Levain. The OG of Bakeries.

Levain. Don't let the small space fool you. This place is legit!

Whelp friends, I finally did it. I went to Levain Bakery.

And it was amazing.

Living downtown in the financial district, I'm not oft on the Upper West Side, so really I hadn't found a good excuse to stop off at this infamous baked goods emporium. Today was the day I found a good excuse. I had signed up to do some volunteering this morning up on the UWS and decided to treat myself for a productive Sunday. I hopped off the 1 and walked east down 74th through the sleeting rain, hoping that my trek was worth braving the horrendous weather.

Levain is tiny, located on the north side of 74th between Broadway and Columbus; in fact I would've missed the door if it hadn't been for the crowd of people huddling outside. I walked down the steps into a tiny vestibule with a counter, the scent of heavenly baked goods wafting all around. I almost became dizzy with the smell of the treats, but focused once I realized how serious the customers* are. You either order or get out of the way. No hemming or hawing allowed! I let my eyes pick from the display and went for the double chocolate peanut butter chip cookie (which was more like a mound than flat cookie) and a Valrhona chocolate roll. My server asked if I would like the roll heated up, however I was venturing back downtown so decided to hold off, a very difficult decision indeed!

*I am happy to note that while the customers may be uber serious, the staff at Levain are both friendly and patient. I was very impressed, considering the large crowd and minuscule space!

Once home, I took the advice and heated up the chocolate roll. The bread itself was fresh and tasty with the Valrhona chocolate inside deliciously sweet. Next, a half of the double chocolate peanut butter chip cookie. Wow. I honestly am baffled how Levain is able to keep the whole mound of dough moist, not too soft, and with just the right amount of hardness on the outside! Food chemistry and taste excellence.

Double chocolate pb chip cookie to the left; Valrhona chocolate roll to the right

All in all, I am so glad I finally stopped off to Levain. Not only did it cheer up an extremely gloomy day in NYC, but also made my tummy oh-so-happy!

Levain Bakery
167 W74th St
New York, NY 
10023
212-874-6080