Insider Pages Reviews for Ferrara Bakery & Cafe

4 Stars: GOOD (by thegooddevlin)

thegooddevlin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

we got to go a piece of cheesecake, canolli's,and a fruit tarte..
very good wonder if they can ship cheesecakes out?

3 Stars: A classic place in dire need of attention (by thewhitetiger)

thewhitetiger — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:00:00 GMT

This used to be THE spot for an after meal in little Italy.
What happened???
I understand that we went there late (11pm), but they were still open, so there were no excuses.
The place was busy but not packed. Even though they were plenty of tables for 4 empty, we were told to wait by a hostess with an attitude.
After a couple of minutes we were seated, and a waiter pretty much threw the menus on the table without stopping.
It took a long time for our waiter to show up, and when it did, we couldnt help but noticing how dirty his uniform was, it looked like he had been wrestling on the floor with the other waiters, who looked equaly disheveled and dirty. His attitude wasn?t much better.
After that it took him 3 trips to the kitchen and a 5 minute span to bring 4 desserts and 4 coffees?
For a pricey place, with the amount of history Ferrara has, my expectations were different. I'll guess it will be a while before we return

2 Stars: Ferrara Bakery & Cafe is good for tourists (by Patti W.)

Patti W. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:48:00 GMT

Good desert and great location but usually very long line ups. It is expensive but is a well known touristy thing to do if you are a tourist - a NY experience but not worth it for a local.

5 Stars: Are you sure you went to the right Ferraras? (by ams735)

ams735 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:00:00 GMT

Ferrara Bakery and Cafe has given my family and I great memories through the years. I think that it has come such a long way incorporating the very same traditions from years ago when I used to go when I was a child with my parents to today taking my family there after a dinner in Little Italy to enjoy some pastry, espresso or gelato. When going to Ferrara?s I always receive good service along with the excellent food and great atmosphere that they have to offer. From the second that you enter the establishment you are greeted with the fine aroma of the great pastry that is offered along with being treated as a very welcomed guest by the courteous staff. Some of our favorites that we cant live without, not only having one while we sit but taking a few home to enjoy the next week are the cannoli?s, lobster tails, tiramisu, and New York cheesecake that is out of this world. Even to my surprise it seems the prices have been slightly lowered during this hard time! I would suggest Ferrara Bakery and Cafe to anyone that is interested in experiencing the best of the best in food and service!

5 Stars: I Recommend Ferrara to all of your friends and family! (by itstime4bed)

itstime4bed — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:00:00 GMT

Absolutely awesome! Best pastry that i have had in a long time and reminds me of my childhood and when my family and i used to go to Italy for the summers. I would recommend Ferrara Bakery and cafe to anyone that is interested in the experience of the find foods and the history that this establishment has to offer. I recently rented out the room that they have to offer on the second floor for an office party and the staff besides being as courteous as they were worked well with my needs and tried to accommodate everything that I needed. The Cannoli?s, chocolate covered and regular are out of this world and I can never seem to get enough of them! The decor is beautiful and I feel that the staff compliments it nicely! After the many great experiences that I have had there, we chose to order my daughters sweet sixteen cake there and came out exactly the way we expected! The office staff and staff downstairs wanted to make sure that my experience with Ferrara was one that was memorable and I want to make sure that people know where to go when looking for the freshest pastries around!

1 Stars: Don't be fooled by the nice decor (by Drw352)

Drw352 — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Can't stand this place. My first experience coming to this place was so-so and I came in with my friends a couple nights ago because they wanted to try it and were greeted with snobbish, pretentious people- presumably the owners of the place. The staff was nice of course. We bought a variety of about 10 pastries from them and was utterly disappointed. They were stale and the flavors were mediocre. There are better patisseries! Don't be fooled with the nice decor.

5 Stars: Love the Tiramisu!!! hands down the best italian bakery in NYC...best St. Joseph pastries in town (by nan8986)

nan8986 — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:00:00 GMT

I love this place. I have been going to Ferrara's for over 20 years. I purchased my wedding cake from them and every year I get a replica of my wedding cake for my anniversary. I get all my birthday and special cakes from them. Their strawberry shortcake is great! The item i like the most is their TIRAMISU it is the best i have ever had. during the holidays they make struffoli, pasteria, and pizza rustica which i ship to my family in California. I can't wait until they start making their St. Joseph Pastries which are to die for i love the one that is filled with bavarian cream...delicious!!!!

5 Stars: great Italian landmark! (by aerogal619)

aerogal619 — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Hands down, the BEST cheesecake I have ever had. So creamy, with a delicate crust and perfect sweet strawberries. I took some biscotti home and wasnt disappointed with that either! Great desserts, beautiful and unique pastries. Table service is fine, but the line at the counter is long and slow.

1 Stars: Not good (by Vanessa K.)

Vanessa K. — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:22:00 GMT

Everything looked good. Service was good. My friend and I each tried one of the cakes. Though they were presented well, they were tasteless--almost like prepackaged supermarket varieties. It was very disappointing to both of us.To top it off, the bill (with tip) came to $34. For my half, I literally paid $17 for a piece of cake with a scoop of gelato, I was disgusted.I got a much better dessert at HK restaurant in Hell's Kitchen last week, and it was half the price. I'd never go back here.

4 Stars: Best Lobster Tails!! (by cafecritic)

cafecritic — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Lobster tails are crispy with a wonderfull yellow cream filling, crispiest on a cool dry day. Not the best cannoli I have tasted the most authentic are found in the Bensonhurst, Brooklyn area similar to what you would find in Sicily. Coconut macaroons are delicious.

3 Stars: Great Espresso, Mediocre Dessert (by leparisienne)

leparisienne — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:00:00 GMT

This bakery has every baked good imaginable, except it was somewhat disappointing. I had an eclair which tasted fine but the texture of the filling and the puff pastry was dense and stale. My friends loved their cannoli, and lobster tail. Again, the filling and pastry taste fine but the texture seemed day-old. It seemed they froze the items and defrosted them but not long enough. The taste is there but who can enjoy a rock hard eclair. At least the baristas cranked out the boldest espresso outside of Italy. The take out line often winds out the door on the weekends, but cafe seating is plentiful.

5 Stars: The best cheesecake in NYC (by rachel2605)

rachel2605 — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Stopped off here for cheesecake and hot chocolate and it was well worth it. Great atmosphere, good service and beautiful food and drinks.

5 Stars: the #1 place i take good friends for great desserts (by magyd)

magyd — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Ferrara's is my absolute favorite place to go for italian desserts. Above all, I love their tiramisu. It has the most perfectly balanced flavors, and it has never been anything but excellent. Another favorite of mine is the chocolate truffle cake, which is VERY rich, but if you love dark chocolate, it is absolutely fabulous. The cake is less like cake & more like a chunk of rich, velvety chocolate and it is amazing. Their cheesecake is also something I highly recommend. I have taken many many friends to Ferrara's & they have never been disappointed by either the food or the drinks. The service there is fairly good, and I have never had any problems there at all. Sometimes there is a long line to get seated (sometimes the line is longer for take-out) & it will stretch outside & down the block a little ways. That only tends to happen on weekends during holiday times when a lot of tourists are in the city. So it might not be the best thing to do if you're short on time, but otherwise, it's worth it!

5 Stars: The Best Desserts! (by Nicole A.)

Nicole A. — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:48:00 GMT

A huge selection of great desserts! Everything I tasted was delicious! The atmosphere was nice and everthing was immaculate.
Would definitely reccomend to anyone!

4 Stars: good place to stop for coffee (by sortmon)

sortmon — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 02:00:00 GMT

we stopped by on saturday to get out of the ugly weather. the place was pretty big and looked a lot like veneiros (or any other italian bakery), with mirrored walls, fake marble-inset tables, & dark wooden furniture. theres also a loooong refrigerated glass cabinet in the front filled with cakes, cookies, tarts, and whatever artery-clogging sweet that you may desire.

we opted to split the plate of 3 mini-pastries (your choice, $6.95). we chose the eclair, cannoli, and sfogiatella. im actually not a fan of italian pastries since they tend to be cold and sort of dry, but i think that these were above average. the cannoli filling was not too sweet and the shell was thin and crispy. the eclair filling was smooth and creamy. the sfogiatella pastry was flaky, but the proportion of shell to filling was too high.

i also ordered the house coffee (~$3). it came in a bulb dispenser and was piping hot. the coffee was great strong and not burnt or bitter. my friend that had the double espresso seemed to like her drink a lot as well.

service is decent. our waiter was slightly condescending (maybe because he thought we were tourists like the majority of their patrons), but he did what we asked so no real complaints there.

4 Stars: Ferrara's (by Carrie K.)

Carrie K. — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 20:19:00 GMT

This place is really popular in Little Italy as well as Chinatown itself. It's so popular that you have to wait for something as small as a pastry or a cake or ice cream or coffee. But, if it's the atmosphere that you're into checking out, this is definitely one of the spots you should go to. It's very nice and has a huge billboard outside that makes it look like a fancy restaurant rather than a bakery.

5 Stars: Holy Cannoli - better service earlier in the day..... (by laurcat)

laurcat — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

I've been buying cannoli's and cheesecake from Ferrara's for years- they are the best- not too sweet and not too cheap, but, worth every pennie. On a recent trip, my boyfriend bought 4 cheesecakes to share with family and friends because the 2 we bought there a few months ago went so fast! We've had lunch there and enjoyed the pannini's and cappuccino. While I can agree the place has become a "tourist trap," it's because they are consistent in the high quality of their food and they've been in the same place for decades. The service may not always be as good as some of the other Little Italy restaurants, but, it's a place people go to relax and have coffee and dessert, not for a 4-star meal. We like to go Sunday morning or afternoon when it's not as crowded as Saturday night. We live in Baltimore where we have our own "Little Italy" with a very nice pastry shop called Vaccaros- but, every few months we travel to NYC because the cannoli's and NY cheesecake at Ferrara's are exceptional.

4 Stars: classic touristy Italian bakery in NY (by Sarah C.)

Sarah C. — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 16:09:00 GMT

Ferrara Bakery & Cafe is a good place to go for dessert after dinner in Chinatown or Little Italy. Expect to wait for a table when the cafe is busy and don't expect great service. I like the eclairs, cannolis, bavarian cream puffs, fruit tarts, and gelato. They have a smaller midtown location, but they don't bake pastries there.

PROS: eclairs, cannolis, bavarian cream puffs, fruit tarts, gelato
CONS: service, wait

4 Stars: You gotta go...it's famous! (by newjerseydiva)

newjerseydiva — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Everyone loves Ferrara's, so much so, that you should be prepared to wait if you'd like to be seated. If you just want to pick up a bunch of cookies & pastries to go, there's a separate line for that. Ferrara's even serves gelato out front of it's storefront and has benches for you to sit. If you enjoy Italian pastries, this is the place for you; if you're looking for a slice of apple pie or chocolate cake, look elsewhere, though their Death by Chocolate is so rich, you won't be able to finish it. I did have to ask my server 3 times for a glass of water and things were slow in coming, but I guess if you are a fan, you'll overlook it.

5 Stars: Delicious pastries! (by kristinem)

kristinem — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 01:00:00 GMT

I've loved everything I've had here. The cheesecake, the eclairs, the cannolis...it's definitely a great place to go after enjoying a meal at another Little Italy restaurant. Highly, highly recommended. The service is slightly sub par but very worth it. Really delish.

3 Stars: I agree, too touristy (by jservs)

jservs — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 02:00:00 GMT

Went thinking I would find "real, authentic" Italian pastry's. Brought my Italian husband, but very dissappointed. Pricey, poor service and looked like a tourist trap. Next time I'm in town I'll find better! They've fallen into getting the tourist dollars.

4 Stars: reputation preceeds itself (by nycritic00)

nycritic00 — Mon, 22 Sep 2003 02:00:00 GMT

over-rated, use to be good 15-20 yrs. ago. desserts are so so tasting & a little pricey. canoli good, but other selections either too sweet, too much creme or too much pastry. uncomfortable seating. busy cuz it's popular. SUM IT: i'd suggest the other 'ferrara's around the corner with better pastries & italian ices. this ferrara's is too touristy for me.

4 Stars: Mmmmm! (by Annasmom)

Annasmom — Sat, 21 Jun 2003 02:00:00 GMT

Lovely restaurant, we had a late lunch of veal-stuffed manicotti which was extremely tasty. The ricotta cream-filled cannoli is SO delicious I am still dreaming about it! Endless dessert menu, not a huge variety of savouries but I think anything you ordered would be delicious. We loved this place & will definitely visit next time we are in NY.

5 Stars: cannoli heaven (by akmp)

akmp — Wed, 11 Sep 2002 02:00:00 GMT

If you have a sweet tooth or want a great cup of joe, then this is the place to go! The dessert list goes on and on. Nothing to dissapoint on the menu.
In the summer months gelato is available too.