhere. They have air conditioning, but didn't turn it on on a hot day. A sweaty Cafe du Monde knockoff with no charm.

Yuri Faenza

A classic in the neighborhood. The yummiest croissants in NYC. Other good sweet and salty options available but nothing matches them. No wifi, cash only.

Devuroasts

Great prices, great selection, never had anything bad from here! Will keep coming back. Perfect for dessert. Get the cheesecake.

Aditya Baser

Affordable and tasty!

Aravind Thangavel

Awesome cake! But only casshhhhh :( I had to jog two blocks to get cash.

Darya Simonova

Even though it was super busy when we passed by we enjoyed the place! They have so much to choose from! I liked my cheesecake so much! But I think they should work more on poppyseeds pastry’s recipe, they far from good.. but maybe someone likes it the way it is

elena colicino

Nice Hungarian comfort food!

Ran Brosh

Charming, delicious and cheap! the whole package. The only issues are that it's small and frequently crowded, and that they only accept cash.

Ali Jafry

Amazing place, good coffee, great desserts and exceptional service. Cash only though.

David Jonas

Very nice breakfast place, tends to be crowded, sometimes hard to get a seat. If you are into savoury breakfasts this is not the place for you but if you like the sweet stuff this has really good quality stuff. Clear favourite is the croissants. They are soft and buttery and they always have this "just baked" feeling.

Stanislav Motrenko

Simply great place. Once you try it you want to come back again and again. Their cherry tart is the best!

Amber Evans

Don’t forget it’s cash only! Be prepared for it to be absolutely packed during peak morning/afternoon tea times. Can’t go wrong with any pastry or cake variety.

Rebecca McNew

I like the Russian coffee here, really yummy, but I’ve been consistently disappointed with the pastry quality. Also note that they charge more per item if you choose to-stay over to-go, so I don’t know why they expect a tip on top (?). Does get really crowded, but that’s a part of the charm.

Cecilia Finatti

Great cosy atmosphere, with lots of students on their laptops. 4 Oct 2019: Arrived at 10.30pm, and it was still crowded despite it being 15min to closing time. Nabbed a table as other people were leaving and stayed to have an almond half-circle thing which I don’t know the name of (whoops!) which tasted like Amaretto biscuits, as well as a hot chocolate (nice and warming, I think it was the version without added sugar - they asked if I wanted it with sugar) and a latte (apparently also very nice). Bought a cream cheese and cherry strudel to have at home - the cream cheese part was great, the cherry bit not quite to my liking but would appeal to people who want their cherries sweet rather than tart. 5 Oct 2019: Walked past in the morning and popped in to buy a few things to take away. I had the hot chocolate again, with sugar this time I think as it seemed a lot sweeter, still good though. Apparently the cappuccino was great except that we accidentally ordered it with sugar, which wasn’t everyone’s favourite but was our mistake. Also shared an almond croissant - I imagine that if you like croissants to be quite crunchy outside and fluffy inside this may not be your cup of tea, as the outside is relatively soft, but personally I loved it - possibly the best almond croissant I’ve ever had, with the almond paste and pastry blending together wonderfully. Quick warning that it’s cash only, but there’s a bank a block away. Food: 5/5 Ambience: 5/5 Service: 4/5

Sebastian Roldan

Literally everyone who comes to town I bring to the Hungarian pastry shop. And everyone ends up loving it. It can get a bit crowded but it’s never stressful. The desserts are always v fairly priced. The staff are always neat and attentive. I look forward to breaking many sleepy mornings and evenings at this place every time I come. Also, the almond croissants, if you catch them warm in the morning: absolutely delicious.

vidushi dwivedi

Tiny, cute place with positive vibes. Had some great menu options to choose from. Would totally recommend.

Pigin Pooh

i wasn't expecting anything. the strudel and spinach pie was good, but not wow. the coffe is Very good, but not wow. .....But 2.5 hours later i feel wonderful. the pastry and coffee are in perfect balance snd has given me a sense of elation. not high, just really pleasantly comfortable. my high stress job ussually burns through my pastry/ coffee routine in 30 min. im will be returning. hopefully this becomes part of my routine

Joseba Mendivil

Good coffee and delicious pastries. The Napoleon was specially good. Cash only though :(

Gideon Smith

Best poppy seed anything. Anywhere

Ariel Ancer

There is no better place to stop off for a great Viennese coffee and a poppy seed strudel on a Sunday morning :) Love this place to bits! Really authentic and warm pastry shop. Highly recommend! ☕