Levain Bakery — Restaurant in New York

Today we went on a cookie hunt. I have wanted to experience the Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie for more than two years. We were coming from the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn and it took almost an hour wading through traffic to get to Levain. I was expecting a huge bakery with tons of bake goods. Not So. This is a tiny shop with an exposed bakery in the back.

The Levain cookie has been rated by many as the number one Chocolate Chip Cookie in the USA. I was finally here. The counter was small with about 20My at most items on display. I looked at the cookies and they were not at all what I expected. They looked like cookie cake. They were a bit over $5 each. I thought, "This better be good" I ordered 4 different cookies and a loaf of bread. There were 3 tables and we sat down. My Godson opened the box with my 7-year-old granddaughter watching carefully. We decided to divide each cookie. As I took the bite was I calculating in my mind what was taking place. There was a high-end rich chocolate flavor with a crunch and a cookie dough-type interior. This perfectly baked and ingenious masterpiece took a few moments to fully appreciate. This is everything a chocolate chip cookie wants to be and so much more. There was so much chocolate that my granddaughter managed to get it all over herself which she really enjoyed. These are very rich cookies and not to sugary. It is such a perfect balance.

4 hours later we were back home and the others began to taste the 4 samples. The cookies held up well and tasted as good as when we bought them. It was interesting to hear their reactions. My granddaughter who is 13 and loves Crumbl did not know what to think. Her first reaction was loyalty to Crumbl. However, she returned to the box looking for more. I think that Levain is not about trends or throwing a whole bunch of different items at you. They are about one very focused item and they have mastered that very well. I think to really appreciate Levain, you have to have tried a lot of cookies, understand baking and have a deep appreciation for high-end chocolate and ingredients.

This was well worth an hour trip. I will return. Their bread was also very chewy and delicious. The counter staff was so friendly and helpful.

Thank you so much for making our cookie hunt...

Title: "Mixed Experience at Levain Bakery, Williamsburg"

Review:

I visited Levain Bakery in Williamsburg around 4:30 pm today, primarily eager to indulge in my favorite Chocolate Chips Brioche. However, to my disappointment, none was available for purchase while they had a sample on display. Instead, I opted for an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and a Walnut Cookie Roll.

Unfortunately, both cookies were excessively sweet for my liking. The Oatmeal Raisin Cookie's texture was commendable, but the overwhelming sweetness overshadowed its potential. The Walnut Cookie Roll, whose exact name I regrettably can't recall due to no receipt being provided, was similarly too sugary.

In addition to the cookies, I ordered a small cappuccino. The espresso used was overpoweringly strong, detracting from the overall balance of the drink. Moreover, the cappuccino was served lukewarm, lacking any delightful hints of chocolate, fruit, or nut flavors that usually make a cappuccino special. The steamed milk lacked the desired sweetness and rich milky aroma, leaving no memorable aftertaste.

On a positive note, the service was efficient despite the store being busy. The cleanliness of the premises was impressive. Price-wise, the items were reasonably tagged, but it's worth mentioning that the bakery doesn't offer reduced sugar or sugar-free options, which would have been appreciated.

In summary, while the quick service and cleanliness were pluses, the unavailability of my favorite Chocolate Chips Brioche was my biggest disappointment. This deficiency, combined with the overly sweet cookies and the subpar cappuccino, made my visit less enjoyable than anticipated. It's a decent bakery, but the lack of product availability and beverage quality were...

I’ve been a huge fan of Levain Bakery since I was a student and one of the best things about living and going to school on the Upper West Side was that there were two Levains - one on the UWS and one in Harlem. Since then several locations have opened up across Manhattan and they finally opened up a location in Brooklyn last week. Since we happened to be there we checked out the new location and we were pleasantly surprised to see that there was no line because there is usually a long line at all of the locations in Manhattan.

Levain has several types of cookies, but their chocolate chip walnut cookies have been my favorite in the city since I first tried them over ten years ago. Recently, however, a couple of people told me I had to try the award-winning chocolate chip cookie from Culture Espresso and compare that with Levain’s new “Two Chip Chocolate Chip Cookie” that doesn’t have the walnuts because it wouldn’t be fair to compare the Culture Espresso chocolate chip cookies to Levain’s chocolate chip walnut cookies. I tried the “Two Chip” and while both cookies are really good I think it all comes down to how much chocolate you want in your cookie. The chocolate chip cookie from Culture Espresso (third pic) has a perfect chocolate to cookie ratio of 50:50 whereas Levain’s “Two Chip” (second pic) is heavier on the chocolate. That said, Levain’s chocolate chip walnut cookie is still...