Williamsburg Bakery Crawl

Last Saturday, we went in search of the best baked goods in Williamsburg. Our first stop, suggested by one of our members, was Kijitora, a cafe with an array of specialty drinks. All three of us opted for an iced strawberry matcha latte, which is what they’re well known for! Most of the store’s other patrons left holding the same drink, which makes sense because it was delicious! It left our hands super cold(it was >30 degrees Fahrenheit! outside!), but we all agreed that it was worth it.

After stopping at Kijitora, we went to our first actual bakery of the day. La Bicyclette is a French bakery owned by a baker who has worked all over the world. It’s also a popular neighborhood spot, and when we got there, there was a line out the door! However, it gave us some time to talk and get to know each other. Once we were inside the bakery, we ordered a selection of baked goods- a regular croissant, a bi-color pastry cream filled croissant, and an apricot pastry. We enjoyed the flaky treats on a small bench outside before continuing on our way.

Our next spot was another popular neighborhood establishment- Ceremonia Bakeshop! They offer a selection of baked items and also have a small brunch menu, but we decided to get one of each of their cookies- one Ceremonia(a rainbow sprinkle sugar cookie), a salted chocolate chip, and last but definitely not least, a lavender earl grey. They were all great, with a perfect chewy texture and distinct flavors, but our favorite was the earl grey. We also saw a lot of people ordering their breakfast burritos- I’d definitely go back to try one!

Our next stop was savory, and a little unconventional: Fini, for a slice of pizza! Although pizza isn’t really a bakery item, it is baked, and I figured we could be a little creative! Fini has a lot of great community-oriented initiatives, such as purchasing 30 trash cans throughout Brooklyn to prevent littering and hosting basketball tournaments for local kids, so we were excited to support them! We tried their classic cheese slice and their white pizza, which were both fresh and really good. Their white slice is unique because they top it with lemon zest and serve it with a lemon wedge, but we thought it was a good combination!

Our final stop was Taiyaki NYC, which is known for their soft-serve in taiyaki cones. But since it was chilly outside, we chose to try the traditional taiyaki instead. The mini sea bream- shaped cake comes in a variety of flavors including matcha, custard, red bean, and ube. At Taiyaki NYC, they made our taiyaki fresh to order, and when they came out, they were still warm! We were all full by that point, so the palm-sized taiyaki was the perfect way to end our bakery crawl. We walked to the subway and said our goodbyes- but before we split up, someone suggested that we hang out again over the break, so stay tuned for another spontaneous event!