Ferrara Bakery & Cafe

Come here for their PASTRIES: ie. Cannolis, cakes, lobster tail, cream puffs, etc. YES. They DO live up to the hype. Their cream puffs and cannolis are better than venieros IMO.
DO NOT COME HERE FOR: cookies (including rainbow). They’re terrible.
And the cookie platters are weighted per pound but you’ll find that there are Ferrara candies on the platter as well (for weight?!) instead of cookies. NO. JUST NO.
Have fun dodging all the indecisive tourists too! Definitely not the place to be if you’re in a time crunch. The lines get longgggggg.

4 stars for the chocolate gelato and the cream puff (the filling is delish)
2.5 stars for the strawberry fruit tart
5 stars for the original CANNOLI! Holy cannoli that thing was delish!!! I would definitely come back for the cannolis and to try more of the pastries/​tarts.

After dinner, we strolled through Little Italy. There was a street festival commencing– The Feast of San Gennaro, as the rain had finally let up! Friends led us to a ‘pasticceria’ for dessert. Again, with the sweet tooth… but I must say this was the best cheesecake I had ever had. It was a perfect buttery, crumb crust; the consistency of the cheese was lush and velvety, and the strawberries were full and fresh. Heather had a trio of mini desserts and it was very presentable– she also seemed happy with the taste. Here’s a little tidbit of info– Ferrara’s is America’s First Espresso Bar, as it opened in 1892! They had a wide selection of take home items– canoli, biscotti, chocolate covered things, truffles, and more. If you’re already having dinner in Little Italy there’s no reason why you shouldn’t stop at Ferrara!

I don’t know, part of me thinks I’m being a little harsh with the one star. On the other hand, I just wouldn’t come back here and I wouldn’t recommend the place to anyone. Me and my boyfriend came in on a weeknight and the place was pretty much empty, as were most of the restaurants we had passed. We ordered tea and an espresso martini, as well as a mini cannoli, mini napoleon, and mini tiramisu.
The «martini» was hands down the best thing we had, really tasty and I’m usually not a chocolate person, but it was nice. Not too sweet, not too rich. The napoleon was the worst I’ve ever had. I hate to say it so bluntly, but it was. The frosting wasn’t sweet enough and wasn’t as hard as it should have been, while the flaky dough was sort of on stale side (to be fair, it was late). The cannoli was similarly lackluster, the tiramisu was the best item of the three but not great.
The service was also odd. Our waiter asked my boyfriend some questions/​made some comments about his appearance, which was far from outlandish. It wasn’t rude just… unnecessary I guess I would say.
The atmosphere is cute, like Little Italy itself. If you’re a tourist passing through and need some coffee it’s a cute little place to stop into.

We were walking the streets of New York and tried Unilocaling a dessert place for some coffee. This appeared as the first choice and had a lot of great reviews. I heard it was also on one of the Food Network series so I was very excited to give it a try. The first thing I noticed when walking in was that it had a very Disneyland-​esque feel. I felt like I walked into a store on Main Street USA. There was a glass case filled with desserts and walls filled with décor. We got sat right away and I ordered a Decaf Almond Latte. I haven’t tried an almond flavored latte before and had very high hopes. I also ordered a Napoleon pastry. Both were outstanding and delicious. I wish this restaurant was near the big city instead of being tucked away in the suburbs. I can not wait to bring people here so they can try it out as well!

Despite the encroachment of Chinatown shops on Little Italy, this age-​old Italian soldiers on. The sparklingly clean and bright interior is welcoming despite the movie-​set vibe. However, as you browse the tempting treats in the glass cases, your resistance will melt like a dish of gelato in a hot NYC summer. Their sfogliatella is among the best around and their biscotti always reminds me of my mother’s. That’s a compliment, by the way.
I like to grab a cappuccino and pastry and sit for a while. This is a great people watching spot so I nurse my coffee and enjoy the eclectic mix of customers. Tourists mingle with regulars here and the place survives because they deliver both tasty treats and a unique experience.
In the warmer months, they have a gelato stand on the street. I find it impossible to pass by without grabbing some. It’s really good.
Prices are a little high but reflect both the quality and the unique experience.
Get your nascent Soprano on, stop in and have a cannoli and espresso. You’ll thank me later.

Bestest Italian bakery in this area. Vintage décor, warm service (not like Rocco, which was already blacklisted by me), clean sitting area and restroom, password-​free Wifi… and finally, best cannoli I’ve ever tasted. Even better than Rocco’s.
Also tried a course of hazelnut-​based gelato dessert, which was absolutely delish! The whipped cream was very light and not too sweet.
Will definitely come back for a delicious cannoli again!

Holy cannoli! The chocolate covered cannoli with ricotta mixed with mini chocolate chips is the best dang cannoli I have ever had. The shell is perfectly coated with chocolate and crispy. The ricotta has the right amount of creaminess with some mini chocolate chips but it’s not overloaded with sweetness.
We also got a lobster tail which must have weighed a pound or two as it was so dense. It’s shaped like a lobster tail but the pastry looks flakey but is a lot harder than a croissant. It is also filled with a ton of delicious custard and dusted with powdered sugar.
The line for to go orders is long but tends to go by kind of quickly. $ 10 for the two pastries. This and the halal cart were the highlights of our NYC trip.

Estávamos em um grupo de nove pessoas e entramos neste restaurante por acaso, pois estávamos com fome, com calor, cansados e sem WiFi. :-)
Foi uma ótimas surpresa. Pedimos as duas pizzetas e alguns paninis. Todos foram elogiados.
Fomos atendidos inicialmente por uma italiana muito simpática.

Le meilleur café de la ville, je né parle de Little Italia, je parle de New York, voir des Etats — Unis. Dans cette boutique tout est bon l’expresso à l’italienne au biscuit d’importation italienne. Il y a une tout petite terrasse à l’entrée déguster son petit café.

Perfect pistachio and straciatella ice cream!

Une magnifique boulangerie italienne à l’entrée de la rue de la Little Italia, de vrai biscuit italien et un vrai café italien, et sur une petite terrasse au bord de la Little Italia, un vrai plaisir, probablement la meilleur boulangerie tee-​room de la ville.

Was die Amis bekanntermaßen ja überhaupt nicht hinbekommen ist trinkbarer Kaffee.
Aber zum Glück gibt es in NYC, Little Italy und dort Ferrara, eine Top italienische Pasticceria mit Café. Am Morgen um acht, wenn der Laden aufmacht ist er schön leer.
Die reservierte Bedienung ist extrem auf Zack und bereits auf Vollauslastung getaktet.
Photo link:
Ferrara Erdgeschoss 8am
Photo link:
Ferrara Pinienkern-​Maggrönsche Cantuccini Espresso

Love the authentic Italians décor and the even more authentic Pastries. My all time favorite is their lobster tail filled with cream and topped with confectionary sugar. It’s to die for!