NYC Bakeries That Are Worth Waking Up Early For

As a pastry chef, I'm incredibly picky about baked goods. These bakeries are doing something special enough to get me out of bed before 8am.

The Early Bird List:

Breads Bakery (Multiple Locations)

The chocolate babka is famous for a reason, but don't sleep on the croissants. They're doing traditional French technique with Israeli influences.

Get there by: 8am for the full selection

Must order: Chocolate babka (obviously), almond croissant, rugelach

Price point: $6-12 per item

Maman (Multiple Locations)

French-style café that takes their pastries seriously. The chocolate chip cookies are legendary, but the morning pastries are where they shine.

Get there by: 9am (they have better stock than most)

Must order: Lavender lemon cookie, everything croissant, banana bread

Price point: $4-8 per item

She Wolf Bakery (Brooklyn)

This is serious sourdough. They're fermenting for 48+ hours and you can taste the difference. The morning pastries rotate based on what's seasonal.

Get there by: 7:30am (they sell out fast)

Must order: Whatever laminated pastry they have that day, country loaf

Price point: $5-10 per item

Supermoon Bakehouse (Lower East Side)

The Crêux is worth the hype. It's a croissant-muffin hybrid that shouldn't work but absolutely does. Flavors rotate weekly.

Get there by: 10am (or order ahead)

Must order: Whatever flavor Crêux sounds interesting, everything bagel

Price point: $7-12 per item

Balthazar Bakery (SoHo)

The retail bakery attached to the restaurant. Same quality bread and pastries that supply the restaurant.

Get there by: 8:30am

Must order: Pain aux raisins, baguette, any of the tarts

Price point: $4-9 per item

Daily Provisions (Multiple Locations)

From the team behind Union Square Cafe. Everything is made in-house, including the donuts.

Get there by: 9am

Must order: Almond croissant, blackberry brioche donut, BEC on their biscuit

Price point: $5-10 per item

What Makes a Great Bakery:

Freshness: If they're not baking throughout the day, they're not serious.

Technique: You can tell when someone actually knows what they're doing. The layers should shatter. The crumb should be even.

Ingredients: Real butter, good chocolate, fresh fruit. No shortcuts.

Variety: Doing one thing well is fine, but range shows skill.

Why You Should Wake Up Early:

Morning pastries are a completely different experience fresh from the oven. That croissant at 3pm? It's fine. But at 8am when it's still warm? It's transcendent.

Pro Tips:

- Call ahead for special orders

- Weekend mornings are chaos - weekdays are better

- Most bakeries have loyalty programs

- Don't be afraid to ask what just came out of the oven

- Freeze extra bread/pastries properly - they'll keep for weeks

The best pastries in NYC are worth setting an alarm for. Your future self will thank you.