Popular bakeries in NYC are overrun with TikTok influencer novelty donuts and gimmicky made-for-photography pastries. To each their own, but I prefer the classic croissant and pain aux chocolat. With that in mind here's my list of recommendations for the best classic croissant all around New York.

La Cabra

Location: SoHo

La Cabra is one of the most hyped bakeries in NYC today, famous for its Japandi aesthetic and originating the increasingly trendy cardamom buns. Expect a line and a wait, but their excellent croissant and interesting roasts of hand brew coffee are well worth it, not to mention the signature cardamom bun.

Fabrique Bakery

Location: Fifth Ave

Fabrique Bakery's newly opened location on Fifth Ave is easily overlooked -- just a handpainted sign outside that says "FABRIQUE ARTISAN BAKERY". But the croissants are definitely not to be missed: slightly more dense than I expected, but with an excellent buttery flavor that doesn't overpower.

Breads Bakery

Location: Lincoln Square / Central Park West

Unpretentious compared the hipstery cafes that dominate this list, Breads is a local chain known for it's babka and baguettes, but they also make an excellent croissant. Approachable and with ample seating, they have plenty of interesting options like Jerusalem baguettes and bureka.

Tall Poppy

Location: Chelsea

A relatively new, compact Australian cafe in Chelsea. Their savory options smelled great and included satisfying chewy layers with a moderate butter flavor. Sugar in the eggwash made the entire bite a bit sweet for my taste, though.

Epices Bakery

Location: Upper West Side

This local bakery is hidden just off Columbus Ave is the closest you can get to Paris on the Upper West Side. Their croissants are amazing as well as their seasonal fruit tarts — as our visit was in the summer, we tried the fig which was excellent. Skip the coffee in favor of Solid State Coffee around the corner, the perfect provisions for a stroll or picnic in Central Park just a block away.

Hit List

And that's it! Here's the rest of the list: places that I've been recommended, but haven't personally had a chance to try yet:

- CLAUDE, West Village

- Le Fournil, East Village

- Librae Bakery, East Village

- Petit Chou, East Village

- L'Appartement 4F, Brooklyn Heights

- Nick + Sons, McCarran Park