Blue Ribbon Bakery & Cafe

What to Drink:: There's a good selection of wines by the glass, handily sized at small, medium and large to accompany any kind of meal.
Know Before You Go:: This is a fully functioning bakery; you can pop in to the front of the restaurant and choose from an assortment of fresh breads at opening time, or take some home with you after a meal.
When to Go:: A special brunch menu (featuring some cute twists on staples, such as shrimp and bacon hash) is served from 11:30am to 4pm on weekends.
Brunch:: Served on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30am to 4pm.
Know Before You Go:: Sandwiches are not served during dinner service.

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User Reviews (48)

ambiance	100.0% positive	“Other pluses, cozy and romantic seating downstairs, an attractive dining room upstairs with wide open windows, a decent selection of wines by the glass and the fresh breads they make on premises.” “delicious food for every mood, great service and great location” “What a high quality New York restaurant should be -- casual atmosphere, attentive but not obsequious service, lively but not posturing atmosphere, and excellent food.” “The waiters, waitresses and hosts manage to blend prompt and attentive service with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.” “I've eaten dinner and brunch here as well - and it's always delicious, fun, great service.” “The location is also nice and quiet, like a pocket of calm in this busy city.” “The ambience is quite nice however.” “This is a romantic spot for a wintery date.” “will definitely come back here whenever I can afford it - totally recommend the basement for a party or groups who want to talk the night away and the main floor for a romantic date.” “Times Sq noise level - cozy setting” “This is a really fun cozy place in the Village.” “The seating downstairs is very very nice as well - one can actually smell the fresh scent of baked bread while eating there - since the kitchen is right there in almost plain view.”
dessert	75.0% positive	“I've enjoyed every dish I've tried at the restaurant, especially the pigeon, the catfish, and the chocolate chip bread pudding.” “The chocolate chip bread pudding is my favorite dessert in all of NYC - probably!” “The ended up taking my burger off the bill and giving us a dessert on the house - an awful banana split.” “If I were to go there again, I would just order the PROFITEROLES, three scoops of diff flavored ice cream wrapped in pastries and drizzled in chocolate---this was truly amazing.” “The chocolate bread pudding is a perfect ending to a decadent meal or the ice cream sundae which is equally naughty.” “Great food and I would definitely recommend the breads and cookies to anyone that wants to taste something yummy.” “If it was outstanding I could see it as a nice change for lunch, but the peanut butter wasn't any better than one you could buy at any grocery store and the chocolate peanut butter brownie was horrible.” “The foie gras was decent, but the desserts, especially the Banana Walnut Bread Pudding, were great.”
drinks	100.0% positive	“Especially on a hot day, the downstairs feels like a cool, candlelit castle - and they'll keep the iced tea coming.” “Other pluses, cozy and romantic seating downstairs, an attractive dining room upstairs with wide open windows, a decent selection of wines by the glass and the fresh breads they make on premises.” “Service is hitt or miss (as is the bartender) but its a great place to hang out, eat comfort food, drink wine - there's no 'scene' here (other than locals).” “The apps are good- drinks great.”
food quality	85.9000015258789% positive	“The ended up taking my burger off the bill and giving us a dessert on the house - an awful banana split.” “great food.” “They aren't kidding with the name - the fresh baked bliss they create can even be picked up on the way out to stock your own kitchen.” “The fried chicken - a whopping $25 - was bone dry and served with barely cooked collard greens.” “Their sweet bread was good.” “The seating downstairs is very very nice as well - one can actually smell the fresh scent of baked bread while eating there - since the kitchen is right there in almost plain view.” “The food here is great and the service is all right.” “If I were to go there again, I would just order the PROFITEROLES, three scoops of diff flavored ice cream wrapped in pastries and drizzled in chocolate---this was truly amazing.” “What a high quality New York restaurant should be -- casual atmosphere, attentive but not obsequious service, lively but not posturing atmosphere, and excellent food.” “The food did not disappoint - the grilled catfish & steak were really yummy, ditto for the apps.” “highly recommend the fried chicken, the batter is light and the chicken is juicy.” “had the mushroom ravioli which were very good but the striped bass was greasy and the accompanying vegatables were overcooked and soaked in butter.” “I've eaten dinner and brunch here as well - and it's always delicious, fun, great service.” “The food is always tasty and extremely filling.” “The breads are fantastic but the blue ribbon food is what keeps bringing me back.” “Despite of the nice menu and the name "bakkery", there is only one choice of sweet dish for brunch: French toasts.” “Nothing on the menu has ever disappointed -- worth explicit mention is the fried chicken, french onion soup, lamb, and french toast.” “We had the pork rilette - mediocre, but edible and the fried chicken and burger both of which should never have left the kitchen.” “I've enjoyed every dish I've tried at the restaurant, especially the pigeon, the catfish, and the chocolate chip bread pudding.” “Service is hitt or miss (as is the bartender) but its a great place to hang out, eat comfort food, drink wine - there's no 'scene' here (other than locals).” “Other pluses, cozy and romantic seating downstairs, an attractive dining room upstairs with wide open windows, a decent selection of wines by the glass and the fresh breads they make on premises.” “The wait staff is attentive and the food is prepared with fresh ingredients and well presented.” “The ravioli is amazing, so are the tongue, yellowfin, serrano ham sandwiches.” “While quite loud, the food is superb; Had the shrimp with garlic butter, and the goat cheese salad - both excellent and served by a team of very attentive waitstaff.” “was pleasantly surprised to find there wasn't a wait, the prices were not too much and the bread they give you at the table was delicious!” “Yesterday, as usual we had an extremely pleasant evening -- good service and excellent food.” “The downstairs overlooks the breadmaking and you'll notice a warm bread smell.” “The bread is fantastic and we love the chorizo and garlic shrimp appetizer and the steak frites are great comfort food.” “The chocolate bread pudding is a perfect ending to a decadent meal or the ice cream sundae which is equally naughty.” “couple of weeks ago we went to Supper in the east village and it was so bad that we got up and left and the only way to save the evening of horrible food was to go to Blue Ribbon Bakery and have at least one thing off the menu.” “The Best Fried chicken and bread pudding” “And of course the fresh baked bread, which arrives warm from baking rather than reheating.” “Great food and I would definitely recommend the breads and cookies to anyone that wants to taste something yummy.” “The food was mediocre with a small selection on the menu.” “The chocolate chip bread pudding is my favorite dessert in all of NYC - probably!” “delicious food for every mood, great service and great location” “The menu was great: tapas, cheeses, comfort dishes.” “Oh, and definitely take a trip downstairs - where you can smell the fresh baked bread!” “My wife did convince me that maybe he was having a bad night so I might go back because the food was good even the cheeses which again the tall waiter with the beard just tossed on the table and walked away without any word about them.”
menu variety	66.66999816894531% positive	“Despite of the nice menu and the name "bakkery", there is only one choice of sweet dish for brunch: French toasts.” “Nothing on the menu has ever disappointed -- worth explicit mention is the fried chicken, french onion soup, lamb, and french toast.” “Sure the breads are great, and the menu extensive, but in general the preparation is fairly boring and the taste mediocre.” “couple of weeks ago we went to Supper in the east village and it was so bad that we got up and left and the only way to save the evening of horrible food was to go to Blue Ribbon Bakery and have at least one thing off the menu.” “The menu was great: tapas, cheeses, comfort dishes.” “Their menu selections are exquisite.” “also wish their brunch menu was a bit more extensive” “The food was mediocre with a small selection on the menu.” “Other pluses, cozy and romantic seating downstairs, an attractive dining room upstairs with wide open windows, a decent selection of wines by the glass and the fresh breads they make on premises.”
overall	100.0% positive	“Still a nice place, though!” “My favorite restaurant for dinner!” “Service is hitt or miss (as is the bartender) but its a great place to hang out, eat comfort food, drink wine - there's no 'scene' here (other than locals).”
return potential	100.0% positive	“My wife did convince me that maybe he was having a bad night so I might go back because the food was good even the cheeses which again the tall waiter with the beard just tossed on the table and walked away without any word about them.” “If I were to go there again, I would just order the PROFITEROLES, three scoops of diff flavored ice cream wrapped in pastries and drizzled in chocolate---this was truly amazing.” “will definitely come back here whenever I can afford it - totally recommend the basement for a party or groups who want to talk the night away and the main floor for a romantic date.”
service	78.5699987411499% positive	“Don't waste your money here unless you like grudging service provided by a self-absorbed waiter in a small, noisy space!” “While quite loud, the food is superb; Had the shrimp with garlic butter, and the goat cheese salad - both excellent and served by a team of very attentive waitstaff.” “But the worst was the service.” “bad waiter” “Had something to eat there last night and in twenty years of eating out in New York I never experienced such bad service.” “The staff is amazing and super friendly.” “The space was cramped, the server was slow and seemed almost annoyed that our group of 7 was even in the restaurant.” “Wines by the glass are lovely and if possible sit upstairs so you can watch the beautiful people pass by (windows, windows, windows).” “What a high quality New York restaurant should be -- casual atmosphere, attentive but not obsequious service, lively but not posturing atmosphere, and excellent food.” “Restaurants owe the people who support their business accurate time estimates so they can plan their night accordingly, especially in the west village where there tons of great alternatives.” “I've eaten dinner and brunch here as well - and it's always delicious, fun, great service.” “Our waiter was great and very attentive - I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a group brunch!” “delicious food for every mood, great service and great location” “The staff is surly, service is slow, the owner shouts orders to waiters across the place.” “Worst of all was our waiter.” “The food here is great and the service is all right.” “Yesterday, as usual we had an extremely pleasant evening -- good service and excellent food.” “and this "nice" waiter after I told him the number of people simply replied: "we don't handle this kind of numbers" and just hanged on me.” “Service is hitt or miss (as is the bartender) but its a great place to hang out, eat comfort food, drink wine - there's no 'scene' here (other than locals).” “Our waiter treated us like a big inconvenience despite our early dining hour and that the place was nearly empty when we sat down.” “Sometimes the service is good, sometimes it's not.” “Blue Ribbon looks, smells and tastes great with awesome service.” “Service was alright - not too bad but one wishes that the wait staff could be a tad bit more friendly.” “My friend and I looked at each other surprised how nonchalant the staff was about this horrible service they just gave us.” “The waiters, waitresses and hosts manage to blend prompt and attentive service with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.” “The wait staff is attentive and the food is prepared with fresh ingredients and well presented.” “They have a really cool private room that would seat about 8-13 people I would guess.” “My wife did convince me that maybe he was having a bad night so I might go back because the food was good even the cheeses which again the tall waiter with the beard just tossed on the table and walked away without any word about them.”
value	80.0% positive	“little expensive, but the neighbourhood is charming.” “Nothing on the menu has ever disappointed -- worth explicit mention is the fried chicken, french onion soup, lamb, and french toast.” “Don't waste your money here unless you like grudging service provided by a self-absorbed waiter in a small, noisy space!” “was pleasantly surprised to find there wasn't a wait, the prices were not too much and the bread they give you at the table was delicious!” “Wonderful breads and the price can't be beat.”
wait time	0.0% positive	“The space was cramped, the server was slow and seemed almost annoyed that our group of 7 was even in the restaurant.” “The staff is surly, service is slow, the owner shouts orders to waiters across the place.”

05/14/12

the chef made us clean the floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I recently visited this place for lunch, with a friend visiting from Brazil and her 2 year old son. We arrived in between shifts, lunch and dinner. After the waitress took our order, she left and did not even mention her shift was over. No one was there to take care of our table. The waitress had suggested the kids menu for options for my friend's son. We took her advice and ordered fries and chicken nuggets for her son, but the size of the dish was so big, that the order size was even bigger than what it would be for an adult dish. We ordered three dishes in total and the food was so mediocre we could not even finish it. Her son started feeling nauseated and stopped eating. He drank a cup of juice and his stomach got upset and so he let it out, no more than a cup of juice, on the floor. He started crying and my friend took him to the downstairs bathroom so he could get cleaned up. Meanwhile, someone finally came to our table and I explained the baby was not feeling so good, and I apologized for the, seriously, tiny mess. He left and did not say anything. The chef comes from downstairs and they talk for a minute. The chef comes over and asks "what happened?" and I say: "He was not feeling so good". He says: "Well, I can see that!", in the most condescending way. He then leaves. My friend comes back and her son is calmed down. The chef comes back with a red bucket and rags and says: "Here is some sanitizer and you can clean the floor with this". He made my friend clean the floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never seen anything like that in NYC!!!!!!!!!! Or anywhere else, for that matter. Completely UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!! I have lived in this city for over 12 years, and have been to many restaurants, here and all over the world, and I was never treated with such disrespect. Please do not go to this place, the food is mediocre, extremely overpriced, service is non-existant and you risk experiencing a very humiliating episode. I will spread this review and I am telling this event to as many NYers I know, so to prevent this from happening again. This is a horrible restaurant experience and people need to know about this so something can be done.

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06/01/10

Fantastic!!

by tzsilversmith

I come here at least once a week, so I think I owe a review. Both the food and the ambiance keep me coming back. Blue Ribbon looks, smells and tastes great with awesome service. I've never felt rushed even though it can get kind of busy. The chocolate bread pudding is one of the best things I've ever eaten... highly recommend!!

Pros: Great food, great service
Cons: Can be expensive,

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05/24/10

Only passable

by NYCreviewerToo

We finally went to Blue Ribbon Bakery. I had read so much hype about this place over the years. Maybe the Bromberg brothers are getting stretched too thin with their growing food empire? But whatever is going on, the place was a huge disappointment. The food was lackluster at best. The grilled catfish was overspiced and had weird thready things in it. The lamb was overdone and there wasn't much of it. But the worst was the service. Talk about a real bummer. Our waiter treated us like a big inconvenience despite our early dining hour and that the place was nearly empty when we sat down. I don't know, maybe we weren't hip or cool enough? Who knows, who cares. There were plenty of tourists filling the place by the time we left. So be forewarned. And remember that there are so many other places to try in NYC. Don't waste your money here unless you like grudging service provided by a self-absorbed waiter in a small, noisy space!

Pros: Fun space
Cons: Crummy service, lack luster food

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02/07/10

Best Brunch in the City

by Austy

This is a really fun cozy place in the Village. The breads are fantastic but the blue ribbon food is what keeps bringing me back. The french toast may be the best thing I ever ate.

Pros: great varied menu

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02/27/09

Consistently great

by mar933

I've never left this place disappointed. Yesterday, as usual we had an extremely pleasant evening -- good service and excellent food. Their menu selections are exquisite. Duck confit yesterday was great. I love their combinations -- how flavors complement each other. Excellent atmosphere and decor. Looking forward to going back.

Blue Ribbon Bakery & Cafe

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05/14/12

the chef made us clean the floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by aletiza

06/01/10

Fantastic!!

by tzsilversmith

05/24/10

Only passable

by NYCreviewerToo

02/07/10

Best Brunch in the City

by Austy

02/27/09

Consistently great

by mar933

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