Levain Bakery — Restaurant in New York

We live in central New York. Yesterday, we took a day trip to the city for our 14 year old’s birthday. He has been asking to visit for some time & is obsessed with New York City. This was a dream come true for our son. We dipped into this little bakery, that we have heard others rave about. Everything we heard was true - gigantic, delicious, warm gooey cookies (even gluten free for two of us!!). But beyond the impeccable cookies, we were even more taken with that the people serving us. One in particular, named Jackie, went out of her way to interact with our son (who has an intellectual disability), welcoming him to New York City, asking him his name, & then upon learning it was his birthday, gifting him a free cookie & sticker! It honestly meant the world to us, as at times, the world can be a cruel place for our boy as others misunderstand the different way in which he is wired. It was the highlight of our entire trip, & something our son will always remember. This morning we are still talking about Jackie, who did not have to do this - this was above & beyond her job, but in doing so, gifted the kindest, most wonderful few moments to our son. Several other people behind the counter, upon hearing her interaction, also wished our son a happy birthday, as well as the kind woman at the door helping facilitate people inside & outside of the bakery. Yes, go for the cookies, they are everything you’ve heard they are, but even more, go for the humanity. Lavain bakery is full of good,...

I was invited to a party and decided to bring two of each cookie from Levain Bakery, and let me tell you—they were an absolute hit! From the Fall Chocolate Chunk Cookie to the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie, everyone couldn’t stop raving about them. The rich, buttery texture and generous portions of chocolate and other delicious mix-ins made them the best dessert of the night, hands down.

The Fall Chocolate Chunk Cookie was a warm, autumn delight with just the right amount of chocolatey goodness, perfect for the season. The Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie was the perfect balance of gooey chocolate and crunchy walnuts, making it a crowd favorite. For the dark chocolate lovers at the party, the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie was a dream come true—dense, fudgy, and intensely flavorful.

Even the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie received rave reviews for its chewy, hearty texture, with the natural sweetness of the raisins shining through. But the real showstopper for many was the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie, offering a perfect sweet-salty combo that had guests reaching for seconds.

Each cookie was indulgent, rich, and satisfying, with the kind of quality that only Levain Bakery can deliver. Everyone at the party unanimously agreed—these cookies stole the show and were by far the best dessert of the night. I couldn’t have asked for a better...

A place that receives a lot of love for their cookies is Levain Bakery on 74th Street and Amsterdam. This is a tiny little place with a queue of awaiting customers, eager to pick up giant cookies for which Levain has achieved some fame. Opening hours are 9am to 7pm (Mon-Sat) and 9am to 7pm (Sun).

We joined the queue outside the shop around 9.15am. There were around 5-6 people outside the shop. It moved at a fair pace as orders are fulfilled rather quickly. Inside, you find a tiny retail counter, wall and window counter and a few stools. Its quite crowded within so we, like most patrons, decided to buy and enjoy our cookie on the way to Central Park a few avenues east of Levain Bakery.

Cookies are quite large and cost $4 each. We decided to try the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookie. In short this was a richly flavoured chocolate sugar bomb! Tasted similar to Ghirardelli brownies but with traditional cookie form and soft, barely baked centre. We found the taste nice but too sweet and the texture too gooey for our liking. Would have preferred another few minutes in the oven at least.

In the end, more a consequence of our personal tastes and preferences, the chocolate cookie wasn't not really for us! However, we were glad that we tried. No doubt others will very much enjoy what the cookies...