By Abigael T. Sidi
If you’re anything like me, your life has been sunshine and rainbows since the spring season started. Out with the sumo oranges and Granny Smith apples, in with the gold star of all fruit: strawberries. I’ve always been the kid who tries to force their mom to buy strawberries in mid-January, and who is always met with a slightly apologetic, but definite “not the season, NO.” But now, there is no excuse; it’s time to eat the berries.
Out of all the pastries you can find in a Parisian bakery, the tarte aux fraises (strawberry tart) has always been my automatic go-to. It’s colorful but tame, traditionally glazed with a strained apricot jam that gives it a mesmerizing shine. Pâte sablée (French sweet shortcrust pastry) is its base, and crème pâtissière (vanilla pastry cream) supports a generous arrangement of strawberries, creating this remarkable dessert that I call perfection. Occasionally, a pâtissier will swap out the soft vanilla goodness for a punchy lemon custard, which, although slightly unconventional, I actually prefer.
While my parents have been diligently testing all of the baguettes at the French bakeries on the Upper West Side, I personally always look for a tarte aux fraises. The search had been essentially fruitless for my 16 years as an UWS resident, until yesterday, when I discovered La Farine Pâtisserie et Café, between West 87th and 88th streets on Broadway.
I walked in during this bright Saturday afternoon, with low expectations but hope, nonetheless. My “expect disappointment and you won’t be disappointed” mentality instantly vanished when my eyes fell upon stacks and stacks of flour right next to the bakery’s doorway, all adorned with French words. Yes, you have that right. T65 flour, the BEST flour, imported directly from Quebec. Suddenly, the name of the bakery (farine means flour in French) made sense. Scratch the low expectations; I’m looking for greatness.
As my family tends to do at bakeries, we promptly ordered half the menu, crafting a well-balanced lunch out of both the café and pâtisserie offerings. Amongst the former was the mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes in sourdough ($13.95), a classic Caprese sandwich with the added bonus of a beautifully pesto-soaked bread; smoked salmon in challah roll ($14.95), which I personally viewed as an inferior version of a classic bagel combo (though my parents disagreed); and the spring pea soup ($7.95), which was steamy, earthy, textured, and served with two slices of crispy sourdough. None of the savory elements were letdowns, but the pastries were where La Farine truly shined.
We began our not-so-delicate indulgence with a classic chocolate chip cookie ($6.95), which was delicious and crisp but did not hold a candle to others around the neighborhood (Orwashers’, for instance, blows this one out of the park). We then ventured into perhaps the most visually impressive offering at La Farine, the miso vanilla croissant ($7.95), which is shaped in a circular spiral rather than the classic shape, standing vertically on its edge with a piped vanilla cardamom cream nest hosting a few drops of vanilla bean extract on the top. A bit of a mind-boggling pastry to eat—I recommend just slicing through it with a knife—but it was nonetheless spectacular. The croissant was flaky and buttery, a rare find in the city, and the vanilla cream—which could also be found in abundance in between the pastry layers inside the croissant— was light and airy, with a delicate flavor that turned a simply beautiful croissant into a generous dessert.
But, of course, let’s not forget the star of the show. The strawberry cardamom tart ($11.95) was gorgeous, with the strawberries arranged pointing up, further decorated with a few cardamom leaves. La Farine does not glaze the tart, and to my dismay, makes it with a traditional crème fouettée rather than the more adventurous lemon custard. I still gave it a shot, taking a bite directly into the tart. (It’s hard to cut with the strawberries placed as they are.) Heaven. One of my main concerns with this dessert was that it would be too sweet, but the hidden strawberry jam in the crème fouettée brings enough acidity to level the sweetness, making it the perfect dessert for those with a sweet tooth and the sane alike. Also, the cardamom, which infused the creme with controlled balance, elevated each bite with just enough exotic undertones, and the light and crunchy-yet-slightly-resistant pâte sablée was expertly crafted (the chef pâtissier has true mastery here). Lastly, the strawberries were fresh, flavorful, and ripe, proudly declaring their 2026 debut. The tart was gone in two minutes.
La Farine Pâtisserie et Café is a larger, more open space than a typical bakery, with a second-floor balcony entirely designated for seating. The space is quiet and classy, bright and airy, perfect for a mid-day break now that the weather is (finally) getting warmer. Service is quick for everything on the menu, including the coffee, which I found well above-average. If you don’t want to let any of the sun go to waste, you can opt for the outdoor seating, which is rather vast and accommodates at least a dozen people.
La Farine Patisserie et Café is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with pickup and delivery available at these times. As expected from the T65 flour, the bakery’s baguette, which we tested, is very, very solid, but not cheap ($5.45, perhaps because of the imported T65). Overall, La Farine was just that, on the pricier end, even compared to the French community’s revered Heritage Bakery down in Bryant Park.
The Dish: Strawberry Cardamom Tart ($11.95)
The Restaurant: La Farine Pâtisserie et Café, 2394 Broadway(between West 87th and 88th streets)
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I have noticed that the price of baguettes has gone up at the few locations where a good one can be found, reaching at least $5.
Wouldn’t one think that flour imported from Québec—about 375 miles—would actually be cheaper than flour from the midwest, around 1200 miles?
One is an import, the other is not. You’re forgetting about tariffs.
Exactly
of course.
we can blame the president, i think, because of this:
“Canada represents about 98 per cent of wheat imports into the U.S. Despite falling U.S. wheat production, milling capacity for semolina (durum) has grown 20 per cent, while wheat flour capacity has increased by 24 per cent. U.S. farmers do not produce enough durum wheat domestically to meet demand, with domestic production declining to about 30 per cent while durum demand for food use has risen to 30 per cent. Additionally, non-durum hard wheat production in the U.S. has remained flat, while imports from Canada have grown by a staggering 870 per cent since 1990, highlighting the U.S. milling industry’s reliance on Canadian producers for expansion.”
Another find to add to my go to list. My quest for a great baguette never ends, so I will try theirs. Strawberry tarts are my great white whale of desserts. I plan to make some with an order of garaguettes-the closest I can come to fraises des bois, I buy from Strega Provisions to be delivered this week. Thick creme Chantilly is what I like. Meantime I will be sure to try the one you highlighted here. The caprese sandwich is very appealing as that is my all. time. favorite salad. Thanks once again Abigail for hipping me to another potentially great place a stone’s throw from where I live.
Now, have you hit on the best French sandwich of baguette, Paris ham and butter? Another quest. Zabars has true Paris ham. I have French butter. Would that La Farine would offer this!
I know where I will have lunch on a Broadway bench today.
Joel
Thank you for turning me onto Strega Provisions, apparently they also sell wild strawberries/ fraises de bois, they are little and super fragrant and will be traveling to Bushwick to pick up a box this week!
Oddly enough, I noticed this place for the first time three days ago returning from an uptown lunch at Moon Kee and thought, hey. that is new. Looks interesting. Have to take a look. And once again, you come to the rescue. NB. I do not see the strawberry tart on their website
We need a best baguette roundup next.
If this is a real « pate sablée » supporting the strawberries, which it sounds and definitely looks like, I’ll be trying the tart this week. I, like you, am obsessed with « real » fruit tarts, French style. And not because of the fruits (I actually prefer the raspberry version), but because of the buttery crunchy crust. Huge fan
I find your reviews more useful and informed (and better written) than those in the NYT.
I’ve been to La Farine many times since it opened. I frequently purchase tuna in baguette to go, which is reliable and tastes good. However, my experience has been very different than the author of this piece. I find the service to be anything but quick. Indeed, it often borders on the downright painful and inept. Furthermore, the one time my wife and I sampled their baked goods by purchasing a baba au rhum we were appalled at how bad it was.
I love their coffee. The tuna is fine but so much mayo. Their desserts are so-so. They look really good but usually it tastes so so. I do really love their momo baguette and butter. That is delicious
Bakeries in our neighborhood and elsewhere in the city frustrate me lately. I know that ingredient and labor and rent costs are up and I’m willing to pay for artistry, some of which seems to be true here. But I can’t get over the prices like $7 for a chocolate chip cookie, or a simple scone or muffin elsewhere. A excellent pastry that I can savor in a pleasant setting might be worth the still high prices but so many bakeries these days are just out of my league.
Your parents have been sampling all the baguettes but I go for the pains au chocolat. Farine’s is at least the second best of the dozens I have tried on the Upper West Side.
Another great review…you’ve really got a way with words. Will miss you when you’re in college, but wish you well!
My friends and I had to stop going to Farine’s because it doesn’t accept cash, which is illegal, but nothing has been done about it.
Have you mentioned it to management? Reported to the Department of Consumer Affairs? If it’s not on their radar they can’t issue a warning or fine the establishment. I also won’t patronize those that flout this law.
looking at the croissant, i had the same question: how do you eat that thing. I tried it, it’s a mess, but it’s phenomenal. Nice find
They are very pricey even in today’s economy. Having said that, their White Chocolate Babka is out of this world.
“Overall, La Farine was just that, on the pricier end, even compared to the French community’s revered Heritage Bakery down in Bryant Park.”
I assume you mean the Heritage Grand Bakery on the south side of 40th to the west of 5th.
Food available within Bryant Park isn’t special. Probably better than it was in the 1970s and 1980s though.
Your review sent me there today for a birthday lunch. You failed to mention that service is cafeteria style–order pay and pick up at the counter, either on a tray to eat at one of the sidewalk tables or up two flights to the indoor seating. I ordered the mozzarella/tomato sandwich and the strawberry cardomam tart. $30 with $2 tip. I wrestled my way down the ramp to one of the small outdoor tables. The sandwich was not very appealing. It did not have a lot of taste and the toasted bread broke apart as I bit into the sandwich. I had the tart boxed and took it home to eat for dessert tonight. It was very good. The sable crust was great, the cream delicious and the berries sweet. a winner. Pastries will be the thing from there for me. Though Epicerie give them a run for the money. Balthazar or Levain are my choice for baguettes.
I meant to type Mille-Feuille not Epicerie in the post below.