By Abigael T. Sidi
This week’s “Here’s The Dish” is probably asking for trouble: singling out just one of the Hungarian Pastry Shop’s wide array of cake offerings is all but certain to cause a stir. And because choosing one of their better known slices would fail the column’s purpose, I elected to go with their under-the-radar, marvel of a carrot cake.
The Hungarian Pastry Shop – the iconic, quasi-cultish Morningside Heights café near the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West 111th Street (across from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine) – makes a carrot cake that in many ways is the opposite of carrot cake. Moist, almost fluffy in texture, it is light and delicate, with icing and filling that are sweet (but not too sweet) and shredded carrot that is dense (but not too dense). Is it bland? Most certainly not; the cake is both vibrant and interesting in its flavor profile, with the right amount of cinnamon that teases but does not overpower the tongue. Overall, the carrot cake offers a yummy joy of a bite, best enjoyed with one of the shop’s widely acclaimed cups of coffee – the cappuccino in particular is out of this world.
The Hungarian Pastry Shop is like the cherished Eastern European mom-and-pop-style konditoreis which, like Jewish delicatessens, used to grace this city in numbers but are nowadays threatened with extinction. The shop was opened 65 years ago by a Hungarian immigrant and quickly turned into a social hub/workplace for Columbia professors and students, as well as neighborhood writers and artists.
This intellectual, Viennese café-like clientele and vibe still define the place, even though – as its website says – the Hungarian Pastry Shop was purchased by “a trio of Greek immigrants” in 1976. One descendant of that trio, Philip Binoris, is the shop’s current owner.
On a Saturday morning, the place was packed and bustling. There is often a line outside; inside you might see a busy professor marking papers over morning coffee, a student rushing to finish a book, a job interviewer and his prospective employee, all jammed into the tightly-packed, constantly-filled, tables.
“We still encourage patrons to sit as long as they like,” the shop’s website notes. Over the years Hungarian Pastry has offered a haven to the authors of more than 50 books whose covers grace the shop’s walls.
Other can’t-miss offerings include the iconic strudel (apple/walnut, cherry, or poppyseed, sold by the pound); a top notch Eastern European variation of the NYC cheesecake that is more on the airy side; an interesting lemon mascarpone cake boasting a stupendous coconut crust; and an almond flour cake topped with a decadent, cardamom-infused chocolate ganache. Additional gluten-free options are available, and while the savory menu options are few, they are delicious. Dine in or take out; the shop is open 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every weekday. On weekends it opens at 8:30 a.m.
The Dish: Carrot Cake ($5.67)
The Restaurant: The Hungarian Pastry Shop, 1020 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 110th and 111th streets)
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I was introduced to the Hungarian pastry place before I moved into Manhattan some 45 years ago by friends who lived on the upper reaches of West End Avenue; it has been my privilege to return there– not as often as I’d like– but for their Rigo Janci(?) cakes, their croissants, their cappuccino and their atmosphere. Long may they fluorish!!!!❤️
Yes, to all of the above!
But the best of the
attractions are the friendly
And attentive staff behind the
counter who create the warm
ambience of the Hungarian/ Greek
Pastry Shop.
Unfortunately the Hungarian Pastry shop is only a shadow of its original self. Lucky are those who don’t know what it was like in the “old days”, with authentic Hungarian pastries that these days are only in name only.
It certainly is not the place of old, and the Rigo Janci handwritten on the sign at the end of the counter is definitely no longer available, sadly, but it is a wonderful cozy and increasingly rare place in our neighborhood which I hope endures for many many more years. To Matt B, facts and complaints are not the same. Be kind.
The commenters on this site will find literally anything to whine about
Ignorance seems to bliss according to some,
Aaaah thank you!! My absolute favorite coffee spot not just on the UWS but the whole damned city. Philip, his team, their pastries and whole operation are a treasure to be protected at all costs. One of the rare remaining glimpses of the New York of old, the city I loved.
Passing on the CHEESE&CHERRY STRUDEL for the carrot cake at THPS is like opting for the fish at Luger’s but never mind. You described the place to a T, one of the neighborhood’s jewels
I was just there literally last Sunday, after seeing the Notre Dame exhibition at St. John. I had the Cream Puff. It. Was. Divine.
Yes yes yes! I had the privilege of eating and studying at the Hungarian Coffee Shop from 1977 to 1984 while doing undergraduate and graduate studies at Columbia U. Love the atmosphere and everything else. As a resident of the UWS I go there from time to time. Amy they prosper and endure! Wonderful place.
If Silver Moon is evicted, or even if it isn’t, it’s nice to know there is another good bakery on the UWS.
Contrary to at least one opinion here, I think the Hungarian Pastry Shop is pretty much the same and still a great place. I’ve been going there for a good 45 years and, other than the shorter hours these days and longer lines, I find it still as appealing as ever. (And I sure don’t miss the smoke from the old days.) Thanks for the review!
Carrot cake?? Are you out of your mind? Sachertorte all the way!!!! You’re right about the cappuccino though, delishhh
Is there any ordinary bakers on UWS where you can get jelly donuts?
ohrwashers, Amsterdam and 82nd
dunkin donuys
But does it have nuts? Deal-breaker.
I was taken to the Hungarian Pastry Shop on a date in 1977. I was in high school; the person I briefly dated was a freshman at Columbia. It made an indelible imprint
on me. The other bakery I adore beyond desciption–this one Italian–is Veniero’s on East 11th Street.. But I will never stop missing Royale Pastry Shop on 72nd Street between Broadway and West End Avenue, and the wonderful women who worked there. They were all European, and many were Holocaust survivors. They were short of stature and boundlessly generous, and always gave me (and I am sure, others) a buttery rugelach before leaving.Sometimes two. And their Challah was the greatest.
Always will miss Royale. And Lichtmann’s! And don’t forget Cafe Lafortuna in the W 70’s, miss them all!
And let’s not forget Lichtmann’s at 86th and Amsterdam! Wonderful counter-ladies there too.
They baked good bread there.
Oh, yes, let us now praise the Hungarian Pastry Shop, its dark espressos, its poppyseed strudel (my favorite). What? A carrot cake — how could I have missed this over the years? Tell me the chairs remain the same, the sconces, the students, the books, the papers, the profs. Change nothing. Change is not always what we need.
You just about gave me a heart attach putting Hungarian Pastry shop in the headline. Phew….carrot cake, noted. Walnut hamentaschen is my favorite.