City Bakery
New York, NY 10011
Phone: (212) 366-1414
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- Directions:
- F at 14th St; N, R, W, Q, L, 4, 5, 6 at 14th St-Union Sq
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 7:30am-7pm, Sat 7:30am-6pm, Sun 9am-6pm
Editorial Review for City Bakery – by Kevin McDonnell
The Scene
This vast, incredibly popular Flatiron super-bakery is the sort of institution where people have no shame about approaching you to ask, "Are you leaving soon?" Sunday morning brunches are as crowded as an uptown 6 train during rush hour: a mad jumble of Prada bags, baby strollers and fierce body-to-body jockeying for open seats. An observant few find refuge on a balcony at the room's rear.
The Food
For its baked goods alone--the wonderfully salty, soft-on-the-inside pretzel croissants, the moist cheese Danishes, the textbook lemon and chocolate tarts--City Bakery would be worth a trip. But what puts the eatery in a class of its own is its global array of buffet salads and entrees. Typical choices include breaded catfish, black peas with kaffir lime and salads like jasmine rice with sweet preserved beans and Thai basil. When it's cold, steaming mugs of hot chocolate are served with or without a homemade marshmallow.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
User Reviews for City Bakery
06/16/2008 Posted by Periodictable
My long, long love affair with City Bakery is almost over. I started going shortly after they opened the old place closer to Union Square, what?, ten years ago. I've eaten at CB, on average, once a week for ten years. But over the last year or so, I've slowed down to once a month. Pretty soon, I'm going to move on. What made CB so special for last ten years? First, their close association with the Green Market at Union Sq. CB was my Green Market classroom. I'd eat at CB to see what was new and wonderful at the Green Market and then head straight to the market to buy what I'd just eaten. I learned a lot. Second, the staff at CB was always very professional, educated, and friendly. The freshest employee would serve my coffee with a smile and my questions about the food were always answered with verve. Sure, it was tricky to eat on a budget at CB but the price wasn't so bad since I felt at home there. In the last two years or so, the staff has turned sour. Sure, there are still a few wonderful people working there but--and I can point to several specific staff members--questions are no longer tolerated and nothing is served with a smile. Kids used to be welcomed, now they are barely tolerated. If management is reading this, I suggest a very simple test: Send someone down the line with a medium size order and have them ask for a tray. Count the number of times they have to ask for a tray. See if the tray is clean. Look for anything resembling a smile or a kind word when the tray is handed over. It's a very, very simple thing but, IME, you have to ask a minimum of three times for a tray, it's always handed over with a frown, and half the time it's dirty. I have no idea who is responsible for managing the servers/cashiers but it's clearly time to clean house if CB is going to stay in business. Really nice food just doesn't make up for rude and unprofessional staff.
06/04/2008 Posted by plat18k
I go to City Bakery every time I go to New York, and though the staff has become more & more rude each time, I've never been disappointed by the food. My friends & I found it by mistake, had no idea of any hot chocolate hype. In fact I think I usually get a mochacino, so it's a good balance; the heavy hot chocolate with the coffee. The breakfast with the granola, yogurt, fruit and mini bagels is really a great value IMHO; I want to say I've never paid over 8 bucks for breakfast, including the coffee. Sad to see such bad reviews, honestly. Hopefully management reads the reviews and does something about it...
Users Like You Also Viewed
Lunetta
920 Broadway
New York, NY 10010
Central Park--Wollman Rink
59th St and 6th Ave
New York, NY 10019
